Thank you NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the ARC. 3.5⭐ rounded down.

The Blood Orchid is just as exciting, bloody and full of twisty turns as its predecessor, and wastes no time diving right into the plot. While the first book was devoted to a series of trials, this one was essentially a quest across multiple locations. Our heroine Zilan still remains an enjoyable protagonist, but what dragged the story for me was the tiresome bickering and constant arguments between Zilan and her two travelling companions. It made me miss her time with Li Hong; reminding me of how much I liked their funny and wholesome dynamic. Even as I wasn't wholly convinced of their romance from Book 1, I did enjoy it more here, given their unbreakable devotion to each other.

Kylie Lee Baker provided a rather clever resolution to defeating Zilan's nemesis. The ending was narratively good (i.e. it made sense and the story built up to it), but not emotionally satisfying. Overall, a remarkable duology that I'd recommend.

3.5 ⭐ I loved the first book so I was very excited to finish this duology, unfortunately I was a bit disappointed with it tbh. I loved the world building, her relationship with both of her cousins whom they always supported her and were there for her to support her and make her believe that she could do it, the true star of the book, one and only Durian who saved them multiple times, and I liked how it was wrapped up.
This book is basically focused on the quest of finding the magical island. The pacing was very slow for me, although I didn’t struggle reading it but I definitely didn’t enjoy it as much. One thing I disliked and wanted to read more about was Hong, and his relationship with Zilan.
Overall I did enjoy it a lot and if you loved the first book i’m sure you gonna enjoy this one too!

Thank you NetGalley for providing me an arc i’m exchange of an honest review. ✨

This novel takes readers on an enchanting journey alongside a young woman navigating a world steeped in magic, mythology, and complex family relationships. As a sequel to The Scarlet Alchemist, it deepens the exploration of alchemy, revealing its intricate nature far beyond her initial perceptions. The protagonist comes to realize that her past decisions have significant implications for the challenges she currently faces.

The narrative centers on her quest to uncover the origins of alchemy, driven by the hope of resurrecting her loved ones. Throughout this journey, she embarks on a profound exploration of her identity, heritage, and inner strength. Her character development is both compelling and relatable, as she grapples with emotional turmoil that resonates, even in the context of her extraordinary experiences.

If you enjoy rich, detailed storytelling and can appreciate occasional narrative digressions, this book is likely to resonate with you. However, readers who prefer a more straightforward plot may find it challenging to stay engaged. Overall, it’s a beautifully woven tale of growth and discovery set against a backdrop of fantastical elements.

From start to finish, I have loved this duology. There is often a bit of dip with the second/final book in a series and that just wasn't the case at all here.

Like the first book, there is a lot of real world history and legends weaved throughout. Consequently, we meet a few new alchemists and I was equal parts fascinated and terrified of them. The Sandstone Alchemist was just so interesting, as was the Arcane Alchemist, but the Silver Alchemist? She was pure intrigue and horror. If Kylie wrote a book following those trios before we came across them, I would go broke buying every copy produced in languages I don't even speak.

<Spoilers ahead!>

I don't think anyone will be surprised that the Empress is not dead but oh dang, I did not see how so much of that played out coming. And the moving between the world and river plane was so excellent. I just loved it. My only real complaint was I didn't really enjoy the sudden Empress narrative, but I did think that Kylie did a great job making the voice change abrupt and fitting. When we finish with Hong's POV, I think that furthered my opinion that Kylie's ability to shift the voice to match the character's POV is flawless.
</spoilers>

I loved the banter and humour came through throughout the book. Wenshu and Zilan but also the bickering between a returning character I did not expect to see again and Zilan. Also, as is right and proper, the surprise character loving Durian. We all love Durian the duck. The historical notes at the end provided further background to the elements of the story that were already so strong.

This was a brilliant book to follow on from The Scarlet Alchemist and overall comes together as a phenomenal duology.

