OMG!!! Thank you sooo much for this opportunity, I still can’t believe I was accepted and was able to read Marie Lu’s first adult book.

Well I forgot about that part, it was an adult book, until I came across some smut parts lol I loved everything in this book! The characters and the universe hooked me right away. Only small thing would be to identify the chapters so we can follow the table of content… otherwise i read this book in two days.. couldn’t stop and can’t wait for the next book!!

Marie… you did it again!! ❤️❤️❤️

Marie Lu continues to impress with her signature style in Red City. As someone who has loved her previous work, I was excited to see where she would take us next—and she doesn’t disappoint. Her prose is sharp, cinematic, and emotionally grounded. The world-building is immersive without being overwhelming, and the atmosphere throughout the book has that classic Marie Lu intensity I’ve come to expect.

While it didn’t quite reach the top tier of my favorites from her, Red City still stands out with its strong themes and well-crafted characters. A few pacing issues and moments where I wanted a bit more depth or tension kept this from being a full 5 stars, but overall, it’s a compelling and enjoyable read.

Lu’s fans will absolutely find a lot to love here, and this book is a great example of her ability to mix action, emotion, and thoughtful storytelling. I'm already looking forward to what comes next!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!!

I really enjoyed this read! This is one for fans of Olivie Blake’s The Atlas Six series and her One For My Enemy stand alone. I loved the mix of dark academia and the God father. The world building in an alt magical Los Angeles is expertly done. The characters are complex and diverse as well. Although a bit slow in the beginning, it does start to pick up and you can’t put it down. Run to your local book haunt once published and grab it!

I have so much to say without spoiling anything and even that won’t convey how much I loved this. If you enjoyed RF Kuang’s Babel and/or VE Schwab’s Vicious, you’re in for a treat.

I’ve read every single book released by Marie Lu and have grown up with her works and characters since high school. Reading her first adult dark fantasy debut in my twenties was a full circle moment. I. Want. More. The writing style was beautiful, gripping, and the adult themes were structured so well for a mature audience. I enjoyed every moment of this book and will be holding it close to my heart.

We’re introduced to Sam (FMC) and Ari (MMC) from when they’re young, innocent children to when they are several years older as alchemists of rival syndicates (think Babel with a mafia focus where alchemy, at the literal cost of one’s soul, is the magic system). Sam and Ari were both so well written and my heart hurt for them so much. They go through many moral dilemmas develops their character over time with a lot of difficulty. They have so much love for each other and their own families. As expected, this impacts their decisions as they are in constant conflict between their duties and what is right. Alchemy has a cost and seeing how it gradually affects one’s literal soul and innocence to corruption was truly dark and reflective.

The other characters from the syndicates were also well introduced and intriguing. No spoilers, but one particular character was the definition of a villain and very interesting with several faults. Since their role was so impactful to the storyline and I’m curious what their character will be like in the next book

While the plot does have a slow start to set up the world, I wished for more moments between Sam and Ari. The progression of their relationship was well paced and full of so much angst when they meet again as enemies. I loved them together!

I also admire how Marie Lu touched on immigrant experiences of POC and the complex relationships with the guilt of both immigrant children and parents. As a daughter of immigrant parents, the messaging was so powerful and truly resonated with me.

Ari struggles with the loss of his own cultural identity and being pulled from his family as he’s forced to assimilate in a Western setting. No one ever talks about it, but loss of being able to speak your own native language is mournful. Sam’s mother is a single immigrant mother who has gone through endless hardships but does her very best to raise Sam and provide for her. Sam has a complex relationship with her mother, which was so relatable. I understood her struggle to be noticed and fully communicate her feelings, while also acknowledging (but not fully knowing) the sacrifices her mother has made to ensure Sam could succeed in life.

The alchemy-based worldbuilding was so creative, well researched, and I’ll never stop thinking about it. I enjoyed the “scientific” framing of it. The fantastical and elemental aspects added more because it makes you think about the ethical cost of such power. The fight sequences had me hooked in and I was truly mesmerized with how cleverly each technique was presented.

I also enjoyed the different extracts throughout the book that came in snippets of news articles, headlines, journal entries because it made me feel truly immersed into the world with how realistic it felt. The bonus POVs were unexpected but provided MUCH context and heightened the emotional blow by the time I got to the end of this book.

