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.)



Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

What an amazing adult debut by Marie Lu!

I have loved all of her YA books that I've read, and always found her writing to be beautiful. She writes such complex, nuanced, morally grey characters, and always manages to change your perspective on what you thought you knew.

I think that both Sam and Ari were morally ambiguous characters that I was rooting for. Which was hard considering they're on opposing sides. I love that we got to see so much of them as kids and really watch their friendship develop and deepen. They had such a special bond, and I love that it was a love and devotion beyond attraction and romance. Their letters were so special!

I did think the way they just picked up kind of once they met again was a little... idk. Insta love vibes feeling, though not insta love at all LMFAO. I don't know how to describe it.

I especially loved the relationship between Sam and her mom. I thought it was fascinating. Especially since we got a bit of her mom's POV which gave us SO MUCH insight into her motivations and thoughts which Sam doesn't have. It completely changed my perspective on things.

I also thought Ari's past and how he got involved in alchemy was super interesting. I hope we do get to see a reunion with his family and see what they thought of all of this.

One of my favorite things was how Marie made it so clear that all of the characters have good and evil inside of them and it really depends on perspective and the side you're on. The knowledge that you have. 

Especially with Will. I think his character is FASCINATING. I can't wait to see what happens with him and where it goes from here because holy shit everything that we learned about him at the end.

I thought this was a fun world and I can't wait to see where it goes from here!

This book blew me away.

I have read every Marie Lu book leading up to this one, and all of them are near and dear to my heart. Her adult debut, however, is no less than life changing. From the first chapter to the last, I was absolutely enthralled by the story, characters, and plot.

Red City takes place in a dystopia LA in which there is a secret society of alchemy. Through alchemy, there are extremely powerful syndicates that are in power over more than any regular citizen could know-not too far off the mark, yeah? Initially we encounter our two main characters: Sam and Ari. At the start of the book, we get to see them as children and watch them evolve as the innocence of their childhood is washed away.

What I loved:
Everything. No, really, I have nothing negative to say about this story. But here are some of the specifics that I adored!
☆Sam's childhood. Sam grew up with a single mother who worked herself to near death to make ends meet. While this is a story many of us are familiar with, it is told in such an intricate way you feel for each and every character involved. You truly can't help but empathize with how Sam grows to resent her loneliness.
☆ Sam's growth. I don't mean this in the sense of "she got older" or "she became a better person" I truly just mean I loved seeing how her character evolved over the story. This is quite possibly one of the best examples of how an environment vs. upbringing vs. someone's very soul impacts who they become
☆ Ari: I just love Ari. There are no notes-because he really and truly is the kind of character I adore. He is loving and whole and all the best parts of the world.
☆ The family aspect. This book handles SO many different kinds families. From Ari, you grow to wonder, what is family? Is it those who birthed you? Are they still your family after (view spoiler)? Or is it those who truly see you in this world? As I mentioned, we also see a complex mother/daughter relationship from Sam and her mother.
☆ The balance of being seen/unseen in this world. I feel like everyone falls into wanting to be seen more or wanting to disappear into the crowd and this book truly highlights that aspect of society!

And I could go on and on, but one thing I really want to point out, is Marie Lu's writing in this novel. It is truly breathtaking to see how her writing is still so uniquely her, but also grows to match the intensity of this book (seriously the stakes here are so high I found myself literally holding my breath).

Quotes:
"Alchemy is about that eternal ache in us for perfection."

"What mark will you leave, so that your existence was not in vain?"

"Work hard, reach for the stars."

"Everything can be more beautiful. And because everything has the potential to be more beautiful later, everything suddenly feels less beautiful now."

"When something terrible happens, do we become the best version of ourselves?"

"Wounded hearts with something to prove are always the ones who change the world."

"You are my heart. If you die, I die."

