HEARTHSPACE
Bad neighbours
RED CITY
▶RELEASED
16 OCTOBER
432 pages
|
Hardback/ebook/ audiobook
▶ Author Marie Lu
▶ Publisher Tor
Urban romantasy gets a neo noir makeover here in a book which could easily be renamed Magical Gangs Of LA. Part Scarface, part Twilight, it’s the tale of two poor young immigrants in an alternate universe LA (or “Angel City”) who are inducted into rival crime gangs of matter-transforming “alchemists”.
Sam, from China, can become almost invisible in a crowd, while Ari, from the slums of India, has natural charisma that draws people to him. These are abilities that can be weaponised in a war to control a drug known as Sand, so both Ari and Sam are trained by different gangs to become alchemist assassins. What neither gang realises is that Sam and Ari are in love.