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kemikemi's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Eating disorder, Grief, and Death of parent
teri_reads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- 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
4.0
The magic system is really interesting, using different metals to generate alchemy based on the four elements. From the beginning, we find out that Zilan performs life alchemy (aka resurrects people), which is forbidden. But that skill and knowledge gets her wrapped up in the royal family in ways she could've never expected.
This is a Young Adult novel where the 17-year-old protagonist really felt like she made sense to me. She was full of complicated feelings about her history, her role within her family, and her status as a merchant among scholars and royals. She got wrapped up in things so much bigger than her and more complicated than she realized, all because she rushed in without fully thinking through the consequences. Her allegiance and motivations were pulled back and forth as she struggled to figure out who she really was and what she wanted to stand for.
There were a few really good, unexpected twists in this book. And looking back, there were some really interesting bits of foreshadowing and breadcrumbs throughout the earlier bits of the book that made the reveals all that more impactful.
- I felt the Empress made such a well-written villain. Always one step ahead, pulling on puppet strings in a million directions. But at the last second misjudging Zilan's true priorities, and how much of herself she'd be willing to give up to save the world. She could never truly understand Zilan's mind.
- I genuinely loved her relationship with the Prince. Give me a golden retriever boy who falls in love with the girl who actively hates his guts any day.
- THE ENDING. What an absolute TEASE, miss Kylie Lee! You are really gonna make sure we all read Book 2. I felt NO closure, and I have 8 million questions.
Graphic: Body horror, Death, and Blood
Moderate: Racism
Alternate Tang Dynasty China. Based on the history that alchemists were searching for a source of immortality. This book is dark and gruesome, but doesn't feel like horror or too intense.eeyores_flowers's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Death, Blood, Death of parent, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Child death
paninikita's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Torture, Violence, Blood, and Murder
sissizc's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Death, Gore, Racism, and Classism
nalame's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Blood, and Murder
Minor: Animal death, Child death, and Death of parent
sundayfever's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Animal death, Child death, Cursing, Self harm, Xenophobia, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment
emilysreadingbooks's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Drug use, Gore, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Medical content, Kidnapping, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Physical abuse and Pandemic/Epidemic
paperwitches's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
↠ Pages: 424
↠ My Rating: ★★★★☆
Thank you so much to Bookishfirst, and Inkyard Press for my physical arc copy. I am voluntarily leaving this review.
This book immediately interested me upon seeing the description on BookishFirst. I have never read Kylie Lee Baker before, nor asian fantasy (even though The Keeper of Night has been on my TBR for like 4 years now oops). But strangely enough, Wu Zetian and the Tang Dynasty and their ‘alchemists’ are a topic that have fascinated me as history buff for a long time. So seeing it in fiction had me HOOKED. And the author did a brilliant job satisfying the history buff part of me.
I thought this book was really good, not flawless, but exciting and interesting with a main character who is scarily clever and persistent. Zilan feels like she can keep up with all other character’s in the book, believably so. I loved her anger, I was sympathetic to it, I know that many called her unlikeable but I adored her. The girls no nonsense attitude made a LOT of sense based on the historically accurate treatment of the merchant class, and her struggle to survive. Of course she was rude, she often was in a more primal state where she didn’t know when her next meal would come. Manners are something only some people can afford to have, in Zilan’s own words. She was constantly in a state of trying to be taken advantage of and had to put her foot down to everyone before she even fully knew their intentions. Either they tried to take advantage of her or treated her badly for being a woman, being a hunxie, or being poor. She has to be one of my favorite female characters ever. Zilan’s sheer intelligence made me love the book, but then the author decides to just take away her intelligence for two scenes halfway through the book, I was so frustrated, it felt like it directly contracted all her character traits (including her paranoia and double checking) and her intellect. It came off like the author ripped it all away for a scene or two just to drive the plot forward, and I wasn’t a fan of that. And then her reaction:
There is some romance in this book as well, in regards to the prince, who seeks Zilan out initially for her powers. There is <b>NO spice</b> in this book, just basic kissing and innocent sort of fraternization. Which was cute. The prince, Li Hong, was very sweet - but I felt nothing for him as the romantic interest. Nor did I understand Zilan’s fascination with him. It developed way too fast, and was too one dimensional. It was too quick for the bare minimum info we had on the prince. He could completely be summed up as ‘cinnamon roll prince is the black sheep of his family, likes ducks, and mom wants to kill him.’ and this is the entire extent of his character. I hope the next book really expands on him despite his *ahem* predicament.
There were so many twists, and twists rarely get me but these were very well done! It actually had me dropping my book and my jaw. The queen is FEARSOME, I was actively scared for Zilan and the prince because of how intelligent and capable she was. There is a dinner scene in this book that I won’t spoil, but had me SHOOK. She did, at times, have caricature-like attributes still. For all her imagination and wit, I hated how she had no active ability to manipulate Zilian without brutish force or threatening. She was way too clever for that, I thought at least there would be some level of manipulation that targeted Zilan’s lack of a mother figure, or that made Zilan doubt the prince’s version of things. And it never happened. This is why I gave it 4.0 stars instead of 5.
If you like:
♡ Dark Academia and Fantasy
♡ The Keeper Of Night
♡ Strong FMC’s who are angry at the world
♡ Capable villains
♡ Historical Fiction (with a lot of fantasy elements)
Graphic: Body horror, Gore, and Blood
ddnreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
The characters are well written. They have significant trait that's make it bearable throughout the story. A pinch of jokes and sassines here and there. OH THE EMPRESS. I love it when woman right, but I like it even more when woman wrong. Clever, sadistic, and ten steps ahead. AND THE PRINCE HIMBO!!!! 🐣🐣🐣
Go pick up this book if you like an alternate universe of Tang dynasty, dead bodies come to life, PLOT TWIST, gripping story telling, kingdom political intrigue, with thick lines of sibling love and romance. Historical trivias here and there. Highly recommended!!!
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, and Classism
Minor: Torture