Member Reviews

I forgot to leave a review for this, but I really enjoyed it! It's been out for ages, so I won't say much more than I need to for my star rating. <3

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Rating: 4.5 stars

Zilan Fan is an orphan who lives with her two cousins and her aunt and uncle in Ancient China. She is also an alchemist. Her family is poor so she uses her alchemy to raise people from the dead and make some extra money. The only way out of her circumstance is for her to become a royal alchemist. Will she be able to achieve her goal? Or will the trials be too hard?

I really enjoyed The Scarlet Alchemist! The characters were intricate, the magic system was interesting, and I love the historical Chinese setting and cultural aspects throughout the book. The pacing was good and I was interested the whole time. I wanted to know what Zilan would do read the second half of the book on one day. This book slightly reminded me of The Poppy War, but less graphically violent. I didn’t know there was a sequel coming out and now I am so excited for it!

Thanks to Frenzy Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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Now this is what you call a good book! I haven't had much time to really read recently due to college but this book had me locked in from the first chapter. I really really hope there is a sequel!

10/10

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I really enjoyed this! It was so much more than I expected, and the romance side story was really well done. My favorite part was the sibling/cousin relationships within the story, the family dynamics are extremely well done. I also really liked all of the twists and turns and reveals, and it really does make you really need the next book in the series.

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I love returning to Kylie Lee Baker! Amazing audiobook and captivating story.

World Building
I loved the historical roots of this book and the inspiration that the Chinese Empress Wu Zetian and her reign had to offer. The different provinces of China and the socioeconomic status of the various characters was portrayed in detail and this helped build a clear picture of the world. Names, dialects and professions as indicators of social status brought about prejudice and stereotypes from the general population and I liked this detail, especially as it related to Zilan.

I can’t remember the last book I read which had alchemy and that was another unique aspect of The Scarlet Alchemist. I enjoyed this type of magic with its dangers, gemstones, innovations, and grounding in the five elements. Zilan has been a diligent student of her father’s notes and has been a practicing alchemist for a long time. This really comes in handy during the exams as her education has been more practical than theoretical. I enjoyed her strategies and problem solving skills.

The use of gold for prolonging life and how it was causing a further divide between the rich and poor was portrayed very well! Zilan’s childhood in the South and her occupation as a merchant teaches her a lot. She is a keen observer of the human condition and is not afraid to use fear. There was a scene in the book when Zilan had to interrupt a meeting between the crown prince and his advisors. Knowing them to be privileged men, she uses their aversion to sickness and death to her advantage.

I hadn’t expected the consumption of gold to be described as euphoric but, in hindsight, it does make sense. Gold is pivotal to the Empress’ efforts for eternal life and an uninterrupted reign. I liked the perspectives offered by the Moon Alchemist.

The Pace & Narration
The pace of The Scarlet Alchemist was addicting. We read 4-5 chapters a day and sometimes, it was easy to lose track of time and read on ahead. It is full of trials and tribulations at every step. The stakes were high, whether it was the imperial exams or surviving in the capital. At the end of the day, Zilan might be strong but she has the naivety and enthusiasm of one who hasn’t lived long enough yet. The Moon Alchemist tries to impart some lessons to her but it is only later that she understands them. By then, it is too late.

Many thanks to the publisher for a review copy of this book via NetGalley for an honest review.

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Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

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Genre: Historical Fantasy
TW: PLEASE CHECK
Spice: None
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 [3.5/5]
Format: E-Book & Audio
Review written by: M

I truly enjoyed the historical aspects of Ancient China throughout this book. It truly brought this book to life in a way only Historical Fiction/Fantasy can. The entire premises of the plot was extremely enticing, along with a stunning cover!
 
Zilan has only had one dream since she can remember, to become a Royal Alchemist. By doing so she would not only be able to leave her impoverished village of southern China, but she would also be able to provide for her family. Resurrecting the dead illegally, for a price, isn’t a long-term solution. As she faces more challenges than most due to her heritage, she strives to succeed her imperial exams, but little did she know that being a Royal Alchemist was a dangerous game once political games and lies begin to unravel. With her secret and illegal past threatens to surface she must decide where her alliances lie.
 
Unfortunately, this book did take me a while to truly get hooked. I was enjoying it, but it wasn’t until the character the muddy duck scene (can’t say anything else without spoiling it) that the book began capturing my attention.
 
The authors’ writing style was fantastic. Her descriptions were extremely vivid It allowed me to paint a very vivid image of the surroundings easily in my head.  It has awakened a want to explore more Chinese inspired fiction.
 
