Book Review: Marie Lu’s Adult Fantasy Novel Debut, ‘Red City’, is a Gritty, Magical Must-Read for your Fall TBR
As a huge fan of Marie Lu, I was so looking forward to reading her adult debut, Red City. This is a book you will fly through…if you love urban fantasy and an alternate reality of our own world. Plus, add magical crime syndicates, and childhood unrequited love, and you get The Godfather meets Romeo and Juliet. Sam and Ari are tragic characters destined to be on opposing sides of a magical war between Alchemists trying to control the most valuable substance: sand. I loved the magic system in this book. It has that perfect mix of science and magic, where it feels almost plausible (very similar to Vicious by V.E. Schwab). Set primarily in an alternate Los Angeles, we follow these characters as they grow up and head their separate ways. Lu touches on first generation immigrant struggles, the complicated relationship dynamics with family, and cultural differences. So while it is a magical story, she tackles some pretty heavy topics that will be relatable to a lot of people. If you’re squeamish, there might be a few scenes you’ll struggle with, as there is torture, so check trigger warnings. I do wish our main characters would have been together a bit more, just to solidify their feelings, but it’s a stunning adult debut overall. If character driven stories are your thing, this might be your next favorite read.
Things to Know:
The Godfather meets Romeo and Juliet
Multi POV
Urban Fantasy
Crime Syndicates
Alternate Reality
Unrequited love
Gore and Violence
Sam and Ari are like two magnets, completely drawn towards each other. In school, they’re almost inseparable as friends, writing each other notes back and forth for years. Unbeknownst to each other, they’re both recruited into Alchemist Syndicates who are bitter enemies. Ari to Lumines, and Sam to Grand Central. And colluding with the enemy is a death sentence.
Ari is very much giving Robin from Babel by R.F. Kuang. He’s torn from his family in India because Lumines sees his potential as an Alchemist. He’s charismatic and handsome and they use him to close deals. Sam has perfect photo recall, and a brain that never shuts off, and somehow people never notice her. It makes her the perfect ghost operative for Grand Central.
After losing touch after high school, they find themselves caught in impossible positions. So will love our loyalty rule? No spoilers here. ;) But I am really looking forward to book two because I NEED to know what’s going to happen. Definitely be prepared for a bit of a cliffhanger.
Something I really didn’t love was the spice. It kinda came out of nowhere, and wasn’t romantic or between our two love interests, so it felt like unnecessary sexual content. It also bothered me, because if they truly had such strong feelings for each other, it’s a bit weird to me they would do this.
The audiobook was great, and it’s dual POV. I liked getting inside both characters heads, as they are super complex characters. Thanks to Tor for an ARC to review—all opinions are my own. You can find the audiobook on Audible or Libro.fm (protips: You can get three months of Audible for $0.99/month right now, and two free audiobooks on Libro.fm with the code SWITCH right now).
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