The Red Scrolls of Magic by Cassandra Clare and Wesley Chu

The Eldest Curses book 1. Simon and Schuster, 2019. ISBN: 9781471162145. paperback, 350pgs.
(Age: 14+) This was my first taste of Cassandra Clare's fantasy world of the Shadowhunters. I tend to see a copy in the hands of my students frequently so really wanted to try this book.
The Shadowhunter Chronicles is a young-adult fantasy franchise by American author Cassandra Clare. The series is so popular with young adults that there are now companion books, graphic novels, manga, film, and TV series adaptations. Each of the books, as my students say, follow the supernatural conflict between the Shadowhunters, a group of powerful human-angel hybrids, and Downworlders, a society of mythological beings, and their battle against demons.
The Red Sea Scrolls of Magic is the first of a new series after the Mortal War. It is co-written with Wesley Chu. This story follows the High Warlock Magnus Bane and his new boyfriend Alec Lightwood who is a Shadowhunter.
I found the book very easy to read and follow and wanted to know more about the characters. The Red Sea Scrolls was a love story between two people who should not be together due to who they were. Magnus and Alec decide to take a relaxing romantic vacation together through Europe. Vacation, I think not. Magnus' past catches up and he is accused of putting a cult together called the Crimson Hand. Magnus and Alec are on the hunt to find the real leader of this cult and along the way they encounter vampires, werewolves, demons and many other people and creatures.
It is action packed, full of love and great twists and turns, while the reader also learns more about the past of both characters which was very interesting. I actually did enjoy reading this LGBT, fantasy love story book and can see why young adults love the series.
The ending did leave me thinking, 'Will Magnus tell Alec the massive secret of who his father really is'? Will have to read the next book in the series to find out.
Maria Komninos