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A review by mesal
The Scarlet Alchemist by Kylie Lee Baker
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Thank you to Inkyard Press in association with NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
This is the only YA novel I've read this year that I really liked. Set in an alternate version of the Chinese Tang dynasty, where alchemists have succeeded in unlocking the secret to eternal life, the novel follows Fan Zilan in her quest to become one of the revered Royal Alchemists at the court of Empress Wu Zetian. A stranger warns her off this course—says it's a terrible idea, and that she doesn't know the truth of what she's getting into—but Zilan ignores him, set on her course and certain it's the only route to success, fortune, and ensuring a stable future for her family.
This is also the only book I've ever read where I didn't mind the "beautiful girl thinks she's ugly" trope being used. Zilan is mixed race, half Han Chinese and half foreigner, and the traits she inherited from her runaway father make her stand out unfavorably amongst others her age. It doesn't help that her cousin Yufei, whom Zilan lives with and spends most of her time beside, is drop-dead gorgeous and with a line of suitors hoping for her hand in marriage. To me, this was a unique interpretation of the trope, making scenes where Zilan bemoans her terrible appearance bearable.
Plot, character, and worldbuilding all worked together to create an addicting narrative that I sped through, eager to discover what came next. A couple of twists may have been predictable, but the journey to them was well-written enough that I didn't mind at all. I've surprised myself by thinking this about young adult fiction, but I actually intend to pick up the sequel whenever its publication date rolls around.
This is the only YA novel I've read this year that I really liked. Set in an alternate version of the Chinese Tang dynasty, where alchemists have succeeded in unlocking the secret to eternal life, the novel follows Fan Zilan in her quest to become one of the revered Royal Alchemists at the court of Empress Wu Zetian. A stranger warns her off this course—says it's a terrible idea, and that she doesn't know the truth of what she's getting into—but Zilan ignores him, set on her course and certain it's the only route to success, fortune, and ensuring a stable future for her family.
This is also the only book I've ever read where I didn't mind the "beautiful girl thinks she's ugly" trope being used. Zilan is mixed race, half Han Chinese and half foreigner, and the traits she inherited from her runaway father make her stand out unfavorably amongst others her age. It doesn't help that her cousin Yufei, whom Zilan lives with and spends most of her time beside, is drop-dead gorgeous and with a line of suitors hoping for her hand in marriage. To me, this was a unique interpretation of the trope, making scenes where Zilan bemoans her terrible appearance bearable.
Plot, character, and worldbuilding all worked together to create an addicting narrative that I sped through, eager to discover what came next. A couple of twists may have been predictable, but the journey to them was well-written enough that I didn't mind at all. I've surprised myself by thinking this about young adult fiction, but I actually intend to pick up the sequel whenever its publication date rolls around.