A #1 New York Times bestseller! “A rip-roaring adventure merged with satisfying romance.” —Entertainment Weekly “[A] swashbuckling launch to the Eldest Curses series.” —Publishers Weekly From #1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestseller Cassandra Clare and award-winner Wesley Chu comes the first book in a new series full of “swoon-worthy romance [and] abundant action” (Publishers Weekly). The Red … full of “swoon-worthy romance [and] abundant action” (Publishers Weekly). The Red Scrolls of Magic is a Shadowhunters novel.
All Magnus Bane wanted was a vacation—a lavish trip across Europe with Alec Lightwood, the Shadowhunter who against all odds is finally his boyfriend. But as soon as the pair settles in Paris, an old friend arrives with news about a demon-worshipping cult called the Crimson Hand that is bent on causing chaos around the world. A cult that was apparently founded by Magnus himself. Years ago. As a joke.
Now Magnus and Alec must race across Europe to track down the Crimson Hand before the cult can cause any more damage. Demons are now dogging their every step, and it is becoming harder to tell friend from foe. As their quest for answers becomes increasingly dire, Magnus and Alec will have to trust each other more than ever—even if it means revealing the secrets they’ve both been keeping.
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I am going to tell you something that is going to shock you *leans in close to whisper* – this is the first Cassandra Clare book I have read.
And even more shockingly – I watched the Shadowhunters TV show on Netflix to get myself caught up – all because Magnus and Alec’s book blurb intrigued me.
Don’t shoot me, OK. I will go back and read the books!
I am glad I said yes to reading this book, as it really was an enjoyable, magical romp around Europe
The last 30% of his book really ramped things up for me, an I found myself being “anti-social” (as people were calling it) by sitting with friend, book in hand, reading away, as I needed to know where things were going.
I did wonder at times if Magnus would come across as a bit too glib, a bit too jokey – I mean, not everything needs a smart-ass comments. However, in the end I didn’t mind them at all. It played off well against Alec’s fears and worries, and the complemented each other well.
So, yes, I will go back and read the earlier boos, and yes, I will definitely be reading more of Malec in the future
I love the Magus character. This was a great read in his and Alec story.
All Magnus and Alec wanted was an uninterrupted European vacation to solidify their still-new relationship. Shockingly, nothing went as planned. Ha! I really enjoyed this chance to get to know our two heroes better, as they were getting to know each other better, albeit via more adversity than romance.
This isn’t the strongest book in the series, but I still found it a thoroughly enjoyable read. And if you have even the vaguest interest in the blossoming relationship between Alec and Magnus, or any interest in Magnus’ personal history, this is sure to be a fun book.
Another one of cassandra clares books you can not read unless you have previously read her other series or it can be rather confusing
This entire series will keep you on the edge of your seat and it makes you wonder why the characters do the things they do and it a way to set up the next book in the series or to explain what had happened in previous books
The Red Scrolls of Magic takes you back in time. For fans of The Mortal Instruments, this is a chance to see the vacation that Magnus and Alec took during the series when the characters were seen via postcards and phone calls. The book can be read without the other books set in the world, but fans can spot several Easter eggs from cameo appearances to all of the fun references that Clare and Chu supply. This is the first book in the series and it’s a great addition that delves right into the fun from the first page. As a longtime reader of Clare’s books, this was a great treat and added a new layer to the characters.
Magnus and Alec are one of the favorite couples in the Shadowhunters world and the tone is an upbeat romantic comedy with a swashbuckling adventure splashed in. The plot of the story goes back in time to the beginning of their relationship where readers only caught glimpses of before. Now, we’re getting a chance to see how they began and how they first took those steps toward the loving couple we know today. New readers will love this even without knowing where the couple is heading. The romantic comedy tone is a fun genre exploration for this world. Each of the Shadowhunters books has a romantic plot within all the demon-fighting action, but Red Scrolls kicks off with the couple already together and has all the chaos of a romantic comedy with an action twist.
While most romcoms have hijinks that foil the couple and the romance between them, Clare and Chu create a dazzling amount of chaos for the couple through the use of demons and an insane cult that Magnus started years ago. The romantic catastrophes add to the humor and the fun that make this an action-packed delight from beginning to end. The chaotic elements are what make the story so light, and upbeat with just the right amount of tongue-in-cheek and nerdy dialogue. You’ll find yourself busting out laughing one minute at the couple crashing a hot air balloon, and swooning over the romance the next.
The story also takes a deeper look into the Downworlder reality through the perspective of a Downworlder. Most of the characters in the Shadowhunters books are Shadowhunters so the Downworld and those that live within it are typically from their perspective, or in the case of Mortal Instruments’ Simon, a human new to the world. The plot offers an engaging look into Magnus’ history and the flippant way he has shrugged off some “minor” chaos he caused for amusement or boredom. In the case of this book, he started a cult back in the day that (without his knowledge) has carried into this present day.
Each of the books within this world contains familiar faces and Red Scrolls is no exception. Throughout the course of their vacation, they experience one chaos after another, but they also run into a variety of familiar faces. Fans will have fun catching all the familiar faces with Tessa, Raphael, Kit, and Malcolm Fade. Magnus and Alec have a fun team up with Aline and Helen which leads to a few delightful sparks between the two. Red Scrolls is a can’t miss, charming, funny, action-packed, and fast-paced thrill that blends the joys of romantic comedy with adventure.
This was the book I was waiting for from the shadowhunter series.
