3.5 By the end, I felt genuinely satisfied. Everything tied together nicely, and the journey was worth it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book. Below is my honest review!

I loved this book. I'm so surprised by Marie Lu's writing because it differs from all her YA novels (of course, because this is an adult novel). The thing I loved most about this book was each character's dynamic. Marie Lu really takes the time to make sure we all know the motivates of her main characters, especially Sam and Ari. You first meet them when they're young, then you get to see them grow into the people they are by the end of the book. They both enter this secret society that is almost gang-like, except it revolves around alchemy and this drug called "sand" that enhances everything about you (the good, the bad, the physical, the emotions, everything). The world itself is easy to understand, though there is definitely room to add more nuances (hopefully in the next book). Additionally, family is really important to both Sam and Ari, but almost in different ways. I love how Marie Lu incorporates a bit of Asian culture in there as well.

Overall, this was a pleasant and exciting read. I would highly recommend and can't wait to pick up the next book!

This is definitely my top read of 2025 so far.

Sam & Ari deserve the entire world & I cannot wait for book 2.

This book was action packed — and sooo stressful. I loved every single second of it.

Did I mention I cannot wait for book 2? 😭

Red City signals a sophisticated, thrilling, and potentially heartbreaking exploration of magic, ambition, and the ties that bind, even across battle lines.

Red City completely pulled me in from the start. I loved that the book spent time on Sam and Ari’s childhoods before throwing us into the chaos—that background made everything hit way harder later on. Their connection felt real and tangled, and I’m always a sucker for that kind of dynamic.

At the heart of the novel are Sam and Ari—two former friends now caught on opposing sides of a magical drug war that could upend the fragile balance between powerful crime syndicates. Lu excels at crafting characters you root for.

The concept of “sand” as a magical substance that transforms its users into perfected versions of themselves is unique. The worldbuilding is sleek, immersive, and cinematic, with Angel City coming alive in all its glittering menace.

Also, the rivalry between the two main syndicates was intense in the best way. I have a feeling things are only going to get more chaotic.

Overall, I had a great time with this book. It’s dark and twisty and full of ambition, and I can’t wait to see where it goes next.

Thank you NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for this e-ARC.

4.25! 🌟 Starting from the beginning, I liked that the first part of the book is dedicated to telling the story of their childhood and teenage years. It made it a lot easier to understand where their future actions came from and what motivated each one of them. I also liked how it showed Sam and Ari’s friendship being built and how it’s emphasized that, in a way, they complete each other.

What I probably liked the most was how the magic works. Besides being different from anything I’ve ever seen, you can definitely tell the author put a lot of thought into it. I also liked how the rivalry between the two main crime syndicates was developed but I did wish we had seen a bit more about the other syndicates too. Considering the way the book ended, I’m guessing we’ll get more of that in the sequel, so that’s definitely something I’m excited to see.

What messed with my feelings the most in this book was Sam’s relationship with [redacted]. I really wish the age gap was smaller. By the time something happens she’s already an adult, but since some scenes from when they met years before are shown, it kind of lingers in the back of my mind, haunting me in several moments. I think part of it is also because he always had so much power over her life, their relationship always felt a little unbalanced one way or another. But honestly, what confused me the most was that even though I knew how wrong it all was and that they would never work the way things were, it’s undeniable they had chemistry (and I hate admitting that 😔). A big part of me is hoping his character gets some real growth in the sequel and actually becomes someone better, and that their relationship somehow finds a way to work (preferably in a non-toxic way). Because if you read between the lines, you can tell there’s way more to him than what we’ve seen so far.

He definitely needs to learn how to show his feelings better in the next book because having trauma doesn’t justify his actions. Anywayyyy, poor Sam just wanted to be seen and loved and because of that she does and accepts a lot of things she shouldn’t, just knowing that at the end of the day someone will have seen her, even if it’s just for a few moments.

Considering I read the whole book in less than 24 hours (and barely slept thinking about it), I don’t even need to say how much the story hooked me from start to finish. Despite noticing a few flaws beyond what I mentioned, my love for the book ends up overshadowing most of them and that’s okay.

I like all things Marie Lu, so I was thrilled to read this ARC of Red City. Let me start off by saying: this is an adult novel. Even though her books are popular in high school libraries, believe what they say when this is an adult novel! The story follows two young people--Sam and Ari--who each have come into a crime syndicate from different directions and for different reasons. These mafia-like groups work in a drug called sand, which enhances qualities about the person who takes it. However, to create this sand requires the power of alchemists, who can transmute elements into other elements. This story is jam packed with action and some loose romance. The fight scenes are fantastic, and the pacing of the book is great. Overall a fantastic and engaging story that I can't wait for others to read. Thank you to the publishers and Net Galley for this ARC!

This is a book with a strong enough premise that it could have been written in a myriad of ways. Unfortunately, I did not fall in love with the execution of RED CITY. That said, I can’t stop thinking about this book, and thus my score of 4/5. You would love this book if you liked Addie LaRue. The influence is strong here, with introspective, slow-moving present tense prose and a female MC whose main concern is the family she's (intentionally) separated herself from. Both Addie and Sam also have a magical propensity to be overlooked. In addition, I felt the hook of "sand" was more shimmer than substance. The same can be said about the various locations (Angle City is just LA, but Berlin is still Berlin?). Finally, I felt our main MCs lacked agency throughout and made odd choices given how deeply informed they were about the criminal magical world at the heart of the story. Since there’s a sequel, I hope to see them shine a bit more.

this is potentially a soft dnf- i was so beyond excited to read marie lu’s debut adult novel after loving her ya series but i find myself constantly putting the book down and have yet to connect to our mc’s. this could absolutely be a me thing and could potentially return to it with a different mindset later on!