Book Review: Red City by Marie Lu

Disclaimer: I received an advanced reader copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to the publisher and the author.

I was one of those kids who believed magic was real. Any kind really, but alchemy in particular. I was obsessed with the idea of shadowy guilds, weird coded manuscripts, philosopher stones, potions and all of that. If you read Moony Witcher’s Luna Child series as a child, you would know the exact brand of magic I loved. 

I invented a cipher alphabet at 11, made concoctions from household stuff and convinced myself I was on the right path. I don’t think this is that rare among bookish children, but I think the alchemy children specifically will understand exactly the kind of expectation I carried into The Red City.

Because the premise here is perfect. So imagine the disappointment when the book was not.

The first 45–50% is so painfully slow. And if you’ve been reading my blog for any amount of time, then you’ll know I love a slow burn of any kind, but this was just too much, even for me. 

We spend half a novel watching Sam and Ari exist and grow up. We learn some little bits of alchemy (which should be fascinating!), but none of it is really engaging enough, and often reads more like a textbook. It’s a slog to get through because it’s so mundane and boring, with only a few interesting events to cut through the everyday stuff.

And my entire problem is structural. These chapters should have been memory sequences. Every single thing that has actual plot value could have been compressed into a few strategically placed flashbacks, which would not just be faster, but also more emotionally impactful, because memory arrives with hindsight.

I pushed through that first half out of sheer loyalty to the premise. The plot picks up and there’s some conflict (though not as much as you’d hope for “two syndicates at war”). There are some really cool fight scenes, and the romance between Ari and Sam happens, but all of it is kind of insufficient after you’ve spent so much time learning unnecessary background. I already felt the gap between the book I thought I was getting, and the book I actually received.

And I don’t think this is “I’m too old” or “I’m too genre-experienced” or any of that. I think this is just a draft that needed to be re-architected. There is a very, very sharp version of this exact book that exists in potential form. So I finished this feeling like an alchemist again, staring at lead that refuses to become gold, even though you know in your gut that it should have.

But here’s the thing — I’m still very hopeful that this was all just an elaborate setup for the second book in the series. I won’t be on the edge of my seat for it, but I’ll definitely give it a go in the hopes that book two actually meets my expectations. 

Would I recommend this one? Well, yes, actually. You might enjoy it, even if I didn’t, especially if you come into it with low expectations. It’s a fun, new concept that offers something fresh and different from the standard fantasy books we get these days, and again — just because something wasn’t my cup of tea, doesn’t mean it won’t be yours. Happy reading!