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The New Alchemists #1
Red City
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Fantasy (2025)The Godfather meets The Magicians in the sweeping adult debut from No. 1 New York Times bestselling author Marie Lu. Perfect for fans of V.E. Schwab, Red City is a dark and deadly contemporary fantasy of magical warfare, star-crossed ambition, and the pursuit of perfection at any cost, set in a glittering alternate Los Angeles.
Alchemy is the hidden art of transformation. An exclusive power wielded by crime syndicates that market it to the world’s elites in the form of Sand, a drug that enhances those who take it into a more perfect version of themselves, more beautiful, more charismatic, simply more.
Among the gleaming skyscrapers and rolling foothills of Angel City, alchemy is controlled by two rival syndicates. For years, Grand Central and Lumines have been balanced on a razor’s edge between polite negotiation and outright violence. But when two childhood friends step into that delicate equation, the city – and the paths of their lives – will be irrevocably transformed.
The daughter of a poor single mother, Sam would do anything to claw her way into the ranks of Grand Central in search of a better life. Plucked away from his family as a boy to become a Lumines apprentice, Ari is one of the syndicates' brightest rising stars. Once, they might have loved each other. But as the two alchemists face off across opposite sides of an ever-escalating conflict, ambition becomes power, loyalty becomes lies, and no transformation may be perfect enough for them both to survive the coming war.
Alchemy is the hidden art of transformation. An exclusive power wielded by crime syndicates that market it to the world’s elites in the form of Sand, a drug that enhances those who take it into a more perfect version of themselves, more beautiful, more charismatic, simply more.
Among the gleaming skyscrapers and rolling foothills of Angel City, alchemy is controlled by two rival syndicates. For years, Grand Central and Lumines have been balanced on a razor’s edge between polite negotiation and outright violence. But when two childhood friends step into that delicate equation, the city – and the paths of their lives – will be irrevocably transformed.
The daughter of a poor single mother, Sam would do anything to claw her way into the ranks of Grand Central in search of a better life. Plucked away from his family as a boy to become a Lumines apprentice, Ari is one of the syndicates' brightest rising stars. Once, they might have loved each other. But as the two alchemists face off across opposite sides of an ever-escalating conflict, ambition becomes power, loyalty becomes lies, and no transformation may be perfect enough for them both to survive the coming war.
Audible Audio
First published October 14, 2025
About the author
Marie Lu
55 books137k followersHi there! I'm an author of mostly sci-fi/fantasy YA novels, like Legend, Warcross, The Young Elites, Skyhunter, and Stars & Smoke. My adult fantasy debut, Red City, releases this October 14, 2025.
I graduated from the University of Southern California and currently live in LA with my family. Before becoming a full-time writer, I was an Art Director at a video game company. Now I spend most of my time writing, trying to keep my plants alive, and getting stuck in traffic. I feel very honored that I get to tell you stories, and my deepest wish is always that my books can offer you some joy, solace, entertainment, and/or escape. With all my heart, thank you for reading.
I graduated from the University of Southern California and currently live in LA with my family. Before becoming a full-time writer, I was an Art Director at a video game company. Now I spend most of my time writing, trying to keep my plants alive, and getting stuck in traffic. I feel very honored that I get to tell you stories, and my deepest wish is always that my books can offer you some joy, solace, entertainment, and/or escape. With all my heart, thank you for reading.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 5,192 reviews
September 9, 2025
Sorry but, try as I might, I could not get into this book. And I really did try. There were moments when the story picked up for a chapter and I was like "Okay, this is it. I'm engaged." and then it would go back to being so slow and dry.
Marie Lu has created an alternative Los Angeles where war rages between rival alchemist syndicates. At the centre of this conflict is "sand" — a drug that makes the user more beautiful, more charismatic, more perfect. We follow two characters — Sam and Ari — from childhood where they are classmates into adulthood as they climb the ranks in their opposing syndicates. The premise shows potential but when it came down to it I found there was very little I actually cared about.
I see that some other reviewers said this book started slow, which it does, but I'm genuinely not sure at what point it stopped being slow for others. If I hadn't been reading an arc I would have quit.
We creep through their childhoods with lots of listening, learning and pre-training, where almost nothing happens except Sam and Ari exchanging flowery notes. Then they get older and there's a bit of mafia action (snore) before we introduce some more romantic angst by having them both begin relationships with other people. This felt like so much filler and wasted time because, come on, we all know that's not the end game, right?
Also, I feel like Ari was a much bigger barrier to my enjoyment than Sam. Any moment when I became vaguely interested was during Sam's pov, and I especially enjoyed the portrayal of the complicated messy relationship with her mother, Connie. I actually think this was by far the most interesting thing the story had to offer. But who the heck even was Ari? So beautiful, so charismatic (allegedly), but I couldn't care less about a pretty face, and that charisma was not coming through these pages. His good looks seem to be his whole personality.
But even Sam's slightly more engaging perspective could not carry the book for me. I grew increasingly indifferent to her as well, especially once her relationship with Will began (for the reasons noted above).
And I cannot shake the feeling that no matter how much alchemy and gang warfare goes on, this is all just window dressing for what is, at its core, a romance. None of it feels particularly serious. Everything that happens feels like filler to delay Sam and Ari being together. That's just the impression I got. Who knows? I hope I'm wrong. Maybe this will go West Side Story on us in book two. Let me know.
Marie Lu has created an alternative Los Angeles where war rages between rival alchemist syndicates. At the centre of this conflict is "sand" — a drug that makes the user more beautiful, more charismatic, more perfect. We follow two characters — Sam and Ari — from childhood where they are classmates into adulthood as they climb the ranks in their opposing syndicates. The premise shows potential but when it came down to it I found there was very little I actually cared about.
I see that some other reviewers said this book started slow, which it does, but I'm genuinely not sure at what point it stopped being slow for others. If I hadn't been reading an arc I would have quit.
We creep through their childhoods with lots of listening, learning and pre-training, where almost nothing happens except Sam and Ari exchanging flowery notes. Then they get older and there's a bit of mafia action (snore) before we introduce some more romantic angst by having them both begin relationships with other people. This felt like so much filler and wasted time because, come on, we all know that's not the end game, right?
Also, I feel like Ari was a much bigger barrier to my enjoyment than Sam. Any moment when I became vaguely interested was during Sam's pov, and I especially enjoyed the portrayal of the complicated messy relationship with her mother, Connie. I actually think this was by far the most interesting thing the story had to offer. But who the heck even was Ari? So beautiful, so charismatic (allegedly), but I couldn't care less about a pretty face, and that charisma was not coming through these pages. His good looks seem to be his whole personality.
But even Sam's slightly more engaging perspective could not carry the book for me. I grew increasingly indifferent to her as well, especially once her relationship with Will began (for the reasons noted above).
And I cannot shake the feeling that no matter how much alchemy and gang warfare goes on, this is all just window dressing for what is, at its core, a romance. None of it feels particularly serious. Everything that happens feels like filler to delay Sam and Ari being together. That's just the impression I got. Who knows? I hope I'm wrong. Maybe this will go West Side Story on us in book two. Let me know.
December 9, 2025
“Fall off the bone good” is generally not a phrase used for books but I’m using it for this one. Only thing is I have to wait awhile for book 2. So so good
Tendernism
5/5
Tendernism
5/5
January 30, 2026
Urban fantasy with alchemy and a romance subplot? Recipe for an amazing time. Every single character in this book is morally grey. Not wholly good or wholly bad, they all live in the in between. And i LOVED IT!!!!!
May 9, 2026
i tend to avoid urban fantasy - its just not a genre that clicks with me - but i kept seeing a lot positive feedback for this and im a such a ML fan, so i knew i had to give this a shot anyway.
and yes, there are things that slightly personally irk me about the urban fantasy aspects of the story, but the overall substance is enjoyable. some highlights for me are the commentary of immigrant experiences in america, the interactions between ari and sam (i wanted more of them!), and how ML engages adult readers with her storytelling. she has written some great YA novels, but im pleased with this adult debut. its a good look for her.
so, a positive reading experience overall for this first installment and a great introduction to what promises be an entertaining series! cant wait for the next book!
↠ 4 stars
and yes, there are things that slightly personally irk me about the urban fantasy aspects of the story, but the overall substance is enjoyable. some highlights for me are the commentary of immigrant experiences in america, the interactions between ari and sam (i wanted more of them!), and how ML engages adult readers with her storytelling. she has written some great YA novels, but im pleased with this adult debut. its a good look for her.
so, a positive reading experience overall for this first installment and a great introduction to what promises be an entertaining series! cant wait for the next book!
↠ 4 stars
October 10, 2025
Ohhh my god 😭 I’m speechless. I want to buy copies of this book and just throw them at random people. I want to send flowers to Marie Lu, her editor, and her agent. No words right now, just mark your calendars for Oct. 14th. Next week, put this on hold at your library or go to your local bookstore. If your bookstore doesn’t have it in stock, just stand there until they do. Do whatever you need to and get this book.
November 2, 2025
Give me MORE immediately!
LOVED this world, and how the alchemy didn’t just act as a magic system, but was so embedded in the history and politics and development of everything.
The CHARACTERS? I definitely felt more connected with Sam vs Ari, but I truly felt for her in the way that she emotionally had to process the things she was forced to do. And don’t get me started on her relationship with her mother 😭
It’s a story about morally grey characters all around. Marie Lu truly makes you feel for every single character, good or bad.
I’m so invested. Not so patiently waiting for more!
LOVED this world, and how the alchemy didn’t just act as a magic system, but was so embedded in the history and politics and development of everything.
The CHARACTERS? I definitely felt more connected with Sam vs Ari, but I truly felt for her in the way that she emotionally had to process the things she was forced to do. And don’t get me started on her relationship with her mother 😭
It’s a story about morally grey characters all around. Marie Lu truly makes you feel for every single character, good or bad.
I’m so invested. Not so patiently waiting for more!
September 29, 2025
I feel like I grew up with Marie Lu's works and I remember really liking many of her YA books when I was a teen. So it's pretty convenient for me that she is releasing her adult debut now that I'm fully grown too. However, this book wasn't hitting quite the same and while I overall didn't hate it, there were just too many things that bugged me about it.
