Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book!

I absolutely loved this story. The world building was complex and well done, but not difficult to follow, neither was the actual story.

the dynamic between the main characters is what really stood out to me - the banter and slow burn and all the plot twists that will let you begging for more. Not to mention the introduction of Chinese and mythology - absolutely delightful read.

I would only say that the pacing feels a bit slow at times, but that is just a very personal note.

I would 100% recommend this book. Thank you HarperCollins for this early copy!

While I wasn’t sure I would even like this, as I didn’t like her previous duology (pacing issues, mostly), this is a great start to a new duology. This dark Chinese romantasy is right up my alley. While I don’t typically care for instalove, I was able to push past that. There were some small things that bothered me but overall it was decent. I’m really excited for the first print special edition!

The beautiful writing. The coolest word. The best magic. A girl with blades. A boy who’s besotted but also sarcastic about it. What more could you want?
I enjoyed this book immensely, the whole idea was very much my thing and I think the execution was really well done. While side characters were a bit lacking, the main characters made up for it for me- they were very interesting and easy to understand- not to be confused with simple, they are both very complex. I was hooked and flew through this one- can’t wait for book 2.

Many thanks to Harper Collins UK, Harper Voyager UK and NetGalley for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This opening to a new duology is described as a “dark Chinese romantasy”. It includes the tropes that I like to eat up: trials, rivals to lovers, political intrigue, forbidden romance and ‘touch her and die’ and while it was an enjoyable read, I don’t think all the elements came together perfectly.

The main thrust of the plot is The Immortality Trials but towards the end this becomes sidelined in favour of political intrigue and romance, and even shoe-horning in a love triangle. Some of the twists and revelations towards the end were predictable and I think the political subplot was underwritten.

The points in its favour are that it is an intriguing concept and the worldbuilding evokes stunning visuals with lush descriptions, an interesting magic system, and eerie creatures although I couldn’t help but detect some similarities to Daughter Of The Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tann (with the structure of the immortal/immortal realm, and completing a quest to obtain immortality through a consumable object).

I felt the FMC’S love and devotion to her family came across intensely although her relationships with most of the secondary characters were not fully flushed out. She also relies heavily on being rescued by others even though supposedly described as strong and self-sufficient.

This was a pleasant read but I did not get swept up into the story or feel a deep emotional connection to any of the characters.

3.5 stars.

That was simply amazing I adored every second of this book and the need the next one ASAP.

Read this if you love:
-Chinese mythology
-Rivals to lovers
-He falls first
-Forbidden love
-There's only one hot spring👀


Thank you Harper Voyager for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

THE SCORPION AND THE NIGHT BLOSSOM - AMELIE WEN ZHAO

If you love a fast-paced darker fantasy then you're in for an absolute treat with The Scorpion and the Night Blossom. Primarily set in the Kingdom of Rivers, this is a rich magical world, where mortals, demons, hellbeasts, halflings and immortals all co-exist - but not peacefully!

In fact, the events of this book take place years after the start of a brutal war with the Kingdom of Night. The FMC is Àn’yīng, whose family has lost much during the conflict, and her only hope is to enter the Immortality Trials. Àn’yīng is a great FMC; she's strong, stabby (it's true) and determined.

Along the way, Àn’yīng encounters increasingly deadly obstacles, a whole bunch of mysteries to uncover, as well as a host of both allies and foes. She also meets Yù’chén, who is the MMC and her rival in the trials. This is one of the first big positives I'm going to call out: the chemistry between Àn’yīng and Yù’chén is SO good and SO believable. I would even go as far as to say that Yù’chén became my favourite character.

The worldbuilding was another aspect that blew me away, with vivid descriptions of Àn’yīng's surroundings, and the idea that there is still so much more to discover in this world. And, since this is only the first book in what will be The Three Realms duology, I feel like we'll get to do more exploring in the second book.

My one and only note is that this book is fast paced - extremely so. While this isn't necessarily a bad thing, I wished that things slowed down every now and again so as to get the full impact of key events and reveals.

I can't wait for book #2! Thank you to Amelie Wen Zhao, HarperVoyager and NetGalley for granting access to this eARC.

