#41: Cassandra Clare & Wesley Chu, The Red Scrolls of Magic (Eldest Curses #1)

[kareila]

The Eldest Curses appears to be a series of connected stories featuring certain specific characters (Alec, Magnus, and a new warlock named Shinyun) but with large gaps of time in between installments. At least, that's as much as I can glean from the current info available; the third and final book hasn't been published yet. But every other Shadowhunter trilogy is a single story in three volumes, so this is a welcome contrast.

This tale takes place during the short gap between City of Glass and City of Fallen Angels and tells us what happened when Alec & Magnus tried to enjoy a romantic European vacation together. Short answer: They ended up on a mission to track down a murderous cult, like you do, and every time they tried to make out with each other, they either got attacked by demons, or collapsed from the exhaustion of fighting demons. So, A+ for relationship building but D- for romance. The outcome of their quest is a foregone conclusion, but we are treated to a few nice character moments, such as Alec's first meeting with the vampires Raphael & Lily, and the introduction of future sweethearts Helen Blackthorn & Aline Penhallow.