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maiareadss's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
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
First, Thank you to Netgalley and Inkyard Press for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange for this honest review!
This beautiful masterpiece destroyed me. That stayed up of night to finish it kind of destroyed. The good kind of destroyed that makes you dream about it for a week after. The Scarlet Alchemist excels across the board. It has phenomenal worldbuilding, an intense writing style, complex characters, and a plot that leaves you glued to the pages.
The Scarlet Alchemist is a high fantasy deeply rooted in Chinese history with a backdrop of romance. Our main character, Fan Zilan, is a dirt-poor half-Chinese, half-White merchant set on her path to becoming a royal alchemist. However, consequences have a habit of always catching up to you, especially when you dabble in illegal resurrections. Zilan and her two cousins, who are taking the civil service exam, make it to the capital city, Chang'an, in hopes of a better life. Life as a royal alchemist is not as rewarding as it would seem. As a reader, you will be kept on your toes by the fast-moving plot and unveiled secrets. This book also has a fair amount of terror, suspense, gore, and body horror. Overall, an astonishing 5-star read!
P.S. I have become a champion for Kylie Lee Baker. I will follow her in whatever direction she may go, and I would kill to see this on the big screen.
This beautiful masterpiece destroyed me. That stayed up of night to finish it kind of destroyed. The good kind of destroyed that makes you dream about it for a week after. The Scarlet Alchemist excels across the board. It has phenomenal worldbuilding, an intense writing style, complex characters, and a plot that leaves you glued to the pages.
The Scarlet Alchemist is a high fantasy deeply rooted in Chinese history with a backdrop of romance. Our main character, Fan Zilan, is a dirt-poor half-Chinese, half-White merchant set on her path to becoming a royal alchemist. However, consequences have a habit of always catching up to you, especially when you dabble in illegal resurrections. Zilan and her two cousins, who are taking the civil service exam, make it to the capital city, Chang'an, in hopes of a better life. Life as a royal alchemist is not as rewarding as it would seem. As a reader, you will be kept on your toes by the fast-moving plot and unveiled secrets. This book also has a fair amount of terror, suspense, gore, and body horror. Overall, an astonishing 5-star read!
P.S. I have become a champion for Kylie Lee Baker. I will follow her in whatever direction she may go, and I would kill to see this on the big screen.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Death, Gore, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Blood, Murder, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
sol_journal's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
*Thank you Netgalley, Inkyard Press, and Harlequin for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!*
Posted to: NetGalley, Goodreads, and The StoryGraph
Posted on: 28 March 2023
4.6 (rounded up to 5) out of 5 stars.
This has been my first read from Kylie Lee Baker and the way I absolutely devoured this book is insane. Were it not for my personal schedule, this could’ve easily been a book that I read in one sitting- I didn’t want to put it down!
What I loved most right off the bat is the world-building and the magic system. The alchemy used in this book was interesting- albeit my first read featuring magic like it, but it had me enraptured nonetheless.
The characters were also so lovable. I’m always down for a badass sibling trio, especially when the sisters are fueled by anger and their hatred for the rich, and the brother is the occasional voice of reason who will not hesitate to dirty his hands if his sisters need help.
Quick on her feet like Honey Lemon but with all the fire and means to get what she wants like Princess Azula, Fan Zilan takes the stage as an alchemist from southern China who helps her family get by, by using a form a illegal alchemy- resurrection. By far, she is one of my favorite leads who will bloody her hands for what she thinks is just. She is not without her flaws, and has some amazing scenes of displaying her potential when pushed into a corner.
I also absolutely love seeing different (for lack of a better word) depictions of Empress Wu Zetian and Kylie Lee Baker’s was so intriguing! As her character was introduced more and more, I knew I had to finish the book and unravel the story or else I’d be left on the edge of my seat until I could pick it up again!
All in all, The Scarlet Alchemist is a MUST for those who like the darker sides of reimagined historical fantasy. Taking the darkness from Juniper and Thorn and the self-assured yet secretly insecure main leads from These Violent Delights, and mixing them with the vibes of ‘Gilded Lily’ by Cults and ‘Show You A Body’ by Haley Heynderickx (to name a few), you get the binge-able story that is ‘The Scarlet Alchemist’. I cannot wait to catch up with the rest of Kylie Lee Baker’s books while awaiting the second installment to this series!
Posted to: NetGalley, Goodreads, and The StoryGraph
Posted on: 28 March 2023
4.6 (rounded up to 5) out of 5 stars.
This has been my first read from Kylie Lee Baker and the way I absolutely devoured this book is insane. Were it not for my personal schedule, this could’ve easily been a book that I read in one sitting- I didn’t want to put it down!
What I loved most right off the bat is the world-building and the magic system. The alchemy used in this book was interesting- albeit my first read featuring magic like it, but it had me enraptured nonetheless.
The characters were also so lovable. I’m always down for a badass sibling trio, especially when the sisters are fueled by anger and their hatred for the rich, and the brother is the occasional voice of reason who will not hesitate to dirty his hands if his sisters need help.
Quick on her feet like Honey Lemon but with all the fire and means to get what she wants like Princess Azula, Fan Zilan takes the stage as an alchemist from southern China who helps her family get by, by using a form a illegal alchemy- resurrection. By far, she is one of my favorite leads who will bloody her hands for what she thinks is just. She is not without her flaws, and has some amazing scenes of displaying her potential when pushed into a corner.
I also absolutely love seeing different (for lack of a better word) depictions of Empress Wu Zetian and Kylie Lee Baker’s was so intriguing! As her character was introduced more and more, I knew I had to finish the book and unravel the story or else I’d be left on the edge of my seat until I could pick it up again!
All in all, The Scarlet Alchemist is a MUST for those who like the darker sides of reimagined historical fantasy. Taking the darkness from Juniper and Thorn and the self-assured yet secretly insecure main leads from These Violent Delights, and mixing them with the vibes of ‘Gilded Lily’ by Cults and ‘Show You A Body’ by Haley Heynderickx (to name a few), you get the binge-able story that is ‘The Scarlet Alchemist’. I cannot wait to catch up with the rest of Kylie Lee Baker’s books while awaiting the second installment to this series!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
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.
Edit: Countdown over! My review of the second book is here.
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.
Edit: Countdown over! My review of the second book is here.
Thanks to NetGalley and Inkyard press for an advance copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, and Classism
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Racism, Sexual violence, Medical content, Kidnapping, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Torture and Death of parent