February 4, 2019
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.
March 1, 2019
Gr 8 Up-After winning a battle against evil enemies, Magnus Bane, a powerful warlock, and his new Shadowhunter boyfriend, Alec Lightwood, travel to Europe for a romantic trip to celebrate and test the waters of their new relationship. However, their fun is interrupted in Paris by chaos and rumors of a demonic invasion led by a cult, the Crimson Hand. Magnus is horrified to learn that he might have founded the murderous cult himself as a joke years earlier. He lives in constant fear that he will lose Alec. Many are suspicious of the warlock, wondering if he really is the one behind the killings. Alec will do anything to help clear his lover's name, even if it means keeping secrets from his family and friends. As they unlock Magnus's old memories and track the elusive cult, the warlock dreads Alec discovering the unsavory details of his past. Chronologically, Alec and Magnus's trip takes place during the fourth book of the "Mortal Instruments" series "City of Fallen Angels." Readers will want to be familiar with the other Shadowhunter stories, including the "Infernal Devices" series, because other characters from the books make appearances and there are some spoilers. With her usual dry humor and suspenseful action, Clare takes readers on a rollicking trip. VERDICT Themes of acceptance, self-worth, and compassion are well represented, making this selection an important addition to libraries that already have the author's other books.-Sandi Jones, Wynne High School, Wynne, AR
Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
February 15, 2019
One true pair Magnus Bane and Alec Lightwood get their own spinoff series.Even when he's on a glamorous and romantic holiday in Europe with his boyfriend, Alec, Downworlder excitement still finds its way to Magnus. This time, the immortal, bisexual, and biracial (Dutch/Indonesian) warlock stands accused of founding a human cult--the Crimson Hand--in the name of his demon father, Asmodeus. A mysterious gap in Magnus' memories keeps the truth at bay. Rather than turning Magnus in to his fellow Shadowhunters for questioning, Alec stays loyal to his man. Sexual tension abounds as the two steal moments of sizzling romance while fighting demons and solving the mystery. Though ostentatious in description, setting, and detail, Chu (The Fall of Io, 2019, etc.) and Clare's (Queen of Air and Darkness, 2018, etc.) collaboration effectively balances star-crossed love with a contagious spirit of fun. While the book-length focus pulls these former secondary characters deservedly into the spotlight, its authenticity is marred by the excessive cologne of its clichéd Adonises. However, the shifting third-person narration deepens characterization by exploring Alec's internalized homophobia and Magnus' past. The acknowledgments place the book within the timeline of the City of Fallen Angels (Clare, 2011). The cast of secondary characters notably includes additional queer characters as well as Shinyun Jung, a Korean warlock.Peak champagne-filled indulgence. "Malec" shippers will clamor for installments to come. (Fantasy. 14-adult)
COPYRIGHT(2019) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
March 1, 2019
Grades 9-12 Warlock Magnus Bane and his new beau, Shadowhunter Alec Lightwood, are in need of a romantic Parisian getaway following the Mortal War. But when an old friend appears warning Magnus of a rumor that he is the founder and leader of a fast-growing demon-worshiping cult, he and Alec are forced to sidetrack from their vacation to shut down the cult themselves, before other Shadowhunters catch wind and punish Magnus?with death?for his alleged involvement. It's hard to get more star-crossed than demon-spawn and angel-spawn, immortal and mortal, but this is Clare in her element, and Chu (Time Siege, 2016) brings his deft hand at writing thrilling action and combat as Clare's newest coauthor. This first installment in a new trilogy builds on characters, plot, and world building from previous books in the Shadowhunter universe, and new readers may feel lost jumping in here, despite a few pages of forced exposition at the novel's opening. Clare's ravenous fans will no doubt be pleased with this often sexy, self-indulgent European adventure that fills in gaps left open in City of Fallen Angels (2015).(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)
February 15, 2019
One true pair Magnus Bane and Alec Lightwood get their own spinoff series.Even when he's on a glamorous and romantic holiday in Europe with his boyfriend, Alec, Downworlder excitement still finds its way to Magnus. This time, the immortal, bisexual, and biracial (Dutch/Indonesian) warlock stands accused of founding a human cult--the Crimson Hand--in the name of his demon father, Asmodeus. A mysterious gap in Magnus' memories keeps the truth at bay. Rather than turning Magnus in to his fellow Shadowhunters for questioning, Alec stays loyal to his man. Sexual tension abounds as the two steal moments of sizzling romance while fighting demons and solving the mystery. Though ostentatious in description, setting, and detail, Chu (The Fall of Io, 2019, etc.) and Clare's (Queen of Air and Darkness, 2018, etc.) collaboration effectively balances star-crossed love with a contagious spirit of fun. While the book-length focus pulls these former secondary characters deservedly into the spotlight, its authenticity is marred by the excessive cologne of its clich�d Adonises. However, the shifting third-person narration deepens characterization by exploring Alec's internalized homophobia and Magnus' past. The acknowledgments place the book within the timeline of the City of Fallen Angels (Clare, 2011). The cast of secondary characters notably includes additional queer characters as well as Shinyun Jung, a Korean warlock.Peak champagne-filled indulgence. "Malec" shippers will clamor for installments to come. (Fantasy. 14-adult)
COPYRIGHT(2019) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.