Series Info/Source: This is the 1st book in The Scarlet Alchemist Duology. I received a copy of this on ebook to review.

Thoughts: I thoroughly enjoyed this fast-paced fantasy read. There is a lot of intriguing alchemy/magic and a main protagonist who is incredibly determined to leave her lot as a poor alchemist behind to become a lauded royal alchemist.

The story follows Zilan who lives in poverty with her two cousins, uncle and aunt. They just barely scrap by selling ceramic figurines for use in burial. Fortunately, Zilan and her cousins have a secret way of raising money...Zilan knows how to use alchemy to raise the dead. All three of them are desperate to journey to the capital, take their exams, and make a better life for themselves. Only none of them know how dangerous the capital city has become under the rule of the current Empress.

I loved Zilan's determination to work through the huge challenges thrown at her. The relationship she has with her cousins and the relationship she develops with the Crown Prince were all very well done.

I also adored the alchemy in here and the magic. The whole idea of balance is something very innate to alchemy and the way that was explored in regards to the resurrections throughout the story was fascinating.

The story moved fast and was full of magic and danger. I loved the creepy pearl-leaking monsters and the crazy stone combinations the alchemists used to do amazing magic. There are some excellent plot twists in here that actually had me gasping in surprise.

This is a pretty dark and vicious story but I don't think it ever wanders outside of the young adult genre. There is a lot about death in here since the ultimate power of the alchemists is to resurrect people...with a cost. The story ties up at a good place without a huge cliffhanger but does prepare us some for the next book in the series.

I also very much enjoyed some of the commentary in the afterward on how alchemy was seen in China during this time period. There is so much more to it than just turning things into gold. It was fascinating to read about the actual history behind alchemy.

My Summary (5/5): Overall I really enjoyed this a lot. I loved the characters, the intriguing magic, and the fast-paced, unpredictable plot. This was impossible for me to put down and I stayed up way too late finishing it. I am excited to read the second book in the duology to see where things go. If you are a fan of action-packed dark fantasy or just alchemy in general, I would recommend this. It's just all around very well written and very entertaining. I plan to check out other books written by Baker as well.

I'm not sure where to start because The Scarlet Alchemist is a trip. I was first intrigued by the promise of a female-centric story comparable to Full Metal Alchemist. FMA is one of my favorite anime and I am always down for more strong female-led books, especially ones like what Baker has done here with the history and world building. Once I started, I could not stop. It was pretty much everything I wanted, right down to the explainable alchemy, the concept of "half", and the idea of what would we give up in order to keep our loved ones alive and near us a little longer.

What I did not love is when we were wrapping up at the end...Baker went full sequel with this. I'm not saying we don't deserve a sequel, because I would love to read one. What I'm saying is it seems pointless after the character growth to not just raise the dead to then go on a journey to raise the love interest (which is what I assume will happen in the second book). I felt a little disappointed by the ending and I actually was hoping there would be more character death than who were actually killed. It felt cheap.

Otherwise, The Scarlet Alchemist was brilliant. I don't know how a sequel would compare but I can imagine this will be very popular.

Well now….I was definitely not expecting that ending.

Whiskey tango foxtrot!

I’ll admit for the first half I skimmed a bit and was prepared to give this book 3 stars. It was good at that point, but not gripping me enough. Then things started to pick up. By the time I got to the last 25% or so, I couldn’t put my kindle down. I needed to know how this would end.

Now I’m done and I’m sitting here and all my thoughts are jumbled. I won’t say anything spoilery but dang, what just happened‽‽ And when does book two come out cuz I need it STAT.

Title: The Scarlet Alchemist
Author: Kylie Lee Baker
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 5 out of 5

Zilan dreams of becoming a royal alchemist, of providing for her family by making alchemical gold and gems for the wealthy to eat in order to stay young forever. But for now, she’s trapped in her impoverished village in southern China, practicing an illegal form of alchemy to keep food on the table—resurrecting the dead, for a price.

When Zilan finally has the chance to complete her imperial exams, she ventures to the capital to compete against the best alchemists in the country in tasks she’ll be lucky to survive, let alone pass. On top of that, her reputation for raising the dead has followed her to the capital, and the Crown Prince himself seeks out her help, suspecting a coming assassination attempt.

The more Zilan succeeds in her alchemy, the more she gets caught in the dangerous political games of the royal family. There are monsters lurking within the palace walls, and it’s only a matter of time before they—and secrets of Zilan’s past—catch up with her.

