
Member Reviews

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.

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.

I read and loved Marie Lu's work as a young adult, and I was so excited to see she was stepping into the adult world! Just like her previous works, Lu doesn't write a typical good vs. evil story. She writes a human story, where everything lives within the gray area.
When childhood friends Ari and Sam drift apart, it's not because of the typical reasons; new jobs/school/friends, it's because they both become involved in two separate societies that both deal with the magic form of alchemy; the ability to transmute a substance into another. On different sides of a massive chasm, they both have to figure out what they'll sacrifice in order to make more for themselves from the hand they were dealt.
The characters are what stood out to me in this story. Even the side characters have back stories and nuance that isn't often focused on in these complex worlds that have a lot to cover in a short time.
The magic system was very engaging and created a super interesting world to be explored, however I wish it could have been fleshed out deeper. There are different kinds of alchemist that are present in this book, but the names and abilities of each level are only briefly mentioned. Even the abilities of the main characters are glossed over in the technical sense and displayed only through action.
One of the things that took me out of the story were the intimate scenes experienced by both main characters. They seemed somewhat unnecessary in the way that they seemed to only be added in order to categorize this book as adult as opposed to YA. They felt mildly out of place and although the relationship that the scenes established were important, I feel as though it was already clear where those relationships stood and was already implied.
All in all, I think it was a great step into the adult world from an established YA author, and I'm looking forward to the next installment.

Sam and Ari meet as children, both looking for a friend and a connection. They keep many secrets from each other while still opening their hearts. When their paths diverge, each living a similar life on opposite sides of the fight, they think they’ve found what they were looking for: family, acceptance, validation. When the violence increases and their paths are forced to cross again they can’t help but think about what they’d lost and what more they may be forced to sacrifice. When it comes time to choose whether to save yourself or the one you love, what would you choose?

Marie Lu really said I’m going to write an adult fantasy and wrote a damn adult fantasy. I REALLY enjoyed this. The only thing keeping me from 5 stars is I was not completely bought into the romance. I think there needed to be a bit more yearning/connection in the beginning for me to truly feel for their pain being on either side of a gang war.
Regardless, I feel like I was hooked from page 1 (ok maybe page 20, but whatever). I think the urban fantasy nature of the story really added to the imagery. I really enjoyed the fantasy elements as well. Lu really eased you into the world with the two main characters as children learning about the magic of alchemy and sand.
If I had to compare this book to others I’ve read, I’d say it’s a combination of Jade City and The Poppy Wars. With the rival gangs and assassinations, it ended up being pretty gruesome. I relate this to The Poppy Wars, because I do think Red City leaned heavily into the exploration of a young girl who was dealt a hard lot in life and how she navigated the tough decisions she had to make in life to survive. I’m really interested in seeing where Sam goes next and the impact the events of Red City will have on her actions.
Really looking forward to book 2!
<i>Thank you to NetGalley and Tori for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!</i>

my rule when it comes to arcs is that i will never dnf them, no matter how much I might not be enjoying them. red city made me come really damn close to breaking that rule, though.
onto the positives first: the world building and the alchemy sistem are set up quite well, they're fun and interesting, though they suffer from being touched upon very superficially and quickly, considering the book is way more interested in the drama than the backbone of its sistem - which is fine, since from the very beginning sam and ari are sympathetic, interesting characters, incredibly different but so similar in their circumstances, and you immediately find yourself rooting for them. the writing is quick and engaging, and I underlined so many passages, especially from sam's chapters, the relationship with her mom has such depth and paints an extremely powerful picture of generational trauma.
now to the bad, and it's a big bad for me: this book made me so deeply uncomfortable. both the main characters are extremely sexualized from their childhood, especially ari since he is, and I quote, "charismatic" because of his talent for alchemy. but being constantly reminded that people are leering at him as a child, a message that is very much realistic and important to bring into the light, is one thing, slapping me with a 100% gratuitous smut scene as soon as he is of age is another.
same goes for sam - it's one thing for her to have sexual thoughts for her older acquaintance at fifteen, even though her thinking that being blindfolded and on her knees in front of him for her alchemy trial was alluring made my skin crawl, it's another to include a detailed smut scene of her sleeping with the man who is essentially her GROOMER years later and having him admit that he'd wanted it for a long time. excuse me???? there is not plot point or message that stands at that point, it's just icky. you can't have your cake and eat it too, either this send a message that sexualizing children is bad and disgusting, that it makes you a villain, or it has the (multiple) gratuitous smut scenes with older people who knew them as children, I feel the need to reiterate, which makes them groomers, again.
that is unfortunately the reason behind the low rating, I would have enjoyed this a lot if it wasn't for the above issues that made it an extremly uncomfortable read for me.
thank you to netgalley and tor publishing for the arc.

“You are my heart. If you die, I die.”
Alchemy is a secret art of transformation, sold as a drug called ‘sand’ that turns it’s users into idealized versions of themselves. In Angel City, two rival syndicates—Grand Central and Lumines—control the trade, locked in a fragile balance of power.
Sam, the ambitious daughter of a poor single mother, is determined to rise within Grand Central. Ari, once her closest friend, is a gifted apprentice of Lumines. As they find themselves on opposing sides of a brewing war, their shared past collides with dangerous ambitions—and the cost of perfection and power may be more than either can bear.
“Alchemy is the science of changing something into something more desirable, isn’t it? So transform yourself. Make yourself better. The rest will follow.”
I want to start by saying that this book ripped my heart out, chewed on it, spat it out, and fed it to a pack of wolves. It’s heartbreaking and painful, but also so beautifully written, and so exquisitely constructed. Although it’s fantasy, it felt so achingly real. It had themes of love and betrayal, pain and loss, divergence, the pursuit of perfection, and corruption.
Overall, I liked this book.. I wanted to sit on my review because at first I wasn't quite sure how i felt about it, because the pacing in the beginning was tough for me to get through. (It had a slow build, but PLEASE if you're interested in this don't let that turn you off) After I pushed through though, I was so engaged, and I felt myself so captivated by both Ari and Sam's stories. They're both so complex, and well executed characters that I honestly didn't want this book to ever end.