Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for the ARC. 2.75⭐.

This is the third series of Amelie Wen Zhao's that I read, after Blood Heir and Song of Silver, Flame Like Night. Disappointing to say that this is the one I care for the least. I am tired of romantasies emphasizing ride-or-die attraction within 24 hours (in this case, it's from the male love interest) over one that takes its time actually fleshing out the couple's bond. It's eyeroll-worthy of our heroine An Ying to find herself even grappling a second of conflict over what her heart's true desire is: the hot guy she just met or the dying mother she's trying to save. It's such a shame because with a better slowburn, I would actually care about the romance especially with the cool turn of events in the final act.

This is a book about trials which the characters must overcome to earn their prize, yet the trials themselves are so dull. While they claim to test the difference aspects of the competitors, ultimately all of them boil down to "Are you a good enough fighter to fend off the things that will try to kill you". Boring.

For all my gripes and annoyances, the last 20% actually sets up the stage for a potentially intriguing sequel. I liked the revelations and the "twists", even with how predictable they are. I don't dislike An Ying as a POV character, but I do think it would be more interesting if the next one alternates between her and ally Hao Yang's POVs.

Amélie Wen Zhao delivers yet another stunning xianxia novel filled with gripping twists, a compelling narrative and a swoon worthy love interest. I enjoyed Song of Silver and I enjoyed Scorpion and the Night Blossom even more! This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2025 and this absolutely lived up to the hype. Amélie’s latest fantasy will have you flipping through those pages like there’s no tomorrow and is easily my favorite novel by Zhao thus far.

This novel follows Àn’yīng, our FMC, whose father was killed and her mother barely alive after a demon drinks away her soul, leaving Àn’yīng to care for her younger sister alone. She enters the Immortality Trails in the hopes of winning an immortality pill to heal her dying mother and there meets Yu Chen, a mysterious rival contestant that helps her through the trials.

Sometimes you can judge how good a book will be by its first chapter, and already the novel enticed me from the get go. It sets the dark, ominous tone to the novel, the formidable nature of the demons as well as setting up great angst involving Àn’yīng’s family and her strong relationship with her sister. I was already convinced by their relationship in the first two chapters and understood clearly her motives to win the trials.

I love how fast-paced the novel was and how easy it was to follow. I found that the momentum never slowed down and just wanted to keep turning the pages until the end. Like Zhao’s past novels, Amélie excels in action sequences. The trials were so compelling, increasing in stakes and danger each time and introducing readers to a diverse array of demonic creatures, both benevolent and malevolent. I loved the themes of humanity that were explored and the prejudices Àn’yīng gradually learns to cast aside as she interacts with the various contestants in the trials. While I found the murder mystery predictable and was able to guess the culprit, the other plot twists – and there are several – went over my head and I was left stunned by the end. I already enjoyed the first half of the novel, but Zhao really shines in the second half, adding more depth to the world building. Seeing all the puzzle pieces come together into one cohesive picture made my jaw drop and sets up a sequel that will be much grander in scale and one I am yearning to have in my hands right now.

Yù’chén is my new book boyfriend and is someone you will fall for in the first scene already. He is so charming, charismatic, dramatic and funny I could not stop giggling like a kid!! He has so many memorable lines I feel like I annotate everything he says. This is Amélie’s most indulgent book and it delivers on all your favorite tropes and does it WELL. You will be screaming and shouting and will probably have your heart shattered by this man too. I pity Yù’chén so much and my heart aches for him. He deserves so much love and some of the things he says will tug at your heart strings.

Àn’yīng is a strong character as she is able to fight off demons with her crescent blades, though I feel that her prowess as a practitioner felt underutilised as Yù’chén often comes to her rescue. I wouldn’t say she is a damsel, but I just wish she had more time to shine to really become book girlfriend material, so I hope we get more opportunities for that in the sequel. I did get annoyed with her at times. Her hatred for demons is justified to a certain extent – it definitely became overbearing during certain scenes and ruined certain moments. Aside from that, there were a few creative choices made in the novel that I have mixed feelings about, but they are definitely done intentionally and I cannot wait to see how things conclude in the sequel! Seriously, I will not rest until then…

A big thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Rating: 4.5 stars rounded up!

This is a stunning and incredibly promising beginning to a dark and luxurious duology, featuring mesmerizing world-building that masterfully balances darkness and beauty, life and death, and love and hate!