A Good Girl's Guide to Murder: Deluxe Edition
Holly Jackson
Both books explore Young Adult Fiction
The Red Scrolls of Magic
by Cassandra Clare, Wesley Chu
A fun, romantic Shadowhunters road trip that finally gives Magnus Bane and Alec Lightwood a book of their own, with demons, cults, and early-relationship nerves across Europe.
What It's About
The Red Scrolls of Magic follows the immortal warlock Magnus Bane and the young Shadowhunter Alec Lightwood just after they have become a couple. Magnus plans a romantic European getaway, but the trip turns into a chase when they learn that a dangerous demon-worshipping cult traces back to Magnus himself, set up long ago as a prank he barely remembers. What follows is a mix of investigation, magical fights, and two people learning how to be together when one of them has lived for centuries and the other is barely an adult.
The book sits within Cassandra Clare's larger Shadowhunter world and is the first of the Eldest Curses series, co-written with Wesley Chu. The tone is lighter than the main Mortal Instruments books: Magnus's flamboyant humor carries much of the narration, and the authors lean into banter, glamorous settings, and comic misadventures alongside the danger. The romance is central rather than a subplot, and much of the emotional tension comes from secrets each man is holding back and from the gap between Magnus's long past and Alec's inexperience.
Reading it feels like a vacation episode of a long-running series. It moves quickly, offers plenty of action set pieces, and rewards fans who already love these two characters. Newcomers can follow the plot, but the jokes, cameos, and emotional payoffs land much harder if you know the earlier books.
Read this if you…
- already love Magnus and Alec and want a full novel centered on them
- enjoy light, banter-heavy fantasy adventure with a queer romance at its heart
- are working through the Shadowhunter books and want a lower-stakes, fun side story
Skip it if you…
- have never read any Shadowhunter books and dislike catching up on insider references
- want a dark, high-stakes fantasy with tight plotting and serious world-changing consequences
Key Ideas
- 1
A long-awaited spotlight on Malec
Magnus and Alec were fan favorites as supporting characters in The Mortal Instruments, often kept at the edges of other people's stories. Here their relationship is the main event. The book explores early romance between two very different men, giving their dynamic room to breathe through quiet moments, flirtation, and arguments that the main series rarely had space for.
- 2
Your past never really stays buried
The plot hinges on the idea that a careless joke from Magnus's younger, wilder years has grown into something genuinely harmful. This lets the book explore accountability for an immortal: how someone who has lived for centuries reckons with old mistakes, and how much of that history he is willing to share with a partner who has known him only briefly.
- 3
Trust between unequal partners
Alec is young, serious, and new to love; Magnus is ancient, guarded, and used to hiding pain behind charm. Both keep secrets during the trip, and the danger forces them to decide how much vulnerability they can risk. The romance works because the obstacles come from who these characters are, not just from external threats.
- 4
Adventure with a comic, travelogue flavor
The story moves across European cities with an eye for luxury, food, and spectacle, filtered through Magnus's theatrical voice. Fights with demons and encounters with shady Downworlders alternate with witty banter. The co-writing with Wesley Chu adds brisk action pacing, making this one of the more playful entries in the Shadowhunter universe.
Limitations
Some readers find the plot thinner than the romance, with the cult mystery serving mainly as an excuse to move the couple from one glamorous location to the next. Pacing can feel uneven, and the villain side of the story is less memorable than the main pair. Because it slots between existing books in the timeline, the stakes are limited: longtime fans know where these characters end up. Readers new to the franchise may also feel lost amid cameos and lore that the book assumes you know.
Questions Readers Ask
- Do I need to read The Mortal Instruments first?
- It is strongly recommended. The story takes place after the events of City of Glass, and it assumes you know Magnus, Alec, Shadowhunter society, and Downworlders. You can technically follow the plot without that background, but much of the emotional weight and humor comes from knowing these characters' history.
- Is The Red Scrolls of Magic part of a series?
- Yes. It is the first book in The Eldest Curses, a series co-written by Cassandra Clare and Wesley Chu that follows Magnus and Alec. The second book is The Lost Book of the White. Each continues their story while adding new adventures within the wider Shadowhunter universe.
- Is it appropriate for younger teens?
- It is marketed as young adult and fits that range well. There is fantasy violence, demons, and romance, but the tone is generally light and the romantic content stays within typical YA bounds. Most teens comfortable with the main Shadowhunter books will be fine with this one.
- Published
- 2019
- ISBN
- 9781481495080
- Difficulty
- beginner
- Category
- Young Adult
Book details and cover from Google Books.
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