Tor UK acquires bestseller Marie Lu's darkly magical adult debut
Tor, an imprint of Pan Macmillan, is delighted to announce the acquisition of Red City and sequel by Marie Lu. Publisher Bella Pagan acquired UK and British Commonwealth rights, excluding Canada, from Jenny Meyer at the Jenny Meyer Literary Agency on behalf of the Nelson Literary Agency.
Tor, an imprint of Pan Macmillan, is delighted to announce the acquisition of Red City and sequel by Marie Lu. Publisher Bella Pagan acquired UK and British Commonwealth rights, excluding Canada, from Jenny Meyer at the Jenny Meyer Literary Agency on behalf of the Nelson Literary Agency.
Red City is a glorious adult debut from Marie Lu, the No. 1 New York Times YA bestseller. It’s for all those who loved Lev Grossman’s The Magicians and the Godfather films and want more. And those who adored Marie Lu’s Legend series will be delighted by this incredible page-turner.
This darkly magical page-turner features the charismatic Ari and sharp-as-a-blade Sam, who learn their craft within rival magic-using mafia operations. Powerful gangs in an alternate Los Angeles use ‘alchemy’ to manipulate minds and seize the world around them. And when Ari and Sam are reunited, they trigger a devastating, escalating conflict. They might have loved one another once but now ambition has turned into power and loyalty has transformed into lies – and neither might outlast the coming gang war. The stunningly rendered world of Angel City and its rival syndicates is as seductive and inviting as it is dark and deadly.
As bestselling author Leigh Bardugo has said, ‘Marie Lu always delivers.’ Be prepared for breathtaking twists, looming heartbreak and page-turning action.
Marie Lu comments: ‘I cannot tell you what a delight and honor it is for me to be with the Tor UK team. Like most F/SF authors, Tor was the imprint I worshipped as a kid (and still worship!), so to be publishing with Tor is surreal. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart; I'm so excited to share Red City with UK readers, and am looking forward to every step along the way.’
Bella Pagan enthuses: ‘Marie’s utterly compelling tale of power, magic and forbidden love won me over entirely. Her characters are irresistible, the magic system is exquisite and I loved every minute of this incredible reading experience. I’m thrilled to welcome Marie to Tor UK.’
Tor UK will publish Red City in October 2025, matching dates with Tor in the US.
About the author
Marie Lu is the No. 1 New York Times bestselling author of Stars and Smoke, the Legend series, The Young Elites, Warcross, Skyhunter and various other novels. She graduated from the University of Southern California and jumped into the video game industry, where she worked as an artist. Now a full-time writer, she spends her spare hours reading, gardening, enjoying time with her family and getting stuck in traffic. She lives in Los Angeles with her illustrator/author husband, Primo Gallanosa, and their son.
About Tor UK
Tor UK specializes in speculative fiction and is a destination for the best in imaginative storytelling. A sister company to Tor Books in the US, Tor UK publishes an impressive array of award-winners, bestsellers, household names and talented debut authors. Tor’s mission is to publish out-of-this-world genre fiction and bring readers books that spark joy. It strives every year to increase the diversity of its list, publishing authors from minority backgrounds and increasing positive representation of gender issues through fiction. (www.panmacmillan.com/tor)
About Pan Macmillan
At Pan Macmillan we publish a broad and vibrant range of books for audiences of all ages from dazzling bestsellers to influential prize-winners; books to inspire lifelong readers and listeners to enduring classics for generations to come. The fourth largest UK publisher, we pride ourselves on publishing successfully and sustainably and are committed to working together to positively impact culture and society at large. (www.panmacmillan.com)