3 stars
Honestly not as good as the first book. Was disappointed by the plot not moving along and the storyline being a trip to a place on a treasure hunt. The romance didn't live upto expectations.

Zilan is searching for the mythical Penglai island, home to eight immortal beings and their elixir of eternal life. She wants to find a way to bring her loved ones back. As many different obstacles like private armies, tricky alchemists and old enemies threaten her path she fights with expected and unexpected allies to overcome them. Can she pay the steep price to achieve her goal?

With its chilling prologue we are instantly hooked and enjoy the lush, poetically flourished writing of the author. This is a satiating fantastical world, a cruel world, presenting those vivid descriptions that haunt your imagination and figurative speech to admire and envy, that bring the page alive. Boldy and beautifully evocative, colored with a philosophical tint. The narrative drips with intrigue from the start. It is a companionable narrative that brings us along for the ride. The humor and wit we loved in the first one are here and we must not forget our fave animale sidekick. Or Wensu's snark.

The author uses her vibrant depiction skills to show us the alchemy, the whole mythology which evolves wonderfully in this sequel. This story is a quest. A quest involving a squad that is so entertaining and clever you will be enamored with them. They meet engaging characters along the way and the twists keep on coming, some of them ingenious. A deliciously evil villain always makes a tale better and this delivers. Moves along at a nice canter, then gallops at certain exciting moments, stealing your breath. So much happens but you are never lost as the storyline breathes. You get to feel and discover alongside the protagonist. When you are yelling at a book, at the events or characters in the story, you know you love it.

"You couldn't build a new dream on shaky foundations" says the book. Do we agree? It doesn't matter, making things better is not as easy as one may think. Unfortunately, there is a delicate and mostly unfair balance of how society works and the gap between the haves and the have-nots is deep. It deals with power and how you use it. Power has a price. About what we do for those we love. About setting things right.

Brutally honest, peak storytelling, hope-provoking and gut-wrenching, I felt like I was holding my heart at the end. Loved, loved, loved this series.

*Actual rating is 3.75 stars*

The Blood Orchid is the second book in The Scarlet Alchemist duology. It continues Zilan’s story from where the first book left off, and focuses heavily on the journey to find the mythical Penglai Island. While I love a book that takes the reader on a journey across its fantasy world, there have to be events along the way that make things interesting. Unfortunately here the journey made the story feel a bit directionless at times.

Furthermore, since most of the book takes place on the road, in comparison to the royal court, there’s much more focus on the characters. Which isn’t a bad thing in itself. Zilan got even more time to shine here, but her brother Wenshu was just annoying for the first half of the book. Not to mention the lovely relationship between Zilan and Hong that seemed almost forgotten, since he hardly got any place in the story. While I understand the author's decision for the story to be that way, it just felt a bit empty.

While I didn’t love this book, I enjoyed it for the most part and it was a satisfying end to the duology.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗢𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗱 • 𝗞𝘆𝗹𝗶𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝗲 𝗕𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿
★★★★.𝟱

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗧𝗼 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁
- Historical fantasy
- Inspired by the Tang dynasty
- Ability to raise the dead
- Political court intrigue

𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀
I didn’t expect to cry reading this duology, but cry I did. Blood Orchid was beautiful. This entire duology has demonstrated masterful storytelling and characters that I could really sink my teeth into.

Whilst there weren’t as many twists in this book compared to the first, the world building is just as detailed and engrossing. This series has become a firm favourite of mine and I’m looking forward to see what KLB comes up with next.

𝗤𝘂𝗼𝘁𝗲𝘀
“𝘈𝘮 𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘠𝘶𝘧𝘦𝘪, 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘰 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘢𝘴 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘧 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘪𝘵, 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘱𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦? 𝘕𝘰, 𝘡𝘪𝘭𝘢𝘯, 𝘐’𝘮 𝘢 𝘣𝘪𝘵 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘶𝘴, 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘤 𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘬 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘦𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘦𝘯-𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳-𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘦𝘧𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘶𝘴.”

“𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘥𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭, 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘳, 𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘦, 𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘴, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘶𝘳𝘦.”