Thank you to Net Galley for this eARC!

I enjoyed this book so much. This is the first time I have read this authors work and it was a complete pleasure. I loved the characters so much and the world building with the prose was incredible. I really enjoyed the character driven plot of our main characters Sam and Ari. Loved it!!

I found this book relatively hard to land on a star rating for, I've flipped back and forth between 3 and 4 stars since I finished it.

Red City is a very interesting book, I was intrigued by the world building and the magic system. I found the alchemy parts themselves to be one of the most interesting parts. It felt very unique to a lot of what I have read lately and I appreciated that. I was relatively hooked from the beginning into the story however I do think the pacing was a little bit off, it felt very slow inm the beginning and very fast paced towards the end, I feel like it could have benefitted from having a little bit more of an even spread.

I think where I struggle the most is the romance. I really enjoyed both Ari and Sam's characters. I loved seeing them as children learning about the magic and the world and I was rooting for them the whole time buttt I just had a hard time really rotting for them as a couple. It felt as though there was a lack of chemistry between them and I was missing the tension and yearning that Marie Lu has had in romances in her other works and I just felt like that was missing in Red City.

I did enjoy the read, I really feel like the world building and magic system are what carried this for me and lovers of a romantic fantasy that is stronger in those elements will really enjoy it as well.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC.

"In order to light the fire of ambition in your soul, you must first have been burned." "People love to talk about the wickedness of money even as they covet it, because the truth is that it can save you too, can set you free."

From the beginning both Ari and Sam were set on a path of failure, destined to scraping by just to carve their name in the tree of life, at least that was what was expected.

5/5 stars 4/5 spice

The immersion that Marie Lu creates within her novel is in my opinion comparable to that of J.K. Rowling. She pulls from reality and weaves her story throughout it to make you question whether this could actually be true, using legitimate landmarks, news paper article snippets, famous quotes, etc. This in itself would make it a 5 star read, but theres more that was done to put icing on this phenomenal cake.

The amount of depth and research that was put into the alchemy system must've took years. To know how all the elements work together, how they are structured, which are similar to the other... just absolutely mind blown. And then to have to make it comprehensible for a reader to be able to digest it without us having done that same research, is truly a feat in itself.

From Legend all the way to Red City I have been hooked by the way Lu writes, she writes like an intellectual while still keeping the attention of reader, her writing is never boring. This being her first debut as an adult writer has set an expectation that I am sure she will maintain throughout the rest of this series, and one that I am unsure whether others will be able to meet now that I have read this book.

Thank you to Tor Books on NetGalley for the eARC!

I simply loved this! I am new to Marie Lu but the way she wrote this book has me thinking she is going to be an instant buy for me from now on.

In Red City, we follow Sam and Ari two childhood friends who are both introduced to the dark and secret world of alchemy as school kids and then find themselves on opposite sides and working for two alchemy syndicates. As adults, when the two are reunited it sets off a chain of violent events.

The story is told in two main POVs and normally I am skeptical of this, I often feel like I don’t get equally invested in the different POVs and it can slow down my reading. It’s not a problem at all, the characters and the third person narrative made this one of the best parts of the book. I can’t remember the last time I read a book written in present tense and that was another thing that I thought would take away but it works so well.

I’m actually not sure if there was anything that didn’t work for me. The pacing was well done, the magic system was so much fun to learn about. It’s got action, romance, it made me think about life and power and money and human nature. All the characters are just so human with their thoughts, emotions, ambitions.

Trigger warning wise it is an adult novel, I feel the marketing is pretty much on the money; Magicians meets Godfather. There are scenes of violence, death, there is a brief scene of SA (not explicit), there are sexual relationships that occur on the page but they’re not overtly explicit and they have a purpose for plot and character development.

There are so many quotes I want to share and I just want to talk to someone about this book! I will be recommending this to anyone who wants an urban/crime fantasy. I’m not sure if this is going to work if you’re looking for more of a Romantasy vibe. This is much more gritty and seedy and while the love story is there, there’s more going on.

I feel satisfied with the ending. I’m just left wanting more!!

I think I’m somewhere around a 4.5 really. I was able to get an ARC and was excited to read this. Long, long ago I read Prodigy and really enjoyed it. I really like Marie Lou’s writing style and honestly I never disliked a book she wrote. I admit, I was skeptical when I started to read, but I got drawn into the characters and their story. I would recommend reading this book… just be prepared for an unsatisfying ending since this is only book 1 and no series leaves you feeling completed at the end of book 1.