Everything about the concept of an alchemist mafia sounds intriguing to me: rival crime syndicates that secretly control the city, a drug that brings people close to perfection, people who can transform literally any material around them. If the book had actually focused on that part, I would have devoured it. But no, instead everything revolved around the complicated relationship between two characters with no personality. We follow Sam and Ari as they meet each other and as they get into contact with alchemy at a young age. They meet in school and become each other's only friend. Their entire childhood is written out in the first 30% of the book or so and everything about that was too long and not at all gripping. It didn't even serve the purpose that was probably intended, because for all the time that was spent on their childhoods, the relationship between Sam and Ari still wasn't developed very well. They barely even interact and mostly write letters to each other and somehow there's this big obsession growing out of that. They are drawn to each other because of their (never explained) gifts – Ari has charisma and pulls attention while Sam can pass unseen –, but that was not enough to base the whole story on. Their initial powers were kinda thrown out of the window as the story went on and now I remember that Sam also had superhuman memory for some reason and I keep forgetting that because it played absolutely zero role in the book.
Sam and Ari end up in rival syndicates and don't see each other for years. Both made a name for themselves and I just hated that we saw nothing about that while I had to sit through chapters upon chapters on their childhood. I understand that Marie Lu tried to show how these characters get involved with magic and crime and get dragged deeper into it as they grow older, but the pacing was very rough and the first part wasn't even an adult book because of it. It reads like a YA novel for quite some time, but later there's smut and violence and it all felt very unbalanced. Both Sam and Ari engage in sexual relationships with people who were fully grown adults who trained them when they were children, and I never knew how I was supposed to feel while reading these scenes. I guess it was to show how the syndicates use them in every way, but why was it written as smut then? What's the point in highlighting these relationships when the book is clearly trying to sell me on the whole Ari-and-Sam agenda? Two people who didn't know each other in their adult life at all, as I would like to repeat.
I don't think that the character work saved much either. I wasn't particularly interested in any perspective and I overall think that Sam and Ari's positions in their respective syndicates were way to similar. They are gifted and they have worked for years and they are somewhat close to their bosses, but they still don't burn for their employer and don't have a goal or any plan for the future at all. It's a big missed opportunity for me that the book didn't show different paths, that no main character was really morally corrupted, and that so little came of the crime syndicate setting in general. I still have no idea how they operate, because everything felt small scale and never got big. There was a whole war between syndicates going on, but it was actually just a row of singular people getting executed and the consequences of that only ever were that more singular people got executed. It felt repetitive and not a single plot point in here came as a surprise. It's such a shame that the story didn't work for me, because the groundwork was all there. The magic system might not have been the most innovative, but it was well described and interesting to read about. Especially the transmutation fights were awesome and often brutal. But overall, this book focused on all the wrong things for me and unfortunately never had me hooked because of that. 2.5 stars.
Huge thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan / Tor for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.
Everything about the concept of an alchemist mafia sounds intriguing to me: rival crime syndicates that secretly control the city, a drug that brings people close to perfection, people who can transform literally any material around them. If the book had actually focused on that part, I would have devoured it. But no, instead everything revolved around the complicated relationship between two characters with no personality. We follow Sam and Ari as they meet each other and as they get into contact with alchemy at a young age. They meet in school and become each other's only friend. Their entire childhood is written out in the first 30% of the book or so and everything about that was too long and not at all gripping. It didn't even serve the purpose that was probably intended, because for all the time that was spent on their childhoods, the relationship between Sam and Ari still wasn't developed very well. They barely even interact and mostly write letters to each other and somehow there's this big obsession growing out of that. They are drawn to each other because of their (never explained) gifts – Ari has charisma and pulls attention while Sam can pass unseen –, but that was not enough to base the whole story on. Their initial powers were kinda thrown out of the window as the story went on and now I remember that Sam also had superhuman memory for some reason and I keep forgetting that because it played absolutely zero role in the book.
Sam and Ari end up in rival syndicates and don't see each other for years. Both made a name for themselves and I just hated that we saw nothing about that while I had to sit through chapters upon chapters on their childhood. I understand that Marie Lu tried to show how these characters get involved with magic and crime and get dragged deeper into it as they grow older, but the pacing was very rough and the first part wasn't even an adult book because of it. It reads like a YA novel for quite some time, but later there's smut and violence and it all felt very unbalanced. Both Sam and Ari engage in sexual relationships with people who were fully grown adults who trained them when they were children, and I never knew how I was supposed to feel while reading these scenes. I guess it was to show how the syndicates use them in every way, but why was it written as smut then? What's the point in highlighting these relationships when the book is clearly trying to sell me on the whole Ari-and-Sam agenda? Two people who didn't know each other in their adult life at all, as I would like to repeat.
I don't think that the character work saved much either. I wasn't particularly interested in any perspective and I overall think that Sam and Ari's positions in their respective syndicates were way to similar. They are gifted and they have worked for years and they are somewhat close to their bosses, but they still don't burn for their employer and don't have a goal or any plan for the future at all. It's a big missed opportunity for me that the book didn't show different paths, that no main character was really morally corrupted, and that so little came of the crime syndicate setting in general. I still have no idea how they operate, because everything felt small scale and never got big. There was a whole war between syndicates going on, but it was actually just a row of singular people getting executed and the consequences of that only ever were that more singular people got executed. It felt repetitive and not a single plot point in here came as a surprise. It's such a shame that the story didn't work for me, because the groundwork was all there. The magic system might not have been the most innovative, but it was well described and interesting to read about. Especially the transmutation fights were awesome and often brutal. But overall, this book focused on all the wrong things for me and unfortunately never had me hooked because of that. 2.5 stars.
Huge thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan / Tor for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.
April 23, 2025
✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✧
ೀ. arc review
⊰࿐ my thoughts
━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━
i’m honestly having mixed emotions after finishing this book. on one hand, i really loved it. the writing style was just so unique, and unlike anything i’ve read before. the beginning is slow, and when i mean slow, i mean very slow. there were points where i was questioning the amount of time that was passing, especially near the start of the book. it does pick up, and by the end of the book, it’s pretty fast paced. in a way, it almost reminds me of a mafia style babel by r.f. kuang with more of a romantically focused plot.
the romance itself was okay. i wasn’t able to really connect to the characters that much, so i was having trouble with the idea of ari and sam’s relationship (if you can call it that). sam and ari have been friends since their childhood. ari has always gotten attention from people, even when he doesn’t want it, while sam is excellent at going unnoticed. ari is the first person who truly sees sam, and they start exchanging notes at school. they talk about everything together, everything but their home lives. given the fact that we are only given a snippet of these notes, and they really don’t interact as much when they become alchemists, it’s hard to find chemistry between the two of them. i almost wanted to see sam end up with will instead of ari.
you know those books that somehow manage to shift your entire perspective on life? this is one of those books. the writing is just so beautiful and i was so disappointed when i reached the end. sometimes i read fantasy books primarily for the romance, but the political plot was solid better than the romance in this book, and i was completely and wholly invested. as i mentioned earlier, the beginning is slow, but it speeds up as it goes on. that cliffhanger… i have no words right now.
⊰࿐ features
━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━
- childhood friends
- romance/fantasy
- syndicates
- touch her and die
- sex with characters other than the mcs
- descriptive violence/gore
- political plot
- 3rd person
- dual pov
>> thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an arc - all thoughts are my own <3
————
GUYS. i just got the arc 🥹🥹🥹 let me scream for a minute-
ೀ. arc review
⊰࿐ my thoughts
━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━
i’m honestly having mixed emotions after finishing this book. on one hand, i really loved it. the writing style was just so unique, and unlike anything i’ve read before. the beginning is slow, and when i mean slow, i mean very slow. there were points where i was questioning the amount of time that was passing, especially near the start of the book. it does pick up, and by the end of the book, it’s pretty fast paced. in a way, it almost reminds me of a mafia style babel by r.f. kuang with more of a romantically focused plot.
the romance itself was okay. i wasn’t able to really connect to the characters that much, so i was having trouble with the idea of ari and sam’s relationship (if you can call it that). sam and ari have been friends since their childhood. ari has always gotten attention from people, even when he doesn’t want it, while sam is excellent at going unnoticed. ari is the first person who truly sees sam, and they start exchanging notes at school. they talk about everything together, everything but their home lives. given the fact that we are only given a snippet of these notes, and they really don’t interact as much when they become alchemists, it’s hard to find chemistry between the two of them. i almost wanted to see sam end up with will instead of ari.
you know those books that somehow manage to shift your entire perspective on life? this is one of those books. the writing is just so beautiful and i was so disappointed when i reached the end. sometimes i read fantasy books primarily for the romance, but the political plot was solid better than the romance in this book, and i was completely and wholly invested. as i mentioned earlier, the beginning is slow, but it speeds up as it goes on. that cliffhanger… i have no words right now.
⊰࿐ features
━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━
- childhood friends
- romance/fantasy
- syndicates
- touch her and die
- sex with characters other than the mcs
- descriptive violence/gore
- political plot
- 3rd person
- dual pov
>> thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an arc - all thoughts are my own <3
————
GUYS. i just got the arc 🥹🥹🥹 let me scream for a minute-
January 25, 2026
Urban fantasy with secret societies training bright young souls into crime alchemists. The overarching theme is pursuit of perfection and I thoroughly enjoyed this story. Following our characters from childhood and getting such an insight to their lives prior to being thrown into the alchemical world made their journeys into rival mobs all that more compelling. There were also so many complex character relationships/dynamics in this, which I absolutely loved. I couldn’t put this down!
October 12, 2025
Here we have Sam and Ari, both plucked and trained to become crime alchemists, a rare and powerful gift whispered about in secret. As they end up on opposite sides of the two biggest crime syndicates in Angel City, we watch their characters slowly unfold.
The story is told through multiple POVs, which I really enjoyed because it helps you connect with each character on a deeper level. But it's definitely a slow burn. The first half focuses more on world and character building than action and it almost feels like an extended introduction, hopefully laying the groundwork for an explosive sequel.
At this point, I wouldn’t say it’s a “can’t wait for the next-one” kind of series, but I’ll give it the benefit of the doubt. I liked the direction the story was heading, and the last few chapters really picked up as Sam faced some tough choices. I’m also hoping we get to see more of Ari and find out where the romance goes next.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.
The story is told through multiple POVs, which I really enjoyed because it helps you connect with each character on a deeper level. But it's definitely a slow burn. The first half focuses more on world and character building than action and it almost feels like an extended introduction, hopefully laying the groundwork for an explosive sequel.
