Gangs of New York – LairOfBooks

Title: Red City (The New Alchemists #1)

Author: Marie Lu

Pub. Date: October 14th 2025

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Format: Hardcover

Publisher: Tor Books

Pages: 432

☆☆DRC PROVIDED BY PUBLISHER IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW☆☆

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╰☆☆ “𝙷𝚎𝚛𝚎’𝚜 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚍𝚘𝚗’𝚝 𝚝𝚎𝚕𝚕 𝚢𝚘𝚞. 𝙻𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚒𝚜 𝚊𝚕𝚌𝚑𝚎𝚖𝚢. 𝙸𝚝 𝚒𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚋𝚎𝚕𝚒𝚎𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎 𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚘𝚗 𝚒𝚜 𝚋𝚎𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚗 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎 𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚖. 𝙻𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚊𝚕𝚌𝚑𝚎𝚖𝚢 𝚊𝚝 𝚒𝚝𝚜 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚜𝚝, 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚛𝚘𝚗𝚐 𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚘𝚗 𝚌𝚊𝚗 𝚍𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚘𝚢 𝚢𝚘𝚞, 𝚙𝚒𝚎𝚌𝚎 𝚋𝚢 𝚙𝚒𝚎𝚌𝚎, 𝚞𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚕 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚗𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚊𝚜𝚑. 𝙰𝚗𝚍 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚊𝚕𝚌𝚑𝚎𝚖𝚢 𝚊𝚝 𝚒𝚝𝚜 𝚏𝚒𝚗𝚎𝚜𝚝, 𝚏𝚒𝚗𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚜𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚖𝚊𝚝𝚎 𝚌𝚊𝚗 𝚛𝚎𝚖𝚊𝚔𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞, 𝚎𝚕𝚎𝚟𝚊𝚝𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚝𝚘 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚖𝚘𝚜𝚝 𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚏𝚎𝚌𝚝 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚝𝚎. 𝙾𝚏𝚝𝚎𝚗, 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚠𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚗𝚍 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚛𝚎 𝚕𝚒𝚏𝚎 𝚜𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚌𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚒𝚗 𝚟𝚊𝚒𝚗. 𝙰𝚗𝚍 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎𝚜, 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚜𝚒𝚖𝚙𝚕𝚢 𝚏𝚒𝚗𝚍 𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚝𝚘𝚘 𝚕𝚊𝚝𝚎.” ☆☆╮

Red City by Marie Lu was one of the Book Of The Month selections from October last year pitched as The Godfather meets The Magicians. An easier time at choosing my books has never happened but also, this is Marie Lu’s first adult fantasy debut and my first book of theirs. I immediately imagined rival gangs at war, armed with magic, and an impossible romance and that’s exactly what I got! Set in an alternate Los Angeles, we are introduced to our main characters Sam and Ari while they’re still children living with their respective families. You get a sense when meeting them that they are unique in their own ways, observant of their surroundings, and destined to eventually cross paths. There are eight crime syndicates who import/export Sand, the substance responsible for mainstreaming Alchemy to any who care to enhance themselves. This can be for beauty, charisma, or simply to be more than who they are without Sand. Angel City is run by two of the crime syndicates, Grand Central and Lumines. Both actively recruit people who have “strong souls” in order to teach them Alchemy, a science that will allow them to wield magic at a price. A piece of their soul in exchange for power and perfection.

Ari – Living in India with his parents, siblings, and extended family when a member from Lumines notices his strong soul and recruits him for Lumines. Ari is described as being shy and struggles with anxiety, ironically when he’s under Sand he is charming and a social magnet. Ari has a tough journey learning Alchemy but makes for one of the strongest recruits for his networking/persuasive abilities.

Sam – Already living in Angel City in a small apartment in the not so great part of town with her singe mother who is just trying to make ends meet. Sam has been alone most of her life since the age of two while her mom works long hours to put food on the table. She has a photographic memory and came into close contact with Alchemy at a very young age. Sam seeks out Grand Central’s leader as an answer to the poverty she and her mother face. Under Sand, Sam’s sight is even sharper while she becomes sort of invisible to those around her. A valuable asset for a crime syndicate trying to make moves in silence.