Release date: 27 February 2025

Review score: 4.5/5

TWs: war, d*ath, injury detail, s*xual content

First of all i’d like to thank netgalley and the publisher for granting me a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

Holy sh*t, where do I even start? I LOVED THIS. This was so extremly well done. The worldbuilding was extensive, yet not confusing at all. The plot was extremely fast-paced, and I was at the edge of my seat for 99% of the time (the 1% being the acknowledgements).

Àn ‘Yīng was a very strong main character aswell, which most definitely contributed to my high rating. I really admired her resilience and how she was driven by the sole purpose of protecting and saving her loved ones.

AND DON’T GET ME STARTED ABOUT Yù ‘Chen :(( My Shaylaaa. I loved him. While I kind of understand why Àn ‘Yīng treated him the way she did, I just couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. He deserves the world and I hope he gets his redemption arc in the sequel <33

I’m not quite sure how to start this review because I DNF’d it half way through, but not because I hated the book. In fact, I still have so many questions, so many things I need to know. This book had me hooked, and it was because of this that I even got half way. The problem with this book was the ARC I was sent had text missing. Paragraphs had been cut off mid-sentence and even mid-word! There were several times I moved from one paragraph to the next and it felt like I had missed an entire paragraph (maybe more). The characters would start speaking about something I think I was meant to know about, but nothing in the text actually told me what. It got really frustrating. Just to add, I am the type of person who has to read every single word. I can’t skim. I tried, I failed.

So, from what I have read, I really liked this book. I am really loving the lyrical Chinese fantasy books at the moment, and this one is no different. There were a few times I felt the author slipped into overwriting instead of lyrical, but for the most part the writing was beautifully descriptive and so well done. The world is ravaged with demons, and I really felt the fear and the determination the MC had to look after her comatose mother and younger sister, so much so that she is willing to travel to The Temple of the Dawn, a temple in the immortal lands that’s supposed to train mortals in fighting and magic (I think) and give them a chance to become immortal (or in An’ying’s case, a chance to save her mother after a demon attacked her and left her essentially brain-dead). The emotions were all there, I really believed in An’ying and her fight for her family.

The twists started quite early on, when An’ying met Yu’chen. Yu’chen is the type of character that smirks a little too much, but there’s something about him that’s really endearing. And I did not see his twist coming. I did think it ramped up the excitement a lot. Wanting to find out his reason for travelling to the temple was definitely one of the things that kept me reading, because his reason is definitely not the same as anyone else’s. There is definitely feelings developing between An’ying and Yu’chen, which I love. Something about them together (rivals to lovers romance) was just fun to read. There is also another character we’re introduced to in the temple that I think could potentially introduce a love triangle. I didn’t see much of him before I stopped reading, but there are definitely signs there, and I can definitely see that being entertaining. But if I had to pick now, I could definitely be on the side of Yu’chen.

Once of my issues was that the magic system wasn’t fully developed (at least with what I was able to read). An’ying says in the beginning that her father taught her magic because her father saw something in her. In the first chapter we see her kill a demon. So we think she’s meant to be good. But when she gets to the temple, she knows nothing. So what had her father been teaching her? He studied at the temple himself, back in a time when they actually had classes. Because when An-ying gets there, she learns there are trials but not classes. So what’s the point of the temple then? Maybe there is a reason for this, but I never really got far enough to see for myself. From what I read, it seems the immortals are selecting the strongest mortals, taking them into the immortal world and leaving the mortal world as a sacrifice for the demons, which makes me really hate them. Again, I didn’t read enough to know if this supposition is actually correct, this is just what made sense with the information I was given.


I actually think this had the potential to be a really good lyrical romantasy. There is enough questions in there that will make me pick this up when it’s finally released (as long as the publisher fixes their missing words issue) but for now I don’t have enough information to be able to recommend it to anyone.