At this point, I wouldn’t say it’s a “can’t wait for the next-one” kind of series, but I’ll give it the benefit of the doubt. I liked the direction the story was heading, and the last few chapters really picked up as Sam faced some tough choices. I’m also hoping we get to see more of Ari and find out where the romance goes next.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.
October 9, 2025
love the childhood friends to strangers to enemies to almost lovers. love how destroying the thing you sought to become isn’t as easy as it seems and until you can only fall back into your past and continue the cycle
this bloody, gritty urban fantasy has a visceral edge i haven’t encountered in fantasy in quite some time. a magic system that turns everyday surroundings into a potential weapon in a twisted world of alchemy & clashing syndicates
perfect for fans of the bone season and jade city
“You are my heart. If you die, I die.”
thank you to edelweiss and the publisher for providing an advance review copy. full review to come
Bookstagram | Blog
this bloody, gritty urban fantasy has a visceral edge i haven’t encountered in fantasy in quite some time. a magic system that turns everyday surroundings into a potential weapon in a twisted world of alchemy & clashing syndicates
perfect for fans of the bone season and jade city
“You are my heart. If you die, I die.”
thank you to edelweiss and the publisher for providing an advance review copy. full review to come
Bookstagram | Blog
September 9, 2025
This is so addictive?!!!
Romeo and Juliet, magical alchemy secret society edition.
Sam has an unquenchable thirst: this desperation to make something big of her life, to matter to someone. Driven by her mother who wants her daughter to be able to escape the life she had as an immigrant.
Plucked away from his family as a boy from India to become a Lumines apprentice, Ari is one of the syndicates' brightest rising stars.
Neither one knows that after their childhood friendship, they will find themselves back in each other’s lives in enemy syndicates.
So, a dystopian LA where alchemy is used in very different forms to kill, influence, torture, drug….
Magic that requires pain to transform…
Childhood friends to enemies…
A heartbreaking backstory and drive from both main characters….
Love is alchemy. It is the belief that your time spent with this person is better than your time spent without them. Like alchemy at its worst, loving the wrong person can destroy you, piece by piece, until you are nothing but ash. And like alchemy at its finest, finding your soulmate can remake you, elevate you to your most perfect state.
If you’ve been following my reviews for a while, you know I usually skip steamy scenes. Marie Lu put CRACK in this. Woah.
It is definitely not YA, yet it was as bingeable as one. You won’t want to put it down.
There are also Easter eggs to The Kingdom of Back by Marie Lu (Mozart and his sister). Not in the sense of returning characters, but just a throwaway line. I’m probably overthinking it.
Physical arc gifted (and signed) by Tor and the author.
UPDATE: Three months on and I can’t stop thinking about this book, so soft 5 stars.🌟
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Romeo and Juliet, magical alchemy secret society edition.
Sam has an unquenchable thirst: this desperation to make something big of her life, to matter to someone. Driven by her mother who wants her daughter to be able to escape the life she had as an immigrant.
Plucked away from his family as a boy from India to become a Lumines apprentice, Ari is one of the syndicates' brightest rising stars.
Neither one knows that after their childhood friendship, they will find themselves back in each other’s lives in enemy syndicates.
So, a dystopian LA where alchemy is used in very different forms to kill, influence, torture, drug….
Magic that requires pain to transform…
Childhood friends to enemies…
A heartbreaking backstory and drive from both main characters….
Love is alchemy. It is the belief that your time spent with this person is better than your time spent without them. Like alchemy at its worst, loving the wrong person can destroy you, piece by piece, until you are nothing but ash. And like alchemy at its finest, finding your soulmate can remake you, elevate you to your most perfect state.
If you’ve been following my reviews for a while, you know I usually skip steamy scenes. Marie Lu put CRACK in this. Woah.
It is definitely not YA, yet it was as bingeable as one. You won’t want to put it down.
There are also Easter eggs to The Kingdom of Back by Marie Lu (Mozart and his sister). Not in the sense of returning characters, but just a throwaway line. I’m probably overthinking it.
Physical arc gifted (and signed) by Tor and the author.
UPDATE: Three months on and I can’t stop thinking about this book, so soft 5 stars.🌟
Bookstagram
Tiktok
August 8, 2026
This was a WILD ride
Marie Lu was one of the authors that got me into reading when I was a young teen, so reading her adult debut as an adult was really something special.
This book had everything I needed in an urban fantasy.
Morally ambiguous characters. Check. ✔️
Fascinating and violent magic system. Check. ✔️
Romeo and Juliet kinda? Check. ✔️
Coming of age. Check. ✔️
Dark academia. Check ✔️
Yearning. Double check. ✔️✔️
Throughout this book, I was constantly mesmerized by the attention to detail in the world-building, the magic system and the political intricacies. While the first half was definitely slower plot-wise, the sheer intrigue of the magic system kept me captivated.
Words cannot accurately describe how rich this book is. Rich in how the themes are seamlessly woven together to create something so profoundly impactful. This book breaks your heart so slowly and doesn't bother to put it back together.
Red City by Marie Lu is by far the best Urban Fantasy I have ever read.
Marie Lu was one of the authors that got me into reading when I was a young teen, so reading her adult debut as an adult was really something special.
This book had everything I needed in an urban fantasy.
Morally ambiguous characters. Check. ✔️
Fascinating and violent magic system. Check. ✔️
Romeo and Juliet kinda? Check. ✔️
Coming of age. Check. ✔️
Dark academia. Check ✔️
Yearning. Double check. ✔️✔️
Throughout this book, I was constantly mesmerized by the attention to detail in the world-building, the magic system and the political intricacies. While the first half was definitely slower plot-wise, the sheer intrigue of the magic system kept me captivated.
Words cannot accurately describe how rich this book is. Rich in how the themes are seamlessly woven together to create something so profoundly impactful. This book breaks your heart so slowly and doesn't bother to put it back together.
Red City by Marie Lu is by far the best Urban Fantasy I have ever read.
December 17, 2025
3⭐️
Unique story , great characters and good spice…. It was all in here BUT why this wasn’t my vibe is a small mystery 🤷♀️.
First 120 pages - pure torture. It was slower than slow and I kept falling asleep. Then it picked up and I have to say I was entered but I still felt detached from the story.
Unique story , great characters and good spice…. It was all in here BUT why this wasn’t my vibe is a small mystery 🤷♀️.
First 120 pages - pure torture. It was slower than slow and I kept falling asleep. Then it picked up and I have to say I was entered but I still felt detached from the story.
December 10, 2025
i feel like the end of 2025 was truly me accidentally reading so many stories about immigrants and the lies of the promise of the american dream, and red city is very much part of that. sam and her mother emigrated to the states when she was just a child, and the weight of the world feels like it’s balancing on her doing well in school to be able to get them out of poverty. ari was taken from his home country and brought to the us to do well at a different type of school. and we watch these two kids, both in desperate need of money and stability for their families, growing up together with that knowledge of need being used against them.
then we see a lion and a fox, shakespeare and mozart, ari and sam, and their lives being manipulated by the power of manipulation itself via alchemy. we see secret societies, and the things people in power are willing to do for a literal drug of the closeness of immortality. this is a very fascinating and strong start of a series. i also am just a huge marie lu fangirl and am obsessed with their mind and how this story was being told. i highly recommend this one, friends!
trigger + content warnings: child abuse, racism, poverty, eviction threat, fires (in cali), cancer, talk of gas explosions, medical debt, hurt parent, loss of parent, ocd depiction, blood, nightmares, torture, drugs, abuse of power, assault (grab), gore, violence, gun violence, murder, child experimentation, suicide mention, grief, domestic abuse, captivity, sa / rape (off page), other assault mentions in past, anxiety, sexual content, vomit, gore
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then we see a lion and a fox, shakespeare and mozart, ari and sam, and their lives being manipulated by the power of manipulation itself via alchemy. we see secret societies, and the things people in power are willing to do for a literal drug of the closeness of immortality. this is a very fascinating and strong start of a series. i also am just a huge marie lu fangirl and am obsessed with their mind and how this story was being told. i highly recommend this one, friends!
trigger + content warnings: child abuse, racism, poverty, eviction threat, fires (in cali), cancer, talk of gas explosions, medical debt, hurt parent, loss of parent, ocd depiction, blood, nightmares, torture, drugs, abuse of power, assault (grab), gore, violence, gun violence, murder, child experimentation, suicide mention, grief, domestic abuse, captivity, sa / rape (off page), other assault mentions in past, anxiety, sexual content, vomit, gore
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May 17, 2025
4.75 ★— Having grown up with Marie Lu’s YA novels on my shelf as a preteen in the 2010s, reading her adult debut Red City felt like a weird full circle moment for me.
I’m so happy to say that I really, really loved this book. I was fully entranced while reading — it drew me in and didn’t let go until the end.
Though set in a darker, dystopian and fantastical version of our world, Red City explores themes that are still very raw and grounded.
Story
The story centers around two main characters, Ari and Sam, who we first meet as children, each facing very different challenges shaped by their respective cultural backgrounds and circumstances.
Ari, growing up in India, is recruited at a young age into the Lumines — a powerful alchemist group — after his immense magical potential is discovered. His family is facing poverty, and he’s offered a life-changing opportunity: to leave everything behind and train abroad, in exchange for steady financial support sent back to them. The cost is steep. He is forced to abandon his language, his home, and the very foundation of his identity.
Sam has grown up in Angel City (a dystopian version of LA) from infancy, as the daughter of a single mother, who immigrated from China as an adult. Her mother does everything she can to support her on limited means. Sam’s secret fascination with alchemy and a moment of desperation, leads her to seek out Grand Central, an alchemist group that rivals the Lumines. She, too, is drawn into their hidden world of power and secrets, where learning to fight and survive suddenly means stability and safety for herself and her mother.
Both attending the same school, Ari and Sam slowly build a quiet, deeply felt friendship. They share an understanding of what it means to feel out of place — both alienated by their upbringing, their burdens, and through their cultural identities. But they hide their alchemist affiliations from one another, and as they grow into adulthood, they both grapple with the difficulties of their choices and their lives as members of their respective alchemist groups.
Themes
This book hit so many themes, and it hit them hard.
Marie Lu writes the immigrant (and first-generation immigrant) experience with an honesty and emotional weight that floored me. Ari is uprooted, cut off from his family, his language, his country and placed into an environment where assimilation and excellence are expected in return for his survival. Sam, on the other hand, exists in-between: trying to navigate a fraught relationship with her mother, shaped by the pressure of trying to meet her mother’s expectations, while navigating a society that rarely sees her.
