I recieved an advanced reader copy of this book in return for an honest review

This book is seeped in the history of china. I loved every single page of this story from start to finish.

The world I was drawn into felt fresh but also like I knew it. The characters are brilliant and well written.

This is historical fiction at its very best and I can't wait to see what happens in the next part of Zilan's journey.

3.5 stars
TW: death, injury, violence and bullying
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an E-ARC to review. All thoughts are my own.

I feel this is very much an "it's not you, it's me" thing because I acknowledge that the writing in The Scarlet Alchemist is rich in Chinese history and feels very on par with the themes and historical elements utilised to create this fictitious fantasy. I enjoyed the way alchemy fits into this world so seamlessly, and shapes both the main character and the deadly parameters it creates for those in power. The political machinations in this balanced out the magic well, and the societal differences between poor and noble, pure and mixed heritage, and the strong and weak were good at fuelling the story along.

The alchemical magic system is by far my favourite thing about this world, and I enjoyed learning more about Zilan's gift with it, alongside how corrupted the use of such powerful gifts was in the capital city once she and her cousins arrived there.

However, the biggest issue I had was I just didn't connect with Zilan as the narrator. I found her unlikeable and riddled with convenience plot devices that didn't challenged her character to grow, and this didn't make the plot twists all that enjoyable when they happened. Whilst I respected her connection to her family, and liked that she was always looking out for her cousins, I didn't find much else to be interesting about her, and the romance subplot fell quite flat for me. I've read several Chinese historical/mythology books this year, and her character did nothing to stand out to me amongst other unique reads. Coupled with the fact that this is quite dark and rather detailed on death and injury, I found myself losing interest very early on. As I mentioned at the start, this is a me issue, and whilst I haven't fully enjoyed this, I can see how this would be a very immersive read to others.

Zilan, an aspiring royal alchemist, practices illegal resurrection alchemy to support her family. When she gets the chance to compete in imperial exams, she faces deadly challenges and a request from the Crown Prince to uncover an assassination plot. She becomes entangled in perilous palace politics and uncovers dark secrets from her past putting her life and future as an alchemist in danger.

I would consider myself a casual fan of fiction set in ancient China so the synopsis drew me right in. The action starts from page 1 and sets up the alchemy system and world lore fantastically. The plot moved along at a great pace, giving enough time to consider plot questions. I actually took a lot of notes while reading which is unusual for me, and I did not predict anything right at all! There were quite a few moments that made me put down my Kindle and wonder if something really just happened.

The characters were extremely well written with great depth. I loved Zilan as a protagonist, especially how she used abrasiveness to hide how soft she is. The prince was both a great foil to Zilan and an excellent character on his own. It is so refreshing to see a gentle love interest, especially in YA.

This was a nice easy read! I'd recommend it to YA readers, especially 15 and up due to some graphic descriptions.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

I love the concept of Alchemy and AltHistory stories, and this book combines these two perfectly.
Set in an alternate Tang Dynasty where Alchemy is a thing, Zilan is poor and doing her best to get by - including necromancy. So she and her cousins sign up for the trials to become a Royal Alchemist at court. If you now think 'Blood of Stars' vibe, you're right. Just way more blood and way less stars.
There's also the Prince -cinnamon roll par excellence - and the evil Empress. Oh, and Monsters and family secrets.
All these things combined give a really thrilling tale that you can't put down. It takes a little while for the pace to pick up, but when it does - oh man. The last couple of chapters will leave you breathless and screaming.
The world is rich and fully built, and the magical system is so deep that I'm sure there will be more to uncover in future books.
I genuinely loved it and it was just short of a 5 star highlight.

4,5/5 stars

Thank you @netgalley and @hodderbooks for the eARC.

My thanks to netgalley, hodder & stoughton and Kylie Lee Baker for the advanced copy in exchange for review.

I'm still not entirely sure I loved this book. The premise sounded great, but something felt a little flat to me - just not sure what it was about it that I didn't like. That being said, I did like the book - just not enough for it to have been a four or five star read.

This was a fun, exciting, and enjoyable read and I couldn’t put it down. The setting is an alternate Tang Dynasty and the explanations on alchemy are easy to imagine and process. Zilan is a self taught alchemist who tries to pass the imperial exams in order to fulfil her dreams of becoming a royal alchemists but gets swept up in political intrigues once she gets into the palace. The characters’ interactions with one another are really enjoyable to read. Zilan and her cousins have such a strong and caring sibling bond with one another. The romance, although fast, was sweet and funny. It is fast paced and action packed with so many twists and turns that got me properly hooked. I highly recommend this.