Red City was a dazzling, brutal, and utterly hypnotic ride—a brilliant adult debut that delivered everything I hoped for and more. With the tension of The Godfather, the magical complexity of The Magicians, and a lyrical, razor-sharp prose style all her own, the author built a world that felt both unsettlingly familiar and wildly fantastical.
Set in a glittering yet cutthroat alternate Los Angeles, Red City was steeped in the seductive danger of alchemy—a power used not for healing or enlightenment, but for ambition, vanity, and control. The drug “sand,” which turned users into idealized versions of themselves, was a brilliant metaphor woven seamlessly into the city’s crime-laced culture. It felt decadent, deadly, and disturbingly believable.
Sam and Ari were compelling, beautifully drawn protagonists whose histories, choices, and inner battles carried the emotional weight of the story. Sam’s scrappy hunger to rise from poverty and Ari’s conflicted loyalty to a life he never truly chose made them feel like inevitable enemies and impossible soulmates. Their star-crossed tension crackled across the page, full of yearning and heartbreak.
The author didn’t shy away from darkness—this was a world of betrayals, bloodshed, and impossible choices—but every violent twist and magical reveal felt earned. The politics between Grand Central and Lumines were rich and layered, and the magic system was intricately imagined without ever dragging down the pace.
Red City was not only a gripping fantasy, but also a sharp meditation on perfection, power, and the dangerous beauty of reinvention. This was the author at her most ambitious—and in my opinion, her best yet. I’ll be thinking about Sam and Ari’s choices (and that jaw-dropping ending) for a long, long time.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I've been hit and miss with Marie Lu. This particular book is billed as her adult debut. I stopped reading and started skimming about about 10% in because up until that point, the main characters are being introduced as children. Sam has a talent for disappearing, is growing up poor with a single mother, and who is smart but rather unimaginative. Ari has a talent for being noticed (he has a "strong soul" although I couldn't see it, very much told instead of shown) and his family in India agrees to allow him to be taken to Angel City to be groomed for alchemy, I'm assuming. I feel like maybe we don't need to see the entire childhoods of characters in order to understand them. Lu didn't do this in her other books and I wish she hadn't indulged herself here.

Skimming through the rest of the book, my eyes always seemed to alight on relationship drama. Sam and her mom, Sam and her bosses, Ari and his employers. The magic system never came up as I skipped around, so I don't have anything to say about that. Maybe it's great! I am pretty bored with mother-daughter drama, though, and the boss drama seemed to be the usual thing about trying to control our main characters, who don't want to be controlled. What could possibly happen? About what you'd expect, I think. I guess this just isn't the book for me and maybe not the author for me- YMMV.

Wow! Amazing! Everything I look for in a fantasy, enemies to lovers, alchemy, brutal fight scenes, immersive writing and incredible world building?! This had it all, I couldn't tear my eyes away I'm sad it's ended I might re read it right away, I really loved this and want more!

4.5 Rounded Up! Thank you Netgalley and Tor Publishing for an eARC of this book. This book was addicting and such an engaging read! I could not put this down! Fans of Jade City would enjoy this book.

This book follows multiple point of views but it mainly follows Ari and Sam. Ari and Sam are childhood friends but each start to go their own way when they become alchemists. This book does take place in a modern time setting in the States. In this setting, alchemy is real and alchemists can transmute materials into other things, this can include changing someone’s skin into the ground when fighting. But there are also bioalchemists who can transmute feelings as well. The alchemists can accelerate their abilities through taking sand. There is a huge market in sand, therefore these alchemists have formed competitive syndicates. Unbeknownst to each other, Sam and Ari have found themselves in opposing syndicates.

People may find the beginning to be slow, and while it is the slowest part of the book, I still enjoyed the backstory of Ari and Sam’s childhood. After part 1 though, I was not able to put the book down. The action and tension was non-stop. And this book does not shy away from the ugliness of the syndicates. The author’s writing is amazing. It writing flows so smoothly and paints an exact picture of what is happening.

Sam and Ari are forced to succeed in their syndicates to protect their families, which slowly kills a part of their souls. There are scenes of assassinations, murder, fights and very descriptive sexual intimacy scenes (most scenes do not fade to black)

I loved the Jade City trilogy and I felt this book had a similar feel to it and I loved this book as well. My only complaints would mainly be related to the relationship of Ari and Sam. I did not really feel the connection between them, and I felt their personalities did not really fit together. Their personalities seemed to be different when they were around each other (which I guess the argument could be they could finally be themselves—but I did not feel this personality was the real personality). Also I was a little disappointed by the ending. If this would have ended just a little bit differently, it honestly could have been a standalone. But it does appear this is to be a series, and it ended leaving room for more. Thankfully it does not end on a cliffhanger but there are some answered questions.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I could not stop reading it. I definitely recommend if you enjoyed Jade City. Would I continue this series? Yes, because the author knows how to write an amazing story.

