🌙 𝓣𝓻𝓲𝓪𝓵𝓼, 𝓑𝓮𝓽𝓻𝓪𝔂𝓪𝓵, 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓪 𝓛𝓸𝓿𝓮 𝓦𝓻𝓲𝓽𝓽𝓮𝓷 𝓲𝓷 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓢𝓽𝓪𝓻𝓼 🦂

A deadly competition, an unraveling mystery, and a romance laced with betrayal, The Scorpion and the Night Blossom is a story of survival, love, and the pursuit of immortality.

I fell in love with Amélie Wen Zhao’s writing in her Song of the Last Kingdom duology, so I had high expectations for this book, hoping for the same depth and emotional pull. While The Scorpion and the Night Blossom delivered strong intrigue and a world steeped in mythology, it didn’t fully meet my expectations.

Lately, I’ve been drawn to books inspired by Chinese mythology, and I appreciated how this story wove in those elements. The Immortality Trials should have been the heart of the book, but they often felt more like a backdrop rather than the main event. Àn'yīng rarely won trials on her own, which made them feel less impactful. However, the intrigue surrounding Yù'chén and his true motives kept me hooked, as did the twists about Hào'yáng’s identity and the killer reveal.

The romance left me with mixed feelings. Yù'chén is a mysterious and compelling character-one whose actions made me question his true loyalties. While I was firmly Team Yù'chén, the romance leaned into insta-love/insta-lust, which made it harder to feel fully invested. That said, some of the most emotional moments in the book came from his actions, especially a particular small yet deeply meaningful gesture involving a sewing kit that shattered me.

Amélie’s writing remains immersive, though certain descriptions became repetitive. Still, the book carried powerful emotional weight, and one line in particular stuck with me:

"Meeting the right person at the wrong time, the right love in the wrong life, is a tragedy written from the start."

Overall, The Scorpion and the Night Blossom is an engaging fantasy filled with political intrigue, betrayal, and a romance tangled in fate. While some aspects fell short for me, it still delivered moments that left me breathless.

📅 The Scorpion and the Night Blossom was released on March 4, 2025.

Special thanks to NetGalley, Amélie Wen Zhao, and HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rating - ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 / 5

It took me a little while to fall into The Scorpion and The Night Blossom by Amelie Wen Zhao, but I am so glad I did because when I fell it was head over heels!

I loved the characters and the tension in this story. Featured here is my @fairyloot version from February with the glorious endpapers from @afterblossom_art on display, but I was lucky enough to receive an ARC as well, so thank you @netgalley and @harpercollinsuk for this opportunity.

This is definitely one for you if you enjoy
-trials
-immortals and mortals and the divide between them
-a conflicted love interest
-a potential love triangle threat
-wanting someone against your better judgement
-depictions of immorality
-discussion of those with different bloodlines not belonging
-political subterfuge
-enchanting settings
-an underdog heroine
-unexpectedly emotional storyline
-to desperately want the next book in the duology!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ instant five stars for making me cry because what else can you want from a book really?

#thescorpionandthenightblossom #fantasybooks #bookreview #bookrecommendation #fivestarread

I have to say that for almost half of the book, it’s kinda boring, and i can roughly guest the plot, like who’s the villain. But toward the end, it’s kinda good. We got some action there. TBH, I prefer SoSFLN duology better, but i’ll keep my judgment until i read the sequel.

An Ying has a difficult life, with a mother whose soul has been devoured by a demon, and now living like a zombie, and her father killed by the same demon. She determined to participate in Immortal Trials to get the immortal pill to save her mom. In her journey to the immortal realm, she met Yu Chen, a half demon who always help her. And she also get help from her guardian, ‘the jade pendant’.
While the trials are deadly, An Ying’s life secret slowly unravelling.

The Scorpion and the Night Blossom by Amélie Wen Zhao combines Korean mythology with unique worldbuilding and interesting characters.
It is a young adult novel, the violence is not so graphic and the story is about a girl who wants to save her family, especially her mother. To do so, she needs to earn a capsule of immortality. It will be no YA story without pretty and strong love interests. And we got two of them. Would you like an ultimate handsome good boy or an almost godlike bad boy?