4.5 stars

Zilan is my new favourite female lead. Baker has constructed such amazing characters and a fantastic plot. In this historical fantasy, using an alternative Tang dynasty China interwoven with an alchemy magic system was amazingly written. I absolutely loved this story and the fantasy elements of alchemy used is brilliant.

Zilan is an unrelenting main lead and I loved watching her navigating her way through the Empress' schemes and uncovering the monsters created from alchemy. Wenshu is without a doubt the rising star in this series and his comedic timing is impeccable: “I’m saying I want to get my body back, and you can return your ugly boyfriend’s soul to this one.” I also love the relationship development between Zilan and the cousins.

Li Hong is quickly leaping up to favourite mc's status. I love his arc of becoming more confident in his leadership and can't wait to see him become the emperor. The romance between Zilan and Hong was so pure They play well on the commoner/royalty dynamic. "Marrying me could cost you the poor as well.” ““I don’t care if it costs me the world.“What am I supposed to do, then? Marry some random noblewoman?”“Yes!” His expression dropped even further. “I don’t want to marry anyone else,” he said, hugging Durian to his chest. They are so soft.

They are so well suited, I can't wait to see them interact more because I know they will after that ending.

Thank you to Netgalley and Hodder Stoughton for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Oh my God.

Oh my God.

Ohmygodohmygodohmygodohmygod.

THIS BOOK WAS INSANELY GOOD!!! I just finished it and I'm sitting here, still holding my breath. And I'm supposed to wait till the next book is out like my soul wasn't just tumbled around all the way to the next century.

The Scarlet Alchemist was right up my alley, with my favourite setting to read about (China, in general, but specifically Tang dynasty, even though this is an alternate fantastical version), one of my favourite subjects to read about (alchemy, of course), in my favourite genre (fantasy), what more could a girl ask for? Brilliant characters? WE GOT THAT TOO!

Zilan was an amazing main character, one of my favourite characters ever. She cared about herself and her own success, but cared about her family and their wellbeing just as much. She proved everyone who underestimated her wrong and I loved seeing her do it.

I wasn't sure about Hong at first, I thought he was funny but didn't ship him with Zilan until maybe halfway into the book. I wanted to see if there was more to him than we originally saw, and there really was. You could tell that even though he was scared, he still wanted to do the right thing. On top of that, he was really sweet and kind to Zilan, his sisters and his ducks.

Oh how I love the ducks. There's even a possibly evil one, which is my favourite. I also used to feed ducks with bread before I knew it was bad for them, but I still treasure those memories with my uncle who fed them with me.

The plot was engaging and unpredictable, add that to the already fast pace, and this book will have you gasping for air. It's one of those reads that you just devour and immediately want to do it all over again.

This is my very first book by this author, and I can see now that I've seriously been missing out. So don't be like me, pick one of Kylie Lee Baker's books up today (preferably this one ahem ahem) and trust me that your whole world will never be the same again.

ALSO, don't look up anything about it, just go into the story as blind as possible and let Kylie Lee Baker's magical writing transport you into a treacherous court full of political intrigue, backstabbing royals, and alchemists who can create gold that makes you immortal...and thank me later.

*Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review*

I loved this!!

You can tell KLB put her heart and soul into this book and it truly paid off. She really knows how to create an immersive world where the reader never wants to leave. It was action packed and full of court politics which are some of my favourite reads

The royal drama and high intensity plot with a fun magic system woven in, really left me wanting to read more and more.

I also love how Zilan was not the stereotypical perfect main character and instead she was flawed but yet so relatable.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of this book

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely adored this book. I was so excited about it when I first read the blurb and it did not disappoint, not even for a moment.

Zilan is 100% a new favourite main character. She is determined and vicious and powerful and I am utterly obsessed with her. I love how flawed she is, how real she feels. She is a disaster in the absolute best way.

The magic system is also amazing and I highlighted more about that than I have in any other book ever. In fact, I don't really annotate earcs at all, but this one was just so expertly crafted that I couldn't resist!