This wasn't for me, sadly. I loved the premise, I love the setting, and the ideas here are great.
But there were simply too many things that I was the wrong audience for.
For one, I simply didn't like our main character Àn’yīng. In the first few chapters I actually loved her a lot, but as soon as she leaves her home and starts going on her adventure, and really as soon as she meets the love interest, I felt my interest in her waning rapidly. She is called strong by so many other characters and the first chapters do portray her as strong, both emotionally and physically when it comes to her fighting skills, but really, the second she leaves her door step she apparently forgets all about that. She considers herself weak in comparison to everyone around her because all of them had so much more training than her, her own skills rarely coming to the surface anymore. She has to be saved constantly by one of the two hot guys in her life, often in the span of just a few chapters. And this could have been done well if portrayed as a theme in the story, but it all comes down to her lacking any real agency because it's hot to be saved by handsome guys. She's rather terrible to anyone around her, too. And the way she's pushed into the chosen one trope makes very, very little sense. There is a twist later on that actually made me groan because it took away the one thing I actually found interesting about her and her interactions with the world.
The relationship with her main love interest is very instalusty and honestly very instalovey as well. He's also basically the same kind of love interest we've seen a thousand times over, and the twists surrounding him were so obvious I groaned. I didn't feel any actual chemistry between them, the interesting conflict there was never explored deeply. But that is a general gripe I had with the relationships in this book: They never felt deep. Even the friendship group Àn’yīng finds for herself, one that I was actually excited about when they were first introduced, ends up being shallow and overlooked. That also meant that certain more tragic plot points didn't hit at all for me, because I felt nothing for any of the characters.
There was also an issue with the pacing. For a trials storyline there are very few trials, and the ones that are there are either drawn out and thus don't even feel like a trial anymore or are rushed quickly to get from plot point A to plot point B. I also never felt like Àn’yīng proved herself in any way (besides, maybe, in the first one to a degree). She gets wins handed to her or has to rely on others for help, which she's never really grateful for.

So in the end, I absolutely do admit this is in many ways a case of a book not fitting this particular reader. I'm not usually a romantasy reader, and the ones I end up enjoying are always the ones going a little bit against the grain and doing things differently. Meaning, the usual romantasy tropes are often not something I enjoy, at least in the way they play out in a lot of the books. But there are also simply some craft issues here that took me out of the story and dampened my joy of reading. I still really like the world and the ideas and I think the writing is beautiful enough but I've simply read better versions of this plot and better stories in Chinese mythology inspired worlds.
2 stars.

Thank you Harper Voyager and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Set against the backdrop of a war against demons who have destroyed the mortal realm, Àn’yīng vows to travel to the immortal realm to compete in the Immortality Trials. There she aims to win the pill of immortal life and save her mother. A rival contestant is powerful, beautiful and intriguing. Can Àn’yīng keep her focus and save her family?
The Scorpion and the Night Blossom has everything I could hope for in a romantasy. Trials, a delightful enemies to lovers, beautiful friendships, intricate and unique world building and magic system, and twists and turns that kept me guessing.
I read the whole book in 4 hours, I just couldn’t put it down.

Review posted to TikTok (@bec.lf), January 8th 2025

There's so much to love in this book, I got completely captivated by it and devoured most of it in one day. The writing is lush and I loved Àn'yīng's character. She was fiery and strong in her own right but also deep down just a girl who wanted to save her Mum. Her journey into the Immortal Realm and the brutality of the trials and the other competitors brought a lot of action and intensity to the story, and absolutely kept me turning the pages to find out what would happen next. The last quarter of the book in particular was an absolute rollercoaster that I'm just glad I was tall enough to ride!

There were a few aspects that I would have loved to have spent more time on. The romance was full of chemistry but there wasn't enough time spent developing that spark into a deeper feeling, which I found frustrating once the plot twists started twisting. I don't mind some insta-lust but I am less of a fan of insta-love. Likewise the book raised some interesting questions about what makes a monster, and I was hoping it would delve deeper into the role of the immortals and their culpability in choosing to stay out of the conflict, however I'm hoping book two will get into this a bit more, and we'll get to see more characters who are demons and explore some nuance there as well. I absolutely can't wait for book two, either way!

i dnf'ed this book. i tried finishing it on three different occasions, and couldn't, unfortunately.

while this book was not for me, the audience for it is out there. i am someone who needs the romance in books to be slow; and this was not that. this felt very insta-lovey, and i really missed the slow burn in it. and considering the romance is a big part of the story, i couldn't really look past that. i also had some issues with the characters that i can't quite put into words.
i might give this book another shot in the future when i am personally in a better headspace, because i feel like i could like this better than i did. i will update this review accordingly.

