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A review by abitbetterbooks
The Scarlet Alchemist by Kylie Lee Baker
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
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
thank you to @netgalley for the advance digital copy of this book!
I already knew Kylie Lee Baker would have me in my mixed race feels after loving The Keeper of the Night, but I wasn’t expecting the absolute rollercoaster that was The Scarlet Alchemist. Not only are there painful moments of not fitting in and feeling like those you love the most still don’t understand you, there was also frank commentary on poverty being a deliberate choice by the ruling class, complicated first love, and tons of political intrigue.
I think what I love about Baker’s writing is that it is distinctly YA, with young protagonists grappling with what it means to be a person in the world, feeling insecure, making stupid choices, and saying things they don’t mean, but she also doesn’t shy away from deep world-building, complicated moral dilemmas, and some truly disturbing body horror and violence.
I had so much fun reading this book: I gasped, I shouted, I grimaced, I gagged, and I teared up. If you love being dragged through the expanse of human emotions, morally gray mixed-race women, fake dating [concubinage], alternate Chinese historical periods, and amazing / complicated sibling dynamics, then boy. Have I got a recommendation for you.
I already knew Kylie Lee Baker would have me in my mixed race feels after loving The Keeper of the Night, but I wasn’t expecting the absolute rollercoaster that was The Scarlet Alchemist. Not only are there painful moments of not fitting in and feeling like those you love the most still don’t understand you, there was also frank commentary on poverty being a deliberate choice by the ruling class, complicated first love, and tons of political intrigue.
I think what I love about Baker’s writing is that it is distinctly YA, with young protagonists grappling with what it means to be a person in the world, feeling insecure, making stupid choices, and saying things they don’t mean, but she also doesn’t shy away from deep world-building, complicated moral dilemmas, and some truly disturbing body horror and violence.
I had so much fun reading this book: I gasped, I shouted, I grimaced, I gagged, and I teared up. If you love being dragged through the expanse of human emotions, morally gray mixed-race women, fake dating [concubinage], alternate Chinese historical periods, and amazing / complicated sibling dynamics, then boy. Have I got a recommendation for you.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Classism, Murder, Sexism, Blood, Animal death, Violence, Child death, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Death, and Gore
Minor: Abandonment