cover image The Red Scrolls of Magic (The Eldest Curses #1)

The Red Scrolls of Magic (The Eldest Curses #1)

Cassandra Clare and Wesley Chu. McElderry, $24.99 (368p) ISBN 978-1-4814-9508-0

Hedonistic High Warlock Magnus Bane is vacationing with his boyfriend, demon-slaying Shadowhunter Alec Lightwood, in Paris when Magnus’s friend Tessa delivers bad news. A cult called the Crimson Hand is sacrificing faeries to raise a Prince of Hell who will unleash anarchy in the Shadow World, and Magnus is rumored to be their leader. Magnus concedes that he may have founded the organization as a drunken joke—the memory seems to be missing—but he adamantly denies any current involvement. The warlocks’ governing council won’t punish Magnus if he fixes the problem himself, so he and Alec team up with disgruntled former Crimson Hand member Shinyun Jung to find and disband the group. Vicious demons and suspicious Shadowhunters plague their trek across Europe, endangering their lives and testing Magnus and Alec’s new relationship. Clare (the Mortal Instruments books) collaborates with Chu (the Tao series) on this swashbuckling launch to the Eldest Curses series, set in Clare’s ever-expanding Shadowhunter universe. Magnus and Alec’s swoon-worthy romance explores the transformative power of love, while abundant action drives the tale to a harrowing finish. Ages 14–up. [em](Apr.) [/em]