Gr 9 Up—Magnus and Alec return in the next installment of Clare's Shadowhunters spinoff. The unlikely couple of Magnus, a warlock of Dutch and Indonesian descent, and Alec, a white demon-hunter, have settled into a happy, comfortable life with their toddler son, Max. Unfortunately, Magnus's old friend Ragnor pays them a visit and steals the Book of the White at the bidding of the evil demon Sammael. Magnus is injured in the scuffle by a magical thorn and suffers from a strange glowing wound. To get the book of magic back, Alec and Magnus summon Clary, Jace, Isabelle, and Simon, their friends from the Shadowhunters Institute. Leaving Max under Maryse's care, they travel through a multi-dimensional portal to Shanghai, hoping to catch the thieves. The chase brings them close, but Magnus is affected by his injury. Sammael manipulates him through the thorn in his chest, persuading him to accept the terrifying power of the demon. Clare's fans will appreciate her usual blend of snarky humor and action, along with a world of magic that seems so real it's almost believable. The romance between Magnus and Alec naturally continues to heat up. However, this installment of the series might lose its appeal to younger readers with its more mature, domesticated feeling, unlike that of earlier works. Nevertheless, Shadowhunters fans won't be disappointed by the continuation of the story. VERDICT Purchase for fans of The Red Scrolls of Magic.—Sandi Jones, Wynne H.S., AR