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4.08 AVERAGE
4.08 AVERAGE
I love when I resurrect my brother's soul and put him into the body of my freshly dead boyfriend.
Seriously, this was my biggest nitpick because I greatly enjoyed the book elsewise. This felt like a cheap way to give the MC a happy ending- bring back her family (the death and loss felt profound, let's undo that!) AND add a sequel book for no reason.
Seriously, this was my biggest nitpick because I greatly enjoyed the book elsewise. This felt like a cheap way to give the MC a happy ending- bring back her family (the death and loss felt profound, let's undo that!) AND add a sequel book for no reason.
Alchemy creates good and evil in equal measure, and Baker takes that to heart in how THE SCARLET ALCHEMIST handles sociopolitical conflict. No injustice goes unremarked upon or unchallenged as our poor MC goes through a wildly unfair set of trials to become a royal alchemist. We see how different classes have different punishments for the same crime, we see how people of mixed race are looked down upon, we see how much authority men have over their female relatives, and of course we see how the rich step on and defile the poor.
We also get some sharp as hell wit and a possibly-evil, probably-omniscient zombie duck. We watch a wealthy prince struggle to endear himself to a poor and proud woman because he doesn’t understand value and money in the same way. There’s also quite a bit of grit and some mild gore, which I’m always here for.
This is a vast improvement on Baker’s debut (which to me felt like all potential with disappointing delivery) and I’m definitely hype for book two!
We also get some sharp as hell wit and a possibly-evil, probably-omniscient zombie duck. We watch a wealthy prince struggle to endear himself to a poor and proud woman because he doesn’t understand value and money in the same way. There’s also quite a bit of grit and some mild gore, which I’m always here for.
This is a vast improvement on Baker’s debut (which to me felt like all potential with disappointing delivery) and I’m definitely hype for book two!
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
The Scarlet Alchemist completely swept me away. The world is so richly imagined, from its politics and religion to the daily life on the streets — it felt like I could step right into it. Zilan is a quick-witted, intelligent heroine who I loved seeing grow alongside the layered development of her siblings and the prince. The relationships felt authentic, the stakes were compelling, and the atmosphere was both eerie and beautiful. It’s the kind of book that lingers in your head after you close it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Very wonderful book. Not much too say other than that I love the Crown Prince. His personality is very childish in a way, yet since he is royalty, he’s responsible. Im a bit sad over the fact that the Crown Prince couldn’t see his mothers demise, but hopefully with Zilans determination, he’ll bear witness to a Empress Wu-free-empire. If there are any more books related to this series, I will not be reading them, not because of the writing style or character, but rather because i’m simply not very invested in this plot.
Great to read a fantasy set in a pseudo-historical Asian setting. That's also one reason I loved the Jade City series. Really bloody, interesting magic, romance not a focus. Good stuff.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes