Alchemic Bonds

I recently finished reading Red City by Marie Lu. This is book #1 in the New Alchemists series. This is OwlCrate's October Adult book.

This exclusive edition features an exclusive redesigned dust jacket art by  @eevientan and design by  @lichen_and_limestone, with stenciled edges designed by  @eevientan, a reversible dust jacket by@salmonella_fish, hardcover case design by @lacampanule, and end pages by @cindrluv The book is also signed by author Marie Lu on an author page with an author's letter bound into the book, as well as bonus content.

**POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT**

  Rating: 4/5 stars

"Alchemy is the hidden art of transformation. An exclusive power wielded by crime syndicates that market it to the world’s elites in the form of sand, 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 razor’s edge between polite negotiation and outright violence. But when two childhood friends step into that delicate equation, the city―and the paths of their lives―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 syndicates' brightest rising stars. Once, they might have loved each other. But as the two alchemists face off across 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."

Though set in a darker, dystopian, and fantastical version of our world, Red City explores themes that are still very raw and grounded.

The story centers around two main characters, Ari and Sam, who we first meet as children, each facing very different challenges shaped by their respective cultural backgrounds and circumstances.

Ari, growing up in India, is recruited at a young age into the Lumines — a powerful alchemist group — after his immense magical potential is discovered. His family is facing poverty, and he’s offered a life-changing opportunity: to leave everything behind and train abroad, in exchange for steady financial support sent back to them. The cost is steep. He is forced to abandon his language, his home, and the very foundation of his identity.

Sam has grown up in Angel City (a dystopian version of LA) from infancy, as the daughter of a single mother who immigrated from China as an adult. Her mother does everything she can to support her on limited means. Sam’s secret fascination with alchemy and a moment of desperation led her to seek out Grand Central, an alchemist group that rivals the Lumines. She, too, is drawn into their hidden world of power and secrets, where learning to fight and survive suddenly means stability and safety for herself and her mother.

Both attending the same school, Ari and Sam slowly build a quiet, deeply felt friendship. They share an understanding of what it means to feel out of place — both alienated by their upbringing, their burdens, and through their cultural identities. But they hide their alchemist affiliations from one another, and as they grow into adulthood, they both grapple with the difficulties of their choices and their lives as members of their respective alchemist groups.

This book hit so many themes, and it hit them hard.

Marie Lu writes the immigrant (and first-generation immigrant) experience with an honesty and emotional weight that floored me. Ari is uprooted, cut off from his family, his language, his country, and placed into an environment where assimilation and excellence are expected in return for his survival. Sam, on the other hand, exists in between: trying to navigate a fraught relationship with her mother, shaped by the pressure of trying to meet her mother’s expectations, while navigating a society that rarely sees her.

Both of them are driven by love for their families, and that love is complicated, precisely because it’s wrapped up in obligation, guilt, and the desperate need to succeed for their family’s sake. There’s a quiet heartbreak in all of it, especially in how both characters are forced to mature too quickly.

Ari and Sam often feel like outsiders — not just because of the powers they’re developing, but because of their aforementioned cultural backgrounds and their own grappling with them. Their relationship is formed through shared experiences, mutual protectiveness, and emotional understanding. It was beautiful to see it develop.

My one small gripe with this book is that I wish we had seen more of Sam and Ari together on the page, during their formative years. While I completely understand that much of their connection is built on shared circumstances, hidden lives, and emotional parallels, I did feel like their bond could have used just a bit more time to breathe. The intensity of their feelings in adulthood makes sense thematically, but I personally would’ve connected to it even more with a few extra scenes deepening that foundation between them.

Still, there is so much to unpack in this book (more than I can expand upon in a review). It’s rich, layered, deeply introspective, and achingly relatable.

The fantasy elements are incredibly well done. The alchemical magical system is introduced gradually and organically. We learn about the world of alchemy as Sam and Ari do, which makes the immersion feel natural and never overwhelming. It struck a great balance between detailed while still being engaging.

In turn, the fight scenes involving characters who used alchemy were sharp, creative, and grounded in the character dynamics. I loved that alchemy wasn’t just flashy magic, but a structured, complex, and layered system that felt well-thought-out and intricate.

And Angel City is such an intriguing backdrop! It’s gritty, dangerous, and layered with syndicate tensions that feel just as grounded as they do fantastical. It’s the kind of world you can see and feel while reading, thanks to the author’s cinematic and immersive writing.

Red City is one of those rare fantasy books that hits on every level. It’s emotional, thematic, and just straight-up cool. It has a cinematic, high-stakes feel, but it’s also deeply personal and thoughtful in ways that surprised me.

If you’re into character-driven fantasy that isn’t afraid to dig deep — into identity, family, power, and everything in between — this one’s going to stick with you. It definitely stuck with me (and will probably stick with me for a while)

Check out Red City, and discover what happens when you end up in a battle of alchemy.

Happy Reading :)