Scan barcode
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.
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.
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
snowwhitehatesapples's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Also on Snow White Hates Apples.
A captivating and vivid reimagining of Chinese history during which the only (regarded as) legitimate female Emperor Wu Zetian ruled, The Scarlet Alchemist is a new addition to a growing and much-loved subgenre that needs to be read.
Here, we have Zilan, half-Chinese and half-wailao who’s without a mother and father, but much loved by her aunt, uncle and two cousins — so much so that they’re practically immediate family. Together, they run a mingqi business, which despite death being a daily occurrence, isn’t doing well. The poor are too poor to buy mingqi for their deceased loved ones while the rich are too scared of death to die so they resort to eating life gold which gives them longevity.
Nevertheless, an extended life doesn’t mean that one can’t die so what do the rich do when one of their own dies? When they’re desperate enough to pay any price to bring back the deceased? Why, they go to a backwater village, walk through the part of the neighbourhood even the villagers themselves turn their noses up at, and find Zilan who has that exact ability they’re looking for.
It’s breaking all sorts of laws — in fact, anything related to the necromantic/blood alchemy Zilan does defies the balance and can have severe consequences or less-than-ideal results, But, for Zilan, it’s a means of survival for her family because the gold the rich pays to stay alive can bring rice to their table, can improve the health of her ailing aunt and uncle, can allow Zilan and her cousins to travel to the capital for the imperial exams that can better their lives should they pass both the exams and the political games that are undoubtedly there.
So, Zilan’s willingness to go against everything for her and her loved ones’ sake? That’s admirable. I really like how she braves her fears and how she takes on the challenges that come her way with cleverness and viciousness. Zilan may come off as rude or selfish to some, but I think it makes her complex and more relatable.
Other than that, I like that Prince Li Hong is a more lighthearted character in contrast to Zilan. He isn’t as strong, as smart or as brave, but he’s sweet, loves his ducks dearly and provides the story with seamlessly integrated touches of humour. Though, I must admit the romance between him and Zilan felt unbalanced. It’s clear that Li Hong likes Zilan more than she likes him, so this makes all the romantic parts feel out of the blue. Still, I think that this simply means more opportunity for Zilan’s feelings to develop and strengthen in the next book.
(Also, idk about you but that moment when Zilan had to choose between the two in her life? Amazing. 10/10 the perfect choice. I bawled at that scene.)
Anyway, if a BAMF female lead who can resurrect people and a gentle male lead who loves his pet ducks caught up in the typical political games of the upper class isn’t enough of a win for you, consider the following plusses: undead made of gems, stunning twists and turns, and fast-paced action. (Yes, you need to read The Scarlet Alchemist ASAP!)
A captivating and vivid reimagining of Chinese history during which the only (regarded as) legitimate female Emperor Wu Zetian ruled, The Scarlet Alchemist is a new addition to a growing and much-loved subgenre that needs to be read.
Here, we have Zilan, half-Chinese and half-wailao who’s without a mother and father, but much loved by her aunt, uncle and two cousins — so much so that they’re practically immediate family. Together, they run a mingqi business, which despite death being a daily occurrence, isn’t doing well. The poor are too poor to buy mingqi for their deceased loved ones while the rich are too scared of death to die so they resort to eating life gold which gives them longevity.
Nevertheless, an extended life doesn’t mean that one can’t die so what do the rich do when one of their own dies? When they’re desperate enough to pay any price to bring back the deceased? Why, they go to a backwater village, walk through the part of the neighbourhood even the villagers themselves turn their noses up at, and find Zilan who has that exact ability they’re looking for.
It’s breaking all sorts of laws — in fact, anything related to the necromantic/blood alchemy Zilan does defies the balance and can have severe consequences or less-than-ideal results, But, for Zilan, it’s a means of survival for her family because the gold the rich pays to stay alive can bring rice to their table, can improve the health of her ailing aunt and uncle, can allow Zilan and her cousins to travel to the capital for the imperial exams that can better their lives should they pass both the exams and the political games that are undoubtedly there.
So, Zilan’s willingness to go against everything for her and her loved ones’ sake? That’s admirable. I really like how she braves her fears and how she takes on the challenges that come her way with cleverness and viciousness. Zilan may come off as rude or selfish to some, but I think it makes her complex and more relatable.
Other than that, I like that Prince Li Hong is a more lighthearted character in contrast to Zilan. He isn’t as strong, as smart or as brave, but he’s sweet, loves his ducks dearly and provides the story with seamlessly integrated touches of humour. Though, I must admit the romance between him and Zilan felt unbalanced. It’s clear that Li Hong likes Zilan more than she likes him, so this makes all the romantic parts feel out of the blue. Still, I think that this simply means more opportunity for Zilan’s feelings to develop and strengthen in the next book.