Both of them are driven by love for their families, and that love is complicated, precisely because it’s wrapped up in obligation, guilt, and the desperate need to succeed for their family’s sake. There’s a quiet heartbreak in all of it, especially in how both characters are forced to mature too quickly.
Ari and Sam often feel like outsiders — not just because of the powers they’re developing, but because of their aforementioned cultural backgrounds and their own grappling with them. Their relationship is formed through shared experiences, mutual protectiveness, and emotional understanding. It was beautiful to see it develop.
My one small gripe with this book is that I wished we had seen more of Sam and Ari together on the page, during their formative years. While I completely understand that much of their connection is built on shared circumstances, hidden lives, and emotional parallels, I did feel like their bond could have used just a bit more time to breathe. The intensity of their feelings in adulthood makes sense thematically, but I personally would’ve connected to it even more with a few extra scenes deepening that foundation between them.
Still, there is so much to unpack in this book (more than I can expand upon in a review). It’s rich, layered, deeply introspective and (to me) achingly relatable.
The Fantasy
The fantasy elements are incredibly well done. The alchemical magical system is introduced gradually and organically. We learn about the world of alchemy as Sam and Ari do, which made the immersion feel natural and never overwhelming. It struck a great balance between detailed, while still being engaging.
In turn, the fight scenes involving characters who used alchemy were sharp, creative, and grounded in the character dynamics. I loved that alchemy wasn’t just flashy magic, but a structured, complex and layered system that felt well-thought-out and intricate.
And Angel City is such an intriguing backdrop! It’s gritty, dangerous, and layered with syndicate tensions that feel just as grounded as they do fantastical. It’s the kind of world you can see and feel while reading, thanks to the author’s cinematic and immersive writing.
Final Thoughts
Red City is one of those rare fantasy books that hits on every level. It’s emotional, thematic, and just straight-up cool. It has a cinematic, high-stakes feel, but it’s also deeply personal and thoughtful in ways that surprised me.
If you’re into character-driven fantasy that isn’t afraid to dig deep — into identity, family, power, and everything in between — this one’s going to stick with you. It definitely stuck with me (and will probably stick with me for a while.)
[EDIT: Sept. 17, 2025 - I luckily got an advance copy of the audiobook courtesy of Macmillan Audio.
You can find a review of it here. It was unsurprisingly fantastic!]
_____________________________
Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I’m so happy to say that I really, really loved this book. I was fully entranced while reading — it drew me in and didn’t let go until the end.
Though set in a darker, dystopian and fantastical version of our world, Red City explores themes that are still very raw and grounded.
Story
The story centers around two main characters, Ari and Sam, who we first meet as children, each facing very different challenges shaped by their respective cultural backgrounds and circumstances.
Ari, growing up in India, is recruited at a young age into the Lumines — a powerful alchemist group — after his immense magical potential is discovered. His family is facing poverty, and he’s offered a life-changing opportunity: to leave everything behind and train abroad, in exchange for steady financial support sent back to them. The cost is steep. He is forced to abandon his language, his home, and the very foundation of his identity.
Sam has grown up in Angel City (a dystopian version of LA) from infancy, as the daughter of a single mother, who immigrated from China as an adult. Her mother does everything she can to support her on limited means. Sam’s secret fascination with alchemy and a moment of desperation, leads her to seek out Grand Central, an alchemist group that rivals the Lumines. She, too, is drawn into their hidden world of power and secrets, where learning to fight and survive suddenly means stability and safety for herself and her mother.
Both attending the same school, Ari and Sam slowly build a quiet, deeply felt friendship. They share an understanding of what it means to feel out of place — both alienated by their upbringing, their burdens, and through their cultural identities. But they hide their alchemist affiliations from one another, and as they grow into adulthood, they both grapple with the difficulties of their choices and their lives as members of their respective alchemist groups.
Themes
This book hit so many themes, and it hit them hard.
Marie Lu writes the immigrant (and first-generation immigrant) experience with an honesty and emotional weight that floored me. Ari is uprooted, cut off from his family, his language, his country and placed into an environment where assimilation and excellence are expected in return for his survival. Sam, on the other hand, exists in-between: trying to navigate a fraught relationship with her mother, shaped by the pressure of trying to meet her mother’s expectations, while navigating a society that rarely sees her.
Both of them are driven by love for their families, and that love is complicated, precisely because it’s wrapped up in obligation, guilt, and the desperate need to succeed for their family’s sake. There’s a quiet heartbreak in all of it, especially in how both characters are forced to mature too quickly.
Ari and Sam often feel like outsiders — not just because of the powers they’re developing, but because of their aforementioned cultural backgrounds and their own grappling with them. Their relationship is formed through shared experiences, mutual protectiveness, and emotional understanding. It was beautiful to see it develop.
My one small gripe with this book is that I wished we had seen more of Sam and Ari together on the page, during their formative years. While I completely understand that much of their connection is built on shared circumstances, hidden lives, and emotional parallels, I did feel like their bond could have used just a bit more time to breathe. The intensity of their feelings in adulthood makes sense thematically, but I personally would’ve connected to it even more with a few extra scenes deepening that foundation between them.
Still, there is so much to unpack in this book (more than I can expand upon in a review). It’s rich, layered, deeply introspective and (to me) achingly relatable.
The Fantasy
The fantasy elements are incredibly well done. The alchemical magical system is introduced gradually and organically. We learn about the world of alchemy as Sam and Ari do, which made the immersion feel natural and never overwhelming. It struck a great balance between detailed, while still being engaging.
In turn, the fight scenes involving characters who used alchemy were sharp, creative, and grounded in the character dynamics. I loved that alchemy wasn’t just flashy magic, but a structured, complex and layered system that felt well-thought-out and intricate.
And Angel City is such an intriguing backdrop! It’s gritty, dangerous, and layered with syndicate tensions that feel just as grounded as they do fantastical. It’s the kind of world you can see and feel while reading, thanks to the author’s cinematic and immersive writing.
Final Thoughts
Red City is one of those rare fantasy books that hits on every level. It’s emotional, thematic, and just straight-up cool. It has a cinematic, high-stakes feel, but it’s also deeply personal and thoughtful in ways that surprised me.
If you’re into character-driven fantasy that isn’t afraid to dig deep — into identity, family, power, and everything in between — this one’s going to stick with you. It definitely stuck with me (and will probably stick with me for a while.)
[EDIT: Sept. 17, 2025 - I luckily got an advance copy of the audiobook courtesy of Macmillan Audio.
You can find a review of it here. It was unsurprisingly fantastic!]
_____________________________
Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
August 13, 2026
An urban fantasy drama ft. childhood friends on opposing sides of rival magic syndicates? Count me in. And this was the epitome of Father Figure by Taylor Swift. Also Look What You Made Me Do.
In an alternative LA, power is wielded by magical crime syndicates. These factions teach alchemy, the power of transformation, and control the supply of sand, a power enhancer. Sam and Ari are childhood friends who, out of need and desperation, find themselves entangled as alchemy prodigies, yet for rival syndicates. And on the precipice of conflict, Sam and Ari must decide where their loyalties lie.
Usually these childhood friends books flash between the past and the present, but I loved how this story was told chronologically. That way, their motivations, backstories, and histories were clear from the beginning. And how they slowly ended up on opposite sides seamlessly flowed.
Though I still felt a bit emotionally disconnected from the characters. Because they had to be emotionally distant in their line of work, that translated into emotional distance to the reader. I also think a lot of their chemistry was told rather than shown. As adults, Sam and Ari didn't spend much time together on page, so the "it's always been you" didn't hit as hard. I'm hoping the star-crossed lovers plot is further developed in the second book.
I expected this book to be a bit heavier on the "fantasy" parts, but I was pleasantly surprised. It read more like a contemporary drama with fantasy elements, which made the world-building easier to get into than compared to a high fantasy. The power struggles and themes of what it takes to maintain power, what would you do for power, how desperation and power affect each other, etc., were fantastic. I loved the gritty, alternative LA setting. I wish there was a bit more action at times, but a unique read, and I can't wait for book two!
In an alternative LA, power is wielded by magical crime syndicates. These factions teach alchemy, the power of transformation, and control the supply of sand, a power enhancer. Sam and Ari are childhood friends who, out of need and desperation, find themselves entangled as alchemy prodigies, yet for rival syndicates. And on the precipice of conflict, Sam and Ari must decide where their loyalties lie.
Usually these childhood friends books flash between the past and the present, but I loved how this story was told chronologically. That way, their motivations, backstories, and histories were clear from the beginning. And how they slowly ended up on opposite sides seamlessly flowed.
Though I still felt a bit emotionally disconnected from the characters. Because they had to be emotionally distant in their line of work, that translated into emotional distance to the reader. I also think a lot of their chemistry was told rather than shown. As adults, Sam and Ari didn't spend much time together on page, so the "it's always been you" didn't hit as hard. I'm hoping the star-crossed lovers plot is further developed in the second book.
I expected this book to be a bit heavier on the "fantasy" parts, but I was pleasantly surprised. It read more like a contemporary drama with fantasy elements, which made the world-building easier to get into than compared to a high fantasy. The power struggles and themes of what it takes to maintain power, what would you do for power, how desperation and power affect each other, etc., were fantastic. I loved the gritty, alternative LA setting. I wish there was a bit more action at times, but a unique read, and I can't wait for book two!
September 21, 2025
Huge thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for the ARC and to the wonderful Zana for the buddy read!
🌟🌟🌟/5
When I first heard of Marie Lu's adult debut, I was expecting something similar to Jade City by Fonda Lee (which I didn't manage to finish last year but did really fall in love with, but I digress). Unfortunately, this didn't quite deliver and ended up being painfully mediocre.
The Good:
● ML nailed the urban fantasy vibes. I loved the way she presented both the glamorous and the ugly parts of Angel City. The tension between the rival syndicates was fun to read.
● Between Sam and Ari, Sam's POV was far more compelling. She was fleshed out better (her fraught relationship with her mother added depth to her character). She was also significantly morally grey, which is what I wanted the characters from this book to be. Most of the interesting stuff in this book happened in her POV.
