The Red Scrolls of Magic
Rating: 5/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher in exchange for an honest review!
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 and its elusive new leader before the cult can cause any more damage. As if it wasn’t bad enough that their romantic getaway has been sidetracked, 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.
It's here, it's here! The Malec book of my dreams! I've been so ready for this, I love Magnus and he's my complete favourite! I've been itching for Magnus to get his own book, and I know there's the novellas but it's not the same! Anyway, Cassie went one better and along with Wesley.....they've given us a Malec book. I will have a book discussion for this book coming up on my YouTube channel in the next couple of weeks that'll have a spoiler free section and then a spoiler section to squeal over, but I thought I'd type up a quick review to share earlier too!
I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect but I was expecting good things…and this was just amazing. I had so much fun reading it, and I didn’t want it to end. It was way better than anything I had imagined to be honest.
I was a little bit confused about the time setting for this initially, as I had assumed it was set after TDA and didn’t actually look to see when it was set, and I haven’t read The Mortal Instruments since the final book came out so my memory was struggling to conjure up the timeline and I thought I’d figured out but nope. I did eventually work out its set during City of Fallen Angels.
I would recommend you read the first three mortal instruments books before you read this, if you're super impatient you could read this before the other books, but you'll miss some connections with TDA and some layers to it, it's up to you.
I was pleasantly surprised by getting both Magnus and Alec's point of view, I love Magnus, I always have. His snarky narrative is my favourite, he's so extra and just excellent and this book reminded me of how much I love him! He made my heart hurt multiple times in this, pretending it's all good when it's not, worrying that he might have done something that'd make Alec look at him differently. He's keeping a secret from Alec because he doesn't want to put him in a tough spot with the Clave. But my heart hurt the most when he basically showed he was scared of getting hurt. OUCH my heart.
We learn so much about Magnus's past and his childhood in this book, it might not be news to people who've actually read Bane Chronicles (I'll get there eventually okay), but it was to me and it was heartbreaking. On a lighter note, his snark was on point, as to be expected from Magnus, he had me laughing so many times with his comments and his behaviour.
Don't get me wrong, I've always liked Alec but this book made me love Alec even more because we get to know him so much better. Bless him, he's such an awkward little bean with new people but such a MOOD. Alec is worrying about a lot of things, the only thing he's sure of is his feelings for Magnus. He'll protect Magnus no matter what and ugh, I love them. I feel like we get to know Alec even better than we have before, and I actually found him pretty relatable at times. Hit me in the feels though when talking about how his friendship with Jace started and showed just how strong the sibling bond between he and Izzy is. Alec did his fair share when it came to choking me up, I can't lie.
The thing I found most interesting about Alec’s POV in this book is that if you’ve read TDA you know how Alec is now and how far he’s come as a character and the monumental character growth, and in this book I feel like we’re starting to build up to that Alec. When we first meet him he’s big on following the rules and the whole “The law is hard but it is the law” thing but in this he’s not quite following that, helping to keep something from the Clave. He's also stepping in to Downworlder shoes somewhat and what they must feel like to be questioned by a Shadowhunter, and coming to understand and empathise with them. We really see a shift in Alec’s feelings and understanding towards Downworlder’s throughout the course of this book, and I feel like we’re seeing the first glimmers of TDA Alec.
We’re used to a bit of build up when it comes to Cassie’s books and I love it, don’t get me wrong, but this one jumps straight in, we have romance, action, and then Malec are sent off on their quest all within the first 30 pages or so. The plot thickens even more from there and from what we know from the synopsis. Plus there’s the fact Tessa, Magnus and Alec are hiding this from the Shadowhunters and the tension that creates. As is usual, there’s different plot threads woven in, we’ve got the romance, and the mystery, we’ve got some great themes like forgiveness and forgiving yourself, we’ve got characters struggles, characters pasts, and we get to see a lot of the Warlocks and downworlders too!
I did love the vibes to this book, like the stuff in Paris felt very usual Shadowhunter vibes, but from the Orient Express it took on a different vibe for me. I did wonder if we were going to Murder on the Orient Express, kind of thing, but not quite.