I can recommend this story for its fascinating mythology and beautiful storytelling. It's a great opening to a new series.
Thank you, NetGalley for this opportunity.

I had trouble getting into the story in the beginning, I'm not exactly sure why. As the book progressed I started to enjoy it more, but overall it was pretty predictable, the characters fell a little flat, and nothing amazed or surprised me. The mythology is very interesting and the world building was good, and honestly that's all that made the book a little better for me.

3 stars

The scorpion and the night blossom. This book is more New adult than Young adult I wanna say at first. In the beginning I had a hard time to get into the story, this was mostly because I was struggling with the names of the characters. This book is a bit dark romantasy I would say in a Chinese world.

In the middle of the book I started to enjoy it more because of the tension and the relationships, but some things were a little predictable. The pacing in this book was good.

This book is the first part in a duology, I dont know if I will pick up the next book yet.

If you are into Chinese/Asian inspired stories this book might be great for you and you can give The scorpion and the night blossom a try.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

I enjoyed this read, but will start this review by saying that formulaically, this bears a strong resemblance to The Serpent & The Wings of Night. That’s not a criticism, to be clear! I loved Serpent, but I am of the opinion that there are only so many ways you can formulate a book about deadly trials!

I thought the use of culture and folklore was wonderful, although I’m a sucker for mythology so I fear it may have been inevitable I’d love that aspect.

The romance was okay - the book is YA so definitely spicy, but certainly well written. A ‘he falls first, and harder’ rivals to lovers situation? Stunning. But I swear if this turns into a love triangle in the next book, I’mma lose it 👀

So from my previous comment you’ll be able to tell, I do plan on reading book 2 - it was certainly enjoyable enough and did intrigue me enough to continue, but I am side-eyeing mildly at the thought of a love triangle…

I'm reading allllll the good stuff this year!!

This was pretty cool. I always go into historical c-drama inspired books with caution, because I find the insta-love aspect really annoying. But I highly enjoyed this!!

Anying is a strong, motivated female lead, who knows what needs to be done to get the immortality pill to save her mother. On the other hand, Yuchen is a mysterious, cheeky love interest who you can't help but love. He is SOFT like you just want to cuddle him because of who he is and I loved their chemistry together!

The plot is well-paced and the writing is LUSH. It felt like I was in a whimsical world with the most gorgeous descriptions! My only criticism is that Anying's relatiionship with the jade pendant and her mystery 'guide' should've been expanded on more, because when the truth comes out, it fell a little flat.

Overall, this book had twists and turns I wasn't expecting! Highly recommend :)

2,5 stars rounded down

Normally I start my review with a small summary of the book but for the life of me, I simply cannot do that. I had a lot of trouble following the story and because of that I missed so much information. At the end I still had trouble remembering what name was for which character, they all sounded the same to me (I listened to the audiobook) and I could not distinguish the different characters.
Because of that I could not form a bond with the main characters. They honestly felt flat and they were pretty predictable.
I have to say, pretty much everything was predictable and nothing amazed or surprised me.

The pacing was ok, there were beautiful parts written out, but it does not weigh up to the fact that I cannot tell you right now what this book is about. It was just not interesting enough to keep my attention and at the end I was still not sure what the hell happened in the beginning and middle part of the book.

This is part of a duology, but I won't be reading the next part in this.

If you like Asian inspired stories with hints of mythology and that is just a duology, this might be for you.

Thank you Netgalley for this arc. All opinions are my own.

Look, this is basically exactly what is promised: a mythology-laden story with trials and a couple of potential love interests. If any of that interests you, great, you will have a good time with this book. If those are red flags, then this will not be your cup of tea, simple as that.

For me, this was an enjoyable and fast-paced read, and while I fall closer into the latter category of the above, I did think this was well-written. The book I read immediately before it was a debut work that struggled to find its voice, and that certainly wasn't an issue here - the writing was a standout in the story to me.

The other thing that I particularly enjoyed was the mythology and the worldbuilding. It was very vivid and opulent, which was also complemented by the writing.