I enjoyed this so much! There were several surprises here: I was always guessing what would happen next—and I was usually wrong, which is refreshing for a reader who is rarely surprised. Zilan is a character I really liked and empathized with, and I was wholly invested in her struggles. I also really enjoyed the Crown Prince, and can’t wait to find out what happens next.

Kylie Lee Baker grew up in Boston. The Scarlet Alchemist is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Inkyard Press in exchange for an honest review.)

(Blog post live 10/6).

Thank you NetGalley and Inkyard Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

In an alternate Tang Dynasty China, alchemists are able to extend life using special gold, and some members of the court have been alive for over a century. Fan Zilan is trapped and impoverished in a village in southern China with her cousins and resurrects the dead in secret. She dreams of taking the imperial exam to become a royal alchemist, though she has very little idea what, exactly, the cost is. Soon she becomes entangled with the Crown Prince and realizes just how dangerous the imperial court is.

I read Baker’s debut and liked it well enough, so I was curious to see how this one would play out. I was super pleased to find that I really, really enjoyed this one and many of the quibbles I had in her debut were not present here. I really enjoyed the set up of this, and I loved that this was a book about alchemy, which is a magic system I’m always eager for (yes, Fullmetal Alchemist was a formative piece of media for me, what about it??? I won’t lie. I saw the author comp this to FMA, and I said, “I’m in.”). This book kept me on my toes and managed to continuously take interesting directions that did not feel out of left field, and I enjoyed all of the characters and the things that I most certainly did not see coming (which could’ve been a me thing, but I think Baker did a good job at not making some reveals too obvious beforehand). This was a buckwild ride and I really appreciated that Baker didn’t hold back from some pretty gruesome descriptions. I loved the way this ended and it hit upon some tropes that are catnip to me (which I cannot share because they are massive spoilers, but 10/10 execution, I think). I also enjoyed the exploration of Zilan’s biracial background, and how it directly affects her in her daily life.

There were some times when the book didn’t work perfectly for me. Some of these instances were basically one-offs (like the mention that there is maybe a genetic component to alchemy, because that concept just… didn’t exist yet…) and some that were larger, but I do think those are more about my personal tastes as a reader. Zilan is a great unhinged protagonist and I had fun reading her perspective. I understand her rage, especially because she’s a teenager, but sometimes she made choices that made me want to shake her and ask her to use her brain for once (which other characters in-universe do to her, so… I did live vicariously through some of them…). Some of her decisions lacked an incredible amount of foresight, which can be frustrating to read, but I also felt like I could grant her grace because she is, again, a teenager who is absolutely going through it and is never cut any slack. The odds are always stacked against her, and you can feel just how worn down to the bone she is. It’s not my favorite thing to read, but I think Baker frames it so it is understandable, and Zilan gets told off when she needs to be. I also felt the romance moved a smidgen too fast and I would’ve liked there to be more time between point A and point B, but there was so much other cool stuff happening that this wasn’t a dealbreaker for me. I thought the direction their relationship was taking made sense, too, so while I found it to be a bit rushed I understood where it was coming from.

Overall, I had a great time with this and am super eager for the sequel. Baker kept me engaged throughout and never failed to take an interesting yet believable turn, and I loved the alchemy and wonky soul stuff happening here.

Zilan lives with her cousins, aunt and uncle in a poor village in southern China, and keeps the family fed by secretly resurrecting the dead, a form of illegal alchemy. But her dream is to become a royal alchemist where she can freely practice her self-taught skills and her family would never want for anything again. When Zilan finally gets the chance to sit for the imperial exams, she finds herself in the capital, competing against hopefuls from around the country, all much more highly trained that her. Even more concerning is that her ability to resurrect the dead has somehow slipped out and the Crown Prince himself turns up on her doorstep to seek her help, certain that there is a plot to assassinate him. But the palace is a dangerous place, and the more success she finds in her alchemy and the more talented she shows herself to be, she is drawn further and further into the deadly political games afoot within the royal family.

I must admit, I had a lot of doubts about picking up this book because the last title I read by this author, The Empress of Time, I did not enjoy at all. However, the premise was just too intriguing to pass up.

The magic system was a fascinating one and I don’t think I’ve read a book focusing on alchemy before. I love this author’s style of world building, it’s so immersive and rich in detail that I feel like I’m right there alongside the characters. I did have a bit of context for the historical aspects of this story, though this was a retelling, since I did a little reading on this era when I picked up Iron Widow a few years ago. It’s not needed to understand the story but it definitely makes for a better reading experience.

