Urban fantasy with alchemy and a romance subplot? That's the recipe for an amazing time, and Marie Lu's *Red City* delivers! Every single character in this book exists in that fascinating moral grey area. No one's wholly good or wholly bad; they all live in the in-between. And I LOVED IT!!!!! If you're looking for a thrilling book review that screams 'read this now,' let *Red City* be it.

Urban fantasy meets secret societies, where bright young minds are molded into criminal masterminds. The pursuit of perfection is the driving force, and I was completely hooked by this story. Getting to know the characters from their childhoods, seeing their lives before the alchemy, made their descent into rival gangs so much more captivating. The complex relationships and dynamics between the characters were another highlight – I absolutely loved them. I couldn't put down Marie Lu's *Red City*...

You usually don't describe a book as "fall off the bone good," but that's exactly what **Red City** by Marie Lu is. The only problem? Now I have to wait for book two! Seriously, it's *that* good.

Pure tenderness.

5/5 [Keywords: book review, Marie Lu]

I need MORE right now! Absolutely LOVED this world, and the way the alchemy wasn't just a magic system, but was so deeply woven into the history, politics, and the very evolution of everything. The CHARACTERS? I definitely connected more with Sam than Ari, but I truly felt for her and how she had to emotionally process the things she was forced to do. And don't even get me started on her relationship with her mother 😭It’s a story filled with morally grey characters. Marie Lu truly makes you emp...

Here we meet Sam and Ari, both hand-picked and trained to become crime alchemists—possessors of a rare and potent gift whispered about in hushed tones. When they wind up on opposing sides of the two most powerful crime syndicates in Angel City, we get to watch their characters gradually reveal themselves.The story unfolds through multiple points of view, which I really appreciated because it helps you forge a deeper connection with each character. But it's definitely a slow burn. The first half ...

Oh my god, I'm utterly speechless 😭. I want to buy stacks of "Red City" and just chuck them at unsuspecting strangers. I'm tempted to send Marie Lu, her editor, and her agent bouquets of flowers. I'm at a loss for words right now, but seriously, mark October 14th on your calendars. Next week, reserve a copy of "Red City" at your local library or head to your nearest bookstore. If they don't have it, just camp out there until they do. Do whatever it takes to get your hands on this book. Seriousl...

I'm obsessed with the childhood friends to strangers to enemies to *almost* lovers trope. I also love how destroying the thing you desperately wanted to become isn’t as simple as you think, and sometimes the only thing you *can* do is fall back into your past and perpetuate the cycle.This bloody, gritty urban fantasy has a visceral edge that I haven’t encountered in the fantasy genre in ages. A magic system that turns everyday surroundings into a potential weapon in a twisted world of alchemy an...

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's releasing her adult debut now that I'm fully grown too. However, **Red City** 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 ...

I really wanted to like this, but I just couldn't get into "Red City." And believe me, I tried. There were glimpses where the story would pick up for a chapter, and I'd think, "Okay, here we go. I'm hooked!" But then it would just sink back into being so slow and… dry. Marie Lu has crafted an alternate Los Angeles where rival alchemist syndicates are at war. At the heart of this conflict is "sand" — a drug that supposedly makes the user more beautiful, more charismatic, more perfect. We follow ...

✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✧ ೀ. ARC review ⊰࿐ My Thoughts ━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━I'm honestly feeling all sorts of things after finishing **Red City** by Marie Lu. On one hand, I absolutely loved it. The writing style is just so unique, unlike anything I’ve read before. The beginning is a *slog*, and when I say slow, I mean *seriously* slow. There were times I was questioning how much time was actually passing, especially near the start. But it does pick up, and by the end, it’s pretty fast-paced. In a way, it almost re...