What a brilliant sequel to the scarlet alchemist!

I loved how Durian was such an important part of the storyline, I loved that the FMC wasn’t always confident in her decisions but had help along the way.

The ending was so we written and everything my heart hoped would happen.

Brilliant duology and one I will highly recommend.

I enjoyed this book and ending is nice.

I really appreciated historical notes and explanations. They always help me learn and it makes historical books even more enjoyable.

--------- SPOILERS -----------

I do wish it was less bloody and that less people died. There was no need for so many to really die. And part of me would have liked to read this book without danger of Empress. I think it would have still been a fine and interesting book, with a lot of small dangers, even if she was not back from the dead in ways that feel overblown for what we know of alchemy by them.

--------- END OF SPOILERS -----------

a 5 solid shining stars!!!

this book was a trip from the beginning to the end but I would be lying if I tell you that I did not have a blast finishing it in two days. what a brilliant conclusion to one of my fav reads of 2023. I literally could NOT put it down to the point of thinking about it while I was in the shower. I laughed, I cried real tears, and I also feared for everyone's lives multiple times.

The Blood Orchid follows up the bloodthirsty beast that was The Scarlet Alchemist and not only matches its excellence, it elevates it.

This has not been a duology that holds back. Blood runs through each page and under the nails of our protagonist, Zilan. For her, alchemy has always meant sacrifice and made the boundaries of life and death liminal. She has been driven by revenge and wanting to protect her family at any cost. That pursuit of power comes from a long-held survival instinct that morphs into a thirst for validation in a world that wishes to destroy her. In this duology, her character arc is astounding and I love how it develops over the course of the two books without compromising that calculated, scheming nature we met in the first few pages. There is no shortage of death and destruction here either, as we deal with the ramifications of that incredible final act from the first book. I adored the deeper world-building we explore here and the way we tap more into the history of alchemy and how it has shaped the political power structures of this country. It is a legacy of suffering and pain that runs deep in this world.

Lee Baker does not shy away from tackling the consequences of these actions on the wider population. They are often used as pawns in these mystical, mind-bending games of magic and abilities beyond our comprehension. Zilan is keenly aware of the blood seeping through her pores and the devastation she has wrought from her decisions. Those ideas of choice and sacrifice are tantamount to this book, particularly in the weighing up of an individual against a mass collective. We examine in-depth the corrosive influence of power, continuing the thread from the first book, as alchemy moves in different spheres. The action scenes are exciting and well paced, with cinematic flair.

The Blood Orchid sharpens its claws and prepares to draw blood in this electrifying ending to an intense and intriguing duology.

A great continuation on from the scarlet alchemist, it starts from where we left off. The first couple of chapters I felt were a little slow however from then on, it had me gripped. Each chapter had moments of calm but then would burst into action making you read on avidly.
The exploration of Zilan’s relationships with other characters is progressive and emotional turning her people into a found family.
Whilst most fantasy follows a formula and this is no different, I don’t see it as a bad. The quest made sense in this world and I loved the introduction of the new alchemists. The magic system was explored more and explained well to the reader.
The ending satisfied me, I thought it was going to end one way but I’m glad it didn’t.
As the author states that she was inspired by full metal alchemist, the story is very similar to that but different in enough ways to make it her own story.
Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder and Stoughton for the opportunity to read this eARC.

The Scarlet Alchemist was among my favourite books from last year, and Kylie Lee Baker has truly lived up to expectations with the highly anticipated sequel, the Blood Orchid. This book is fast-paced, adventurous and infused with humour, effectively lightening some of the darker, almost horror-themed elements of the narrative. I appreciate that minor characters from the first book return in this sequel, now taking on more significant roles. As the story drew to a close, I found myself shedding real tears of sorrow and heartache for Zilan, who is ready to give up everything for those she loves. A major highlight of this duology for me is the Empress, who, despite her death in the first book, continues to be a formidable villain. Kylie Lee Baker is definitely an auto-buy author for me going forward.