Not the best of the Shadowhunter series.
It took me a while to get through this, but I loved savoring it. Magnus and Alec are the best and I loved that they got their own time to shine. And that ending?!?! So many questions!
Magnus Bane is one of my all time favorite characters. He has been an integral part of every Shadowhunters book, and is always so much more than he is expected to be. The immortal son of a demon, Magnus embodies a soul of compassion and understanding that most humans don’t reach, while always being the most intelligent and stylish person in the room.
Well now that book two is out I finally got around reading book one.
This book takes place right after City of Fallen Angels and is early on in their relationship. The ups, the downs and the crazy times.
Before I get too much further in, I would like to say that Alec and Magnus always will be my OTP and I look forward to page time with them, in any of the books and was super stoked to hear they are finally getting their own book.
The book is in dual POVs which I always enjoy, as we are getting a bigger picture of what is going on.
We’re learning a lot more of Magnus’s history and background, stuff we don’t already know about him. Not only stuff from his past but also what is going on in his head now. I always loved Magnus he is one of my favorite characters throughout the Shadowhunter’s universe.
Alec, well… while I always liked him, he never was on my favorite list. But this book really changed my mind about him. We learn so much more about him and he opens up. I love how he changes and opens up throughout the book not only to Magnus but others as well.
A lot in this book had to do with him coming out, and how others responded to him… his fears and challenges but also his wins and hope.
Of course, no Shadowhunter book is complete with a list of cameos… that is no different here. Here are my top three cameos in this book:
Tessa
Kit and Dad (I love Kit)
Helen Blackthorn and Aline Penhallow
Speaking of Helen and Aline, it was interesting to see their meeting. Of course, we run into a few others and other close friends and family are mentioned.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book, not as much as some others books in this world but still really loved it and looking forward to read book two
I rate it 4
Love all the books in the Shadowhunters world! This one was very good. Tho’ I must admit Magnus is my fave character;)
Probably the best book in the Shadowhunter series yet. Can’t wait for the next book to come out!!
I liked the book but I felt the plot was a little more predictable than her other writing and found it more of a cookie cutter formula read. Will buy more of her books in the future though.
Excellent audiobook, fabulous narration. Magnus and Alec in the new days of love and distractions are everywhere.
I love Magnus and Alec so much, and in this book you’ll read about how the started to date and fall in love with each other, while they traveled through some countries in Europe, the only problem is that there’s no time for romance when this amazing couple tries to find a cult in order to save Magnus from the law.
But this task is much more difficult than Alec and Magnus thought in the beginning.
First and foremost, I really enjoy the whole Shadowhunter world – always have and probably always will. Having said that now, sure, there are some books/storylines that I like better than others but I still like them all and will continue to read them as long as CC puts them out – I would even read the one on Church the Cat (as one fan suggested) if it ever came about.
While I have always been interested in the Magnus/Alec storyline, this was certainly a really tame depiction of it. Hopefully, the storyline will become more interesting and intimate as it goes along. Whatever – I’ll still read it.
I love Cassandra Clare’s books. This story is great learning more about Alec and Magnas.
For Shadowhunter fans picking up this book is a no brainer. Especially for those who love Magnus and Alec. I love this insight into the development of their relationship and what was going on between the other books!
**Minor spoilers for The Mortal Instruments and The Dark Artifices ahead.**
Malec has been my OTP from the moment I read City of Bones a decade ago (sorry Jace and Clary, I love you but…) and now they’re FINALLY getting their moment. This was the first LGBTQ+ relationship I ever read about as a teen and I can’t tell you how amazing it was to see it highlighted so spectacularly in this novel.
I’m not gonna lie, it took me a hot minute to get into this book. It was SUPER weird to shift my mindset back in the shadowhunter timeline to the middle of The Mortal Instruments. Both Magnus and Alec were so unsure and hesitant with each other and it was just so odd! I’m so used to the current Malec being confident and strong in their relationship. I mean, they have two kids and just got married for god sakes. For the first several chapters, I had to remind myself of the events in City of Glass and remember they had literally JUST gotten together when this took place.
HOWEVER. Once it gets going it was was easy to work out the kinks and get into the story. It was kind of like reading a little treasure hunt, picking out the things or people that eventually play a bigger part in this universe down the road. I absolutely LOVED all of the cameos and I think Raphael was my favorite. He is literally me at any and all social gatherings. Seriously, that boy is a #MOOD. And we get to see how Aline and Helen meet!!! Aline became one of my favorite lady shadowhunters during Queen of Air and Darkness and it was great seeing their relationship up close and personal.
And Malec guys. Oh my god. MALEC. I can’t tell you how completely and utterly delightful it was to read about them. Soooooooooo many adorable moments.
Their character arcs were awesome and I loved watching the transformation as they learned to trust one another. It’s also really interesting because this book adds a layer of complexity to their relationship that wasn’t there in the last three books of The Mortal Instruments. It all happened so quick during those novels and as devastated as I was over their break up in City of Lost Souls, they had only been dating a few months. It didn’t seem like THAT big a deal in the grand scheme of things. But after reading this, it’s obvious that they were a lot closer and more in love than I realized. Alec seemed so confident in this book that it’s difficult to match it with who he becomes later on. I’m super curious to see how the next two books play out in this series.
↬ FINAL WORD
This book is FREAKING ADORABLE AND YOU’LL LOVE IT!! Malec is the best and I didn’t think it was possible to love them any more, but HERE WE ARE. WOW.