(Also, idk about you but that moment when Zilan had to choose between the two in her life? Amazing. 10/10 the perfect choice. I bawled at that scene.)
Anyway, if a BAMF female lead who can resurrect people and a gentle male lead who loves his pet ducks caught up in the typical political games of the upper class isn’t enough of a win for you, consider the following plusses: undead made of gems, stunning twists and turns, and fast-paced action. (Yes, you need to read The Scarlet Alchemist ASAP!)
Thank you so much Hodder & Stoughton and Netgalley for providing me a copy of this in exchange for an honest review! The Scarlet Alchemist by Kylie Lee Baker is available at all good bookstores.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Violence
Moderate: Death, Bullying, and Gore
Minor: Classism, Murder, Kidnapping, and Misogyny
betweentheshelves's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
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
4.0
Inspired by ancient China, this book re-imagines what might have happened if Chinese alchemists had figured out the secret to immortality. It's definitely a twisty fantasy, and Zilan, our protagonist isn't necessarily the most likable main character, but she is fierce and defiant and knows what she wants. Baker incorporates a lot of plot twists in relation to her character, and I enjoyed that overall, it kept me constantly guessing as to what was going to happen next.
Of course, the ending is left a bit open, leaving room for a second book. I believe it's going to be a duology, but I've been wrong in that aspect before. However, the events in this book are pretty much wrapped up for the most part, just leaving some loose ends that will likely be addressed in the second book.
The way Baker used ancient Chinese alchemy as her inspiration and ran with it made the magic system feel unique. I was invested and intrigued for this entire book, and I'm excited to pick up the second book when it eventually comes out!
Of course, the ending is left a bit open, leaving room for a second book. I believe it's going to be a duology, but I've been wrong in that aspect before. However, the events in this book are pretty much wrapped up for the most part, just leaving some loose ends that will likely be addressed in the second book.
The way Baker used ancient Chinese alchemy as her inspiration and ran with it made the magic system feel unique. I was invested and intrigued for this entire book, and I'm excited to pick up the second book when it eventually comes out!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Violence, Murder, and Death
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Death of parent, Sexism, Classism, Racism, and Self harm
Minor: Child death, Vomit, Cursing, and Kidnapping
btwnprintedpgs's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
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? No
3.5
The world building in The Scarlet Alchemist is immaculate. The magic system, Death road, the harsh contrast between the poor and the rich - everything had such detail that the world and everything in it felt real. The necromantic alchemy was so interesting and played such a pivotal role through the story that I must note that the descriptions of the dead are equally, if not more, vivid and specific which gave the scenes life (ha!), but also a goriness and level of body horror I hadn't expected, but thoroughly enjoyed.
The overarching plot also really propelled the story. Though the book started slow, it builds the world well before launching into a plot that is all go-go-go after the 25% mark. Then there's no stopping. Watching Zilan do her exams especially was so interesting - again, digging into the world building and seeing what's possible through the magic system - and everything beyond it kept my interest piqued. While I don't know how I feel about the end of this installment, I'm so curious to see what book 2 has in store for us.
And that brings me to the characters. Until her exams, I honestly felt like I didn't get to know Zilan, let alone her siblings. It was like all the effort went into the world, and the characters got what was left. Yufei and Wenshu kind of just remain the same through the book - Yufei is a stubborn, pretty girl who loves to eat; Wenshu is a nerdy scholar, who protects his siblings. That's all they are for the whole book, even to the very end, and that was kind of sad, especially given the stakes. I couldn't buy into the ending because I didn't feel like I cared and knew them in the same way Zilan clearly did.
In contrast, I feel like Zilan, after she leaves for her exams, starts to find herself away from her cousins. We get to understand her motivations and see her personality start to shine. Even Hong we get to know slightly better than her cousins, though he's also kind of one-note. Their relationship is a bit insta-lovey, but I appreciated Hong's constant concern around consent and ensuring he doesn't abuse his princely power over her, as well as their move from strangers, to friends, to partners in crime, to possibly maybe lovers. Even though the declarations were a bit grand by the end, I understood the admiration they had for each other.
All in all, this book was an adventure. Full of magic and Zilan's gritty determination, The Scarlet Alchemist sets the stakes high and leaves you wanting more. I'm definitely not done with the world that was created here, so that's the biggest draw for me to come back for book 2. I'm so curious as to the heights Zilan will take her alchemy to next!