Overall, a simple and predictable story, but with a good main character and some nice worldbuilding, a rather fun read nonetheless.

Thank you to the publisher, HarperVoyager, and to NetGalley for the ARC.

Amélie Wen Zhao has long established herself as one of my favorite authors, and every book I read by her only further confirms it.
I know she's referred to this book as her most self-indulgent one yet and that it's sort of an ode to her love of C-drama, and personally I'd happily read more books like this from her. I love a good romantasy and this one just really hit all the spots for me.
The enemies to lovers was done so well, I really enjoyed the way the relationship between them evolved and shifted, along with some interesting twists and turns along the way.
The plot itself was also great. I generally enjoy the trials trope, but the way it was done here is typically my favorite – there is a trial here and there, but it's not really the main plot because there are a lot of other things going on.
The writing was beautiful as always, same with the world. These two aspects are part of what makes me love the author so much.
And, of course, the emotions – it's not an AWZ book if I don't cry lol. The end had me in tears as usual, and I cannot wait to see how this story unfolds in book 2.
Overall, I absolutely loved this book and highly recommend it, especially if you're a fan of romantasy.

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

⭐⭐ 2 Stars

I really wanted to love The Scorpion and the Night Blossom, but unfortunately, it just wasn’t for me. I’ll start with the positives: the world-building was extensive and well thought out. Amélie Wen Zhao clearly put a lot of effort into crafting the setting, and it felt immersive and rich with mythology. If you love detailed fantasy worlds, there’s a lot to appreciate here!
However, the writing style really didn’t work for me. It felt clunky and unnatural at times, which made it hard to stay engaged. I’m not sure if it was intentional to match the setting, but it ended up pulling me out of the story rather than drawing me in.
Then there’s Àn’yīng, our main character. I completely understand that she’s been through a lot—losing her family so young definitely left her with deep trauma—but it felt like that was all there was to her. Every other sentence was about her tragic past, and it started to feel repetitive rather than adding depth to her character. That emotional flatness extended to the rest of the cast as well, including Yù’chén, the love interest. Their relationship never clicked for me, and it was hard to root for them when Àn’yīng was often just outright mean to him for no reason.
What really unsettled me, though, were some of Àn’yīng’s comments about halflings. Lines like “A thing like this has no place in our realm” and “These creatures wander the fringes of the world, abominations under the heavenly order” made me do a double take. I kept waiting for the book to challenge these ideas or show real character growth, but even though she becomes friends with some halflings, it felt like it was only because they were useful to her. She never truly reflects on her prejudices, which left a sour taste in my mouth.
On top of all that, the pacing was really slow. There was very little dialogue, which made the characters feel even more distant, and the main action didn’t even start until around the 50% mark. By then, I was already struggling to stay invested.

I know this book will have its audience, and I respect the work that went into it, but personally, I didn’t connect with the characters, the romance, or the way certain themes were handled. Sadly, I won’t be continuing the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC.

Well, this book wasn't for me. The pacing was very confusing, most of the characters - underdeveloped and I just couldn't stand the MC.

I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this story overall.

I loved the Chinese culture and mythology woven into the story as well as the names of the characters. The plot was dramatic in its flow. I struggled to stay attached to the story in sections, and other sections were so engaging that I struggled to put the book down to do adulty things like work and sleep.

I received this ARC thanks to the Publisher and NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Trials are my kryptonite, so when I was offered an e-ARC of this book I LEAPED at the opportunity.

The Scorpion and the Night Blossom had all of the plot points I would typically be hooked by (a badass FMC, forbidden love, “touch her and die”) but I still found it difficult to finish. The side characters were not as developed as I would have liked them to be and felt one dimensional. The saving grace was Wen Zhao’s prose. She created such vivid imagery I wanted to be transported into the story despite the demon problem lol. Overall, I would give this book a solid 3.5 stars. I plan to pick it back up in the future for a re-read to give it another chance.

Unfortunately for my wallet, there are a couple stunning editions coming out so I will be caught red handed tracking down a copy on release day.