● Sam's mother Connie with only 3 chapters of POV was the best written character, probably because she's inspired by the author's own experiences, as indicated in the author's note. Her experience as an immigrant and her expectations from the country she'd entered were very well written. Hers was the story that tugged at my heartstrings.
● The setup for the romance great: No one being able to look away from Ari and no one ever actually noticing Sam. This could've been excellent, but...it did not.
● The magic system was pretty cool and for the most part, made sense (except for that one mention of plants having keratin, I really hope that's removed from the final copies. A simple Google search will tell you that they do not.) I liked how alchemists have to pay a price for the transformations they perform.
The Bad:
● Although I was invested in Sam's POV, I suffered through Ari's. His entire identity is that everyone's attracted to him, sexually or otherwise. There wasn't any nuance to his story. Even the formulaic male love interests of romantasy have a better personality (THAT'S how bad Ari was).
● This 'romance' is the one of the most unromantic things I've ever read. There was too much telling and no showing. The whole 'star-crossed lovers' thing was based on a bunch of childhood memories that inculded passing notes that, in no way, looked like they were written by seventh graders. There wasn't any room for the development of a romance and that's why the inevitable proclamations-of-undying-love-in-the-face-of-death didn't have the desired effect. For Ari, the sweetness of their teenage memories transformed into lustful thoughts about Sam and that made everything worse. So yeah, 0 stars for the romance.
● Out of all the ways in which this could've been an adult novel, I was disappointed to see Lu take the 'add a whole lot of smut and make it problematic' path. Did both protagonists need to be involved sexually with people who watched them grow up from children to adults?! This aspect of the book overpowered everything else and ultimately ruined the reading experience for me.
'Red City' was one of my most anticipated releases of 2025, but unfortunately, it did not deliver. The final quarter had me hooked to the page, but the story overall was very forgettable. I'm not sure if I'll be reading the sequel, although I do feel like the ending left the protagonists in very interesting positions of power.
🌟🌟🌟/5
When I first heard of Marie Lu's adult debut, I was expecting something similar to Jade City by Fonda Lee (which I didn't manage to finish last year but did really fall in love with, but I digress). Unfortunately, this didn't quite deliver and ended up being painfully mediocre.
The Good:
● ML nailed the urban fantasy vibes. I loved the way she presented both the glamorous and the ugly parts of Angel City. The tension between the rival syndicates was fun to read.
● Between Sam and Ari, Sam's POV was far more compelling. She was fleshed out better (her fraught relationship with her mother added depth to her character). She was also significantly morally grey, which is what I wanted the characters from this book to be. Most of the interesting stuff in this book happened in her POV.
● Sam's mother Connie with only 3 chapters of POV was the best written character, probably because she's inspired by the author's own experiences, as indicated in the author's note. Her experience as an immigrant and her expectations from the country she'd entered were very well written. Hers was the story that tugged at my heartstrings.
● The setup for the romance great: No one being able to look away from Ari and no one ever actually noticing Sam. This could've been excellent, but...it did not.
● The magic system was pretty cool and for the most part, made sense (except for that one mention of plants having keratin, I really hope that's removed from the final copies. A simple Google search will tell you that they do not.) I liked how alchemists have to pay a price for the transformations they perform.
The Bad:
● Although I was invested in Sam's POV, I suffered through Ari's. His entire identity is that everyone's attracted to him, sexually or otherwise. There wasn't any nuance to his story. Even the formulaic male love interests of romantasy have a better personality (THAT'S how bad Ari was).
● This 'romance' is the one of the most unromantic things I've ever read. There was too much telling and no showing. The whole 'star-crossed lovers' thing was based on a bunch of childhood memories that inculded passing notes that, in no way, looked like they were written by seventh graders. There wasn't any room for the development of a romance and that's why the inevitable proclamations-of-undying-love-in-the-face-of-death didn't have the desired effect. For Ari, the sweetness of their teenage memories transformed into lustful thoughts about Sam and that made everything worse. So yeah, 0 stars for the romance.
● Out of all the ways in which this could've been an adult novel, I was disappointed to see Lu take the 'add a whole lot of smut and make it problematic' path. Did both protagonists need to be involved sexually with people who watched them grow up from children to adults?! This aspect of the book overpowered everything else and ultimately ruined the reading experience for me.
'Red City' was one of my most anticipated releases of 2025, but unfortunately, it did not deliver. The final quarter had me hooked to the page, but the story overall was very forgettable. I'm not sure if I'll be reading the sequel, although I do feel like the ending left the protagonists in very interesting positions of power.
January 16, 2025
this is so full circle her books literally raised me and now i finally get to read her adult debut 🥲
January 4, 2026
‘red city’ by marie lu is an incredible piece of fiction and one of the best books I’ve read in recent history. with a diverse set of morally questionable characters, a well paced and interesting plot, and ridiculously good chemistry, this novel stands out in the fantasy genre.
the main characters are extremely complicated and actually morally grey - they do and say things that are not considered ‘good’ and yet you can’t help but root for their victory. the villains in this story are also very complex with varying motivations, whether it’s a sense of duty, love, or just plain greed that makes sense for their characterization. the way that marie lu wrote these people humanized them in my head and even if they did evil and unspeakable things, you can’t help but be understanding knowing the backstories of these people.
the magic system was very well developed and easy to understand. I especially appreciate the choice that the author made of us as the reader following the main characters as they learn about alchemy and how it works through an educational approach.
the story itself was also super interesting. urban fantasy is not my favorite setting to read about, but books like these might just make me change my mind on that. the way the author took existing cultural and political structures and integrated her own plot and magic system seamlessly was very well done. reading about warring syndicate families and the lengths they’d go to protect themselves and their fortune was captivating.
I also think that marie lu did a fantastic job of creating chemistry and writing a believable romance. the forbidden love affair aspect gave an air of danger and made all the secret glances and meetings that much more delicious!
I could go on and on about this book and just keep adding more opinions the more I think about it, which only further solidifies my opinion that this is an amazing read. it’s incredibly nuanced, well developed, and touches on numerous interesting topics. if there is one book to add to your 2026 tbr, it’s this one!
thank to NetGalley, Tor Books, and the author for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
the main characters are extremely complicated and actually morally grey - they do and say things that are not considered ‘good’ and yet you can’t help but root for their victory. the villains in this story are also very complex with varying motivations, whether it’s a sense of duty, love, or just plain greed that makes sense for their characterization. the way that marie lu wrote these people humanized them in my head and even if they did evil and unspeakable things, you can’t help but be understanding knowing the backstories of these people.
the magic system was very well developed and easy to understand. I especially appreciate the choice that the author made of us as the reader following the main characters as they learn about alchemy and how it works through an educational approach.
the story itself was also super interesting. urban fantasy is not my favorite setting to read about, but books like these might just make me change my mind on that. the way the author took existing cultural and political structures and integrated her own plot and magic system seamlessly was very well done. reading about warring syndicate families and the lengths they’d go to protect themselves and their fortune was captivating.
I also think that marie lu did a fantastic job of creating chemistry and writing a believable romance. the forbidden love affair aspect gave an air of danger and made all the secret glances and meetings that much more delicious!
I could go on and on about this book and just keep adding more opinions the more I think about it, which only further solidifies my opinion that this is an amazing read. it’s incredibly nuanced, well developed, and touches on numerous interesting topics. if there is one book to add to your 2026 tbr, it’s this one!
thank to NetGalley, Tor Books, and the author for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
February 16, 2026
⋆. 𐙚 ˚four / five stars ✰
i won’t lie guys, i thought this was going to be an easy five star read for me & maybe that was putting too much pressure on the story.
the best way to describe my time is – i liked the first third, struggled through the middle third, then LOVED the last third. i feel like the pacing was a bit weird and quite honestly i didn’t really get attached to any of our characters until closer to the end. i wasn’t really thinking of continuing this series (when the next one comes out) until i got to the last 50ish pages and now i need ANSWERS!!!
i also just don’t think alchemy is a magic system that i love, this i think was my first story with it as the primary fantasy element and it just ... was kinda boring. in theory it’s so fascinating and i do love how we work in actual chemistry, it makes it seem like alchemy could be something that really exists, but for the same reasons i found it to be, again, boring. the more you know.
𐙚⋆.˚pre-read
this is advertised as ‘perfect for fans of ve schwab’ so you know i had to pick it up the second i saw it 🙂↕️
alchemy cannot create nor destroy love. alchemy cannot force love to bend to its will. love, for better or worse, is its own mysterious force.
i won’t lie guys, i thought this was going to be an easy five star read for me & maybe that was putting too much pressure on the story.
the best way to describe my time is – i liked the first third, struggled through the middle third, then LOVED the last third. i feel like the pacing was a bit weird and quite honestly i didn’t really get attached to any of our characters until closer to the end. i wasn’t really thinking of continuing this series (when the next one comes out) until i got to the last 50ish pages and now i need ANSWERS!!!
i also just don’t think alchemy is a magic system that i love, this i think was my first story with it as the primary fantasy element and it just ... was kinda boring. in theory it’s so fascinating and i do love how we work in actual chemistry, it makes it seem like alchemy could be something that really exists, but for the same reasons i found it to be, again, boring. the more you know.
𐙚⋆.˚pre-read
this is advertised as ‘perfect for fans of ve schwab’ so you know i had to pick it up the second i saw it 🙂↕️
October 9, 2025
I couldn’t decide which love interest I wanted to root for & which syndicate I wanted to join and I didn’t want it to end!
I’m pretty picky when it comes to urban fantasy, so I tend to avoid it for the most part - but a number of friends read and raved about Red City and I knew I needed to give it a try. I am SO FREAKING GLAD I DID!
I really like when I can’t tell what time period/decade a modern book takes place in - Was it the 90s? the 2010s? who knows! It makes the book feel timeless and takes away the sting of “modern” for those (me, I am that person) who don’t like urban/modern settings as much.
This is action-packed with really cool fight scenes that were both easy to follow, and cinematic.
The tension is top tier, the spice feels essential and well placed, and the characters jump off the page and into your heart! The magic, alchemy, is familiar, but its execution is anything but!
🌶️- 3ish open door scenes, not super detailed.
Audio Narration: 4/5 Great pacing, pausing, inflection. Each narrator fit the character well. Voice variation for characters (within each narrators section) was good.
| IG | TikTok |
Thank you Macmillan Audio for the gifted book. All opinions are my own.
