The Blood Orchid

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

WARNING - this review contains heavy spoilers if you haven't read the first installment of this series called 'The Scarlet Alchemist'. If you indeed read it, I encourage you to check out <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5158644493">my review of it</a> before reading this one, simply to get familiar with the fact that I'm obsessed with Zilan & co :p

<b>"Is he dead?"
"Shut up," I said. "He's clearly not."
"Nothing is ever clear with you."</b>
TSA was my book of the year in 2023, and The Blood Orchid is definitely a nominee (as there are some teeny tiny details I would've rewritten, but not enough to not make this book a solid 6 stars) for 2024. Why? Let me tell you a story about a broken heroine (tbt my fav kind), prince in distress (also my fav kind, what can I say, Kylie Lee Baker simply knows how to hit all my jackpots!) and a duck named Durian.

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<b>I had made too many mistakes to be the hero that I'd once wanted to be. Maybe it was time that I stopped seeing myself as anything but a curse. Alchemists had to destroy in order to rebuild, after all. I would save them all in time, but my hands hadn't been clean for ages, and I might as well stop pretending they were.</b>
As I assume you're already familiar with the cast (if not - seriously go read The Scarlet Alchemist right now or else you gotta regret your life choices) let me tell you - I was as heartbroken as you were finishing TSA. And actually pretty mad at the Fan siblings. And the author herself - WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT ENDING (tho to be honest it's my favourite kind of one - let's say Allegiant ending but for book one, not the last one, which means a lot of shenanigans to bring my beloved character back in a sequel). So I knew I'll be simply suffering till TBO arc drop - and the moment it did, I felt alive once again, tho it did take some time for my heart to beat again. If you think the author would be merciful enough to make us at ease in the first 100 pages, nah, most of the book, I don't think you remember we're talking about Kylie - once you dive in, the game of uneasiness begins.

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<b>They still believed in the Scarlet Alchemist who had seized her dream at all costs, and I couldn't bear to tell them that she was dead.</b>
Fans trio is f*cked, literally. They got a broken kingdom on their shoulders, and a personal tab of people to revive growing every few chapters. So they decide to leave so-called empress Yufei to keep their sh*t together in the palace once the other two embark on a journey to actually learn how to bring body-less people back to life. If only their task would be this easy - without an uneasy feeling that there's a shadow of the past following their every step, that might actually not be just a shadow in the end. At least they have Durian - their lucky alchemic duck coming to their rescue with a bunch of sus looking golden eggs.

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<b>"What comes after the river plane?"
"The end."
"That sounds... perfect," I said at last.</b>
Let me tell you, at this point I have a very special cry saved for this series, once that makes me feel like I'm tearing my own heart out of my chest with claws covered in alchemy rings with pretty stones. So even though I wasn't a fan of the first half or so part of the book (because it simply didn't feature my fav cast - imagine going through a book of Triss Prior, Caleb Prior and Peter Hayes of Divergent going on an adventure together for the most of the book - as a fan of Four I'd feel like something's simply missing and I'm left mostly with characters that are annoying me - so is the feeling I had with this part) once more and more characters of book one were appearing I;ve started to remember what was so strong about TSA. And I'm not talking just about the romance with oblivious princeling (as for obvious reasons it was a bit cut out of this sequel) - it's the epicness of how Kylie Lee Baker is able to spin conclusions to her stories. The way I was gagged several times, with simply vavavoom-ness of a moment (there's for example a sudden change of POV, which had me speechless for how well it was executed), or the way the plot is still making sense by the end (which tbt is kinda lacking in books nowadays) not in a cheesy way, but like 'well deserved ending for everyone'. So yeah, even though it doesn't scream 'you won't read any better book this year' like The Scarlet Alchemist did, I'm still amazed with this ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read of mine and I know it's a strong candidate for my BOTY nonetheless.

Kylie - thank you for making my heart finally at peace (after having it in your clutches for the past year) - now I'll happily get into The Keeper of Night waiting for Bat Eater to drop, Authors who're able to end their books so well are hard to find gems that need to be treasured!

I loved the first book of this series so much, I was super excited to dive into this one!
I enjoyed this one just as much, and it was a very satisfying conclusion to the story overall.
I very much look forward to reading more from this author!

The Blood Orchid is a brilliant conclusion to a wonderful duology. After the conclusion of The Scarlet Alchemist I was excited to read what happened next and it didn't disappoint. The search for Penglai Island dived into more of the history of the alchemists which was nice to see.

Travelling with Wenshu provided a lot of great banter especially with his current vessel. There was an unexpected return of a character who provided a great contrast between all the characters personalities which made for good comedy!