The ending did feel rushed and left me wanting more. The building of the climax was built up for so long only to have it peak right at the end leaving the last few pages to feel rushed. I am hoping that we get a lot more clarity in book 2.
 
Genre: Historical Fantasy
TW: PLEASE CHECK
Spice: None
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 [3.5/5]
Format: E-Book & Audio
Review written by: M
 
 *Thanks to NetGalley and Inkyard Press for providing an E-ARC in exchange for an honest review*

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I thought I was done with the whole " poor village girl goes to city meets Prince and falls in love", but if I had been I wouldn't have read this and found a new appreciation for "magic potion girl from small village goes to big city meets Prince and fixes the world". Zilan is part of a cast of memorable characters in a unique world of magic told in prose that wraps around you until the final page.

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I definitely enjoyed this book. From the story, to the alchemy, to the characters; this was fun to read, although it’s not a light hearted read lol. It is very easy to digest and moves at a decent pace. Things happened that I truly didn’t seem coming which is always entertaining if not jarring lol. But I really liked it all. I felt like the overall world building wasn’t super detailed, but it’s still very interesting!

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KLB has quickly risen on my top authors list. I really enjoy how she reimagines Chinese history while bringing in new aspects to the lore. I really enjoyed the full metal alchemist vibes.

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I got the galley for this and wasn’t able to read it before it came out and I’m so upset I had to wait this long, because the Scarlet Alchemist lives up to the hype. I saw the author’s TikToks about how it was inspired by Fullmetal Alchemist, one of my favorite works of fiction of all time, and was immediately interested, but I had no idea how much I’d enjoy it on its own. I haven’t read any original YA (non-IP) in a while, and at first was hesitant, because while I love the genre, it hasn’t been right for me as I grew older. I’m so glad I gave it a chance, because it masters the best of YA that makes it approachable to many audiences.

There’s a lot or discourse about “tropes” either in popular books themselves or used in book marketing lately, and this book really exemplified how popular tropes can be present but still be interesting. Even when I thought I knew what was going to happen, I was still riveted at how it would occur. The main character is far from stereotypical, and her relationship with multiple siblings and a bit of an ensemble cast stands out through the whole book. The ending is BREATHTAKING, and the combination of both speculative historical fantasy and clear inspiration from other pieces of media was blended so well.
Maybe I have a soft spot for a necromancer who will do anything for their siblings because of FMA and MDZS, but the Scarlet Alchemist still feels fresh and interesting.

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This ended up being one of my favorite reads from 2023!

- Dark YA Fantasy
- Blood & Gore
- Alchemy School/Guild
- Strangers to Bickering Allies to Lovers? (Medium Burn)

Baker has improved since her debut and I'm in love with this book. I'm impatiently waiting for book 2!! This was darker than what I expected it to be for a ya fantasy. The magic and world building is so well done. The internal and external struggles that Zilan and others face are done so well - the side characters don't feel hollow and actually enhance the book. Scarlet Alchemist is everything I enjoy in a book, it was so good!! <3

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3.75✨

Fantasy. YA. POC author.

The Scarlet Alchemist takes place in an alternate history China and tells the story of Zilan, a lower class biracial girl from a merchant family who risks it all in an attempt to pass the alchemy exam in a world pitted against her.

This book was not what I was expecting! There’s necromancy, assassination attempts, and a world where the rich eat enchanted gold to extend their lifespans. The magic in this book was so different from anything I’ve read before, and the plot (and twists) were top notch. I loved Zilan as a main character, and I couldn’t help but root for. I also appreciated a lot of the themes in this book like the commentary on the socioeconomic gap as well as the feeling of not belonging because of being different.

The part of this book that didn’t quite work for me were the side characters, the beginning, and the end. I didn’t hate any of these, but the side characters, particularly Zilan’s cousins, were weaker characters to me. Also, it took me a while to get into the story at the beginning, and the end, kind of came out of left field, leaving me feeling confused and unsatisfied. I don’t know what that’ll translate to in the next book, but I’ll definitely be picking it up.

I’d recommend this book to readers who enjoy a good non-western fantasy that plays on history and has a strong, female main character.

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This book started off really interesting. Giving both A Magic Steeped in Poison and Poppy War vibes, I absolutely adore the poor rural girl has extreme magical powers, against all odds goes to the capital and wreaks all havoc vibe. And the book is beautifully written, with really fascinating worldbuilding. However, I found Zilan incredibly annoying, the MMC to be very one-dimensional and overall the plot was rather precitable. There was a lot of potential for this book, and I am intrigued by the next book. I will say the end plot twist was one I did not see coming at all. It's just the execution on this book fell a little flat for me. However it was definitely one of those books I found hard to put down, I raced through it.