I can say that I absolutely loved this! Every choice our two characters make do feel like they have consequences, for better or for worse even if those consequences don't come to light immediately. The world building was impeccable, giving us just enough to understand but not too much to allow our imaginations run wild. It felt like a city where other things were happening beyond the main plot between Grand Central and the Lumines. and oh my god the fight scenes were amazing.

In Red City, Marie Lu casts America in a dazzling, deceptive light. It shines like glass but cuts just as deep. Her version of LA is an alternative reality soaked in the allure of alchemy, where glittering ambition runs parallel to greed, violence and inequality, and where every heartbeat seems to echo the question: What are you willing to sacrifice to matter?

This book is not merely a fantasy; it’s a mirror held up to the ugliest truths about wealth, belonging, and the desperation to be loved. At its core are Sam and Ari, two brilliant, broken souls who orbit each other like twin stars doomed never to align. Their love story doesn’t just tug at the heartstrings, it rips them. Sam and Ari are bound by longing and undone by silence. “They write bridges to one another across a widening ravine,” Lu writes. And those bridges—made of letters, glances, and aching restraint—are some of the most moving parts of the story.

Ari, who becomes Shakespeare, is magnetic. Not just because of his charisma, which Lu paints with effortless grace, but because of how deeply he feels. His journey through the grueling terrain of alchemy is as much about learning a magical craft as it is about learning to live with his own darkness.

Sam, his counterpart and contrast, wears the name Mozart like a crown of thorns. Genius comes easily to her. She learns alchemy like it’s breathing. But the thing she cannot seem to master is being enough—for her mother or for herself. Sam’s yearning to be seen is the most human ache imaginable. Her mother’s love is a mirage. It's always just out of reach; a cruelty more profound than outright rejection. It’s in Sam’s quietest moments, where she doubts her own worth, that Lu’s writing hits hardest. Anyone who’s ever longed for someone’s pride and received only their silence will feel that wound reopen.

Alchemy, in Lu’s world, is far more than a magic system. It is a metaphor for transformation and for the desperate attempt to turn pain into power, insignificance into gold. For Sam and Ari, alchemy becomes a lifeline. Not because it saves them, but because it gives them the illusion that their existence matters. And in a world ruled by syndicates and class divides, where wealth gives you the ability to move through life without consequence, that illusion is seductive.

But here’s the tragedy: Sam or Ari ever say what needs to be said. Their love is real, but always half-spoken. They hold themselves back, afraid to burden one another with their truth. And in doing so they lose each other. Not in one dramatic moment, but in a slow, heart-wrenching unraveling.

By the end, Sam believes she can change the system from within. She ascends to power, but it’s impossible not to wonder: has she become what she once fought against? Her heart is still wounded, still seeking something she may never receive. And her brittle heart and vulnerability—the very thing that once made her revolutionary—may now be her undoing.

“Wounded hearts with something to prove are always the ones who change the world,” Lu says. But Red City reminds us that not all revolutions end in freedom. Sometimes, they end in captivity that looks like triumph.

Marie Lu has created a novel that is lyrical, gutting, and unforgettable. Red City isn’t just a commentary on inequality or ambition. It’s a story about the things we do to feel like we matter and the terrible cost of that hunger.

Red City will destroy you as you hang on to every single word.

I cannot express how much I loved this novel. If I could rate higher than 5 stars I would. This is a book that will forever be on my mind and I will never be able to forget.

Red City has alchemy, friends to enemies mixed with some love stories, and was written so well I didn’t find myself looking at how much time I had left until nearing the end as I didn’t want it to stop.

Red City is beautifully written. It is the blueprint for imperfect, morally grey characters, and is riddled with angst.


This is likely one of the most emotional books I've read in ages. This book HURTS. It doesn't gloss over the hardships of life; it paints a vivid picture of the extent people are willing to suffer for those they love, and how sometimes their efforts only make things worse. It's heartbreaking, but most importantly, it's REAL. The characters are authentic and incredibly well-developed.

