Reviews tagging 'Xenophobia'

The Scarlet Alchemist by Kylie Lee Baker

5 reviews

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Xenophobia, and Gore

accidentalmuse's review against another edition

challenging dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

1.5

I thought this book had interesting ideas but failed to execute them. The writing felt like it lacked maturity - especially the romance.
I wasn't invested in the story, in large because of weird pacing. This was a shame, because it was unique plot. Things got pretty dark as we progressed through the book but there were 2 key things (romance aside) which led me to be uninvested.

1. The villain really wasn't villainous enough when on the page. They actually seemed quite immature and petty in the writing, yet 'off-screen' they were incredibly cunning, and driven. It didn't match.
2. Death lacked impact. It's a classic problem - bringing characters back from the dead. The problem is, it means death no longer has any weight.

Unfortunately, I don't recommend this book, but I do see potential in future works. It was great to have a morally ambiguous, strong female character, and that was definitely the highlight of the book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Violence

Minor: Xenophobia

sundayfever's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

This book was wild and the ending was a batshit gory blood bath. I appreciated how chaotic it was and how it isn't your typical fantasy story about magic and resurrection. I loved the mixed race representation. The "lessons learned" here are very different than your typical story. The plot twists felt so unbelievable and hard to follow though.  Read like gory indulgent violent fantasy, which I guess isn't my thing. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Classism, Body horror, Blood, Death, Gore, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Abandonment, Kidnapping, Child death, Death of parent, Sexual harassment, Cursing, Xenophobia, Animal death, Fire/Fire injury, and Self harm

emilysreadingbooks's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Zilan is an orphan living with her aunt, uncle, and cousins in the southern region of China in an alternate history where Chinese alchemists were successful in finding an elixir of immortality.

Only the rich have access, and while they don’t age, they can die through other means. 

Zilan is an alchemist, and she and her cousins, Wenshu and Yufei, perform illegal life alchemy that brings the recently deceased back to life to earn the money they need for their family to survive. 

Their dream is to move to the capital, Chang’an, for Zilan to become a royal alchemist, and her cousins to become civil servants; but to become a royal alchemist, Zilan has to pass the entrance exams, and the odds seemed stacked against her. 

Can she pass, when it seems like almost everyone is against her? And is being a royal alchemist really everything she thought it would be?

This book was amazing! The plot is creative, and the twists are so well done. I was hooked from the first chapter, and I can’t wait for the next book in the series.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Child death, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Drug use, Grief, Racial slurs, Body horror, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Xenophobia, Animal death, Classism, Death, Gore, Murder, Racism, and Violence

Moderate: Medical content, Fire/Fire injury, and Kidnapping

Minor: Physical abuse and Pandemic/Epidemic

luckylulureads's review against another edition

challenging dark funny fast-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Death, Vomit, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Blood, Child death, Classism, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Racial slurs and Xenophobia

Minor: Death of parent and Cannibalism