All photo credits go to their rightful owners

At it’s core Red City is the well known story we all know of gangs having turf wars over drugs and power and yet this story is so much more than that. Sam and Ari both come from humble beginnings prior to being thrust into having it all. Sam’s mother boarded a ship from China to Angel City with Sam when she was just a baby, she had dreams of having a better life there. Like many immigrants, she had aspirations of obtaining a well paying job to provide that life for her child but instead quickly found out that wasn’t what Angel City had to offer them. Instead they experience poverty in a fast paced city where baby Sam felt the absence of a parent at home. Sam’s mothers struggle is well known in real life to many single moms who have to choose between career or being a stay at home mom. Many can’t afford to do the latter, such is the case with Sam’s mom who we get to know through her POV chapters. Hers is not an easy story but its a very real account of what many immigrants face outside of this fictional story. The inclusion of her POV made the pain between mother/daughter feel deeply emotional and heart wrenching. Sam’s recruitment into Grand Central gives her access to a life she envisioned but always felt out of her reach. More than access to wealth, Grand Central is where she feels seen.

Ari on the other hand had a childhood rich in love and presence at home, leaving that all behind leads to feelings of displacement in a strange land and a broken link to his mother land. He didn’t really have a choice in his recruitment, he simply was obedient to his parents who believed that letting him go would mean a better life. The promise of financial security for his family is what motivates him to excel in Alchemy. The friendship Ari develops with Sam is rooted in innocence, two strong souls taken down dark paths destined to cross paths time and time again. I am HIGHLY anticipating the next installment of The New Alchemists.

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The Last Magician by Lisa Maxwell

Published by: Simon and Schuster

Date of Publication: July 18th 2017

Genres: YA Historical Fantasy

Pages: 512

Format: eGalley

Stop the Magician. Steal the book. Save the future.

In modern-day New York, magic is all but extinct. The remaining few who have an affinity for magic—the Mageus—live in the shadows, hiding who they are. Any Mageus who enters Manhattan becomes trapped by the Brink, a dark energy barrier that confines them to the island. Crossing it means losing their power—and often their lives.

Esta is a talented thief, and she’s been raised to steal magical artifacts from the sinister Order that created the Brink. With her innate ability to manipulate time, Esta can pilfer from the past, collecting these artifacts before the Order even realizes she’s there. And all of Esta’s training has been for one final job: traveling back to 1902 to steal an ancient book containing the secrets of the Order—and the Brink—before the Magician can destroy it and doom the Mageus to a hopeless future.

But Old New York is a dangerous world ruled by ruthless gangs and secret societies, a world where the very air crackles with magic. Nothing is as it seems, including the Magician himself. And for Esta to save her future, she may have to betray everyone in the past.

Some of you may have already noticed my header but for those that haven’t, this will be for all intents and purposes be a Gush Review!

The Last Magician was after my heart with its magic infused Gangs of New York/Six of Crows vibes *heart eyes emoji*

We get introduced to our main protagonist Esta who is a Mageus with the ability to time travel. As an orphan Esta was taken in and trained by Professor Lachlan to steal magical artifacts. The purpose of each task is to prepare her for her toughest and take her back the furthest in time…going back to New York City 1902. Esta has studied many different languages, fashions, ways of life but nothing will prove as challenging as the early 1900’s. So much depends on her succeeding in stealing the Ars Arcana aka the oldest book of magic out of 1902 & getting it back to professor Lachlan. The Ars Arcana contains many of the oldest secrets of magic & is protected by The Order, an elite society created to protect the city against magic by way of the Ars Arcana and The Brink. At the very edge of the city is The Brink which serves as a barrier to contain those with magical abilities inside NYC. Those who have dared to cross it have either died or been left as empty vessels of their former selves unable to live life stripped from their magic. Esta travels back to 1902 to steal the Ars Arcana before The Magician can get away with it altering Present time for the worse.