One aspect I wish had been expanded on more was Zilan’s training with the royal alchemists. We did get to see a lot of the alchemy Zilan practises along with her resurrection alchemy, but I feel like a little more page time should have been devoted to this piece of the plot.

While the writing was excellent, the pacing was on the choppy side. It was quite slow initially, but once Zilan entered the palace and the main plot of the story began, there was so much going on that it was a little difficult to keep track of it all at times – alchemy training, the crown prince, the political intrigues and scheming within the royal family and Zilan’s own issues and secrets. The story did flow well though, which made it an engaging read throughout.

This book was more gory than I expected which caught me a bit off guard so it’s probably something to keep in mind while reading this.

Zilan was a great protagonist, driven and ambitious, but she was also a character that felt extremely human. Zilan was certainly no self-sacrificing hero and she frequently chose herself and her family over everything else, often ruthlessly so, and a character like this was refreshing to see in YA.

Some of the other secondary characters, didn’t have much development and given that several of them played major roles, it stood out for me. The crown prince in particular should have had a better arc and more depth to his character. This also led to the romance arc not being very enjoyable and kind of insta-lovey.

The last chapters were kind of chaotic and moved extremely fast in comparison to the rest of the book. I’m still not sure how I feel about the ending because it kind of took a left turn there. It did leave the story at an extremely interesting point however, with a cliffhanger of sorts.

The ending has set things up for a promising sequel. However, I’m a little concerned about it because The Keeper of Night ended on a similar tone and then The Empress of Time was a complete letdown. I also noticed several themes in this book that were very similar to The Keeper of Night series

Nonetheless, I think I’ll be reading the sequel whenever it’s out and fingers crossed it’s a good one. All in all, this was a fun read and I’m looking forward to seeing where this story goes next. For all fantasy fans, The Scarlet Alchemist is definitely a book that should be on your fall TBRs this year!

Plot: 10/10

The plot of this book is one of the best I've read in YA fantasy. While it starts with an exam and starts becoming more focused on rebellion, a not unheard of story in this genre, the way it is executed is simply amazing. The magic system and world, which really feels like historical China, pull you in, and there were so many good plot twists. While there might be some you're able to predict, there were plenty that completely knocked me off my feet. Then the material is a lot more mature and gory than one would expect from YA; it's visceral, and the consequences feel real.

The magic system of this book was perfect for this kind of story. There are rules and limitations introduced from the beginning that play a huge role in allowing those amazing plot twists to be executed. Also, I just find the inner workings of alchemy incredibly intriguing. The worldbuilding concerning the social situation of China during this alternate period also works really well for the plot. The decision to have the elixir of immortality imbued in gold was a great choice to both emphasize its wasteful, greedy nature and to exacerbate the wealth gap in a way that feels eerily similar to modern times.

Characters: 10/10

Zilan is an amazing main character. It's quite common for YA books to have these hyper competent characters that are the best in their field. It's fun, but it can feel unrealistic and as if they don't really face many challenges. Zilan is incredibly skilled, and she can do things no one else can, but she has a lot to learn. Her time in the palace definitely shows that, and there are a lot of moments where she is too impulsive or simply doesn't know how to go about something. Her competency feels real with plenty of scenes exemplifying how hard she's worked, but she also learns throughout the book.

Zilan's relationship with her cousins, Yufei and Wenshu, so close they're more like siblings, was particularly interesting. One thing I really liked about this book was that although there is a romance subplot, most of the interpersonal conflict came from Zilan and her family. Their relationship is incredibly complex; they're obviously very close, but there are so many odd circumstances surrounding their lives that it can be hard to tell where they stand with each other, which is used for some very compelling conflict.

The aforementioned romance was pretty good in my opinion. I'd like to see it developed more, but I get the feeling that the kind of incomplete vibe I get from Zilan and Hong is on purpose. They're both at very vulnerable points in their lives, and they find comfort in each other, but they both have a lot of issues, and I really want to see how their relationship works in the second book. Finally, one of my favorite characters was the villain, Empress We Zetian. She is unapologetically evil, and she's truly terrifying. She didn't feel one-dimensional, but she was also totally irredeemable and a villain that really felt like a threat. She outsmarts Zilan on multiple occasions, and she really brought the more dark tone of the story into the spotlight.

Writing Style: 9/10

The writing of this book was incredibly intense. It seems to prioritize modern readability over exactly matching the historical setting, but it rarely took me out of the story. This book honestly feels closer to NA than YA because of how dark and gory it was. As I mentioned previously, consequences in this book are horrifying and constant, taking a much more extreme turn than most YA books. There were moments where this book felt like it was verging on horror. For example, there is a scene where the empress and prince are eating gold in which they, while unchanged physically, become these voracious monsters, and it sent shivers down my spine.