Everything gets wrapped up nicely in this book and if you enjoyed Zilan's story in the 1st Novel, I highly recommend picking this up. I will be reading Baker's other novels after this unique duology!

Thanks to Netgalley + Hodder & Stoughton for this arc!

This was THE follow up to the first book that we needed, it was well paced and everything was explained in detail.

Zilan honestly is a trooper, she goes through so much this book and so much growth. There are still so many threats on her journey but she has her family and new friends to help along the way but also many enemies to deter her. She does seem very lost this book, she wants to help the kingdom heal and move on from life gold but in setting out on this path she lost the love of her life, the prince.

I was captivated by the history, language and alchemy/magic throughout this story.

<blockquote><b>"You don't even know what you're asking for."
"I'm not asking," I said sharpening one of my iron rings into a spike </blockquote></b>
This book is a total rollercoaster turned sideways in contrast to the first book. New unlikely friendships forged, meets and greets from the dead, and loads of alchemical transformations!

I loved that Zilan continues to be a badass and yet shows more of her vulnerable sides ~(>_<。)＼ Yufei and Wenshu were total smartass sidekicks and wholesome puppies throughout the book and durian the cute demon duckie saves the day!

<spoiler>And it's a happy ending!</spoiler>

The Blood Orchid was a spectacular sequel and finale to the Scarlet Alchemist dulogy. Zilan's journey was fraught with many setbacks and tribulations. The writing is impeccable and filled with tension, together with a villain who is smart, resourceful - leaving Zilan to be wary from every corner. I loved every bit of it and the characters and plot was wonderfully written with beautiful prose.

A unique blend of horror, tension, love and friendship - particularly those around family with an ending that is emotionally well-written and will pull on your heartstrings. The Blood Orchid is one–if not the best ending to a duology I've read with a special magical/alchemic system that is unlike any other.

There were several parts of the novel that completely blew me away. However, I feel that the best part of the novel was the inclusion of a an unlikely ally in another Alchemist whom we met in the Scarlet Alchemist. In TBO, we learn a lot more about Alchemy and secrets and reveals about the practice. There were many scenes in TBO that left me in shock and keeps me on the edge of my seat. In TBO, we meet many other alchemists and some who are unwilling and running toward Zilan, her brother and their ever=faithful duck Durian. Despite fewer scenes with Hong, Baker excels in keeping readers hooked to the page and there was no shortage of twists and surprises.

I can't wait to read Kylie Lee Baker's future books and she is without a doubt, one of the best writers there are in the industry.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an eARC in exchange for review!

A brilliant thrill ride of a sequel to a powerhouse of an outstanding Book One. I loved every moment of this and can't wait to see what happens next.

An epic conclusion to a great series. We pick up right where the first book ends and its go, go, go. I love a quest and these characters are on a non-stop mission. Throughout the journey there’s plenty more alchemy, gore and some new interesting characters. I adore the sibling relationship in this series, this really shines in this book. Another thing that shines is Durian the duck, he is there along for the ride in all his glory. I love how he helps them out. You just have to read to find that out. This book has less romance, definitely more focus is on the adventure and the FMC personal development. I really enjoyed it. Lots of fun. Highly recommend. Who doesn’t love a satisfying conclusion. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC. This is a voluntary review of my own thoughts.

First of all, many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for granting me a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I have a bad habit of waiting very long to pick up sequels, even if I really really loved the first one. I don’t have the best memory, so most of the time I end up forgetting the finer details (and sometimes even more), which always makes it more difficult to get into a sequel and fully enjoy it. SO i’m very grateful that Kylie Lee Baker included a couple of ‘’throwback’’ moments!! It wasn’t exactly an actual full blown recap, but more like a couple of moments where the main character Zilan reflected on stuff that happened in the previous book, which kind of felt like the author nudging the reader and going ‘’you know about this already but let me remind you real quick).

Because of this I was almost immediately drawn back in the fascinating world that Baker created with The Scarlet Alchemist (and it’s sequel!). Without counting the nap breaks I took, I think this only took me around 3 hours to finish? Which is very fast if you consider I did this while working 2 (almost) full days.

While I already loved the first book a lot, I can confidently say I loved The Blood Orchid even more!! Didn’t even realise I missed these characters until we were reunited. While the first novel was more focussed on the romance between Zilan and Hong, this sequel had it’s focus on the family bond between Zilan and her 2 cousin, which I found extremely refreshing to see. while I am a romance driven girlie myself and was in a bit of a withdrawal during this book, the heart wrenching family love definitely made up for it. Idk i’m just a sucker for families unconditionally loving each other, despite of everything going on.

And fear not, if you’re into happy endings, you will not be disappointed with this one. (I was stressing for a small moment though, never play with my heart like that ever again).