The story itself delivered on everything it promised and that last 20% or so? Incredible.

I am desperate for more books in this series and I will definitely be checking out more books by this author because I am HOOKED.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book.

I read The Keeper of Night earlier this year and absolutely loved it. The sequel sadly fell flat for me, but that didn't dim my excitement for this book. A historical fantasy set in medieval China with alchemy and necromancy? Sign me up!

I expected to love this book, I did not expect to get this swept away by it.
It's one of those books that really surprise you as the story goes in, it started rather 'small', and at the end it was shock after shock and you're just sitting there like "whoa damn things have really escalated".
There were quite a few plot twists in there that I did not see coming at all, also because some of them were things I haven't seen done before.

The book is certainly YA in terms of the characters who were young and acted like it (not a bad thing!), however, the plot and some of the events got quite dark, and it was a story about corruption and abuse of power, so overall I think it's a compelling book even for adults who feel like they've outgrown YA literature.

I liked the main characters and their chemistry. I really appreciated the humor that was thrown in at times as well, it was a nice balance to the dark plot. The romance was sweet, and I liked the character development that both main characters went through.

However, my favorite thing about this book was definitely the worldbuilding and setting. I'm a big fan of historical fantasy and I always get excited about time periods/settings I haven't read before or haven't read much of, so having a book set in medieval China in the times of Wu Zetian was really cool.
But then it gets SO MUCH better because of the alchemy, I loved how it was rooted in historical sources but turned into a more fantastical element. I thoroughly enjoyed everything about that, and now I want to read more books with alchemy because it was so fascinating to read about.
And if that wasn't enough, we also have necromancy, which I'm always a fan of. I loved the way it was done here since it had a rather unique twist to it.

I really loved the worldbuilding, but don't want to say anything else because it was such a delight to read about it and discover the workings of it as the story progressed.

Overall, this was fantastic and I highly recommend it.
I am, however, torn between being excited and nervous about the sequel. I'm a little bit worried that it will fall into the same trap that the author's first duology fell into for me, where I felt like the sequel wasn't really needed and felt a bit directionless, and with how this book ended, I just feel like the same could happen with this duology. I do like the setup for book 2 and think there is potential to it, but with how grand book 1 ended and how resolved everything seems, I just wonder if the sequel will be able to live up to that.

Kylie has done it again. She is one of my favourite writers. This story has gripped me; I couldn't put it down once it started. We are immediately thrown into action, and I love how in-depth all the characters are. With so few adds to the story and the ducks, how that made me laugh so loud. I love Zilan as a character and how unique she is to this world. I adore that this book reminds me of Full Metal Alchemist, not just the alchemy aspect but others, making this a treasure in my heart. This book made me gasp in shock, as I didn't know what was coming. Next, Kylie has unpredictable twists and turns in this book. The world-building in The Scarlet Alchemist is top-notch. I was so immersed in it that I didn't want to put the book down. When the secrets were revealed, they threw Zilan's world on its head. The world is fascinating because of the discrepancy between the affluent and the poor.
Furthermore, she deftly examines power, privilege, and identity themes, weaving them into the story's fabric without overshadowing the exciting action. The atmosphere is deep and engaging, seamlessly mixing historical and mystical alchemical components. Baker's superb descriptions bring the world to life, letting readers imagine the sumptuous palaces, bustling streets, and stark differences between the haves and the have-nots. It's a universe that feels both familiar and alien simultaneously.
5 Stars.

#thescarletalchemist #bookreview #arcreader #kylieleebaker #netgalley

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this early copy of The Scarlet Alchemist by Kylie Lee Baker. This was an action packed and captivating read that I can't wait to share with my students.

*Thank you to Netgalley and Hodderscape for the advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

I requested <i>The Scarlet Alchemist</i> by Kylie Lee Baker because the cover was beautiful and the synopsis sounded like the kind of book I’d enjoy. But what I didn’t know is how much I’d love this story from the first page!

<b>The book follows Zilan</b>, a poor but badass girl <b>who is aiming to become a royal alchemist</b>. The story imagines an <b>alternative version of the Tang dynasty in China</b> where alchemists make rich people almost immortal if they consume gold, including Empress Wu and her family.