I would say my one critique of this book would be that there are certain things that feel a little rushed. Trying not to spoil too much, that would be Zilan and Hong's situation, which sort of felt like it came out of nowhere, and when Zilan starts to take a more rebellious stand against the empress. However, it didn't detract from the enjoyability that much.

Overall: 10/10

This book was absolutely stunning. The characters were amazing, the plot constantly took me by surprise, and the writing is a great blend of readable modern language and the intense style that usually accompanies fantasy. Zilan is an amazing main character; she’s competent without being perfect, she’s ruthless and driven without being completely heartless. Her cousins, Yufei and Wenshu, are particularly interesting, especially concerning their relationship with Zilan and how complicated it is. The love interest is a good balance to Zilan, though I hope to see their relationship develop more. Empress Zetian is a chilling and horrifying villain who is truly a terrifying opponent. The plot was constantly twisting and turning, keeping me on my toes, and while I found some moments a little too fast paced and would consider this more NA than YA, the overall quality of the story definitely makes me want to keep this at a full 10/10.

This book has many wonderful elements: a compelling protagonist, historically-inspired setting, high stakes (plenty of scheming and intrigue), and well-rounded characters and character relationships. The story is narrated entirely from one point of view, which I enjoyed. Zilan's growth and character arc were beautifully done and made her a relatable character. Her relationships with her family (Wenshu and Yufei) were realistic, entertaining, and given the same importance as the budding romantic relationship with Hong. All the characters were fully developed and memorable.

Regarding the setting of the book, I appreciated the focus on Eastern alchemy and the exploration of immortality. I also enjoyed this depiction of Wu Zetian and the alternate Tang Dynasty. The worldbuilding felt vivid and immersive, incorporating issues that continue to be relevant, such as economic inequality, class division, and racism.

The plot definitely had its twists and turns, building a lot of apprehension, especially during the last few chapters. The sequel's direction is well-established, and I am sure there will be more shocking revelations and discoveries. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in alchemy, anyone who enjoys a historical, courtly setting, and anyone looking for a story with strong messages about making your own name and never leaving your chosen family behind.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this novel before its release date.

I LOVED this book! It follows the story of Zilan, as she attempts to follow her dream of becoming a court alchemist. The story takes place in an alternative version of ancient China, where alchemists have discovered the secret to eternal life. Zilan must fight against the prejudice of the court, being a woman and from the south instead of the more civilized north. It seems that everything is against her. Will the pressure cause her to crack? Will she overcome the odds against her, and fulfill her dreams? Is she even sure that her dream of becoming an alchemist is what she still wants?

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
I really enjoyed Kylie Lee Baker’s first duology, so I was excited for whatever she would write next. And when I saw the premise of The Scarlet Alchemist, I was even more excited, as the Tang Dynasty is one of my favorite time periods, and it doesn’t get featured in fiction nearly enough. Upon diving in, I was drawn into the premise that, following the deaths of prior emperors in the pursuit of immortality, Wu Zetian was able to accomplish it. With Wu Zetian being one of my favorite historical figures, I love how this book built on the mythos around her, not to mention replicating the broader cutthroat politics of the era, albeit in a fictionalized way.
Zilan herself also is a pretty interesting character. She’s ruthless in her attempts to scrape her way from her dire origins to obtain a position as a royal alchemist, including resorting to any means necessary to eliminate the competition. She’s very prickly, especially to those outside her family, but she’s also incredibly loyal and protective of those who love her.
With all the political intrigue and scheming, there’s a lot going on, and that keeps the story moving. The story does start a little slow at first, but once the journey aspect kicks off, it’s pretty engaging from that point on.
This is a wonderful start to what is likely to be an amazing duology, and I can’t wait for the next one! If you like historical fantasy, especially set in imperial China, I’d recommend checking this out!

A YA fantasy about a girl who dreams of being a royal alchemist but in order to survive and keep food on the table she practices an illegal form of alchemy which is necromancy pretty much, raising people from the dead. Word gets out and someone approaches her from the court and asks for help. So we have court politics, a rebellion of sorts, a darker element because of the mention of necromancy, honestly a great fantasy for spooky season.