Ari and Sam are the definition of star-crossed lovers. Very Romeo and Juliet vibes—forbidden romance surrounded by tragedy. They honestly feel like soulmates (which, considering souls are part of the magic system in this book, could be a possibility).

All I will say about Will is that I can fix him 😌🌸

Once I was introduced to the way alchemy works in this world, there is no way to describe the visceral feeling of "oh no" I felt. It's probably because I've watched Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood too many times, but the concept of trading in bits of your soul that you can never recover? Yeah, that's terrifying. And I completely understand how people desperate for money or safety for their families would be willing to (quite literally) sell their soul, despite the feeling of wrongness. I want to shake Sam and Ari and tell them "don't do this!", but I know that they wouldn't listen.

This book is 4 instead of 5 stars for me just because it took a while for me to get into it. The beginning spends a lot of time establishing the characters and worldbuilding, which is necessary. I just have a short attention span. It was definitely worth it though!

Overall, would I recommend this book? Absolutely. It feels so unique, and it does a good job critiquing greed and humanity's obsession with pursuing perfection.


Thank you Netgalley and Tor Books for the chance to read the ARC! All opinions are honest and my own.

4 Stars
Arc Review

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. 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 plot was solid as well, 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

4.2 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and Tor for a free digital copy in exchange for an honest review!

What's after seven but before nine? Because Marie ate
A lot of people are calling it dystopian, but I don't think it is, it's more just an urban fantasy.
Marie knows how to write toxic men ehehehe iykyk
I still don't compleeeetely buy SamAri
But omgggg this book slaps, it's super slow at the beginning, but when they finally graduate training, I couldn't put it down. I especially liked Sam's chapters. I really like their contrasts too. At risk of spoilers, I won't go too in detail, but I like the representation of the two different ways of being smart, and the two different ways of being perceived.
People have been comparing this to Jade City but I don't really see the resemblance. It does remind me a bit of Warcross though which I guess makes sense

Light spoiler: Ik I'll be judged for this but I liked Constantine more than Shakespeare 😭😭 I know he wasn't the best person but he deserved better 😭😭😭 remember how I said Marie knows how to write toxic men? Well I fall for them literally every single time so I fear I am the problem

The beginning of this book is a little slow but so worth the wait. The build-up is totally worth it. Marie Lu is my favorite author for many reasons, but one of the biggest is her ability to write about anything. This story is her first try in the adult genre. I call it contemporary romantasy (spice level 2). Seeing spice (some spice not a lot) was a little weird at first because it's not what I think of when I read a Marie Lu novel, but I still loved it nonetheless. This book has so many layers. There is the magic mafia family level for both characters. There are the star-crossed lovers who are the complete ying and yang to each other. One character is the boy everyone loves but wants no attention and the girl that no one sees but only wants to succeed, to be more. I can't even begin to explain this book, but it is one on a very personal raw level. I loved it so much! Can't wait to see what is in store for Ari and Sam next!

Marie Lu's Red City marks a bold and captivating foray into adult fantasy, blending elements of magical realism, crime syndicates, and star-crossed ambition. Set in an alternate Los Angeles, the novel introduces readers to a world where alchemy is a closely guarded secret, controlled by rival 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.

The narrative centers on two childhood friends, Sam and Ari, whose paths diverge as they become entangled in the dangerous underworld of Angel City. Sam, driven by a desire to escape her impoverished background, seeks to rise within the ranks of the Grand Central syndicate. Ari, once plucked from his family to become a Lumines apprentice, is now one of the syndicates' brightest rising stars. Their reunion amidst the power struggles of their respective factions sets the stage for a tale of ambition, betrayal, and the pursuit of perfection at any cost.

Lu's writing is both lyrical and gritty, capturing the allure and danger of a city teeming with secrets and power plays. The world-building is immersive, painting a vivid picture of a society where magic and crime intertwine seamlessly. The characters are well-developed, with Sam and Ari's complex relationship adding depth to the narrative.

While the novel is compelling, some readers may find certain sections slower than others, particularly in the middle of the book. However, the intricate world-building and character development more than compensate for these moments.