Much of the book is spent in 1902 due to unforeseen circumstances & since this was a time where Old magic was alive & vibrant, the city is crawling with hidden Mageus. For Esta this comes as a surprise since in present time NYC where she comes from, much of the Old magic no longer exists having been weakened through the passage of time & generations. Esta finds her way into one of the gangs roaming the streets of NYC who happen to all be Mageus by using her abilities to prove her worth. I LOVED EVERYTHING about this plot line! Maxwell covered everything so well from gang rivalry, politics, and the slums of the Lower East side Manhattan to the Mageus and each of their individual abilities. I was sucked in from the very 1st page!

Esta- Our main protagonist is a Feminist Mageus with the ability to time travel & manipulate time…need I say more? HAHA! On a serious note, seeing her in 1902 NYC surrounded by men who viewed women as the inferior sex gave readers a realistic view of the times. Misogyny wasn’t a word being thrown around, it was the norm. Esta at times found herself scoffing at comments made at her more risqué choice of clothing only to remind herself that these people are a product of their time. Esta is also very loyal, smart and plays her cards close to her chest which made her an instant fave of mine.

Harte Darrigan- Not a part of anyones gang really, he’s a loner with a dark past & an even more messed up childhood. Harte is also a Mageus (won’t spoil his affinity since its spoilery) & is completely taken aback by Esta, a woman so ahead of her times that he can’t spend more than 5 minutes around her w/out turning 50 shades of red & yea I enjoyed their interactions a ton! Harte also has his own agenda that may or may not be an issue for Esta…

Dolph Saunders- The leader of the gang Esta joins & this character has that Kaz Brekker feel but he’s def way more cold hearted when need be. Dolph is a man carrying around his regrets & on a mission for vengeance by way of freeing all Mageus from the constraints of The Brink & The Order. He’s only interested interested in your loyalty & your affinity otherwise you have no seat at his table.

Nibs- The right hand young man Dolph keeps around handling the finances at the bar where he conducts all matters of business. Dolph trusts Nibs more than he does anyone else & often will look to him for their next move 😉

Viola- LOVE HER! described as Italian with dark hair & lavender colored eyes, Viola is sick with blades & her affinity is very valuable. She also happens to be the sister of another major gang boss. Dolph offered her a home & safety once her family turned against her. Viola is a lesbian & these times were no where near as accepting as Present time. I really wanted to see this character get her happy ending but understood that it wouldn’t be true to the time.

Jianyu- A man more comfortable hidden within the shadows he is VERY valuable as well. Jianyu is the equivalent of Varys The Spider on Game of Thrones only not as manipulative lol. He is observant & similarly to Viola, has a family head who is the head of a gang in Chinatown. Jianyu however, opted for the lesser of two evils with Dolph 😉

I’ve always been a fan of time pieces & seeing YA books dipping into Historical Fiction has been so much fun! this YA Historical Fiction/Fantasy was EVERYTHING I never knew I needed! Seeing my city back in the 1900’s was a real treat sans the misogyny of course lol. The inclusivity of such diverse characters did not go unnoticed, the author had bits and pieces of other languages giving the characters that fleshed out feel I LOVE! It was interesting reading a diverse Fantasy that also shed light on the inequalities that existed during the 1900’s. Maxwell calls The Last Magician a “behemoth” of a book in the Authors Afterward & that it is but I enjoyed every minute I spent in this world. I can see this heist playing out on the big screen with flashes of old NYC & present day modern NYC, I’d buy that ticket ASAP! This was my 1st Lisa Maxwell book & I’ve fallen in love with her writing! I’ve heard mention that this is a standalone & yet THAT ENDING! bookworms…dare I grasp on to hope for more? I really hope we get at least a Duology *fingers crossed*

*Huge thanks to Simon & Schuster, Netgalley, & Lisa Maxwell for the eGalley copy of The Last Magician in exchange for an honest review