The entire book just has a different vibe to it than the other Shadowhunter books, or at least I thought so. I think maybe because there’s no huge, looming doom and gloom war brewing, and there’s not a huge group it was just Magnus and Alec for the most part in a little two person mission team up. But to me it had a real adventure, quest vibe with a lot of snarky humour. Maybe it’s a little bit lighter as well? Certain lighter than TDA.
There’s plenty of action and humour and a nice pace that keeps you riveted to the book, of course we build up more and more to the finale when the action ramps up and intensifies. There’s also the usual mind blowing plot twists one in particular really caught me off guard and made me screech. Thanks guys. You know what you did.
The ending was beautiful though, the final glimpse of Magnus and Alec before heading in to the epilogue of ruin. It started out all cute, and chilled, a cute Malec moment and then holy shit the ending. I screeched. I should be used to these kinds of endings from Cassie by now but I was hoping Wesley might be kinder. No.
Speaking of Wesley, I haven’t read any of his books, BUT as far as I could tell his writing blended well with Cassie’s, or with the Shadowhunters in general. I never read a passage of the book and thought “wow Cassie didn’t write this”. I don’t know how they wrote this, I don’t know if one wrote Alec and one wrote Magnus, or what the plan was, but nothing in the writing or characters felt out of place.
I loved getting to see regular Paris and then the more magical side of Paris. The Paris shadowmarket was fun to see too and then because Paris isn’t a luxurious enough location, we get taken on the Orient Express to Venice before heading off to Rome.
I loved reading about Venice and the party sounded completely magical. But I loved how each different place was brought to life, and transported you there, letting you get a little bit of a feel for the place, and wow the Rome Institute. I wish it was real. Nothing is out of place, this slots smoothly in to the TMI series, in a gap Cassie created, and expands upon the world showing us more of the world of the Downworlders in their parties and the shadowmarkets of other places, and more of the world of the Shadowhunters in more of the institutes.
As for the romance...I love them. I love how Alec anticipates him, sometimes before he’s even opened his mouth but Magnus can surprise him with the smallest thing. Magnus was all romantic one minute and then he’d make a comment about a future without Alec cause immortal and I’d get punched in the feels. They’re kind of in the awkward phase where Magnus is being careful with Alec and trying not to push him, and Alec hasn’t been able to actually voice what he wants because he hates conversations about feelings. So Alec’s all in with Magnus and ready for anything but Magnus is cautious and Alec doesn’t want him to be and neither of them want to mess anything up but the trip will let them get to know each other better and the other sides they have to them. They’re basically struggling with boundaries and Magnus is scared for Alec to see some of his past if it’s bad but Alec wants to be included because he's confident in his feelings for Magnus.
I just loved seeing them near to the beginning of their relationship, figuring everything out, what they want and how to be together so both of them are happy. Having read all the books and seeing how far they’ve come, it hit me in the feels even more. It’s a deeper insight in to where they were before the second half of TMI and there’s some foreboding because of what we know is coming in the second part of TMI and we see the glimmers of a couple of issues they’re going to face.
Like I said, there’s tensions between Shadowhunters and Downworlders and we see a lot of prejudice against Alec in this book whereas usually it’s the other way round. We’ve seen Alec and all his friends with Magnus there too but not as tied to them as Alec is, obviously, and now we see Magnus and all his connections with Alec kind of on the fringes, which makes for some interesting moments as Alec is adjusting to being around so many downworlders, and it’s not easy for them to get information with Alec present, and Alec isn’t as comfortable with them as he is in TDA. Considering some of them are Magnus’s friends, it’s a bit of contention at one point between them.
Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of sweet, and romantic moments. I wasn’t here for the cockblocking demons showing up every time Magnus and Alec started to get somewhere but that’s not the point. But there’s also a few rocky and angsty moments along with the nicer moments. That’s my point. I JUST LOVE MALEC AND I BASKED IN ALL THE MALEC MOMENTS OKAY.
I had so much fun reading this, it exceeded any expectations I had for it, and I liked the different tone and vibe to the usual Shadowhunter books. It was so much fun, it had me smiling and laughing, but also getting choked up. I loved the insight in to Magnus and his past, and Alec as well as Aline and Helen. I loved the pacing and the plot for this, and the other threads woven in, along with connections to the other books. It’s honestly just become one of my favourites which means it’s tied with I think it’s in second place right now, after TID. Sorry TDA you’ve been knocked down a place.