I’m pretty picky when it comes to urban fantasy, so I tend to avoid it for the most part - but a number of friends read and raved about Red City and I knew I needed to give it a try. I am SO FREAKING GLAD I DID!
I really like when I can’t tell what time period/decade a modern book takes place in - Was it the 90s? the 2010s? who knows! It makes the book feel timeless and takes away the sting of “modern” for those (me, I am that person) who don’t like urban/modern settings as much.
This is action-packed with really cool fight scenes that were both easy to follow, and cinematic.
The tension is top tier, the spice feels essential and well placed, and the characters jump off the page and into your heart! The magic, alchemy, is familiar, but its execution is anything but!
🌶️- 3ish open door scenes, not super detailed.
Audio Narration: 4/5 Great pacing, pausing, inflection. Each narrator fit the character well. Voice variation for characters (within each narrators section) was good.
| IG | TikTok |
Thank you Macmillan Audio for the gifted book. All opinions are my own.
October 8, 2025
4.5⭐️
Wow...just, wow.
This book was incredible. Absolutely incredible.
I went into this book not expecting much, but just hoping it would be something to enjoy. This book was SO. Much more than that. The story, the characters, the magic system; it was done with the utmost care and I was hooked from the very beginning.
The characters in this book had so much to them. SO MUCH! The level of depth and history and feeling between everyone was something so unique. Sam and Ari had this kind of Romeo and Juliet relationship with them joining rival syndicates and their love was so pure even to the very end. This book is HEAVY on the theme of what you're willing to do for your family, the lengths you'd go to. I liked that we got little tidbits of the other characters POV I really do think it added that level of humility that wouldn't have been there without it
The level of storytelling this book had was incredible. I wasn't bored for a single second while reading this. I did find the pacing to be extremely weird and off, which is why I knocked down half a star. But other than that, I found very few faults. The magic system was SO UNIQUE and different from so many other fantasy books out there and it was explained in a way that made it make sense even if it felt like a lot in the beginning.
Overall, this BOTM pick was an absolute banger and this hasn't even been formally released and I NEED the next book!! I will be sitting patiently in the corner of my room sobbing while I wait for the second book. Marie Lu, I'm sending you my next therapy bill.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
𝓟𝓻𝓮-𝓡𝓮𝓪𝓭: ❤️🐉
I feel myself coming out of my book slump and if this lets me down, I will be filing a lawsuit 🤩
Wow...just, wow.
This book was incredible. Absolutely incredible.
I went into this book not expecting much, but just hoping it would be something to enjoy. This book was SO. Much more than that. The story, the characters, the magic system; it was done with the utmost care and I was hooked from the very beginning.
The characters in this book had so much to them. SO MUCH! The level of depth and history and feeling between everyone was something so unique. Sam and Ari had this kind of Romeo and Juliet relationship with them joining rival syndicates and their love was so pure even to the very end. This book is HEAVY on the theme of what you're willing to do for your family, the lengths you'd go to. I liked that we got little tidbits of the other characters POV I really do think it added that level of humility that wouldn't have been there without it
The level of storytelling this book had was incredible. I wasn't bored for a single second while reading this. I did find the pacing to be extremely weird and off, which is why I knocked down half a star. But other than that, I found very few faults. The magic system was SO UNIQUE and different from so many other fantasy books out there and it was explained in a way that made it make sense even if it felt like a lot in the beginning.
Overall, this BOTM pick was an absolute banger and this hasn't even been formally released and I NEED the next book!! I will be sitting patiently in the corner of my room sobbing while I wait for the second book. Marie Lu, I'm sending you my next therapy bill.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
𝓟𝓻𝓮-𝓡𝓮𝓪𝓭: ❤️🐉
I feel myself coming out of my book slump and if this lets me down, I will be filing a lawsuit 🤩
October 10, 2026
— 3.75 ☆ .ᐟ 🦁 spoiler free + mini review
⤷ WOAH i just got played
⋆˚࿔ 96th review of the year
⌗ ꒰ my thoughts ꒱ 🍁
⤷ WOWW!! first off, so happy i decided to branch out and read an urban fantasy. second of all, WHEN CAN I READ BOOK TWO!? i loved how unique, quizzical, and empowering this book was. in the beginning, i was a bit hesitant because it was going slow but by the end it really picked up and became insane
i loved the chemistry/alchemy aspects of this novel as well. really made me appreciate the science more! as for our love interest(s)?! that was whack. i have no clue what to think, but i hope book two answers more of my questions 🤞😭 all in all, i can't wait to see what marie does next! def one of my fav authors 🥹 keep in mind this is her adult debut i believe? and this is NOT a fantasy, more like urban dystopian/fantasy!
----------------------
POST READ
that was freaking insane what. i've been deceived. everything JUST CHANGED. and give me book two now, rtc soon
𐔌 ♯┆10.9.26
⤷ YAY so happy to be in a new marie lu world. she is my GIRL and i told her i would try this soon hehe, espc bc its an adult novel by her! so im very curious to see how it's done. i also needed a book with a color in the title (for a challenge) so this is PERF. be ready because ill be reading more marie later this month ;)
⤷ WOAH i just got played
⋆˚࿔ 96th review of the year
“2 A.M. is my favorite because you can read in the dark and the entire world is quiet.”
⌗ ꒰ my thoughts ꒱ 🍁
⤷ WOWW!! first off, so happy i decided to branch out and read an urban fantasy. second of all, WHEN CAN I READ BOOK TWO!? i loved how unique, quizzical, and empowering this book was. in the beginning, i was a bit hesitant because it was going slow but by the end it really picked up and became insane
i loved the chemistry/alchemy aspects of this novel as well. really made me appreciate the science more! as for our love interest(s)?! that was whack. i have no clue what to think, but i hope book two answers more of my questions 🤞😭 all in all, i can't wait to see what marie does next! def one of my fav authors 🥹 keep in mind this is her adult debut i believe? and this is NOT a fantasy, more like urban dystopian/fantasy!
----------------------
POST READ
that was freaking insane what. i've been deceived. everything JUST CHANGED. and give me book two now, rtc soon
🦁 — pre-read .ᐟ ⌗
𐔌 ♯┆10.9.26
⤷ YAY so happy to be in a new marie lu world. she is my GIRL and i told her i would try this soon hehe, espc bc its an adult novel by her! so im very curious to see how it's done. i also needed a book with a color in the title (for a challenge) so this is PERF. be ready because ill be reading more marie later this month ;)
August 19, 2025
Huge thanks to NetGalley & the publishers for this ARC! I’m so excited 🥹. All thoughts are my own!
« Wounded hearts with something to prove are always the ones who change the world. »
I want to start off by saying that there’s a lot of interesting aspects about this story - and I think it will be a win for a lot of people. I saw a lot of things coming, which didn’t alter my reading experience but the major pacing issues did. I kept snapping out of it and nothing *much* was happening.
I was underwhelmed. It made me feel like a history book I was obligated to read and not reading for fun. Around the 20% mark, I went and reread the synopsis… and I think it’s really on me but something was just missing.
The relationship between Sam and her mom was incredibly well depicted. Messy, hurtful and complicated mother-daughter relationship with a lot of generational trauma woven into it. Sam felt like a multidimensional character to me but Ari was a cardboard box. He was one dimensional and I think the story could’ve went on without his POV.
I read one of Marie Lu’s duology and I had loved it - in this one… the writing felt cold. The characters went on about everything - even while terrible things were happening - as if it wasn’t a big deal. I felt as disconnected as the characters.
It’s separated in 3 parts and I wanted to DNF in the first part so badly. I briefly got hooked in the second part when we got Connie’s POV and that made me realize that I simply didn’t care about the 2 MCs. The only highlights for me were Connie’s 2 POVs and Edward’s 1 POV.
Although marketed as adult, the writing was very YA (other than the few sex scenes). The romance between Sam & Will made me highly uncomfortable. He met her when she was 15 and they have a 9 years age gap. He tells her he wanted her for a long time and sincerely… no.
I think some aspects were well done, especially the grim-dark-depressing setting. But the story was hindered by too many things for me to fully enjoy this.
« You must always try your best. Work hard and reach for the stars. If you do, even the smallest of us can find a way out. »
« Wounded hearts with something to prove are always the ones who change the world. »
I want to start off by saying that there’s a lot of interesting aspects about this story - and I think it will be a win for a lot of people. I saw a lot of things coming, which didn’t alter my reading experience but the major pacing issues did. I kept snapping out of it and nothing *much* was happening.
I was underwhelmed. It made me feel like a history book I was obligated to read and not reading for fun. Around the 20% mark, I went and reread the synopsis… and I think it’s really on me but something was just missing.
The relationship between Sam and her mom was incredibly well depicted. Messy, hurtful and complicated mother-daughter relationship with a lot of generational trauma woven into it. Sam felt like a multidimensional character to me but Ari was a cardboard box. He was one dimensional and I think the story could’ve went on without his POV.
I read one of Marie Lu’s duology and I had loved it - in this one… the writing felt cold. The characters went on about everything - even while terrible things were happening - as if it wasn’t a big deal. I felt as disconnected as the characters.
It’s separated in 3 parts and I wanted to DNF in the first part so badly. I briefly got hooked in the second part when we got Connie’s POV and that made me realize that I simply didn’t care about the 2 MCs. The only highlights for me were Connie’s 2 POVs and Edward’s 1 POV.
Although marketed as adult, the writing was very YA (other than the few sex scenes). The romance between Sam & Will made me highly uncomfortable. He met her when she was 15 and they have a 9 years age gap. He tells her he wanted her for a long time and sincerely… no.
I think some aspects were well done, especially the grim-dark-depressing setting. But the story was hindered by too many things for me to fully enjoy this.
« You must always try your best. Work hard and reach for the stars. If you do, even the smallest of us can find a way out. »
January 27, 2026
Where do I start? If you are up for a long review, please settle in.
“Is monstrosity what it takes to progress civilization? Why else was mankind given this capacity for unspeakable cruelty?”
The idea of achieving perfection regardless of cost is an overarching theme in this urban fantasy. Yet in some ways this only scratches the surface.
Meet Sam: a young girl who aches to be acknowledged, who wants to belong, who feels the ever present push to be MORE. Meet Ari: an anxious and charismatic boy that everyone desires, but only feels truly seen by one girl. Both would do anything to improve circumstances for their struggling families. They become unlikely childhood friends who end up on opposite sides of a syndicate war; embroiled in a race to become the dominant distributor of a substance called sand, a drug that enables you to become the most perfect version of yourself.