If I have to choose my favourite thing about this book I’d say the <b>fast pace</b>. Things are constantly happening in this story, which hooked me up from the first page. But don’t get too comfortable! Because <u>the moment I thought I knew everything that was going on, the author dropped some twists that shocked me</u>. The story is action packed and you will feel the need to keep reading. However, it is perhaps because of this reason that, in my opinion, the third act was a bit chaotic and confusing. A lot of things happened in a short period of time and I had to re-read a few pages to be able to comprehend the end of the book.

I wouldn’t say this is a YA book as the <b>atmosphere and the worldbuilding are very dark and complex</b>. Some <b>elements and scenes are very horror-like</b> which made me enjoy the story even more. I know the main character Zilan is only 17 and that’s probably one of the main reasons why this book has been classified as YA, but most of the time she and the rest of the characters (except maybe the Prince) behave as mature characters.

The <b>three main characters</b> (Zilan and her brothers) are a strong trio and I really enjoyed their dynamic. On the contrary, I’d say that even when I understand <u>the romantic side of the story, I found it boring and predictable</u>. The Prince is a very cute character but he wasn’t interesting enough for me to grow into him. However, I would like to mention that the rest of the side characters are really well-written and add a lot of insight to the story. <b>The Moon Alchemist</b> in particular is one of my favourites!

<b>The book finishes with a cliffhanger</b>, so if you don’t enjoy books where there are loose threads, I’d suggest waiting until the trilogy is complete.

Historical fantasy is one of the genres I usually enjoy the most and <i>The Scarlet Alchemist</i> was the perfect reading after a few heavy and boring books in the past month. It was my first encounter with the author but I’ll make sure to read her previous books as her style was mesmerizing.

<b>5/5
Rep: No queer rep in this book</b>

I'm sorry to say that The Scarlet Alchemist left me disappointed even though the premise and main character sounded really interesting. But I can't wait to look more about Kylie Lee Baker's previous and future works.

This has solidified me picking up any Kylie Lee Baker books past, present and future.

I demolished half this book in just a couple days and would've been faster through the whole thing if life hadn't gotten in the way. This book was excellent.

Opening note to the reader: Alchemy is real.
I was already hooked. Baker was so good at providing a context in brief way to the importance of alchemy in ancient China and the east v west alchemy.

We have Zilan, who is immensely skilled, not just for her age and background but on her own merits, is immensely skilled. Her love for her family is constantly felt, but also her insecurity in her role in her family appears throughout and makes her drive greatness very understandable. She wants to provide for her aunt and uncle and show she is a Fan. Her cousins/siblings really fit well and were enjoyable as characters. I do wish maybe we'd seen a bit more about the confrontation at the inn and the follow on, because surely no one would just let all that slide. Right?

I was unsure about the Crown Prince, because really Zilan's estimation of him felt justified but as their relationship changes, I really ended up liking him which made his outcome sting. Probably Baker's intention so absolutely well done and all the sad applause.

The reimaging of Wu Zetian as a gold hungry, power driven and stop at nothing in this world was very well done. In the short scenes she's there for and the bits we learn about her from Zilan's time as a royal alchemist absolutely make your skin crawl. She was the perfectly reimaged villain. I had to wonder just how long was the Emperor not the emperor before the big confrontation. And because of all the 'The Empress has ears everywhere' I was so suspicious of the royal alchemists.

There were little moments and dialogue that just got me. Like "Why is there a body in the pigpen?" Yufei asked. "That's for later," Like yeah, totally normally, crack on as usual. And the man with the cabbage cart had me giggling because I loved the 'MY CABBAGES' vendor in ATLA. I also immediately appreciate any writer that has a character wary of horses, because I also distrust them. Though we learn why this the case for Zilan later, it didn't make me appreciate it any less. And finally, shout out for the duck nutrition info, more people should know that.

I obviously had a thought of where things would go when I picked this up from its blurb but there were so many twists and turns, character developments and relationship developments, my face got tired from keeping my eyebrows so high. I really can't find fault in this other than I have to wait until next year to get the rest of the story. In the meantime, I can pick up Keeper of the Night Series and devour more of Baker's writing like the Empress with gold.

