Magnus meets Johnny Rook in new ‘The Red Scrolls of Magic’ snippet

It’s nearly the end of the month so it’s time for the first newsletter of 2019! Yesterday, Cassandra Clare sent the January issue to her subscribers and we once again got a snippet from an upcoming book, some art and more. Let’s kick this article off with a new snippet from The Red Scrolls of Magic! This is a really cool one because it features a character we know from The Dark Artifices:

“Magnus Bane! I thought it was you.”

Magnus turned toward the voice. “Johnny Rook! What are you doing in Paris?”
Johnny Rook was one of the rare mundanes who had the ability to see the Shadow World. He was usually based at the Los Angeles Shadow Market.

Magnus surveyed Johnny unenthusiastically. He wore a black trench coat and sunglasses (though it was night), with short Caesar-cut dirty blond hair and five o’clock scruff. There was something slightly off about his face: Magnus had heard a rumor that Johnny had hired faeries to permanently magically enhance his features, but if it was true, Magnus felt Johnny had wasted his money. The man was also known as Rook the Crook, and he was committed to his aesthetic.

About to ask the same of you,” said Johnny, avidly curious.

“Vacation,” Magnus said noncommittally. “How is your son? Cat, is it?”

“Kit. He’s a good boy. Growing like a sprout. Quick hands, very useful in my line of work.”

“You have your child picking pockets?”

“Some of that. Some passing on trifles like keys. Some sleight of hand. All sorts. He’s multitalented.”

“Isn’t he about ten years old?” Magnus asked.

Johnny shrugged. “He’s very advanced.”

“Clearly.”

“Looking for anything special at the Market? Perhaps I can be of service.”

Magnus closed his eyes and counted to ten slowly. Against his better judgment he said casually, “What do you know about the Crimson Hand?”

Johnny rolled his eyes. “Culties. Worship Asmodeus.”

Magnus’s heart gave a hard, spiky thump. “Asmodeus?”

Would he have to tell Alec that Asmodeus was his father? Alec had never asked who Magnus’s demon parent was and Magnus had no desire to tell him. Most warlocks were fathered or mothered by ordinary demons. It was Magnus’s bad luck that his father was one of Hell’s Nine Princes.

“Asmodeus?” he said again to Johnny. “Are you sure?”

I love this cameo and the little nod to The Wicked Ones 😀

Cassie also shared synopses for The Lost World and Forever Fallen, the last two Ghosts of Shadow Market short stories, but please only read the one for the final story if you have finished reading Queen of Air and Darkness because there is a massive spoiler:

The Lost World, co-written by Kelly Link:
While at the Scholomance, Ty and Livvy test the limits of Livvy’s ghostly powers, while Jem and Tessa prepare for the birth of their child.

Forever Fallen, co-written by Sarah Rees Brennan
The Jace Herondale who crossed into our world from Thule is torn between his feeling of responsibility to Ash, who is ever-increasing in power, and his desire to take back the life he lost from the Jace of our world, by force if necessary. Meanwhile, in the peaceful countryside of England, Kit Herondale struggles to adjust to a new life and a new family, and to forget Ty.

I cannot wait for Ghosts of the Shadow Market to be released (June 4) and I hope Davood Diba also created some artwork for Forever Fallen.

Beautiful, but also so sad 😦
What do you think of the snippet and the artwork? Sound off in the comments.

The Red Scrolls of Magic, which Cassie co-wrote with Wesley Chu, is published on April 9!