The moment I heard Marie Lu was debuting with an adult-oriented novel, I jumped. This was a phenomenal read. There were moments that were hard to read through, not in a bad way, but in an emotionally devastating way. As in I had to put down the book to walk around for a bit — and then immediately go back to reading because I needed to know what happened next.

Character-wise, Sam and Ari are such compelling leads. They are natural foils for each other: the one who’s seen, the one who’s hidden. Ari has a family he’s emotionally close to but physically distant, while Sam had just her mother, though her relationship is occasionally contentious. Both want to protect the people they love, and both naturally seek out the other as someone who can truly see their true selves. Their ‘perfect’ selves, I suppose, if we’re sticking with the theme.

The themes of the story, especially the immigrant experience and Sam’s relationship with her mother, resonated so strongly with me. In part, due to my own experiences as an Asian-American immigrant with a well-intentioned but overworked mother. Additionally, the idea of power and ambition, and the sacrifices made along the way, made the stakes feel all the more real and tense. There’s a part of you that wants these characters to achieve their ambitions, but also the knowledge that they will be irreparably changed in the process. Perhaps not all for the best.

The plot was solid, and the worldbuilding for alchemy was concise in a way that it could be understood while remaining fairly unique. The non-Ari/Sam POV switches were jarring at first, but provided insight into vital information for the world and plot.

All in all, a fantastic read that I haven’t stopped thinking about since.

Red City by Marie Lu grabbed my attention from the first page and was impossible to put down. I enjoyed the different points of view, though they didn’t give a lot of insight into each character’s mind. The book is full of action and kept me constantly wondering what would happen next. The ending sets things up really well for the sequel, and I’m excited to keep reading. This is a great read for fans of Marie Lu’s YA books and anyone who enjoys fast-paced fantasy.

This was a very engaging and exciting novel. The magic system was quite interesting and presents some interesting issues and problems related to it. The tone of the novel is very hard to pin down, as it starts much lighter as Ari and Sam grow up, but gets darker and darker as the book goes on. Very interesting read.

4 Stars
.Thank you to NetGalley and TOR for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Marie Lu delivered a strong start to her first adult series with Red City: a story that blends drug-driven superpowers, intimate emotional arcs, and a simmering, addictive connection between its leads. This book very much scratched that 2010s CW show itch in the best possible way: a lot dramatic, a little dangerous, and full of tension.

The dynamic between the FMC and MMC was the highlight of the story. Sam’s ability to be unseen and forgotten paired with Ari’s magnetic, undeniable presence creates a yin-yang relationship that feels both other worldly and deeply human. Their powers developing were fascinating and blended with the themes of identity, grief, and purpose. However I did wish we had gotten more background on the “why.” Why do they have strong souls? Are there others like them? How exactly does that tie into alchemy? Those questions kept floating just out of reach.

The magical drug “sand” was a very original plot element, and I loved how it tied the story’s larger world building together. It added a speculative edge that made this world feel distinct and interesting.

The side characters didn’t quite pop for me, though, I think there were some missed opportunities to give them more depth. Even the healer, who plays a big role, didn’t leave much of a lasting impression. I was also surprised to find out Hanover was a woman; the character never felt fleshed out enough to make an impact.

Also the last two chapters didn’t fully land for me. While it wasn’t a cliffhanger, it definitely was not my favorite ending. Though, it wrapped up just enough to feel satisfying while leaving room for the series to grow. Honestly, this could easily be adapted for TV. And I’d watch it in a heartbeat.

Overall, Red City is fast-paced, emotional, and brimming with potential. A solid four-star read and a promising start to what could become an addictive series.

thank you soooo much tor books & netgalley for this arc!!!

i have such conflicting feelings about this one

the beginning of this book reminded me a lot of the night circus by erin morgenstern … which for me personally i didn’t like. felt wayyyy too slow & i was getting so bored. but if you liked the night circus & it’s pacing, you’ll probably love this.

the world building felt super drawn out & idk if this wasn’t an arc that i would’ve kept going, BUT in the end i was glad i did!

the real story didn’t pick up till i would say 40% in & that’s when i started to get a little more interested.