<b>Title:</b> The Scarlet Alchemist
<b>Author:</b> Kylie Lee Baker

<b>Release Date:</b> October 3rd, 2023*

<b>Category:</b> YA Fantasy

<b>Synopsis:</b> Zilan dreams of becoming a royal alchemist, of providing for her family by making alchemical gold and gems for the wealthy to eat in order to stay young forever. But for now, she’s trapped in her impoverished village in southern China, practicing an illegal form of alchemy to keep food on the table—resurrecting the dead, for a price.

When Zilan finally has the chance to complete her imperial exams, she ventures to the capital to compete against the best alchemists in the country in tasks she’ll be lucky to survive, let alone pass. On top of that, her reputation for raising the dead has followed her to the capital, and the Crown Prince himself seeks out her help, suspecting a coming assassination attempt.

The more Zilan succeeds in her alchemy, the more she gets caught in the dangerous political games of the royal family. There are monsters lurking within the palace walls, and it’s only a matter of time before they—and secrets of Zilan’s past—catch up with her.

<b>Quote:</b> “Alchemists need to break themselves into pieces. They want to rebuild the world around them so desperately that they would give their blood, body, or soul. But people in power cannot fathom breaking a world that already bows to them.”

<b>The UnReel Take:</b>
<b>Story:</b> 7
<b>Writing:</b> 7
<b>Characters:</b> 8
<b>Setting:</b> 8
<b>UnReel AR:</b> 7.5

<b>Bottom Line:</b> I have a soft spot for historical fantasy, especially “alternate history” re-imaginings like The Scarlet Alchemist (“TSA”). Alchemy was actually practiced in both Europe and China, though they had different goals. TSA takes place in an alternate China, where the rich can stay young forever by eating something called “life gold”; make sure to check out the Dear Reader and Content Notes, where Baker explains how/where she diverges from real history.

I’m not going to say anything about the plot because it’s so fast-paced that the potential for spoilers is high. This break-neck speed makes TSA hard to put down, though some of the emotional moments might have benefited from having a bit longer to land.

There are some early info dumps, but they were interesting, so whatever. The writing could also be repetitive and there were some awkwardly incorporated flashbacks but, again, these are minor gripes.

The worldbuilding in TSA is incredible; vibrant and descriptive but never veering into florid. The settings themselves are opulent, which makes the darkness hit harder – and when I say dark, I mean DARK. TSA is technically dark fantasy, but it’s definitely horror adjacent. There is some disturbing imagery and most of the book deals with death (I mean, duh, the MC raises the dead for pocket money…).

Where TSA really shines is in the characterization. Not one character felt stock, everyone read like a real, flawed person. Refreshingly for a YA Fantasy heroine, Zilan actually learns from the numerous mistakes she makes, and tries to avoid making the same mistake twice. She’s determined and judgmental and I want to be her friend. Li Hong is one of my new favorite literary cinnamon rolls, and the cousins – Wenshu & Yufei – are so likable. There’s a mentor figure who actually gives solid advice and the MC relies on, and the antagonist is genuinely terrifying.

<b>Ideal Reading Location:</b> A duck pond. If you know, you know.

<b>Drink Pairing:</b> Tea, obviously, BUT it needs to be paired with any gold lame decorated snack.

*I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

See more reviews at the <a href="https://www.theunreeltake.com/book-library">UnReel Take</a>!

Okay, I could not put this down. I loved this exploration of an alternate version of the Tang Dynasty China and the whole atmosphere. But, what I loved even more was how relatable and yet ruthless the main character, Zilan, was.

The depictions in this book were so vivid that I felt like I was there. And, of course, the world-building was phenomenal. I honestly don't think I can say even one bad thing about this book. It was absolutely stunning.

Zilan comes from a poor family but has cousins that she considers her brother and sister. Each have their own talents, but zilan alone is so talented with Alchemy that she can raise the dead. During her Alchemy tests, she is only met with derision because of her status, but as it seems, nothing can hold her back.

I highly recommend this one!!

Out October 3, 2023!

Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc!

This was SO GOOD! I'm stuck between a 4.5 and 5 star. If you liked The Keeper of Night duology by this author, this one has a lot of similarities in the amazing settings, morally grey characters and super cool magic system, but in my opinion it's even better plot-wise. Lots of twists I didn't see coming, and lines that made me go WOW.

Definitely now an auto-buy author!

This did read more NA to me - some super graphic violence (including to animals but that was brief), swearing, etc.

*** A special thanks to NetGalley and Kylie Lee Baker for the eARC of The Scarlet Alchemist. ***

Baker became one of my favorite authors after reading The Keeper of Night in a day. Her storytelling is unique, dark, and captivating. The Scarlet Alchemist's enchantment is no different and had me strapped to my seat with the very first page.

