We all know Malec is the ultimate Shadowhunters ship, and perhaps even the ultimate ship of them all. Between the Mortal Instruments series and their very own Eldest Curses series, you’d think we’d have enough of them, but we have not. Here are some ships you must consider getting on board with if you’re a Malec fan!
Characters You Should Ship if You Love Malec
1. Selwyn and Bree – Legendborn by Tracy Deonn
So we just want to preface this by saying BOTH of the core ships in Tracy Deonn’s Legendborn are ship-worthy. But between frustrated golden boy Nick and misunderstood mage Selwyn, we think the unexpected fire and understanding between Selwyn and Bree is a great match to Malec. Regardless of whether you’re team Selwyn or Nick, an action-packed contemporary fantasy like Legendborn would be right up the alley of any Shadowhunters fan!
2. Ari and Dante – Aristotle & Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
Magnus and Alec have one of those fateful, resonate connections that first came as a surprise, but now you couldn’t imagine it any other way. In Aristotle & Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, two boys, different in every way and both going through their own personal struggles, cross paths and find themselves in the grip of the same kind of undeniable connection. This poetic novel is about family, identity, and the way one person can change your entire life.
3. Alexis and Roya – When We Were Magic by Sarah Gailey
Badass best friends scrambling to solve some magical havoc—and perhaps falling in love along the way? Sounds like Magnus and Alec, but also sounds like Alexis and her friends in When We Were Magic, particularly Alexis and one of her best friends, Roya. Keeping your magic a secret is hard. Being in love with your best friend is harder. But when Alexis makes a magical mistake and a boy winds up dead, Alexis and her tight knit group of friends must attempt to right this wrong, and Alexis must come to terms with what caused her magic to go awry in the first place.
4. Tanner and Sebastian – Autoboyography by Christina Lauren
In this Fangirl meets Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda novel from New York Times bestselling author Christina Lauren, two boys fall in love in a writing class. However, like Magnus and Alec, the two boys come from different worlds that may not be mutually accepting—one is from a progressive family which just relocated from California to Utah, and the other is a local boy from a conservative religious community.
6. Elisabeth and Nathaniel – Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson
Sorcerers are evil. Elisabeth has known this as long as she has known anything. Much like Warlocks in Shadowhunters, Sorcerers in Sorcery of Thorns have an unbreakable link with the demonic, and therefore, many think they cannot be trusted. But like Alec with Magnus, Elisabeth makes an unlikely alliance with sorcerer Nathaniel, and finds herself trusting him more than she can trust the world around her.
7. Juliette and Roma – These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong
Star-crossed lovers like Magnus and Alec are evergreen for a reason—the mounting tension, the forbidden rendezvous, the PINING. These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong is based on the OG star-crossed lovers Romeo and Juliet. This retelling is set against the glittering backdrop of 1920s Shanghai, with a Shadowhunters-level fantastical twist of a monster in the depths of the Huangpu river threatening the city. Roma and Juliette are the heirs to rival gangs, but against this new monstrous threat, they decide to team up to save their city.
8. Tai and Athlen – In Deeper Waters by F.T. Lukens
Perhaps a pirate/prince love story isn’t EXACTLY Malec’s vibe, but we’re pretty sure Magnus and Alec would be BIG fans of the F.T. Lukens’ In Deeper Waters, a swoony adventure on the high seas about a young prince kidnapped by pirates whose only hope for survival is a mysterious, alluring stranger.
9. Maren and Kaia – Storm the Earth by Rebecca Kim Wells
Magnus and Alec are known for willing to do anything to save the other—no matter how dangerous that anything may be. Maren, the protagonist of Storm the Earth, can relate, as her entire story is spurred by her girlfriend being abducted by the Aureti. Maren, who only ever wanted a quiet life, ends up stealing a dragon and diving head first into the corruption of the empire in order to save Kaia. Storm the Earth closes out the Rebecca Kim Wells’ Shatter the Sky duology!