the thing i did love was the writing. i know this is marie lu’s 1st adult book & boy did she kill the more mature writing. i was truly swept away in the world!!

the last 35% of this i was sooooo stressed out. i had no idea what was going to happen. for the majority of the book i didn’t feel super connected to the 2 main characters (ari & sam) .. while i felt bad for their situation they weren’t super likable honestly…. but by the very end i did wanna cry for them … you kinda had to get to the end to appreciate the beginning & all they endured

the thing i really did not like was the “romance” …. the ending felt like the ending of a very epic romance when the majority of the story did not give that… there was such a limited build up of their relationship n then years go by n then BAM they’re super in love & always have been… did not make sense to me at all!!!

but overall, i really did enjoy the story & the writing & the end def had me invested enough to read book 2 so i’ll def be continuing!! 3.5💫

This book very much reminded me of a mixture of Jade War and Romeo and Juliet, in the best way. Our two main characters Sam and Ari both have something special about them, although it's opposites-Sam goes by unnoticed by everyone and Ari can't help but draw attraction. They both wind up in the world of alchemy, although for very different reasons, and this decision changes the course of their destinies and their relationships. I don't want to go too far into the plot, as it's wonderfully paced, revealing itself over time while keeping interest, but this was a great first entry. I totally bought into this world and the characters motivations and relationships. I can't wait to read the next one!

Whoa!! This book had me hooked from start to finish. It has everything I could want in a book. Immersive world building, well structured magic system, characters I can root for and against, a little romance and even a little spice.
Sam and Ari are so well written. My heart ached for them as they encountered the struggles of growing up and becoming adults. And Will. Will Taylor. You can't convince me he's a bad guy. He just needs a good therapist and time. I loved the world building, using modern cities but with a fantasy twist. I just loved everything about this book. 6 out of 5 ⭐️!!

I really loved this book! It was giving me Godfather meets Green Bone Saga meets Romeo and Juliet. The magic system is crazy! I loved the mix of crime story and fantasy that this book gave me and bravo to Marie Lu being so successful with her first adult novel! I LOVED this!! Thank you to Macmillan and Tor for an ARC of this book and the Q&A I was fortunate enough to attend with Marie Lu!

3.75 stars!

ARC Review!

Red City by Marie Lu follows two childhood friends, Sam and Ari, who due to choices and circumstances, end up following different paths and going their separate ways. Years later, fate reunites them but it's not the reunion either of them imagined.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. The characters are relatable, the alchemy based magic system was interesting, the romance could have been better but it was still good.

Also this book is supposed to be part of a series and in my opinion it ends in a good spot and I will mostly likely read book 2.

*Thank you to Netgalley and Tor Publishing for this eARC!

First and foremost I was so excited to receive a TOR approval for this sexy, tense mafia inspired fantasy.


The pros: The world, magic systems, and “mafias” were incredibly well written and thought out so well that I felt immersed between these two societies. I also truly enjoyed the introductions of our main characters & how they became involved in their respective roles.

Cons: But, by almost page 100 I was left wondering what the true plot was between the various dialogue and constant sexual references. I wasn’t truly enjoying the ride, and feel maybe I wasn’t the right audience for this epic story.

Thank you Tor & Netgalley for this E arc in exchange for my thoughts.

4.5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley, Marie Lu, and Tor for this e-arc.

Okay, when I first saw that Marie Lu was releasing her adult debut I freaked out. I loved her YA legend series and was absolutely thrilled when this was announced.To be expected this did not disappoint! OHHH MMMYYY GOOSSH!!!!! This was fantastic. First off this book follows Sam and Ari as they meet as children and become friends. We see them set out on paths both ending in Alchemy, but on opposite sides of essentially a turf war. Fast forward several years and these two have not talked or seen each other a they meet at a rather hostile situation where they learn that they both studied alchemy, but under rival alchemy gangs? mafias? not sure which is closer. I absolutely loved the use of alchemy in this world. Alchemy is a very popular topic in fantasy books right now, it is very new and fresh and I am for it. I loved the idea of using the philosopher stone and create sand (a drug that enhances alchemists into perfect versions of themselves, depending on different criteria). I loved seeing the conflict both Ari and Sam had about their once dearest and only friend being their enemy. I did not love the pacing at the beginning, I feel like we could have jumped forward to the present sooner, but other than that I absolutely ate this book up.