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The unique subject of this book and the endearing characters really had me enjoying this! I had never read anything about using the stones/metals of the earth for alchemy and that was really neat. I enjoyed the main character because she had so many relatable traits to her. The plot flowed at a quick enough pace and I enjoyed the twists we got. I would definitely recommend others reading this book.

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I could not put this book down. I was so fascinated by Zilan and the blood alchemey, I was always wanting to learn more. I think the twist to this book was fantastic and played well within the storyline. The cliffhanger ending also has be already wanting the sequel. Overall a great read.

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The Scarlet Alchemist is a solid four star YA Fantasy for me. Does it have tropes? Yes. Is it formulaic? Yes. But, those are positive qualities when an author is skilled enough to make them work, and the author of this book definitely knows what she’s doing.

Fan Zilan, a seventeen year old girl growing up with her aunt, uncle, and two cousins in the city of Guangzhou, Guangdong Province China. Her mother died when Zilan was around four years of age while her father seemingly abandons her and her mother in their biggest time of need, when Zilan’s mother was gravely ill. Because of this, she grows up identifying her extended family as her immediate family. She even calls her cousins Wenshu and Yufei older brother and older sister out of both love and respect. Despite their closeness, however, Zilan always feels like a third wheel, like she doesn’t belong, and that if her cousins had to choose, they would choose each other over her. This is completely unfounded, but that’s what fear and anxiety is afterall, a bunch of nonsense.

Zilan finds texts from her father in his belongings. These texts turn out to be about his theories related to alchemy. Zilan takes to the text and decides that her life goal will be to become a Royal Alchemist even though she is from a poor country province and most Royal Alchemists had formal education. That doesn’t deter Zilan though. Along with her cousins Wenshu and Yufei, she has bigger dreams of securing an elevated status and bringing in more money for the household. So, from a young age, all three of them plan together, study, and train to make the household proud. Unbeknownst to the adults, they also perform alchemical resurrections in their spare time to bring in more money on a day to day basis. The kids are super talented.

The adventure in Zilan’s story begins when she prepares to take her entrance exams to become a Royal Alchemist. Actually, they begin a little before that when she meets a handsome stranger asking her to come to the capital city of Chang’an to help resurrect him before he’s actually murdered. She says no, of course, because she has her priorities straight. Family first. However, after she gets to Chang’an, she discovers that this handsome stranger is dull-witted, over-privileged but sweet as honey Crown Prince Li Hong. That’s when the adventures in both love and honor both begin.

This book has great characters and great character development. Zilan is strong but not overly strong. She makes mistakes and learns from those mistakes. Her cousins are side characters that get a lot of interaction, so their development is also pretty good. It’s not as great as that of Zilan’s, but we don’t spend as much time with them. Therefore, that is definitely expected. Prince Li Hong is a cinnamon roll character who means well but doesn’t know anything. He’s endearing. In fact, he comes off as a little too endearing. So much so that he made the top of my villian list. The only true let down of the characters and the character development was that of the Empress. Her character was a tad bit of a caricature. She could have benefited greatly from more scenes.

The setting is spot on historical fiction with a touch of magic and a dose of fantasy. If you have ever watched movies set in historical China (think Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and such), that’s what you get here. If that’s something that interests you, then you would definitely appreciate the setting of this book.

There are quite a few twists and turns in this book. Some I saw coming. Others I had no clue whatsoever about. I also didn’t see the ending unfolding like it did. I expected a totally different outcome. Highly recommend it if you like YA Fantasy with an historical Asian setting.

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While slow to start, this book picks up as the mystery around Zilan’s abilities and the royal family’s secrets begins to unravel. If you want to read a book with an alchemy-based magic system, a slightly unhinged FMC, and a romance with a prince, pick this book up!

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You say necromancy, I say sign me up. The Scarlet Alchemist is set in medieval China and follows a young woman as she seeks to prove herself as an alchemist - despite not having the same education or training as her competition. Her journey leads her into a world of court intrigue, romance, betrayal and more.

If you're looking for a dark, twisted YA fantasy, KLB is your woman. I love the worlds she writes, and the way she throws you right into the story with a distinctly atmospheric writing style. While being a very dark world and having a pretty dark plot, there was enough humor thrown into this novel to offer balance and keep it from feeling overly bleak.

--4.25/5

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

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I received a copy of this book for a fair and honest review. I had never read any books by this author before. So I did not know what I was getting myself into. This book left me broken and feeling all sort of things. The characters are so multi-dimensional, the descriptions are so bold and vivid, and the adventure is twisted and crazy in the best of ways. I will have to look what else comes from this author and see if it has the same impact on me.

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