°❀⋆.monica ೃ࿔*:･'s Reviews > Red City

‘red city’ by marie lu is an incredible piece of fiction and one of the best books I’ve read in recent history. with a diverse set of morally questionable characters, a well paced and interesting plot, and ridiculously good chemistry, this novel stands out in the fantasy genre.

the main characters are extremely complicated and actually morally grey - they do and say things that are not considered ‘good’ and yet you can’t help but root for their victory. the villains in this story are also very complex with varying motivations, whether it’s a sense of duty, love, or just plain greed that makes sense for their characterization. the way that marie lu wrote these people humanized them in my head and even if they did evil and unspeakable things, you can’t help but be understanding knowing the backstories of these people.

the magic system was very well developed and easy to understand. I especially appreciate the choice that the author made of us as the reader following the main characters as they learn about alchemy and how it works through an educational approach.

the story itself was also super interesting. urban fantasy is not my favorite setting to read about, but books like these might just make me change my mind on that. the way the author took existing cultural and political structures and integrated her own plot and magic system seamlessly was very well done. reading about warring syndicate families and the lengths they’d go to protect themselves and their fortune was captivating.

I also think that marie lu did a fantastic job of creating chemistry and writing a believable romance. the forbidden love affair aspect gave an air of danger and made all the secret glances and meetings that much more delicious!

I could go on and on about this book and just keep adding more opinions the more I think about it, which only further solidifies my opinion that this is an amazing read. it’s incredibly nuanced, well developed, and touches on numerous interesting topics. if there is one book to add to your 2026 tbr, it’s this one!

thank to NetGalley, Tor Books, and the author for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.