♦️♦️ATTENTION, Bookworm beanies who are Mortal Instruments fans!♦️♦️

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The Red Scrolls of Magic is like the dream of every romantic bookworm who’s an ideal tourist by heart who wants to go explore all kinds of exotic sceneries, but hates the tedious process of travelling itself and much rather stay at home READING about places if she can’t afford an easygoing, smooth modes and methods like Magnus Bane does!
Oh my gosh, from since the opening, I’m bombarded with lavish descriptions of lavish surroundings, indoor and outdoor, food, clothes, drinks, weather, climate…. it’s so dreamyyy!!
The shameless and generous servings of these descriptions are so overwhelming at times, to the point I cannot read the book nonstop but take it in small portions, savoring each and everything, and occasionally going to kitchen and making myself some satisfying snack just so I won’t mouthwater at the next Malec dining scene!

The other best thing about this book? Jung Shin-yoon/ Shinyun Jung. OMG you don’t know how much I love it when Western authors include Asian characters in their books, and generally put attention on the beauty of traditional Asian customs and history- no matter how slight it might be.
As an avid Korean History and K-drama fan, this is the second time I am pleasantly surprised and absolutely delighted, feeling like I’m having best of both worlds, a cocktail of two of my most favourite but polar-opposite things. (The 1st time being Rick Riordan presents- Yoon Ha Lee’s Dragon Pearl, which is a blend of Traditional Korean mythology and Sci-fi AU)
To make the matters EVEN more great, I know JUST the actress/character to play Shinyun Jung in my head. Cheok Sa-gwang(played by Han Ye-ri) from the epic Six Flying Dragons.
●Steely, beautiful and little-to-zero-emotions face? Check.
●Master Swordfighting skills and use of samgakdo swords? Check.
●Regal demeanour and grace? Check.
●Immaculate white robes? Check.
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Imagining Cheok Sa-gwang as Shinyun Jung felt seamless.
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Having finished more than 2/3rds of the book, I can’t help but wonder whether Cassie Clare and Wesley Chu wrote Shinyun Jung with Cheok Sa-gwang in their mind.
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Right now, my head is filled with the gorgeous ensemble of Bucolic scenery, Classic monuments from various cities, Gourmet cuisine, Tuxedos, Matthew Daddario, Harry Shum Jr. and Han Ye-ri.
OH. HELL. YES. Gimme moooree!!!!
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And the BEST and the most important thing is, the little book is absolutely darling, enjoyable and witty from the beginning to the end.

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    I want a tv show of the Clockwork Angel trilogy prequel. Or whatever that was called. I loved Magnus, Will, Jem and Tessa. I thought it was one of the most tightly written things Cassandra Clare has written. She tends to be meandering. I get that the Shadowhunters is massively popular and all. But I wish she would move on to a different world. Its time for that series to end already. Or it can go on forever. I didn’t continue when Jace and Clary’s story ended and the new shadowhunters were introduced. Something about the way parabati being thrown around all over the place drives me crazy when it was such a small, intense, part in the beginning.

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      I COMPLETELY agree. When authors don’t let go of their creation when it’s necessary it drives me crazy too, because it dims down the gleam of the previous memories too.
      But don’t worry. This book is no such thing. It takes place during the original Mortal Instruments timeline, at the beginning of Magnus and Alec’s relationship and during their romantic world tour.
      No new shadowhunters or stuff.
      Just Magnus, Alec (which I think we never got enough of from the original MI series so I don’t complain) and a Cheok Sa-gwang warlock.
      It’s a really enjoyable snippet. You don’t even have to read the MI series, just having some basic knowledge and having watched Shadowhunters TV show here and there would be more than enough.
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      Plus, Tessa cameos here!😃😃😃

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        Oh, thats good to know. Did you watch the tv show? SO BAD! But, it had Harry Shum Jr and good LORD that man is attractive.

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          Isn’t he? Too bad I can’t fangirl over him too much because he’s married and a dad now, lol. Same goes to Matt. I don’t know why all the actors I like have to be married😂😂!
          No I didn’t watch it but I watched enough YouTube video clips and ALL the Malec clips so I’m nearly as good as an actual viewer.
          I normally don’t watch any US/Western shows in favor of K-dramas, for reasons you’ve probably already heard of. They are dragging. Multi-seasoned. Plot-driven. Ever-changing plot. TOO much action. Not enough character building.
          But Shadowhunters GRABBED my attention, you know? I immediately noticed something different about it.
          It was by NO means perfect, they failed to get Jace’s character right, and the plot was messy and unbelievable at times. BUT, they always managed to get their intimate moments, inter-personal relationships and stuff right. For a western drama, I thought Shadowhunters was surprisingly character-driven not plot-driven. It was refreshing. And they managed to score PERFECT actors for nearly ALL the rolls. (Except Jace. But still he is better than movie Jace) Matt Daddario can eye-act and micro-expression like no other (and I was reminded of Lee Jun-ki😝!).
          Plus their musical clues were SUPERB and always on-point. The Magnus-interrupts-Alec’s wedding scene is the perfect example, with Ruelle’s War of Hearts in the background.
          So basically, it reminded me of a K-drama! I don’t need any other reason than that, right? Plus it’s thousand folds better than the movie, which is saying a LOT!🤣.

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          @saya once said; “K-drama strengths lie in how they create strong emotional groundings, which means that even if the plot lacks coherence and everything is crazy there’s still something to care about in the characters.”
          I think this applies SO well to Shadowhunters too😂. Probably the reason why it has such a strong fanbase!

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            omg I am being quoted 😱😱😱 thanks @peony haha

            Glad to see a book discussion here, though this is a series I don’t read!

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            @saya lol😂. The honor is totally mine! I *think* it was from that failed LJK-Moon Chae-won drama. The moment I saw this paragraph under the recapper’s comments section, I jotted it down in my notebook for future reference. I think it’s a quite accurate and brilliant summary about the uniqueness of K-dramas.
            P.S.- Lengthy rambling about books is ALL I do and know how to do if I don’t have a drama to occupy my online time with, hehe.

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            Without evidence, I refuse to believe I had anything good to say about the travesty that was Criminal Minds 😂😂 (Oh show, how I hated you!)

            But you know I feel that kdramas and YA are essentially the same thing at heart – that is to say, the heart of them is what matters the most, and that they both set out with an intention to make you feel.

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            @saya Then it wasn’t Criminal minds lol.😅But the quote is definitely yours!
            So you mean all Kdramas are like young adult novels? Even the not-young-adult dramas? (Because ALL kind of K-dramas have this character-focused feel I think.) Wow…that’s something I never thought about. It’s quite interesting.
            I never thought to compare them to novels, I was merely surprised when an action filled US DRAMA started reminding me of Korean ones.
            But then again, that drama is BASED on a YA which is like a K-drama…..WOW! Mystery solved! QED!!
            Thanks, Saya😄. So does this mean the key to allure us the viewers to US dramas is basing them on YA?? Well, one can dream, hehe.

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          Lolololol! Lucky you!
          Of course, it’s not like I can control my squeeeeing either, but I……try(?)🤣🤣🤣

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        I have a feel you’d like Red Scrolls of Magic. It’s not “corrupted” by unnecessary details and characters, just a simple and straightforward little story. I hope you enjoy it😃 if you can find enough time and mood!

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    Cheok Sa-gwang!

    She was just something else.

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