The story follows Zilan during the Tang dynasty China, but with a twist. This is a fantastic fantasy where alchemists's have succeeded in creating an elixir for immortality. This is also to take place well before The Keeper of Night. I appreciated some of the similar elements.

I love the way Baker is able to write characters that you love and hate at the same time. That being said, I find her characters, Zilan even, are quite relatable. I personally loved Zilan's sharp and cool countenance. Baker's writing is flawless as always and moves with ease.

***I will an an updated review soon. I am in the process of moving, but wanted to share a quick stream of my thoughts.***

Some of my favorite quotes:

"Bags of gold could buy him many things, but my respect was not one of them."

The Scarlet Alchemist by Kylie Lee Baker is a worthwhile work of YA historical fantasy. The author hooked me from the beginning through the strong world building and plot and character development. I recommend this book!

Advanced copy gifted by publisher via NetGalley for early review.

Beautifully detailed and dramatically unhinged, in the best possibly way. Kylie is an expert at bringing historical elements together with strong female leads.

I read an eARC of The Scarlet Alchemist by Kylie Lee Baker. Thank you, NetGalley and Inkyard Press.

Zilan is an Alchemist who can bring people back from the dead, but living in the south as someone who had a parent who wasn’t from China, she dreams of becoming a royal alchemist and getting all the money she needs to live the life she wants. Of course, she isn’t supposed to bring people from the dead, but that doesn’t stop her or her cousins from performing the ritual in order to get the money they need to take the tests that will lead them to places working in the royal palace.

At first, it seems like she fails the imperial exam taking place in her town, due to an unfair and mortifying set of circumstances, but somehow she makes it and goes to the capital to compete against other top-placed Alchemists, all while dealing with a blatantly evil empress, a cinnamon prince that keeps dragging her into trouble, and just the prejudice of people who now not only look down at her because of her parentage, but also because she’s from the south.

Add to this, people being randomly murdered by assailants unheard and unseen and who leave gruesome corpses, well, Zilan starts to wonder if she just walked willingly to her death.

This book was fun for me. The darker parts were honestly so over the top that I was unable to take it seriously. There were often such ridiculous bullies, that all other characters disappeared, including the queen who might as well just yell out all her evil deeds, eat babies for dinner, and cackle evilly every time she talks. The main character did help here, I appreciated that she was gray morally wise. That doesn’t mean that she’s deep. I could name the type of character each person could be, and for this type of story, there was a small amount of named characters.

Overall, a fun, interesting story.

No one is writing unhinged females like Kylie Lee Baker.

Zilan would rather raise the dead than starve. Barely scraping by, Zilan practices her illegal alchemy behind closed doors, all while dreaming of being a royal alchemist. When she finally gets a chance to prove herself in the capital, she is shocked at the grim lengths she will have to go to earn her spot in the palace. When the Crown Prince seeks her out for help, Zilan is entangled in a political assassination attempt that has been years in the making.

Kylie Lee Baker does not hold back when creating ruthless protagonists. Zilan is not an optimist. She relies only on the powers her alchemy provides. Outside of her immediate circle of family, she is brash and harsh, often making decisions that disgust those around her. She does not hesitate to wipe out the competition, through whatever means necessary, in order to be a Royal Alchemist and attain the wealth that comes with that. For all purposes, she should come across as an unlikable character, but her motivation is her family. Her deep-rooted love and fierce need to protect them drive her decisions, which immediately endeared her to me, despite the morally questionable decisions she makes. We also see her tenderness and vulnerability in her desperate desire to find her place: in her family, the palace, and in herself. She never quite feels like enough of anything, and this soft side completes a well-rounded and lovable main character.

The Scarlet Alchemist is just as dark and twisted as Baker’s debut duology, except with royal politics. The fantasy twist on the Tang dynasty was brilliant. Baker added mythology and magical elements while keeping all the brutality and culture of the original events. I’ve read very few books with alchemy in them, much less death/blood alchemy, but I will definitely be picking up more. It was such a fascinating element, and really added to the darkness Zlian already has inside of her.

I couldn’t put this book down. Between the political intrigue, morally ambiguous characters, and quick-moving plot, this book has everything I want. If you love books like The Poppy War and A Darker Shade of Magic, this book is right up your alley.

Just be prepared for the worst cliffhanger of an ending.

Thank you, NetGalley and Inkyard Press, for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own!

I loved this book! I will definitely recommend it. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.