The New Alchemists

Red City Publisher's Summary

‘As devastating as it is spellbinding. I loved it’ – Olivie Blake, New York Times bestselling author of The Atlas Six

A dark and deadly contemporary fantasy of magical warfare, star-crossed ambition and the pursuit of perfection at any cost, set in a glittering alternate Los Angeles; perfect for fans of V. E. Schwab.

Sharp-as-a-blade Sam lives in poverty, and she’ll do anything to claim a better life. This includes forcing her way into the Grand Central crime syndicate to learn the magical art of alchemy.

Charismatic Ari was taken from his family as a boy to join Grand Central's greatest rivals – the Lumines. Long ago, he and Sam were childhood friends. Now, he’s one of his syndicate’s powerfully gifted stars.

Among the gleaming skyscrapers of Angel City, these rival gangs deal in sand. This drug magically transforms users into a more perfect version of themselves. And Sam and Ari find themselves facing each other from opposite sides of an escalating conflict. Will ambition be enough to survive – and who they might be when it’s done?

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‘Marie Lu’s spellbinding novel of rival magicians and impossible choices will break your heart’
– Holly Black, author of The Cruel Prince

‘Equal parts seduction and carnage – sexy, brutal and laced with doom’
– Olivie Blake