DNF @ 20%

maybe if i hadnt just read an awful book where i shouldve DNF-ed but instead pushed through until the end (and suffered), i would've read more of this to give it another chance but i truly cant do it😭 i'm not invested enough at this point, but also i feel like the characters already falling in love with each other was the biggest thing that made me ???? like you JUST met hello???🤨 but again, maybe im being too harsh after reading a pretty bland romance where it was insta-lust... either way i don't know if i'll come back to this (perhaps if there's a quote/scene i see online that hooks me?).

i will say the writing was gorgeous and i found the lore very interesting, unfortunately it just wasn't enough for me to want to continue. this is a definitely a case of a book being not for me during my current mood.

(also im sad because a certain book box had the most gorgeous artists lined up for this book😭 why does this always happen to me so often)


Thank you HarperVoyager for gifting me an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

"You have poisoned me, little Scorpion, and I would gladly let you do it over and over and over again"

The Scorpion and the Night Blossom was both beautiful and heart-wrenching at the same time.
This was so beautifully written, and the story was so addictive that I couldn't put it down. I had to know what was going to happen next. And now that I finished it, I need the next book so badly.
I loved it so much, I just hugged it afterwards.

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

"This is for the cdrama girlies."
That's me. I have become a cdrama girly.
I have also read up about Xianxia (to sum up stories where the MC strives to seek immortality) and I want more of this.

This story is quite complex without overwhelming the reader, and it's more dark and adult than the author's previous dilogy.
There are trials - a trope which I've grown a bit tired of - that are quite intense. There's a clear motive for the FMC, and an interesting romance blossoming.
What I liked most about it though is the dive into the question of "What is a monster? What makes a human?"

What I didn't like so much is that the author - as in her previous series - writes much better male characters than female protagonists. There's a chance you will end up annoyed with the FMC and in love with the MMC. This makes me a bit sad, because I want to root for the FMC as well.

Overall I felt well entertained with some ups and downs. Cdrama for the win!

4/5 stars

Thank you @netgalley and @harpercollins for the eARC!

#TheScorpionAndTheNightBlossom #Netgalley #Bookstagram

This book was a rollercoaster of emotions and morally grey vibes I couldn’t get enough of. 🦂✨ Eternal night, ravenous demons, betrayals left and right—this story ate and left no crumbs. Let’s dive in because I have THOUGHTS.

🦂Àn’yīng: The Little Scorpion Who Could:
My girl carried this book on her back. She’s fierce but flawed, desperate to save her mum, and constantly struggling with her own morals. The betrayals she faced? 🫠 My heart HURT for her. Every step of the Immortality Trials felt like watching her get broken down and rebuilt, and I loved her resilience.

🔥Yù'Chén: Dangerously Hot™:
Can we talk about this morally grey masterpiece of a love interest?! I spent the entire book debating if I should trust him or not. Spoiler: I didn’t care because he’s the ultimate "I’m toxic but also protective" type, and I was HERE for it. That quote: "You have poisoned me, little scorpion, and I would gladly let you do it over and over and over again"??? Sir, take my soul. 🫶

💔 The Romance:
The tension between Àn’yīng and Yù'Chén was immaculate. Every stolen glance, every quiet moment ("If you don't leave now, I don't know that I have it in me to let you go again.") made me swoon. And that ending? "Maybe, I could have loved him without knowing it would burn down the world." I’M UNWELL. 😭

The Crew: Misfit Vibes Only:
Li'Ling, Tán'mù, and Fán'xuān were the squad I didn’t know I needed. 🛡️ They brought levity and loyalty to a world full of darkness. Watching them form their own little found family amidst the chaos was so satisfying.

Villains That Slay (Literally):
Sansiran and Yán'lù? TERRIFYING. 😱 Effective villains through and through, their motivations and actions kept me on edge. I love a good villain you hate but also respect.

Plot Twists and Trials:
Okay, I did see Hào'yáng's big reveal coming, but some of the deeper twists about his past? Total curveballs. ⚡️ The trials themselves were brutal and high-stakes, and every moment felt like survival hung by a thread.

Quotes That Live Rent-Free in My Head:
Zhao’s writing is chef’s kiss. 🌌 Some standout lines:

"Then I want you to ruin me."🫠 YES, RUIN HER, YÙ'CHÉN.

"I have the feeling I am falling into an endless night of stars with him holding me." 🖤

"Perhaps it is those who have experienced darkness who can shine brightest."🕯️ This one HIT.

💔 “Maybe under different circumstances, in a different lifetime, the stars would have been kinder. Maybe, I could have loved him without knowing it would burn down the world.”