In addition to overshadowing the story, the quest to achieve perfection is also part of Sam’s character arc. I think what makes this so powerful is that there are many threads entwined in this one goal. Perfection means being noticed for a girl who is often overlooked. It means making life easier for her mother who works so hard to make her life better. It means receiving recognition and love from a mother who is often absent. It is also as simple and complicated as fulfilling ambition, a drive that is never satisfied. There are so many pieces of Sam’s story that pulled at insecurities I can easily identify with.
On the opposite end, Ari suffers a different kind of loneliness. He is noticed by everyone, and has to use his allure and charm to influence others. He is always surrounded, but rarely appreciated for his innate thoughtfulness and sweetness. Except when he is with Sam. But after rising within the ranks of rival syndicates, they find themselves pitted against one another.
There was actually a point where I couldn’t imagine these two would be able to hold onto the connection that blossomed between them as children. That the acts they have to commit for self preservation would turn into hate. And I actually sort of hoped they would drift apart, because it would have hurt less.
One of the things this story does so well is present the goodness and conflict in every character despite performing acts that are unspeakably wrong. No one is absolved of their crimes, but I could empathize with many of the predicaments that led to individual choices.
I also appreciated that in addition to the tension between the main characters, this story explores the complex relationships between parents and children, particularly Sam and her mother. Sometimes parents are villainized in stories without a lot of background. Here we see how even the best intentions can lead to heartbreak. How children can take the very path their parents try to save them from when the parents’ struggles are not explained. How communication and truth might alter the future if not withheld. I’m not condoning any of the decision making in this story, just acknowledging the dilemma.
Last but not least, I want to touch on how this story acknowledges the steep cost of pursuing power and perfection. Ari and Sam have to give up a piece of themselves each time they perform the magic of alchemy, of transforming one substance into another. And the ultimate question is, how much of yourself is worth giving up in order to become greater? Or is being “ordinary” more worth it in the long run?
“The closer we come to the perfection that drives us, the more we chip away at our souls.”
5⭐️’s the audiobook narration is incredible, but eyeball reading is just as good 🫶🏼
I realize that this review probably feels vague, but I’m not sure how to be more specific without giving too much away. I am equally eager and terrified for what will happen in the next book.
———————————-
Immediate post read: This one hurt. But in a way that I welcomed? Or at least couldn’t look away. I might need a full business week for even a semi-coherent review.
Pre-read: The Godfather x Romeo and Juliet? 🤔 I inhaled a third of this without realizing it.
“Is monstrosity what it takes to progress civilization? Why else was mankind given this capacity for unspeakable cruelty?”
The idea of achieving perfection regardless of cost is an overarching theme in this urban fantasy. Yet in some ways this only scratches the surface.
Meet Sam: a young girl who aches to be acknowledged, who wants to belong, who feels the ever present push to be MORE. Meet Ari: an anxious and charismatic boy that everyone desires, but only feels truly seen by one girl. Both would do anything to improve circumstances for their struggling families. They become unlikely childhood friends who end up on opposite sides of a syndicate war; embroiled in a race to become the dominant distributor of a substance called sand, a drug that enables you to become the most perfect version of yourself.
In addition to overshadowing the story, the quest to achieve perfection is also part of Sam’s character arc. I think what makes this so powerful is that there are many threads entwined in this one goal. Perfection means being noticed for a girl who is often overlooked. It means making life easier for her mother who works so hard to make her life better. It means receiving recognition and love from a mother who is often absent. It is also as simple and complicated as fulfilling ambition, a drive that is never satisfied. There are so many pieces of Sam’s story that pulled at insecurities I can easily identify with.
On the opposite end, Ari suffers a different kind of loneliness. He is noticed by everyone, and has to use his allure and charm to influence others. He is always surrounded, but rarely appreciated for his innate thoughtfulness and sweetness. Except when he is with Sam. But after rising within the ranks of rival syndicates, they find themselves pitted against one another.
There was actually a point where I couldn’t imagine these two would be able to hold onto the connection that blossomed between them as children. That the acts they have to commit for self preservation would turn into hate. And I actually sort of hoped they would drift apart, because it would have hurt less.
One of the things this story does so well is present the goodness and conflict in every character despite performing acts that are unspeakably wrong. No one is absolved of their crimes, but I could empathize with many of the predicaments that led to individual choices.
I also appreciated that in addition to the tension between the main characters, this story explores the complex relationships between parents and children, particularly Sam and her mother. Sometimes parents are villainized in stories without a lot of background. Here we see how even the best intentions can lead to heartbreak. How children can take the very path their parents try to save them from when the parents’ struggles are not explained. How communication and truth might alter the future if not withheld. I’m not condoning any of the decision making in this story, just acknowledging the dilemma.
Last but not least, I want to touch on how this story acknowledges the steep cost of pursuing power and perfection. Ari and Sam have to give up a piece of themselves each time they perform the magic of alchemy, of transforming one substance into another. And the ultimate question is, how much of yourself is worth giving up in order to become greater? Or is being “ordinary” more worth it in the long run?
“The closer we come to the perfection that drives us, the more we chip away at our souls.”
5⭐️’s the audiobook narration is incredible, but eyeball reading is just as good 🫶🏼
I realize that this review probably feels vague, but I’m not sure how to be more specific without giving too much away. I am equally eager and terrified for what will happen in the next book.
———————————-
Immediate post read: This one hurt. But in a way that I welcomed? Or at least couldn’t look away. I might need a full business week for even a semi-coherent review.
Pre-read: The Godfather x Romeo and Juliet? 🤔 I inhaled a third of this without realizing it.
October 10, 2025
I fear I will need 7-10 business days to fully process this book and how it made me feel.
Do not skip this. Read it. It’s incredible. Godfather meets Romeo and Juliet with alchemy and very high stakes. Set in modern day Los Angeles.
Do not skip this. Read it. It’s incredible. Godfather meets Romeo and Juliet with alchemy and very high stakes. Set in modern day Los Angeles.
July 10, 2025
This book is the epitome of a Pinterest board that didn't translate well onto the page.
I was being kind when I gave this book 2 stars before, because after ruminating on it (read: complaining with my bestie, with whom I buddy read this with), I realized I fucking hated this book. Which is a goddamn shame, as it usually is, because how the fuck do you mess up such a cool ass concept of an alternate-LA where alchemy reigns supreme and two mafia like groups are at war with each other? and at the center of it all are two childhood friends who never got to explore their innocent lovey dovey feelings for each other? It's a recipe for angst. It basically writes itself with how tragique coded and angst ridden it is wont to be.
AND YET. We are given this fucking mess.
I will give Miss Lu this: top tier generational trauma. That was pure agony. Of all of the pain written into this book—and, mind you, there is quite a bit—Connie and Sam's relationship is probably the most authentic to come out of it. It was raw, it was desperate, and it was both full of hope and despair and, man, oh man, is there anything so tragic as a fraught mother-daughter relationship?
That aside, the only other good thing I could think of was the alchemy itself. The logistics of it were really cool, and if I was a bit more into science, I'd like it more, too. Generally speaking, though, it set a nice stage for a "magic system."
Now for the shit show. Nearly every character besides Sam was a shit show. Ari was, like every single one of Lu's male leads, a pretty boy with no fucking substance. His main job—quite fucking literally—is to be pretty. That is his entire personality with a dash of anxiety to make him seem down to earth and somewhat relatable to the average person. I don't know and I don't give a fuck. He read like a wet cardboard box, and I don't see the appeal. His POV pissed me off every single time I got to it. Nothing pisses me off than wasted potential and lo and behold. That is quite all Ari amounts to. I'm convinced Lu doesn't really know how to write an actual male POV because her other male characters are pretty decent, but when it comes to a POV character? They have no personality. They are beautiful and charming, and I'm just supposed to believe that because it's being forced upon me every goddamn chapter. Shut up.
Next thing was the borderline grooming. Listen, I know it's an adult book, so it can get away with a lot of things, but just because it can does not mean it should. I forget how to mark things as spoilers on the app, so forgive me, but SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS after this —
Both Ari AND Sam are involved with people who aren't each other throughout the course of the book. Who the fuck cares. The issue is that those people are older mentors who have power over them, and these two kids are already in a position where they're being isolated from their family/having to lie to them for their safety and monetary dependency. HOLY shit it left such a bad fucking taste in my mouth. Ruined the entire goddamn book for me.
Listen, I'm not a dark romance reader. Obviously. I hated this.
And, honestly, the more I think about it—that's the problem this godforsaken book, at its core, has: it tries so fucking hard to be something other than a romance book lol. And I SEE RIGHT THROUGH YOU. Lu def loves her romance, I can tell, and when I don't hate them, they're really good! I can get behind a couple of her ships.
No, I don't actually believe this is intended to be a romance, but lorde, it feels so obvious that Sam and Ari's primary relationship (romantic or not) is supposed to be the focus that the rest of it is almost background noise. It feels so disingenuous cause what's the point of everything else?
Like I said: I see right through you.
BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE. The book is fucking slow. LAWD. Why did it feel like it went on FOR FUCKING EVERRRRR. It's weird cause, while some parts of it were engaging—like Sam's POV, the only times I genuinely found myself wanting to continue—the other parts of it dragged on. I know Lu can write fast-paced, action-packed books, but this one felt lackluster. Lots happened, to be sure, but I think the pace of squeezing in their teen years into a third of the book, then their intro to the alchemy mafia into another part made for an oddly paced book. The rest of it was their adult life where shit went down and things Finally Start Happening, but that beginning was kind of a mess, and it didn't fix itself as we rolled to the end.
I think I got everything down for now. Good god. I kind of wanna hate read book two only to see how it ends because I gave enough of my time seeing this through, but I'll probably have forgotten most of Red City by the time RC2 is out. (Thank god.) I think it's time Marie Lu and I part ways.
• • • • •
I have many thoughts, and a good 90% of them are scathing. If I remember, and if they are coherent enough, maybe I'll write my review this weekend. Yolo. 1.5 tho, this doesn't deserve even 2 full stars, smh.
I was being kind when I gave this book 2 stars before, because after ruminating on it (read: complaining with my bestie, with whom I buddy read this with), I realized I fucking hated this book. Which is a goddamn shame, as it usually is, because how the fuck do you mess up such a cool ass concept of an alternate-LA where alchemy reigns supreme and two mafia like groups are at war with each other? and at the center of it all are two childhood friends who never got to explore their innocent lovey dovey feelings for each other? It's a recipe for angst. It basically writes itself with how tragique coded and angst ridden it is wont to be.