The Scorpion and the Night Blossom by Amélie Wen Zhao is an enthralling and atmospheric fantasy that expertly blends dark intrigue with a compelling journey of survival, rivalry, and self-discovery. Set in a world ravaged by demons and on the brink of eternal night, this is the first book in an exciting duology that promises to captivate fans of high-stakes fantasy with rich world-building and an unforgettable romance.

Àn’yīng's life was shattered nine years ago when the war between the Kingdom of Night and the Kingdom of Rivers left her mother gravely injured and her family torn apart. Now, the mortal realm is falling under the rule of mó—ravenous demons who feast on human souls. Desperate to save her mother, Àn’yīng enters the Immortality Trials, a brutal and deadly competition where the prize is a pill of eternal life, the only hope for her mother's survival.

However, the Trials are not for the faint of heart—death is almost guaranteed for most contestants. Yet, Àn’yīng begins to notice that a mysterious and powerful rival, Yù’chén, is helping her survive. As they navigate the treacherous landscape of the Trials together, their relationship shifts from rivalry to something far more complex, as the tension between them evolves into a compelling enemies-to-lovers dynamic, which is something that fans of this trope will devour.

The book is filled with intricate plots, fierce competition, and unexpected alliances, making for a fast-paced, immersive read. The romantic tension between Àn’yīng and Yù’chén is delicious, full of suspense and emotional depth. With stunning world-building and a darkly opulent atmosphere, Zhao has created a world that is as dangerous as it is captivating.

The Scorpion and the Night Blossom promises to be a thrilling start to a duology, and with its perfect blend of fantasy, romance, and high stakes, it is sure to leave readers eagerly awaiting the next book. If you’re a fan of epic fantasy with strong, complex characters and a slow-burn romance, this is one to add to your list. I can't wait to see how this story unfolds!

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

If you're in for some c-drama reading with gods and monsters and all the feels, this book is definitely for you. It delivers with a beautiful storyline full of tension, twists and turns and a female main character who has got to find her way between light & dark and learning to trust her heart more than what she has been told so far & society dictates.

I loved the beautifully created world with all its inhabitants and its lush, sumptuous landscapes, the discrepancy between the human world and the one the immortals have retreated into.

On this background, An'ying's story unfolds with her father, her mother and her sister and the truths she uncovers on her journeying to claim the pearl that she hopes will restore her mother back to health.

By the end of the book the story is not over yet, so cannot wait to see what happens on the quest she is on, with higher stakes and more parties involved and discovering more of this world she lives in.

This review refers to the eARC I received from the publisher in return for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for the arc!

🌟✨/5

Falling prey to my urge to read a mythology inspired book, I prepared myself to read about a stabby heroine with an annoying attitude for the 986424577th time. This book was, to put it very lightly, a mess. It seems like authors these days build books around the same old tropes instead of inserting tropes only when necessary.

The plot of 'The Scorpion and the Night Blossom' was often too similiar to 'The Serpent and the Wings of Night'. Coming from me, that's not a compliment because I hated that book. The trials were terrible in their execution and the pacing was completely off kilter. It took almost 40% of the book to reach the place where the trials were taking place. The trials themselves could not make me feel the gravity of the situation. Watching Àn'yīng-who's supposedly trained so hard and become self reliant, oh-so-strong and not at all a damsel in distess-being saved by someone else whenever she walked into danger was extremely frustrating. This girl did not do a single thing by herself.

I usually lower my expectations when it comes to romantasy. As expected, watching paint dry was more interesting than the 'romamce'. The reason why I hate most of the popular romantasy novels is that the authors are always in a rush to introduce the 'romamtic'/spicy scenes. Forcing instalust among the MCs and creating a rift between them at the end of the book is a formula that has been used by almost every single romantasy author ever. This also leads to a sequel that is even worse than its predecessor. Yú'chèn is your typical love interest devoid of an actual personality. Also, the MMCs calling FMCs 'little (insert animal name)' is not romantic at all. The make things worse, there may or may not be a love triangle involved.

This book is 400 pages long an yet so much of the time was wasted on unnecessary dialogue that I couldn't tell you anything about the world for the life of me. A friend group was introduced for the sake of stereotypes which was later forgotten about. Having read The Serpent and the Wings of Night, I guessed the plot twist way too early. Guessing a plot twist is definitely not a bad thing, but having it play out exactly as you imagined it rains on the parade.