An enjoyable fantasy concept that generally was executed well. There were certain pacing lulls for me throughout this book, but overall I did enjoy it, with Durian the duck as the star of the story

I didn’t know what to expect after the ending of the first book, but The Blood Orchid gave the duology a very satisfying ending. I enjoyed reading this book and I loved how it dives more into alchemy and the world that the author has created. Also, the way Kylie Lee Baker developed the relationship between the three siblings is marvelous from book one, they felt so real and you can see the impact of them in each other's life. I definitely look forward to reading more from this author.

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced e-copy, in exchange for an honest review.

Lately I've become a fan of dilogies, as they tend to have tighter storytelling and not the problem of a 'bridge' middle book like trilogies.
And this book just proved me right.

I adored book 1 so much with its alt!history approach and the whole aspect of alchemy and royalty. The Blood Orchid now deals with the aftermath of the mess that has culminated in the Scarlet Alchemist finale. Zilan is on a journey to a magical island, to save her loved ones and fight evil. Though what the evil is exactly will slowly unfold - good and evil have to exist in balance after all.

The middle part of the story has a slight problem of weird pacing, and the quest of going place to place and getting items gets a bit boring over time. But then there's old friends, malicious foes and weird allies that make things interesting.

The best part though is the ending that brings everything to a strong conclusion - and the message that magic might not be the most important thing in life.

4,5/5 stars

Thank you @netgalley and @hodderbooks for the eARC!

#TheBloodOrchid #Netgalley #Bookstagram

Overall, I did enjoy this sequel as much as the first book from this duology. It was well-written and the magic system is quite original and developed. The characters were not too annoying (except one that I did not like very much) and the relationship dynamics are well thought-out — especially the platonic ones and I liked that a lot. There was still a big part of the duology that was focused on a romance — especially in the first book but in the sequel as well — and I was not convinced by it. It was a bit too heavy sometimes. Also, the pace was a bit too slow at times for me, and I think the story would have been even more interesting with more points of view. The pace would have probably benefited from some added points of view. But I would still recommend this duology if you’re looking for a chinese inspired young adult duology with an appealing writing and a compelling magic system — and a romance that is not really a subplot.

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for a honest review.

I recently read the first part of this duology, The Scarlet Alchemist, and I was quite surprised how much I enjoyed it. So, upon receiving this ARC of The Blood Orchid, I was expecting to feel the same way. It's not that I didn't like this one, I just didn't love it as much as the first. A continuation of Zilan's journey, only this time, you follow her on her quest to find the mythical place of Penglai Island. I found the pacing a little slow in places. It takes a good chunk of the story to actually find the island. It is a satisfying end to this duology.

If you absolutely loved the first book, then you will love this too.

Thank you Hodder and Stoughton for my ARC.
My opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Since Zilan entered the world of royal alchemists, she has learned that alchemy comes at a price. She has lost loved ones in her search for broader justice against the evil Empress and all she wants now is to find some way to bring them back. Resurrection is her specialty, after all. In search of the myth of Penglai Island, where it’s rumored life can be fully restored, Zilan starts a new adventure. But when old threats come back to haunt her and the path to Penglai Island means facing down unpredictable, sometimes dangerous, alchemists, she wonders just how high of a price she may be willing to pay.

Unfortunately, this was a DNF for me at 23%. I’m not entirely sure what it was but I didn’t feel the slightest bit interested in this story despite being very excited to see where it was headed when I was accepted for the ARC. I felt bored by the story and if you get essentially a quarter of the way into a book and your feelings towards it haven’t changed? You know it just isn’t going to work. I feel terrible because I did enjoy the first book. I’m not sure what’s happened! When I gave up, I did skip to the end and whilst it was nice, it didn’t stir much emotion at all for me. This is such a big shame as I had high hopes.

Overall, The Blood Orchid is a disappointing sequel for me.

Thank you again to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an advanced copy of this book. Review will be live on my blog on release day.