Characters: 9/10
Enjoyment: 8/10
Plot: 8/10
Worldbuilding: 7/10
Writing: 10/10

Score: 4.25

The Scarlet Alchemist is set in an alternate historical China in which alchemists have discovered the secret to immortality. The main character is Zilan, a 17-year-old orphan taken in by her aunt’s family. She has an affinity for alchemy and is able to resurrect the dead. Throughout the book, she struggles with prejudice and discrimination due to being mixed and is looked down upon for being from the south, not to mention the sexism. Sometimes she feels unwanted and like an imposter. I really liked how naturally these themes were explored.

After participating in the preliminary exams, she travels with her siblings/cousins to Chang’an for the imperial exam. They wish to become scholars, while she tries to prove herself by becoming an imperial alchemist, in hopes of earning more money for their poor parents. But by becoming an imperial alchemist and agreeing to help the prince, she gets caught up in court politics and dangerous secrets.

The scarlet alchemist was truly a fun book to read. The writing and characters were wholesome, witty, and humorous. It made me smile a lot. The plot twists were done well, and the alchemy was fascinating and smart, although eating gold does not sound pleasant at all.
I absolutely loved the sibling relationship between Zilan and her cousins. They always looked after and protected each other. Nerdy Wenshu reminded me of my favourite character from The Poppy War, Kitay. My favourite, however, was Li Hong, the crown prince, who was a clueless idiot. It was hilarious and endearing. He was really a soft guy, and I felt really bad for him and his ducks.

The only thing I had issues with was the way the romance escalated out of the blue. It felt uncharacteristic and forced. Until then, it was going so well, but I guess the author must have realised she’s running out of time since it was already about 70% into the book and rushed things up—at some point I lost track of what was happening. Because of this, and the absence of her cousins, the last part felt the weakest. I liked the slow buildup of Zilan’s and Hong’s relationship, but I wish it stayed just at that: banter, slowly trusting each other, and becoming close friends/allies. That being said, I don’t hate them together, I just wish their relationship was developed more.

<spoiler> Can I please get Li Hong back? 😭</spoiler>

Arc provided by publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A dark, gritty fantasy set in historical China.

I really enjoyed the plot in this one, it was such a unique story, with the main character wanting to be a royal alchemist to bring in money for her family. The royals consume gold because they think it’ll extend their lives.

She’s not a standard alchemist though, she’s also able to raise the dead and she’s roped into helping the Crown Prince and protect him.

This book was full to the brim with political games, drama and a little romance! I loved it.

The first half of this dragged a little- there was a lot of complex world building but the second half was so full of unexpected twist and turns it was amazing! The ending has set up a sequel perfectly and I’m definitely here for it. I loved the mix of adventure and eastern lore. The family dynamics were complex and captivating. Definitely recommend pushing through the opening act.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

If you enjoy c-dramas, then you should definitely read The Scarlet Alchemist because it reads like a glorious c-drama. It's like an adaptation of a c-drama into a book; the world-building is majestic, fully fleshed out, and gloriously vivid.

We follow the journey of Fan Zilan who later becomes the Scarlet Alchemist. I really, really, really liked Zilan. She makes the tough decisions that others get dizzy just by thinking about it. She calls out injustice and privilege, and yet, deep down, you see a girl who wants to be loved and appreciated. She's so sure that her adoptive family only keeps her because it was the right thing to do and they would let her go as easily as changing clothes. It broke my heart so many times, but Zilan is just so resilient. I loved her tenacity and pure refusal of failing at anything.

Li Hong, the Prince, dear oh dear. I'm not usually one to fall for the innocent and sweet love interest, but Li Hong is probably one of the cutest, most endearing characters I've ever read. He's so pure; I just want to hug him like he hugs his ducks.

The plot had so many twists, and I loved them all, even the heartbreaking ones. This is not an author who is faint-hearted. She made the tough calls (killed and tortured characters and animals alike) and it made the book stronger and my heart much, much weaker. The story is brutal because the reality is brutal, and I appreciated the raw representation.

The world-building is fascinating. I'm not overly knowledgeable about Chinese history and dynasties, but I do know terms and such from watching c-dramas. The world-building felt like coming home to them, like a warm embrace. The alchemy part was amazing! It has always fascinated me, and I felt it was explained clearly and made me all the more interested in it. And most of all, original! Not done a thousand and one times! And it stemmed from actual research!

I loved everything about this book. The characters pulled at all my heartstrings. The plot gave me aneurisms. The world building left me like this emoji 😍😍😍😍😍😍

One of the most groundbreaking YA fantasy books out there. Don't miss it!