Amelie wen zhao always manages to capture my attention with her writing.
I am such a huge fan and was over the moon when i got the arc of this book.

was i rooting for the wrong person? a tiny bit.

I know he was kinda of bad but we do love a bad guy ;)

the main female character knew her strenghts and use them well.
I did love the trial vibes and the fact that they have to win them to get the pill of immortality.
And even if he's bad in theory he helps her out?

The ending i need more i do not give up on my crush yet

The Scorpion and the Night Blossom is the first book in the duology "The Three Realms", that leaves you eager to continue with the sequel.

The beginning chapter effectively establishes the story's sinister atmosphere and the dark, perilous environment Àn’yīng endures. Years ago, her father’s soul was fully consumed by a higher demon, ending his life. The same demon partially devoured her mother’s soul, leaving her practically a living corpse. Àn’yīng has no choice but to enter the Immortality Trials to save her mother’s life. In this deadly competition, she meets Yù’chén, who is so multi-dimensional and compelling. He’s my favourite character in this book and I loved his interactions with Àn’yīng.

I appreciated Àn’yīng unyielding loyalty to her family and you can really feel her love towards them. However, there were times when I was frustrated with Àn’yīng. In a way, I could understand her actions to a certain extent, but at times I felt she was too harsh.

I admired how the book delves into what defines a monster and the prejudice individuals face for being born the way they are. The fast pace of the story made it an exhilarating read. It was packed with so much action that there was never a dull moment. While I found the plot predictable, it didn’t detract from my enjoyment. I loved how the story was executed and it’s a captivating setup to book 2. I can’t wait to find out what happens next!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for the e-ARC!

This was such a magical and captivating read! I adored the Chinese culture brought into the story, and it was so lovely recognising some of the Mandarin terms from my time growing up in Singapore.
The story is very well written and I never wanted to put the book down as the drama unfolded.
The characters are compelling and I really felt the tension between the FMC and MMC. I did not predict some of the twists in near the end, and I was on the edge of my seat! I can't wait for the the continuation of this story.

Thank you so much to HarperCollins UK for the ARC via NetGalley and for giving me the opportunity to share my honest thoughts on the book.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book. A gorgeous 4 star read book from me. What an exciting plot, vivid storytelling and relatable, rich characters. I could put this book down – absolutely loved it.

I've yet to be disappointed by any book I've read by Amelie Wen Zhao, and this one was no exception!
The writing bring really beautiful imagery and I loved Amelie's way that she writes romance.
Such a page turner, and I can't wait for more!

This book has such excellent world building, and was full of characters that gripped me. The enemies to lovers romance was so brilliantly done, I was desperate for more ... And the twists at the end have me dying for the sequel!

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

For the lovers of C-Drama...This one is definitely for you!

The Scorpion and the Night Blossom is an enthralling read which follows Àn’yīng, a young woman who enters the Immortality Trials, a deadly competition with an enticing prize—a pill which grants eternal life. This item is one of which Àn’yīng is desperate to obtain, to help save her dying mother. Along the way, she meets Yù’chén, a mysterious and ethereal competitor, with many secrets about his past.

In a xianxia-esque world where demons roam the realms, this story with lush descriptions of scenery along with fast-paced action and swoony forbidden-love romance is sure to take your breath away. There were many twists and turns to this book, some of which I saw coming (but it did not make it any less enjoyable!) and others I did not—but overall it was a whirlwind a book. What stood out to me the most was how this book really highlights the prejudices and judgement that people can face, just because of who they are and what they are born into.

I have to admit, I found Àn’yīng and her decisions quite frustrating at times. Her feelings were quite fluctuant and sometimes she was not as strong as I would have hoped (I found she needed saving quite a lot), but I do admire her fierce loyalty and protectiveness over her family and her sister.
Yù’chén on the other hand was more of an interesting character, with more layers and depth and mystery. I liked Hao'yang and would love to know more about his backstory, and I found Li'ling adorable.

Overall, this was a lovely read and I am sure lovers of C-drama and xianxia themes would love this book. Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the ARC, I really enjoyed it!

Actual Rating:4.25

If you’re a fan of stories inspired by Asian mythology then ’The Scorpion And The Night Blossom’ should definitely be on your list of books to check out in 2025. And if, like me, you also happen to have a weakness for vampires then you may well be on the road to finding a new favourite. Granted the beings that I’m referring to are demons and not the undead but when they come from the ‘Kingdom Of Night’ and many thirst for blood the vibes are undeniably there, leading to me swiftly finding myself besotted with this wondrous world.

