Red City
by Marie Lu
Synopsis
Magical mob rivalry, star-crossed ambition and the pursuit of perfection at any cost โ set in a glittering, alternate, present-day Los Angeles. Red City is the dark and deadly adult debut from the bestselling author of the iconic Legend series - and perfect for fans of V. E. Schwab. Alchemy is the hidden art of transformation, an exclusive power wiโฆ Magical mob rivalry, star-crossed ambition and the pursuit of perfection at any cost โ set in a glittering, alternate, present-day Los Angeles. Red City is the dark and deadly adult debut from the bestselling author of the iconic Legend series - and perfect for fans of V. E. Schwab. Alchemy is the hidden art of transformation, an exclusive power wielded by crime syndicates who market it to the worldโs elite in the form of sand โ a drug that enhances those who take it into a more perfect version of themselves: more beautiful, more charismatic, simply more. Among the gleaming skyscrapers and rolling foothills of Angel City, alchemy is controlled by two rival syndicates. For years, Grand Central and Lumines have been balanced on a razorโs edge between polite negotiation and outright violence. But when two childhood friends step into that delicate equation, the city โ and the paths of their lives โ will be irrevocably transformed. The daughter of a poor single mother, Sam would do anything to claw her way into the ranks of Grand Central in search of a better life. Plucked away from his family as a boy to become a Lumines apprentice, Ari is one of the syndicatesโ brightest rising stars. Once, they might have loved each other. But as the two alchemists face off from opposite sides of an ever-escalating conflict, ambition becomes power, loyalty becomes lies, and no transformation may be perfect enough for them both to survive the coming war. Readers are loving this book: 'A truly outstanding and emotionally powerful story' 'Sharp, cinematic, and completely addictive' The writing was exquisite, the plot and politics a treat, I couldnโt put it down' 'The characters are flawed in the best way. Itโs tragic, itโs doomed, itโs absolutely PERFECT' 'This book isnโt just good - itโs freaking phenomenal. Itโs the kind of story that makes you cancel plans, stay up too late, and immediately recommend it to everyone you know' Praise for Marie Lu โMarie Lu always deliversโ โ Leigh Bardu
Tropes
Tone
Content Warnings
Readers Also Enjoyed
Fallen
Benedict Jacka
The Mime Order
Samantha Shannon
Lake Silence
Anne Bishop
The Mask Falling
Samantha Shannon
Monster Hunter Memoirs: Sinners
Larry Correia
The Grimrose Path
Rob Thurman
Haunting the Nightside
Simon R. Green
Witch Hunt
SM Reine
Unperfect Souls
Mark Del Franco
Jade Legacy
Fonda Lee
Infamous
Sherrilyn Kenyon
Kushiel's Avatar
Jacqueline Carey
An Inheritance of Magic
Benedict Jacka
Infinity
Sherrilyn Kenyon
Grave Peril
Jim Butcher
American Paladin
Larry Correia
This Savage Song
V. E. Schwab
The Graveyard Book
Neil Gaiman
Crude Sunlight 2
Phil Tucker
Torn by Fury
SM Reine