The Red Scrolls of Magic, and the Malec spin-off we didn't know we needed

This book has got everything. It has gays, lesbians, bisexuals, cultists, demons, scenic European cities. If you don't take yourself too seriously to still read Young Adult, and you love a good swashbuckling romance which conveniently involves globetrotting, The Red Scrolls of Magic is the perfect light read for you.

Now I must admit I gave up trying to follow the logistics of the Shadowhunter world when the main book series concluded. Is this cannon? Does it have other novels in between? Have we met these characters before? Where does it fit in the narrative timeline? Does it preserve the continuity of the story? If you think about it too much you're only going to get a headache and cut your enjoyment of the book in half.

(I spent about an hour after finishing the book trying to figure out the answers to these questions and the only conclusion I reached is that, frankly, I don't give a damn).

Now that we've got that out of the way, let's dive into this camp adventure!

There's so much to love about The Red Scrolls of Magic. Told from the perspective of both Magnus and Alec, the book manages to highlight the best (and worst) qualities of both men, giving us a unique insight into how they view each other and their relationship - something which I was starved for during the main series. I'd honestly pay good money to read it all again told from their perspective rather than a boring star-crossed hetero couple. That's so 20th century! Yawn.

Magnus is as camp as ever, trying to impress his new boyfriend with the most extra romantic gestures he could think of, and I am here for it. Not because I think flashy gestures are the key to a successful relationship, but because in his case it comes from a very wholesome place. Like, of course I need to organise a candle-lit dinner and champagne in a hot air balloon that I magically fly with my powers. You mean other boyfriends don't do that?

Alec, meanwhile, is so clueless it makes my heart ache for him. Ah, first love. Well, I guess technically not first love, since he had that massive ill-advised crush on Jace, but first requited love! Anyways, watching him grow alongside his feelings for Magnus, gradually relaxing into the tenderness and intimacy of their relationship gave me all. the. feels.

We also have the two sides of the same 'I'm not good enough' coin. The insecurity Magnus and Alec share without realising could have easily veered into the realm of being melodramatic (Clary and Jace, I'm looking at you), but it doesn't. Instead, it remains firmly rooted in the realities of being completely and utterly enough with someone amazing, which has the inevitable side effect of having you wonder every once in a while at your luck. The fact that they both feel that way is a testimony to how well-balanced their relationship is despite the difference in age and experience. Legit, the best couple in the Shadowhunter universe.

We also have some supporting LGBTQ ladies Alec is completely clueless about, which makes for a humorous side-plot that relieves the tension as shit hits the fan. Plus, I'm never one to be mad about badass ladies getting it on with each other. (Honestly, if Clary and Izzy had been the main item in The Mortal Instruments, I would have been way more invested in the romance...I'm sure there's fanfiction about it!)

If for some reason you're not obsessed with reading about same sex relationships (although, why wouldn't you be, what's wrong with you?!), don't worry, there's plenty more this book has to offer! In terms of narrative, the novel is a typical heist/spy/action story which has our characters racing a mysterious villain across the globe. Featured also are a relatively good plot twist and a shocking final reveal which had me going:

Could have worked perfectly well as a standalone novel, but I will definitely be tuning in for the rest of the trilogy. Would they decline in quality? Probably. Will I still read them for the gays? Most certainly!

5/5 stars