AND YET. We are given this fucking mess.
I will give Miss Lu this: top tier generational trauma. That was pure agony. Of all of the pain written into this book—and, mind you, there is quite a bit—Connie and Sam's relationship is probably the most authentic to come out of it. It was raw, it was desperate, and it was both full of hope and despair and, man, oh man, is there anything so tragic as a fraught mother-daughter relationship?
That aside, the only other good thing I could think of was the alchemy itself. The logistics of it were really cool, and if I was a bit more into science, I'd like it more, too. Generally speaking, though, it set a nice stage for a "magic system."
Now for the shit show. Nearly every character besides Sam was a shit show. Ari was, like every single one of Lu's male leads, a pretty boy with no fucking substance. His main job—quite fucking literally—is to be pretty. That is his entire personality with a dash of anxiety to make him seem down to earth and somewhat relatable to the average person. I don't know and I don't give a fuck. He read like a wet cardboard box, and I don't see the appeal. His POV pissed me off every single time I got to it. Nothing pisses me off than wasted potential and lo and behold. That is quite all Ari amounts to. I'm convinced Lu doesn't really know how to write an actual male POV because her other male characters are pretty decent, but when it comes to a POV character? They have no personality. They are beautiful and charming, and I'm just supposed to believe that because it's being forced upon me every goddamn chapter. Shut up.
Next thing was the borderline grooming. Listen, I know it's an adult book, so it can get away with a lot of things, but just because it can does not mean it should. I forget how to mark things as spoilers on the app, so forgive me, but SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS after this —
Both Ari AND Sam are involved with people who aren't each other throughout the course of the book. Who the fuck cares. The issue is that those people are older mentors who have power over them, and these two kids are already in a position where they're being isolated from their family/having to lie to them for their safety and monetary dependency. HOLY shit it left such a bad fucking taste in my mouth. Ruined the entire goddamn book for me.
Listen, I'm not a dark romance reader. Obviously. I hated this.
And, honestly, the more I think about it—that's the problem this godforsaken book, at its core, has: it tries so fucking hard to be something other than a romance book lol. And I SEE RIGHT THROUGH YOU. Lu def loves her romance, I can tell, and when I don't hate them, they're really good! I can get behind a couple of her ships.
No, I don't actually believe this is intended to be a romance, but lorde, it feels so obvious that Sam and Ari's primary relationship (romantic or not) is supposed to be the focus that the rest of it is almost background noise. It feels so disingenuous cause what's the point of everything else?
Like I said: I see right through you.
BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE. The book is fucking slow. LAWD. Why did it feel like it went on FOR FUCKING EVERRRRR. It's weird cause, while some parts of it were engaging—like Sam's POV, the only times I genuinely found myself wanting to continue—the other parts of it dragged on. I know Lu can write fast-paced, action-packed books, but this one felt lackluster. Lots happened, to be sure, but I think the pace of squeezing in their teen years into a third of the book, then their intro to the alchemy mafia into another part made for an oddly paced book. The rest of it was their adult life where shit went down and things Finally Start Happening, but that beginning was kind of a mess, and it didn't fix itself as we rolled to the end.
I think I got everything down for now. Good god. I kind of wanna hate read book two only to see how it ends because I gave enough of my time seeing this through, but I'll probably have forgotten most of Red City by the time RC2 is out. (Thank god.) I think it's time Marie Lu and I part ways.
• • • • •
I have many thoughts, and a good 90% of them are scathing. If I remember, and if they are coherent enough, maybe I'll write my review this weekend. Yolo. 1.5 tho, this doesn't deserve even 2 full stars, smh.
February 26, 2026
੭୧ 5 stars . ۫
What happens when the love of your life is fighting on the opposite side of a war?
That is the beating, brutal heart of Red City, and I devoured it like a woman starved!!
overall thoughts — I am genuinely angry at myself for not reading this sooner. This book is angsty, tense, gruesome, and painful in the best way. It's set in a version of Los Angeles (Angel City) where alchemy exists but is controlled by rival crime syndicates. They create a drug called sand that turns people into the best version of themselves - prettier, more charismatic, more perfect. And of course, all that power comes at a cost. I tore through it compulsively, completely absorbed in the story and the characters.
My god, did this book HURT me. It put me through emotional hell. And I don't say that lightly. There were SO many scenes that absolutely gutted me - hands shaking, chest tight, struggling to breathe. I had to physically stop reading because I felt sick to my stomach multiple times. I don't think I've ever sobbed harder over fictional characters. I don't think I will know peace again until the sequel releases.
Red City takes all the things I love in fantasy - science, ambition, morally grey characters, the cost of power, betrayal, complicated relationships - and bundles it all together into an incredibly compelling story. Think Vicious x Babel x Romeo and Juliet.
The characters were equally compelling, each of them flawed in their own ways. Most of them are morally grey in one way or another. Everyone has their own ambitions and loyalties, and those things often clash in messy, unpredictable ways. I especially appreciate both the South Asian and East Asian representation.
The character who surprised me the most was Will. I suspect Will is a very polarizing character, but personally, I loved him. He is morally ambiguous, often manipulative, and deeply flawed, but those qualities make him fascinating. His relationship with Sam is messy, toxic at times, and layered with tension - but compared to her relationship with the mmc - it feels far more nuanced and compelling. Sam and Ari's connection has a kind of tragic purity reminiscent of Romeo and Juliet (9th grade Rina despised Romeo and Juliet 😭). My only real qualm is that I can already sense the narrative leaning toward Ari as the primary romantic interest and potential endgame rather than Will. While I understand why Ari fills that role, I personally found him much less interesting as a character and am already mourning for what could have been 😕
final thoughts — This is easily one of the best books I've read this year so far. It left me emotionally destroyed, completely obsessed with the characters, and desperate for the sequel. Despite all the anguish it put me through (the dark circles under my eyes can attest), I would read it again in a heartbeat.
“ Is anything sacred in a war? ”
CW: violence, drug use, explicit sexual content, death, murder, torture, exploitation, blood, gore, abuse, sexual assault, suicide
────
finished: 03/01/26 𖥻𓈒 ꒱ ੭
going to kms 😍
pre read: 02/26/26 𖥻𓈒 ꒱ ੭
my last read of the month!! i kind of have high expectations, but at the same time i don't 😭 i will say though, calling it similar to jade city is a bold claim. let's see if it lives up ❤
What happens when the love of your life is fighting on the opposite side of a war?
That is the beating, brutal heart of Red City, and I devoured it like a woman starved!!
overall thoughts — I am genuinely angry at myself for not reading this sooner. This book is angsty, tense, gruesome, and painful in the best way. It's set in a version of Los Angeles (Angel City) where alchemy exists but is controlled by rival crime syndicates. They create a drug called sand that turns people into the best version of themselves - prettier, more charismatic, more perfect. And of course, all that power comes at a cost. I tore through it compulsively, completely absorbed in the story and the characters.
My god, did this book HURT me. It put me through emotional hell. And I don't say that lightly. There were SO many scenes that absolutely gutted me - hands shaking, chest tight, struggling to breathe. I had to physically stop reading because I felt sick to my stomach multiple times. I don't think I've ever sobbed harder over fictional characters. I don't think I will know peace again until the sequel releases.
Red City takes all the things I love in fantasy - science, ambition, morally grey characters, the cost of power, betrayal, complicated relationships - and bundles it all together into an incredibly compelling story. Think Vicious x Babel x Romeo and Juliet.
The characters were equally compelling, each of them flawed in their own ways. Most of them are morally grey in one way or another. Everyone has their own ambitions and loyalties, and those things often clash in messy, unpredictable ways. I especially appreciate both the South Asian and East Asian representation.
The character who surprised me the most was Will. I suspect Will is a very polarizing character, but personally, I loved him. He is morally ambiguous, often manipulative, and deeply flawed, but those qualities make him fascinating. His relationship with Sam is messy, toxic at times, and layered with tension - but compared to her relationship with the mmc - it feels far more nuanced and compelling. Sam and Ari's connection has a kind of tragic purity reminiscent of Romeo and Juliet (9th grade Rina despised Romeo and Juliet 😭). My only real qualm is that I can already sense the narrative leaning toward Ari as the primary romantic interest and potential endgame rather than Will. While I understand why Ari fills that role, I personally found him much less interesting as a character and am already mourning for what could have been 😕
final thoughts — This is easily one of the best books I've read this year so far. It left me emotionally destroyed, completely obsessed with the characters, and desperate for the sequel. Despite all the anguish it put me through (the dark circles under my eyes can attest), I would read it again in a heartbeat.
“ Is anything sacred in a war? ”
CW: violence, drug use, explicit sexual content, death, murder, torture, exploitation, blood, gore, abuse, sexual assault, suicide
────
finished: 03/01/26 𖥻𓈒 ꒱ ੭
going to kms 😍
pre read: 02/26/26 𖥻𓈒 ꒱ ੭
my last read of the month!! i kind of have high expectations, but at the same time i don't 😭 i will say though, calling it similar to jade city is a bold claim. let's see if it lives up ❤
March 27, 2026
Shut up and go read this. The kinda book I don’t have to think twice about rating 5 stars.
I took over a MONTH to read this book and after finishing it, I can’t think of one good reason why it took me so long to read. This is absolutely spectacular. Alchemy will probably always be one of the most interesting magic systems to me and the way that it was utilized here was so well done.
Ari & Sam were both so compelling and well written and my heart physically ached for them at times.
“Love is like their lives, something they are helpless to control. They live and die with the tide, pulled in and thrown back out again, slowly washed away into nothing. Perhaps they are doomed like this. Forever sorry for what they will do to each other. Forever bound to do it again.”
I took over a MONTH to read this book and after finishing it, I can’t think of one good reason why it took me so long to read. This is absolutely spectacular. Alchemy will probably always be one of the most interesting magic systems to me and the way that it was utilized here was so well done.
Ari & Sam were both so compelling and well written and my heart physically ached for them at times.
“Love is like their lives, something they are helpless to control. They live and die with the tide, pulled in and thrown back out again, slowly washed away into nothing. Perhaps they are doomed like this. Forever sorry for what they will do to each other. Forever bound to do it again.”
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