🖤 “You have poisoned me, little scorpion, and I would gladly let you do it over and over and over again.”

✨ "Perhaps it is those who have experienced darkness who can shine brightest."

Why 4 Stars?:
While I loved the vibes and the slow-burn tension, a few plot points dragged, and some elements felt predictable. That said, the emotional impact and the setup for the next book? A+.

Final Thoughts:
If you love cut-throat competitions, morally grey love interests, and vibes that’ll wreck your soul, pick this one up ASAP. Àn’yīng and Yù'Chén have poisoned me, and I’m not even mad about it. 🦂🖤🌸

(Side note: Yù'Chén and Hào'yáng give major Grim and Oro vibes (Alex Aster, I see you 👀), and, in case you can't tell from this review, I'm a Grim girlie through and through, so I’m dying to see how their relationships evolve in the sequel. )

Was really looking forward to reading this but unfortunately my copy of the arc kept missing lines out and so I only read a few chapters such a shame as the whole setting of the book and what I DID read was incredible. Cannot wait to read this properly when I get a physical copy

In a world plagued by the mó – soul-devouring demons – Àn’yīng enters the perilous Immortality Trials to win a pill of eternal life and save her dying mother. But survival demands more than bravery; she'll face lethal challenges and ruthless rivals.

I literally flew through this book without being able to come up for breath. I was HOOKED right from the beginning, and I just KNEW I would love it as soon as I had read the first sentence. I always hear people talk about the magic of an amazing first sentence in a book, but this was the first time I had to reread one just to savor its brilliance.
The story dives right into the action, it is fast-paced, and the picture drawn by the writing is beautiful and magical. While the fast pace kept me engaged, it occasionally felt too rushed, leaving little time to process key events or fully immerse in the emotional weight of certain moments. Nonetheless, I loved the vivid storytelling and the images it conjured. The magical system, inspired by Chinese mythology, felt fresh and immersive, and the vibes were top-tier.

I adored the dialogues between Àn’yīng and Yu’Chen—I often reread them because they made me feel giddy with happiness. They were the perfect blend of emotional, playful, and witty.
Yu’Chen was a total delight from the moment he stepped onto the stage, and nothing and no one could ever make me hate him.

Overall, The Scorpion and the Night Blossom is a thrilling, fast-paced read with vivid storytelling, a magical world steeped in Chinese mythology, and a romance that will melt your heart. If you enjoy epic trials, lush writing, and rivals-to-lovers tropes, this book is not to be missed.

Big thanks to HarperCollins UK and Netgalley for providing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Review posted on 11th January, 2025;
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7180668375)
TheStoryGraph: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/7f0c54c2-330c-4dd9-9efb-a036f5e0c99a

4.25 stars!
This is my first Amélie Wen Zhao book, and I was very impressed. This is the first book in the “the three realms duology”. The story follows Àn’yīng, a skilled fighter with her crescent blades and trained ancient art decides to enter the Immortality Trials, so she can secure the pill of eternal life to saver her dying mother. Along way finding a charming rival contestant, Yù’chén with a secretive past.

I enjoyed several aspects of this book, such as the fast pacing and the plot that grips you in instantly so you can’t put it down, but also the combination of the world building and unique magic system with Amélie Wen Zhao’s writing is so beautifully well done.

Be prepared for a lovable and fierce main character, a story with a few plot twists and a thrilling romance.

I can’t wait to see where this story goes!

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK/HarperFiction for providing me with this free digital review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

We follow Àn’yīng’s journey from the Kingdom of Rivers which has been ravaged by demons for the past 9 years - terrifying creatures from the Kingdom of Night, who take beautiful, ethereal human forms to lure in their prey, before devouring their souls.
Àn’yīng has already lost her father, her mother is a shell of her former self, and she is desperate to protect her younger sister, so she sets out to the Kingdom of Sky to take part in the immortality trials, and hopefully bring home a pill of eternal life (which is the only thing that can save her mother).
She hopes that she will develop as a magic practitioner along the way, so that she can return to her homeland better equipped to protect those she loves, but all is not what it seems… and neither are the people she meets along the way.
The author’s descriptive prose was so stunning, I could almost smell the flora, and the world she created was truly magical, despite the impact from the war.
I loved the character building, and following Àn’yīng’s progression within the immortal realm - of course there’s a morally grey MMC to draw you in, AND a heroic golden boy.