TW: death, gore, blood, murder, sexism, fire/fire injury, injury detail, racism, sexual harassment, self-harm (for ritual purposes), classism, bullying, animal death (not dog); mentions death of a parent, death of a child, vomit, kidnapping
Plot: 4/5
Characters: 3/5
World Building: 5/5
Writing: 4.5/5
Pacing: 3/5
Overall: 3.5/5
eARC gifted via NetGalley by Inkyard Press in exchange for an honest review.
The overarching plot also really propelled the story. Though the book started slow, it builds the world well before launching into a plot that is all go-go-go after the 25% mark. Then there's no stopping. Watching Zilan do her exams especially was so interesting - again, digging into the world building and seeing what's possible through the magic system - and everything beyond it kept my interest piqued. While I don't know how I feel about the end of this installment, I'm so curious to see what book 2 has in store for us.
And that brings me to the characters. Until her exams, I honestly felt like I didn't get to know Zilan, let alone her siblings. It was like all the effort went into the world, and the characters got what was left. Yufei and Wenshu kind of just remain the same through the book - Yufei is a stubborn, pretty girl who loves to eat; Wenshu is a nerdy scholar, who protects his siblings. That's all they are for the whole book, even to the very end, and that was kind of sad, especially given the stakes. I couldn't buy into the ending because I didn't feel like I cared and knew them in the same way Zilan clearly did.
In contrast, I feel like Zilan, after she leaves for her exams, starts to find herself away from her cousins. We get to understand her motivations and see her personality start to shine. Even Hong we get to know slightly better than her cousins, though he's also kind of one-note. Their relationship is a bit insta-lovey, but I appreciated Hong's constant concern around consent and ensuring he doesn't abuse his princely power over her, as well as their move from strangers, to friends, to partners in crime, to possibly maybe lovers. Even though the declarations were a bit grand by the end, I understood the admiration they had for each other.
All in all, this book was an adventure. Full of magic and Zilan's gritty determination, The Scarlet Alchemist sets the stakes high and leaves you wanting more. I'm definitely not done with the world that was created here, so that's the biggest draw for me to come back for book 2. I'm so curious as to the heights Zilan will take her alchemy to next!
TW: death, gore, blood, murder, sexism, fire/fire injury, injury detail, racism, sexual harassment, self-harm (for ritual purposes), classism, bullying, animal death (not dog); mentions death of a parent, death of a child, vomit, kidnapping
Plot: 4/5
Characters: 3/5
World Building: 5/5
Writing: 4.5/5
Pacing: 3/5
Overall: 3.5/5
eARC gifted via NetGalley by Inkyard Press in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Racism, Sexism, Fire/Fire injury, Blood, Death, and Gore
Moderate: Classism, Sexual harassment, Self harm, Bullying, and Animal death
Minor: Child death, Kidnapping, Vomit, and Death of parent
lastblossom's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
tl;dr
An incredible read, featuring dark magic, an engrossing plot, a strong lead, and a genuinely terrifying villain.
Thoughts
The Chinese novel plot line of "get summoned to the palace to compete for stuff" plot is so SO delicious to me, and I was delighted to see the author's notes even touch on the historical roots of this plot. And while the fact that it's one of my favorite tropes certainly didn't hurt, this book is also just very good. The narrative skips right over asking if we "should" raise the dead and leaps straight into the cost. The consequences are quiet at first, ramping up into a terrifying fallout and a high adrenaline ending that had me screaming. Zilan is firey, powerful, and often out of her depth. Her determination mixed with insecurity is palpable, and oftentimes utterly relatable. And the villain! WOW! It's rare to find one so clever and coldly terrifying. I'm breathless. That ending's going to be stuck in my head for a while, and I am counting down the days until the next book.
Thanks to NetGalley and Inkyard press for an advance copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.
An incredible read, featuring dark magic, an engrossing plot, a strong lead, and a genuinely terrifying villain.
Thoughts
The Chinese novel plot line of "get summoned to the palace to compete for stuff" plot is so SO delicious to me, and I was delighted to see the author's notes even touch on the historical roots of this plot. And while the fact that it's one of my favorite tropes certainly didn't hurt, this book is also just very good. The narrative skips right over asking if we "should" raise the dead and leaps straight into the cost. The consequences are quiet at first, ramping up into a terrifying fallout and a high adrenaline ending that had me screaming. Zilan is firey, powerful, and often out of her depth. Her determination mixed with insecurity is palpable, and oftentimes utterly relatable. And the villain! WOW! It's rare to find one so clever and coldly terrifying. I'm breathless. That ending's going to be stuck in my head for a while, and I am counting down the days until the next book.
Thanks to NetGalley and Inkyard press for an advance copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death, Classism, and Blood
Moderate: Animal death, Animal cruelty, Murder, Medical content, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Sexual violence, and Racism
Minor: Torture and Death of parent
More...