One thing I’ve noticed with the stories I’ve read so far with roots in Asian mythology is how beautifully they’re penned and this one is certainly no exception. Whilst reading there were numerous sections that struck me, painting the world, emotions and sentiments so beautifully that I was awestruck. Somehow this was my first time reading a book by Amélie Wen Zhao but it certainly won’t be my last if all of her writing is as enticing as this. Similarly I was utterly captivated by the vivid manner in which she brought her world to life. There were moments of magic and wonder alongside lots of darkness, danger and despair, resulting in a world that was utterly addictive to explore.

Many of the mythical features of this story I’ve come across before in other similarly inspired tales but I truly enjoyed seeing this authors take on them which breathed new life into familiar themes. The way that the ‘magic’ within this world worked was fascinating and I adored unravelling it with Àn’yīng over the course of the novel. What truly stood out to me though was the depiction of demons within this world. Giving some of them a vampiric edge utterly captivated me from that very first appearance, creating dark beings that I couldn’t help but find myself fascinated by. There’s a variety of other beings within their world too and each was brought vividly to life, varying in many ways. In all honesty I think this is my favourite approach to the demons of Asian mythology that I’ve come across to date which is truly saying something.

Character wise everybody felt believably fleshed out and was intriguing to learn about. Àn’yīng and Yù’chén were my favourites but I found many other individuals fascinating too. Lì’líng I’d have loved to have seen on page a little more, as she vanished for a while, but I adored her and her fellow yāo’jīngs too. The chemistry between characters was delightful and I truly appreciated the unique manner in which Àn’yīng and Yù’chén met; if you want a meeting that stays with you, this is certainly what you’re looking for. Although I will admit that I found Àn’yīng’s bargaining a bit disheartening; the actual deals that were struck were perfect but the manner that she went about asking for them grated on me somewhat. Ultimately I understood her change in attitude but I did miss the earlier vibes involved with her and one other prior to their secrets coming out.

Other than that the only thing really holding me back from giving this five full stars is a slight questioning of Àn’yīng’s course of action when one of the trials starts up and the fact that Yàn’lù felt a little repetitive to me. Granted that last factor made sense by the end of the novel which showed a level of planning that I hadn’t quite predicted. Everything clicked into place beautifully and there were lots of revelations involved that caught me off guard, threads pulling together in a way that enthralled me.

Overall I certainly recommend checking out ’The Scorpion And The Night Blossom’ and can see it delighting many a fan of the genre. It’s an action packed novel set within a beautifully depicted, danger ridden world; it has the most intriguing demons that I’ve come across, romance to melt your heart and twists that will leave you itching for more. Plus it’s penned in a beautiful manner that will leave you instantly enchanted. Needless to say I cannot wait for the sequel to release.

Although I haven’t seen a copy of this book in print yet it looks as if it’s going to contain a truly stunning map which I can’t wait to see in person.

I’m still trying to process this book. wow. just wow.

I was not expecting this story to affect me as it did. I have to start by saying that I absolutely hated the way Àn’yīng acted towards Yù’chén for the majority of the book. I was really close to giving this 4 stars instead of 5, simply because I just couldn’t take him being her personal punching bag anymore. alas, I decided to trust that the author was doing everything for a reason.

moving on, the plot is so well done here. it’s incredibly fast-paced and you’re always at the edge of your seat because the stakes are genuinely high. there’s no room for failure or mistake, not for Àn’yīng and her duty to save and protect her family. I admired her tenacity and willingness to do anything for the people she loved. also, the world is painted so vividly, you can almost feel as if you’re right there, too.

while, as I said, I didn’t appreciate Àn’yīng’s behaviour towards Yù’chén, I do have to admit that, over the course of the book, she grows and shifts her views in regards to the halflings she encounters on her journey. it was rewarding to see her overcome her preconceived notions and form close bonds.

and Yù’chén 😫 I have no words. he’s truly my favourite thing about this book and nothing will change my mind. my heart hurts for him and he deserves the world.

there were a couple of twists and turns in this book, some of them I anticipated and some I didn’t. and, like I mentioned before, I am firmly on Yù’chén’s side ♥️

I really hope the sequel goes in the direction I want it to, or else I’m gonna be really disappointed haha

A captivating read from start to finish, full of action, adventure, mystery and romance. I loved every second of this!!

The Scorpion and the Night Blossom by Amélie Wen Zhao is such a good book. The story is fenomenal. I will totally recommend everyone to read this book as fast as they can.

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!