Overall, Red City is a thrilling and thought-provoking read that will appeal to fans of dark fantasy and urban intrigue.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Marie Lu’s adult debut Red City is a really impressive adult fantasy that lays the groundwork for what looks to be a very captivating modern urban fantasy series.

Warring crime syndicate made up of alchemists (magic users) fight for power and control as two star-crossed characters come of age in this exciting novel that takes some common YA tropes (magical education, love triangles,) and matures them up a bit for an older audience.

The magic system of alchemy is well developed and intriguing , I hope Marie Lu expands upon it in future instalments.

The central romance was a bit too YA for my tastes but I think it will really do well with its target audience likely readers of Marie Lu’s earlier books who want to take the jump into reading more adult fantasy now that they’re older.

Overall, I found the plot engaging and well-paced, the criminal syndicate / organized crime elements were cool and leave lots of room to be fleshed out and expanded on in later novels and the slow world building of introducing Angel City and dropping other names and places in was well-executed and left me wanting to read more.

The protagonists are both likeable, distinct and well developed and for the most part I enjoyed the character work but would have loved a deeper dive on some of the compelling “villains” in the story.

I’m now going interested in going back and checking out the author’s earlier YA work and look forward to adding The Alchemist series to my must-read list.

4.75 ⭐️ / 5

Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Publishing for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review

Sam and Ari are two kids, each trying to carve out a place for themselves.
Sam is the daughter of a single immigrant mother who is trying desperately to keep them afloat.
Ari is a young child when he is brought to America by a strange man who begins teaching Ari the secret art of alchemy.
Sam and Ari go to school together and become friends.
One day Sam's mother is injured at work and Sam is forced to turn to Diamond Taylor, the leader of Grand Central and one of the most influential people in the world. Sam is inducted into Grand Central's ranks and begins learning alchemy, an art only a few are able to accomplish. Throughout the years, Sam and Ari drift apart, both forced to keep the secrets of their lives from one another. Until one day, they meet again, on opposing sides of a battle for control of the city and production of a drug called Sand, which turns whoever takes it into a more perfect version of themself.

Sam and Ari are both such compelling main characters, they’re so vibrant and unique and I could feel myself being drawn in by them. The first part of the book follows them as children, and it was so heartbreaking to read them both yearning for a more perfect world.
I absolutely loved the later chapters we get of Sam’s mom. Her POV was incredibly moving.

The one thing I felt a little gross about was both of the main characters having sexual relationships with their respective mentor figures. Like, anytime Sam and Will interacted I was a little icked out because he met her when she was 15 and he 20ish and became her mentor a few years later. And I felt like it was just a little too glossed over in the narrative; like it was a perfectly normal thing. Ari and Isla as well. We see a bit less of their relationship, but it felt equally as icky, seeing as Isla was teaching Ari when he was like 10.

Overall, this was a very compelling story. I was always invested in the characters, and plot wise, I was never bored, it was the perfect pace to keep you on your toes at all times!

Oh. Em. Gee. What a fantastic start to Marie Lu's entrance to the adult fantasy world. Electric! It was everything I want to read, dark, sensual, and just absolutely decadent. It was very well developed, full of drama and intrigue. I was on the hook from the very start and cannot wait for more! Would absolutely recommend.

I received this book as an ARC, this opinion is entirely my own.

For starters, I think this book had a phenomenal and unique concept. The world building was interesting and new, the characters were lovable as they aged and the story was not predictable for the most part.

What I had a problem with personally was that around 70%, the book started to drag for me. It took me a couple weeks to finish the book because I felt like around this time frame the chapters felt to drag on. They weren't long chapters by any means but the book itself kind of plateaued for me.

This does not mean that I will not continue the series, I think that the series has potential to be a lot more exciting in the future. I understand that world-building takes time and that often the first book in a series is not the most exciting but I felt compelled to skim through chapters towards the end, which is not common for me.

The series has potential

This was a very fun read! I loved the urban fantasy setting (mostly a fake LA) and the fast engaging plot. The characters were pretty good, although I felt like, later in the book, some aspects of the relationships between characters were a little rushed. I really liked the way the story progressed from when they were younger and followed them over a time jump.
The alchemy was cool and the dynamics of the different loyalties and gangs made this very entertaining. Can’t wait for the next one!
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC.