Book Name: The Scarlet Alchemist
Author: Kylie Lee Baker

ARC
Thank you to NetGalley and Inkyard Press for an ARC of The Scarlet Alchemist by Kylie Lee Baker

Stars: 5
Spice: 0 (YA)

book 1 unfinished series
CLIFFHANGER
Fast-Paced
FMC POV
High Fantasy Reimagining of the Tang Dynasty
Romance is subplot

- Tropes
- angry/unhinged female protagonists
- evil duck?
- commoner/crown prince
- Grumpy/sunshine
- forced proximity
- Thoughts.
- highly immersive and vivid writing,
- I was definitely not expecting that ending.
- I need book 2
- I need it

The Scarlet Alchemist absolutely floored me with its emotional depth, earned brutality, immersive world-building, and vivid prose. I was absolutely devastated when I reached the end that I immediately went back to read Kylie Lee Baker's previous duology to help tide me over until the next installment in the Scarlet Alchemist series.

I love the cover, and I thought I'd feel the same about the story. However, instead, I was confused. There are way too many characters, especially with the cousins. The storyline was somewhat depressing, which I wasn't expecting. Some parts were way over the top.

An intriguing and well plotted story set in a Chines setting and featuring a strong MFC.
I like the plot and appreciated the style of writing.
There's echo of other books with similar setting but it's original and well done.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Overall Rating - ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
World Building - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Character Development - ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Content Labels/Warnings - Murder, gore, manipulation, necromancy, misogyny,

Overall Thoughts; Man where do I even start. I mean, I really enjoyed this. I wasn't even done it and was already recommending it to people. This has a really nice balance of fantasy and reality. Super engaging. I also enjoyed that it had explications for time lines and what things were based on at the end, I love when authors do that. This is listed as a YA book, which I don't completely disagree with, since the protagonist is young and there isn't any sex in it, but there's plenty of don't read it if you're squeemish and I do think the writing is more than adult enough for adults to enjoy it as well (as in I'm 29 and I think it's great)

Plot; My favourite component of this book by a landslide. I think the plot was exceptionally engaging and borderline flawless. Literally from the very first event, I was hooked. And even starting with such a high stakes event, the stakes raised with every plot point still, so it just got more and more exciting and made me want to read it more. And it did. I ,100% stayed up until 4am reading from the last 75% until the end cause I couldn't stop. Now, I will say that while I'm excited that this book ended leading into a sequel, because I do want to read more, it definitely could have been a solo book, like ending where it did was also satisfying, albeit in a different way than a second book will be. Still plot, so good.

Characters; The characters definitely are a product of their time. The misogyny is real. Which was infuriating, but mostly because it was accurate time line wise (or at least of other older communities, I can't say I've actually studied the Tang dynasty). But the main characters were all very distinct and I like that they had little quirks good and bad, even the kind of minor or smaller rolled characters. I also think all of them grow in ways that work well with the plot points to add tension and plot drive when needed, which was also super satisfying. And the growth was also good. It wasn't always linear, and it wasn't always for the benefit of the story, which made it feel more real to me. These characters are definitely memorable.

Romance; I like all of the relationships, I think they're all done well overall, but this I think is actually the weakest point, and not just the romantic relationship, but even the plutonic ones. And I don't even think it's cause they're not good, cause they are, they just feel sped up a little unnaturally to fit the plot points. My biggest example is with the prince, it felt like they went from 0-100 basically overnight. It also happens with the Moon Alchemist, and a bit with the cousins, albeit to a much lesser degree. I don't think it takes away from the story, and it does feel like it was the places the relationships needed to be, just a little faster than I was feeling.

Writing; I have no notes, this is right up my alley writing wise. Lots of foreshadowing that doesn't make sense until it does, no events that just kind of happen for the sake of it. The stakes kept getting higher and higher all the time, it was great. I enjoyed the writing a lot.

There is just something about Kylie Lee Baker's writing that is so addictive. I always find myself speeding through her books. Her worlds are always extremely immersive that I cannot help but feel like I am standing right next to our main character. Her magic systems are always make sense and I never find myself questioning anything when reading. In this book, I really loved Baker's reimagining of the Tang Dynasty and it was super interesting to see how it was inspired, while still feeling very unique. If I am being honest, despite the novel being addictive, I did find the pacing to be extremely fast - maybe I would not have felt this way if I wasn't consuming this story in a matter of a day and half, but there were certain plot points and relationships that I felt developed to quickly for my writing. However, the ending of this book completely changed the game for me and I NEED to read the sequel because what the fuck!!

this reminded me a lot of a magic steeped in poison, but the competition felt more deadly and there’s alchemy/necromancy instead of tea. This book also had an interesting twist and I loved the ending, but would love to see a second book!!

"No one truly believed in death until it happened to them."

Zilan feels trapped, and despite her incredibly adept achemist skills, there's always someone watching, and always another trap.

This book feels like a cross between Red Queen and Bone Shard Daughter, with a powerful protagonist whose gift for dark magic may be her salvation or her undoing.

Obviously she feels trapped. And every time she sees a way out, it gets snatched away. Death hovers. And not in a friendly comforting way.

This novel is a dark adventure perfect for witchy season.

In this series opener by Kylie Lee Baker, The Scarlet Alchemist takes readers into an alternative Tang Dynasty China.
Zilan dreams of becoming a royal alchemist making gold that keeps people from aging. She hopes to move above her station as a poor Southerner and provide care for her aunt and uncle who have raised her since she was young. She keeps the family fed by resurrecting the dead, an illegal and tricky practice. When she is allowed to travel North to take the Imperial Exams, she is drawn, not only into politics but into a world of dangerous monsters—and some of them are human.
As with her last duology (The Keeper of the Night, The Empress of Time), Baker creates a vivid and in-depth world of magic taking inspiration from historical people and events. Baker explores her heritage with detailed research and great desire. She includes notes about the history and reality behind ideas, places, and people allowing readers to differentiate fantasy and reality.
There are some key similarities between both series which are developing to be key characteristics of Baker’s literature. I love that she includes strong female protagonists who are morally grey. This makes the characters complex and fascinating. The author also includes romance as well as loss and despair keeping the books from becoming sappy. Other big themes include sibling relationships and what it means to be family, belonging and exclusion, as well as culture and heritage.
These themes take a different layout though in this novel, creating a unique story that readers are entranced by. Focusing on alchemy, (the magical version, not the iron-into-gold “science” of the past), Zilan is powerful in her own right harnessing great magical power. She is raised by her aunt and uncle and considers her cousins siblings. The three head to the royal seat testing for jobs that will raise them above their station. These mundane actions are contrasted by the magic Zilan and other alchemists can do and monsters created by selfish and evil hands.
The Scarlet Alchemists proves Kylie Lee Baker is not a one-hit wonder. This historical fiction adds a touch of fantasy that makes it stand out from other books in the genre.

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. I really enjoyed this and will be getting copies for my shop.

"During the Tang dynasty, Chinese alchemists tried to create an elixir of immortality. This story is what might have happened if they'd succeeded."

The Scarlet Alchemist was such an interesting and well-done read! I really loved how the author gave insight into the connections between the story and real history at the end of the book.

"Tang Dynasty alchemists experimented with minerals such as arsenic, mercury, and lead in the hopes of attaining immortality. Five Chinese emperors died from ingesting their concoctions."

This book was surprisingly macabre. So... I guess trigger warning? If skin slipping off "dead" bodies, blood, and skin scrolls bothers you... this book probably isn't going to be for you.

"Gou Jau Gam's skin tore like wet paper, splitting at the base of his neck, syrupy black blood oozing out."

In The Scarlet Alchemist, there are twists and turns I didn't see coming, scheming politics, and a discussion about rich privilege.

"I began to realize that evil was not found in the demons or spirits we could ward away with fragrant flowers, but in the men who thought that everything on earth could be bought."

"It was different because he kept his money for extravagant pets while we spent all ours to stop from starving."

"The fact is, Zilan, this world was made for a certain kind of person, and it's not you, or me, or anyone who was not handed greatness at birth."

Overall, this was a fantastic read. I think what is keeping me from giving this book 5 stars, is perhaps the main character, Zilan. Zilan is an impulsive 17-year-old who lacks the wisdom and insight for making these "life or death" decisions. Her ignorance and naivete took away from the read for me, because I got so frustrated watching her decisions result in the deaths/harm of others.

This is a young-adult historical fantasy novel, the first in a duology set in an alternate Tang Dynasty China. Zian is a poor biracial girl seventeen years old with has the ability to raise the dead. She is in her aunt and uncle’s store when a man comes into the store without an appointment to have his brother back to life. Zian says no initially be cause is usually done behind the store and gets paid first. He finally gets his way and goes to shut and lock the door. Will the brother come back to life or? The rich are given preferential treatment as they want to live forever. Zian and her brothers have been studying fir the tests that will give them a role in government. Zian hopes to past to become a royal alchemist. When a prince finds out she bring about life for the dead, he gets Zian involved in the royal’s politics which can be dangerous. .Zian gets caught up in the dangerous political games of the royal family. Will she survive?

This dark book is full of gore and blood and amazing story telling!! I read this in one sitting and loved every page! This one with its alternative history is one I hope to get book two soon!!

Brutal and fast paced, this was such a good read. I was pulled in by that beautiful cover and this book didn't disappoint.

Zilan was a flawed and intriguing character that I loved reading from. While she does seem to bit of an unlikable main character, it worked so well in the context of this story. Her sense of family worked well with her rather ruthless anger.

I do wish that the romance had worked a little better for me. It seemed to go too quickly for my tastes. I felt it needed more of a build up to get better emotional ties.

Excited to see where the sequel goes! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-arc!

I really enjoyed this quite a bit. I'll be intrigued to see where the story goes from here and that's always a good sign.

The Scarlet Alchemist is the new series by Kylie Lee Baker. After enjoying her other duology, The Keeper of the Night, I was excited to see what this new one had to offer. The story follows Zilan, a poor merchant’s daughter, who dreams of becoming a royal alchemist. The world is an alternate version of the Tang Dynasty in China where gold and alchemy play a large role. Her abilities are soon needed to help the Crown Prince, Li Hong, which sets up a whole new adventure for Zilan. Her perspective was great and interesting, and I believe she carried the story well. She is a hot head in moments, yet she must keep herself and her family safe from danger.