4.5/5 stars rounded up to 5 !

Read this if you enjoy:
✨ #historicalfantasy
✨ Chinese History (Tang Dynasty, Wu Zetian)
✨ #strongfemalecharacters
✨ Evil antagonists
✨ Action packed, adventure style plot: collect them all
✨ Minimal Romance
✨ Superb worldbuilding, unique magic system (alchemy)

📚 𝑻𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔:
In a duology, or in any series for that matter, the second book is always the hardest to write. There are so many variables to consider: how to maintain momentum to ensure readers continue to be interested in the story, ensuring consistency in characterization and plot, and providing a fruitful and satisfying resolution, among others.
#thescarletalchemist is one of my favorite reads of the year and, in my opinion, one of the best #historicalfantasy novels I have ever read. The interesting premise and Kylie Lee Baker’s masterful storytelling left a deep impression on me, and I was really excited to read the sequel. So when I received the ARC for The Blood Orchid, I couldn’t have been more thrilled.

And TBO did not disappoint at all. In fact, I think it surpassed all expectations and is, in my opinion, an even stronger piece compared to TSA. Kylie is a master at managing suspense and tension—I was kept at the edge of my seat, dying to find out what was going to happen next. You can expect excellent pacing in this sequel. Notably, while the first book follows a “tournament” plotline, TBO has more of an “adventure” or “collect-them-all” plot. It is action-packed right from the get-go, and you will find yourself struggling to catch your breath as there are no filler scenes or dialogues.

The worldbuilding remains EXCELLENT. I cannot believe how much more we got to learn about the history and the alchemical system and principles of this fantasy world. If the first book felt more like historical fiction, TBO is definitely more magical and fantastical. As with TSA, Kylie’s understanding of Chinese history and mythology shines through clearly in TBO. Importantly, the writing is so easy to follow and digest that I would highly recommend this series to a reader new to this genre. Also, LOVE DURIAN THE DUCK SO MUCH!!

We meet new characters while learning more about old ones. Two characters left a deep impression. First, Zheng Sili, the unlikely and unexpected ally. His character development is superb, and I am sure fans of TSA will be excited to read more about him. Secondly, Empress Wu Zhao is one of the best villains I’ve ever seen. Her ruthlessness scares me, and her rivalry with our FMC (Zilan) was exciting to witness. For those who were hoping for more romance between the Crown Prince and Zilan, there may be some disappointment, but I, for one, was not. For me, the romantic subplot was minimal even in the first book, and Hong himself was never a prominent character. I love it when romantic plotlines remain an undercurrent in fantasies, allowing the main plot to shine; if I wanted to read a romantasy, I would. In fact, I thought the dynamic and tension between the female protagonist and antagonist were more interesting to read about.

Overall, this is a really strong sequel, and it ties up the duology brilliantly. I can foresee some disappointment regarding the conclusion, but I loved it??? I thought it was a great blend of romance, fantasy, and hope. The final line is perhaps one of my favorites: “Maybe the key to eternal life was never gold, or youth, or an island free of pain and suffering, but just the dream of tomorrow that can never be extinguished, a hope that endures even when its leaves are wilted, purple petals unfurling without fail in the morning sun.”

What a stunning conclusion to this incredible duology! The Blood Orchid was everything that I could have ever wanted in a sequel. And honestly?? I loved book 1, but I am absolutely obsessed with book 2. The story starts off with a bang, taking you straight back into Zilan’s adventures as she tries to find the mythical Penglai Island, the source of alchemy and a place where life can be restored to what it was. But this journey comes with its own challenges and dangers. With enemies at every corner and a kingdom in disarray, Zilan has a lot facing her. And she deals with it, by being determined and pushing through, no matter the setback. Her character arc and development over the course of two books was absolutely incredible; and the ending she gets is perfect.

I also really enjoyed learning more about alchemy in this book as the story progressed. The world building is just as captivating as it was in book 1. Even if you read book 1 a while ago, it is quite easy to grasp. In terms of the pacing, the action starts from chapter 1 and doesn’t slow down one bit, which I personally enjoyed a ton. I have always been a fan of Kylie Lee Baker’s writing and this book was no different; the writing was incredible, very gripping and very immersive.

The Blood Orchid offers a very satisfying conclusion to what has been a series full of adventure, magic, resurrection. With incredible characters, a world inspired by historical China, and an alchemical magic system reminiscent of Fullmetal Alchemist, this is a truly riveting duology.

After having read The Scarlet Alchemist, I could not wait to read The Blood Orchid. Devoured it in one setting. Loved the duology. Fan Zilan is a complex protagonist but you'll be rooting for her all the way. Beautifully detailed world of an alternate Tang dynasty.