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frantically's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
While this book is incredibly engaging and well-written, I struggled to connect with the MC. Baker tries very hard to make her a morally grey character, in the vein of "The Poppy War" but I found it hard to root for her. I loved the way the author incorporated actual Chinese history and how she adapted. Unsure if I'll continue with the sequel, though.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism, Gore, Sexual assault, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Violence, Torture, Blood, Sexual harassment, War, Child death, Bullying, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Death of parent and Grief
Minor: Chronic illness and Sexual content
campisforever's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Medical content, Murder, Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Classism, Cannibalism, Child death, Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Death of parent
miranda_lynn1234's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I haven’t read a book this quickly in a while I was gripped the whole time. It’s a very sad story but written extremely well.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Cannibalism, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Classism, Confinement, Death of parent, Torture, Violence, Vomit, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, and Sexism
sparks_ish's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Xenophobia, and Gore
missmaam's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Death, Violence, Blood, Abandonment, Death of parent, and Body horror
novelty_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I LOVED this book!
Literally from the first page I was hooked with the story, characters and historical and fantastical world building. From the first few pages I immediately knew The Scarlet Alchemist could become a new favourite book of mine.
The Scarlet Alchemist follows Zilan, a girl who dreams of becoming a royal alchemist. Joining her cousins on their quest to become royal scholars, Zilan finds herself among the royal court uncovering political plots and schemes. When the Prince appears, knowing of Zilan's ability to resurrect the dead, she discovers things are not as they seem.
I absolutely loved the world-building in this book. Zilan's home town? The royal palace? I could imagine every place and I felt transported into the story. I loved seeing the home life and relations between Zilan and her cousins and their secret resurrection business. The resurrections brought another element to the book including a rock based alchemy system that I really enjoyed reading about.
The characters made this book. Wenshu and Yufei's banter with Zilan made me laugh out loud. Each character has their distinct personality and there was never a dull moment with them. Two other characters I loved was the Prince and the duck, Durian. The entire scene at the pond with the ducks made me cackle out loud.
The only criticism I have is with the side characters, the alchemists. They clearly were a big part of Zilan's life and yet we never learned more about them than their titles (the moon alchemist being an exception here). The ending would've hit harder if we got to know the alchemists a little better.
Speaking of endings though, this book was plot twist after plot twist after plot twist. My mouth hung open wide at some points with the thought: "That did not just happen??" at the forefront. I cannot wait for book two, I desperately need to talk over this ending with someone!
ACTUAL RATING: 4.8 STARS
I LOVED this book!
Literally from the first page I was hooked with the story, characters and historical and fantastical world building. From the first few pages I immediately knew The Scarlet Alchemist could become a new favourite book of mine.
The Scarlet Alchemist follows Zilan, a girl who dreams of becoming a royal alchemist. Joining her cousins on their quest to become royal scholars, Zilan finds herself among the royal court uncovering political plots and schemes. When the Prince appears, knowing of Zilan's ability to resurrect the dead, she discovers things are not as they seem.
I absolutely loved the world-building in this book. Zilan's home town? The royal palace? I could imagine every place and I felt transported into the story. I loved seeing the home life and relations between Zilan and her cousins and their secret resurrection business. The resurrections brought another element to the book including a rock based alchemy system that I really enjoyed reading about.
The characters made this book. Wenshu and Yufei's banter with Zilan made me laugh out loud. Each character has their distinct personality and there was never a dull moment with them. Two other characters I loved was the Prince and the duck, Durian. The entire scene at the pond with the ducks made me cackle out loud.
The only criticism I have is with the side characters, the alchemists. They clearly were a big part of Zilan's life and yet we never learned more about them than their titles (the moon alchemist being an exception here). The ending would've hit harder if we got to know the alchemists a little better.
Speaking of endings though, this book was plot twist after plot twist after plot twist. My mouth hung open wide at some points with the thought: "That did not just happen??" at the forefront. I cannot wait for book two, I desperately need to talk over this ending with someone!
ACTUAL RATING: 4.8 STARS
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Torture, Racial slurs, Murder, Grief, Gore, Death of parent, Animal death, Death, Child death, Body horror, and Blood
sofia1535's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Violence, Gore, and Blood
rachtmh's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I need the second book soooo much.
If you don’t want to wait too long with hope in your heart, wait and read this shortly before the second book releases. Or just read it and suffer like the rest of us!
This book is another great example of fantasy combined with real worlds/time periods done well.
The characters are fantastic, the setting is incredible and the story had me on the edge of my seat unable to put the book down.
It took some twists I hadn’t expected (which doesn’t happen often for me) and left me heartbroken and filled with hope for the future.
Please don’t break is again kylie, I want them back….. you know who!
If you don’t want to wait too long with hope in your heart, wait and read this shortly before the second book releases. Or just read it and suffer like the rest of us!
This book is another great example of fantasy combined with real worlds/time periods done well.
The characters are fantastic, the setting is incredible and the story had me on the edge of my seat unable to put the book down.
It took some twists I hadn’t expected (which doesn’t happen often for me) and left me heartbroken and filled with hope for the future.
Please don’t break is again kylie, I want them back….. you know who!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Gore
Moderate: Classism, Death of parent, and Blood
All content warnings are for the purpose of the person reading. All content is necessary for the story and well thought out.katyakat's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Diving into "The Scarlet Alchemist" felt like stepping into a world where every page crackled with intrigue and possibility. From the get-go, I was hooked on Zilan's journey – from practicing illegal alchemy to navigating the treacherous waters of the royal court is nothing short of spellbinding.I was drawn into a world filled with political intrigue, magical secrets, and unexpected romance.
Baker masterfully weaves together themes of identity and self-discovery as Zilan grapples with her aspirations to become a royal alchemist. Her quest for acceptance and recognition mirrors our own search for purpose and meaning in a complex world. Baker's characters are as real as they come, grappling with love, loyalty, and the complexities of human connection.
The dynamics of power and politics play out against the backdrop of a society steeped in tradition and hierarchy. As Zilan navigates these murky waters, she must confront moral dilemmas and ethical choices that challenge her sense of right and wrong. Yet amidst the political machinations and alchemical intrigue, there beats a heart of romance.
"The Scarlet Alchemist" isn't just a fantasy novel – it's a journey of the soul. It challenges us to question our own values and beliefs, urging us to find strength in the bonds we forge and the choices we make.
So if you're in the mood for a tale that will transport you to another world and leave you pondering life's deeper truths, look no further than "The Scarlet Alchemist." It's a literary adventure you won't want to miss. 📖💫
Baker masterfully weaves together themes of identity and self-discovery as Zilan grapples with her aspirations to become a royal alchemist. Her quest for acceptance and recognition mirrors our own search for purpose and meaning in a complex world. Baker's characters are as real as they come, grappling with love, loyalty, and the complexities of human connection.
The dynamics of power and politics play out against the backdrop of a society steeped in tradition and hierarchy. As Zilan navigates these murky waters, she must confront moral dilemmas and ethical choices that challenge her sense of right and wrong. Yet amidst the political machinations and alchemical intrigue, there beats a heart of romance.
"The Scarlet Alchemist" isn't just a fantasy novel – it's a journey of the soul. It challenges us to question our own values and beliefs, urging us to find strength in the bonds we forge and the choices we make.
So if you're in the mood for a tale that will transport you to another world and leave you pondering life's deeper truths, look no further than "The Scarlet Alchemist." It's a literary adventure you won't want to miss. 📖💫
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Gore, Physical abuse, Death, Death of parent, Misogyny, Sexual harassment, Sexism, and Violence
esmee0808's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence and Gore