Overall, I was sorely disappointed by this book. I was looking forward to it, having previously enjoyed AWZ's 'Song of Silver, Flame Like Night'. I'd recommend this for readers looking for quick reads that do not require them to use their brains and where the pages fly past easily. I will not be reading the sequel.

<i>I received this ARC thanks to the Publisher and NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.</i>

This is my third book by Amélie - I've not read her first trilogy, but I did read her duology, and that one has a perfect ending - the second book is a big improvement compared to the first one. *Little Scorpion's* book on the other hand? It was really good! Not perfect - a bit too cliche sometimes, sometimes a bit slow, with underdeveloped side characters, but the idea was there, satisfying main cast, and a great set up for the next installment!
<img src="https://i.redd.it/vdzcs109upvd1.gif" width="auto" height="auto" alt="description"/>
<b>"Why is it in our natures to want that which we cannot have?"</b>
As mentioned before - although this book tries to keep you in the dark when it comes to all the mysteries to uncover, they're pretty obvious from the start. But at least it gives u a heads-up if you get lost in any of the subplots. I mean there aren't many, but still, they felt a teeny tiny bit undercooked compared to the main plot. The MC was a bit naive, considering her 'warrior' nature, but I guess desperation was the biggest factor here. And because of all the tropes I'm kinda hesitant about the most likely upcoming turn in the next book, but maybe I'll surprise myself with not so cliche ending, we'll see, as I said *Song of the Last Kingdom's* was a chef's kiss, so I will still keep my hopes up for the ending I'd prefer.

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<b>"I know how it feels to be hunted; I know how it feels to be prey. And I don't want you to have to go through that."</b>
Most of this book took place within the Temple where the trials are happening, so I'm not that attached to it with the usual 'switch of scenery' for the sequel, which I guess it's a good thing? TBH all of that gave me a bit of the vibe of TelemachusXAthena vibes which is kinda cool - that's literally how I'd sum up this mashup of tropes - some old ones, some new ones, making it a delightful mix which felt quite fresh. Thumbs up with MC not throwing tantrums against her fate like most of them do - at least, for now.

<img src="https://klling.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/ashes-of-love-war.gif" width="auto" height="auto" alt="description"/>
<b>"But meeting the right person at the wrong time, the right love in the wrong life, is a tragedy written from the start."</b>
Overall, I'm delightfully surprised that this author keeps improving with each next book, and as this one felt a better entry to the series than song of silver... but not as satisfying as the sequel there I feel like it's simply as good in fact, only doesn't feel as developed as we're just meeting all the characters. The conflict is set up, the grave mistakes were made, allies turned into enemies, just the right shit is going to doom everyone in book 2 and I'm here for it! Solid 4.25 stars, expecting bigger greatness from the sequel~

PS. Yet another Ashes of Love (with some tropes from Who Rules the World) drama-like I approve, Amélie is just the best in book-ifying my fav dramas, starting with Alchemy of Souls for Song of the Last Kingdom ^^

In The Scorpion and the Night Blossom Zhao weaves a tale of courage and patriotism but it is also a commentary on assumptions we make and the stories we tell ourselves about others. I love those themes as explored in the storyline.

The pacing is fantastic with lots of high-tension action from the very first chapter and I found myself reading it at breakneck speed to keep up with the plot.

The characters! I love Yu'chen and An'ying as much as I loved Zen and Lan as a pair. Their attraction, their growth, their tragedies, and impossible choices that they are forced to make, are all attributes I loved about them. Although I am a little bit biased towards Yu'chen because he is so layered and fascinating.

There are a couple of plot points I could predict but that didn't take anything away from the enjoyment of the book. There is a lot packed in the first book and now I have to patiently and painfully wait for the next book.

I love a love that cannot be. The push-pull between the OTP in this book is epic. The emotional punch this book packs is no joke and it made me shed a tear, so obviously it's a five star read for me.

I highly recommend if you enjoy Asian-inspired fantasy, Xianxia C-dramas and/or high fantasy with magical world building.