The pacing of the story is slow to start and then picks up speed all the way to the end. The novel wraps up slightly where it is not a huge cliffhanger, but still sets up the characters and plot for the sequel. The build up to the climax of this story was compelling and this novel was difficult to put down. I liked how there is still more to come in the sequel and cannot wait to read it. This story contained a lot of twists and turns with different dangers and political intrigue. Zilan was a great character, although I wanted to learn more about the other characters. Since there is still one more story, there is still a lot of potential in the series. Overall, I cannot wait to see what Baker has to offer next!

**I give a special thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, Inkyard Press, for the opportunity to read this enjoyable novel. The opinions expressed are completely my own.**

"People in power cannot fathom breaking a world that already vows to them."

I am convinced that Kylie can do no wrong and this new book proves it! The Scarlet Alchemist follows Zilan who dreams of leaving her impoverished village alongside her cousins and becoming a palace alchemist making gold for the rich to eat so they can live forever. In the meantime she performs highly evil (and illegal) resurrections of people in her village.

After fighting to get to her exams in a world that hates her for being the trifecta of poor, biracial and a woman, Zilan is approached by the Crown Prince himself, begging for her help to bring someone back to life - himself.

Embroiled in court politics, with killers on the loose, Zilan just wants to keep herself and her cousins safe, while providing for her aunt and uncle. I love seeing her growth as she makes more friend-ish in the palace and her growing fondness for the Crown Prince.

From the world building, to the vivid settings and the beautiful imagery of alchemy - this book had me hooked from the beginning. I don't love gore, but for Kylie, me and my squeamish stomach will put up with it. Zilan does not want to be a hero but the sheer opulence of the palace makes her rage against those the crown uses. It's incredible how Kylie is able to weave the themes of class divide throughout this breathtaking fantasy novel.

The last 20% of this book is sheer explosion, one after another, leaving me with whiplash as I beg for the sequel.

rep// Chinese - White MC, biracial rep

cw// colorism, racism, classism, gore, death, violence, blood

Thank you to the publisher for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Beautiful cover, which is what drew me in and also the blurb from Chloe Gong! I like the fusion of historical fiction and fantasy, also love a strong heroine! I'd definitely recommend this book to others to read.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I think I'm just forever going to be obsessed with stories inspired by Wu Zetian.

The Scarlet Alchemist is so brilliant. It's a brutal, politically intense story that touches upon classism and racism.

The MC, Zilan, is your typical unhinged angry female character. She's not likeable but you love her anyways because she will not hold back to achieve her goals. She's self centered, stubborn, and reckless. The scene from her first alchemist trial is seared in my brain. I really enjoyed all of the plot twists and turns. There were a few that I predicted but for the most part I found my jaw dropping quite a bit. There's also something about romances with these kinds of stories that just dig their way into my heart. The romance is in no ways the main focus, but I could not help but drink up every bit of it.

I loved every page of this book and cannot wait for the sequel. I will also be picking up the author's previous works after this!

4.5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Inkyard Press for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Inkyard Press for the ARC of this book!

Zilan is a poor biracial young woman who lives in an alternate Tang Dynasty China where alchemy is real and practiced. She dreams of becoming a royal alchemist and provide for her family by keeping the wealthy young forever. She also has developed some self-taught skills including bringing people back from the dead. One day a strange man appears at her home asking for her help to resurrect someone-- himself. She denies the offer and enter the deadly competition that is the imperial exams. While there she finds out this man is actually the Crown Prince and he suspects someone is trying to assassinate him. Political games, relationships, monsters, and a magic system based in science makes this world feel unique and intriguing. Can't wait for book two.

The Scarlet Alchemist is a dark fantasy that grips you from its first grisly chapter all the way to the end. And make no mistake, if you are squeamish, this book may not be for you. It is full of blood and death and dark magic and resurrection and violence. But it’s also full of love and heart and the desire to do good.

Set in an alternate Tang Dynasty China, The Scarlet Alchemist follows Zilan, an orphan who has been raised as a daughter by her aunt and uncle. She’s a skilled alchemist who dreams of moving to the capital with her cousins where they’ll become royal scholars and she’ll become and royal alchemist.

Zilan is a strong young woman who — even though she knows good and evil must be balanced — doesn’t see the world in black and white. She doesn’t have that luxury. Every move is calculated and deliberate, always moving her forward. Zilan is bold and smart and flawed. Her imperfections make you want to know her better.

The supporting characters of Zilan’s cousins, the prince, the empress and other alchemists are somewhat fleshed out, but most are never fully realized. While the prince gets the closest, I would have liked to know more about the empress and her motivations.

Author Kylie Lee Baker is an excellent storyteller and worldbuilder. She seamlessly combines the two, never straying too far down the other’s path. Her writing is smooth and her ability to get into Zilan’s head is commendable.

The Scarlet Alchemist is the first book in a planned duology. I look forward to reading it’s sequel.