This was a fun start to a new fantasy (romantasy?) duology by Amélie We Zhao! Àn'yīng is a young woman who is determined to compete in the Immortality Trials so that she can save her mother's soul after it had been taken by a Demon. On her way, she's sidetracked by other competitors, and then it's just a whole waterfall of events after that.

Though an enjoyable read, it was a tad predictable. It took me a bit to get into it, and once I was into it, I still had some questions about how some things worked out. Unfortunately those would all be spoilers!

Read if you like the trials plot, and if you like the idea of mortals and immortals, and Chinese mythology and lore! 3.5ish stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and Delacorte for the e-ARC!

While reading this book, I thought it would make an incredible C-Drama, but this one has a happy ending. This one has kind of a cliffhanger - the main character was able to accomplish her goal when she joined the immortality trials, but throughout her journey, she “befriends” a demon and she finally meets her guardian - the one who got help from her late father. There were so many twists towards the end which made the book a lot more interesting. Not sure if there is a second book but I will definitely check out the authors previous books!

This is book 1 of a wonderful duology.
The cover art is gorgeous!
I really enjoyed reading this book, am a total sucker for fantasy series.
I can't wait to read book 2
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC

3.5

The Scorpion and The Night Blossom is a Chinese folklore inspired fantasy novel that follows main character, Àn’yīng. She ventures on a journey to the immortal realm to compete in a dangerous trial for the opportunity to win a pill of immortality, which would save her mother’s life.

I enjoyed myself while reading this, but did not find it particularly page turning or memorable. The imagery was nice and I did feel immersed into the story. I enjoyed the characters, but also feel they could have been a bit more developed. Àn’yīng was a bit wishy-washy, her constantly changing her mind felt a bit like whiplash. I actually really enjoyed Yù’chén’s character, though I did find his character arc predictable. He’s meant to be very charming and he absolutely is! I liked the romance aspects, but it did feel rushed too. While the beginning left me underwhelmed at time, the story picked up a lot in the last 30% and was very exciting. I would be compelled to see how the story continues in the next book.

Thank you to Netgalley, Random House Publishing, and Amélie Wen Zhao for providing this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Content warnings: blood, death, murder, death of a parent, war, injury/injury detail

You know the template - girl cares for family; girls must sacrifice for family by winning games; girl has host of powers unknown to her that help her succeed. Yes, just like the enemies to lovers or brothers best friend tropes... there is a template. We know how they work. But as soon as you meet Àn’yīng and get into her story you kinda get sucked in because it's Amélie Wen Zhao writing that captures the readers attention. I enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed the culture we get immersed in. It's a lovely story!

The brightest and most beautiful flowers are the most poisonous.

I’d like to thank NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the Advance Readers Copy.

This story, I absolutely loved it! Amelie Wen Zhao is an author I’ll always read from, and her latest work did not disappoint.
While it felt very fast paced in the last three chapters, with the beginning of the battle, Yù’chén’s reveal, Àn’yīng figuring out her heart, the whole reveal of the Kingdom of Rivers, it was a lot. I’m not too surprised as I have seen this happen in two other works by the author: Red Tigress trilogy and Last Kingdom duology.
It does keep you hooked to know what is going to happen, will they live and such? I like books like that.

The pacing of the story was good, we didn’t linger too long on each part though I sometimes wished we got more of the training between Àn’yīng and the young captain or even a bit more of the ending to see her family reunited.

The theme of longing and wanting what is not yours is done well in my opinion. Yù’chén telling Àn’yīng he had wanted her but knew they couldn’t be together, after seeing their attraction grow, was heartbreaking to read. Àn’yīng wanting answers and her normal life back, but she couldn’t have that. There are more examples to this, but I don’t want to spoil them all here.

This story is beautiful, tragic, frustrating at times, well paced, and reads like a Chinese drama so well.
Please read it and enjoy the ride!

Okay, but y’all don’t understand because I am the biggest read mood reader and was not in the mood for a fantasy, so I ended up waiting until the very last minute to pick up The Scorpion and the Night Blossom because I was very excited about it and wanted to actually enjoyed it, but the mood never struck so I finally gave in and started reading it because I had to post for my blog tour post and it only took me a few pages and I was HOOKED.

So this is going to be one of those reviews that is primarily based on the vibes because I had a lot of feelings while reading Amélie Wen Zhao’s latest book and you’re going to get to hear about all of them.

One of my go-to obscure references is from when Belle decides to borrow a book from the bookshop that’s she’s already read twice. For some reason, I was thinking about her favorite book, which also happens to fit The Scorpion and the Night Blossom, so we’re going to break down this review Beauty and the Beast-style.

✨FAR-OFF PLACES✨
Like I said, I’m a mood reader.

And as much as I love fantasy, it can be a bit of a daunting task to enter into a whole new world and basically learn a whole new vocabulary. In keeping with my persnickety nature as a reader, I also get kind of annoyed when the worldbuilding is clunky, awkward, and/or shoved down your throat as a reader. Which is why I’m always a little hesitant whenever I start a new fantasy series even when I’m in the best of moods.

For me, entering a new fantasy world is a bit like dipping your toe into the water as you stand on the highest step in a swimming pool, testing the waters before you gradually make your way to the deep end.

That was not the case with The Scorpion and the Night Blossom.

Like I said, I wasn’t in the mood for a new fantasy, and I even had a C-drama OST playlist queued up in hopes it’d help get me in the mood, but I didn’t even need it. If we’re going with the swimming pool analogy, I took one step and was completely submerged in the story–and I loved every minute of it.

In her Author’s Note, Amélie Wen Zhao says that “this book came to me in the middle of the night, and, like a fever dream, the first draft spilled out of me in six short weeks,” and, in a way, it kind of reads like it. Once you pick up The Scorpion and the Night Blossom, you’ll have a hard time putting it down. There’s just something compulsively readable about it. Its setting is something straight out of a C-drama, and it’s easy to imagine everything vividly as you fly through its pages. It features gorgeous Chinese landscapes, shadow cranes, supernatural flowers, and heartbreaking beautiful boys that’ll instantly transport you from say, a bathroom stall in a public bathroom to a world filled with magical creatures and inhuman beings.

✨DARING SWORD FIGHTS, MAGIC SPELLS✨
Amélie Wen Zhao calls her “dark, angsty, stabby” story self-indulgent, but we must be the same person because I savored every minute of it. I read this in the middle of a reading slump, coming off a bad last read with almost no spoons and flew through this book. It’s fast-paced and addictive, and if I didn’t make the mistake of starting this during my lunch break, I definitely would’ve devoured it in a single sitting.

I honestly don’t even know if I ever read the synopsis for The Scorpion and the Night Blossom. Maybe I did and completely forgot, but I’m pretty sure I just saw a new fantasy inspired by Chinese mythology and immediately added it to my TBR. On the surface, there’s nothing super original about the plot: a brutal competition, a questionable ally/rival love interest, a sassy, knife-obsessed half-orphaned heroine who sets out to save a sick/dying family member and accidentally stumbles upon a mission to save the country (whoops).

But there’s something about the story that’s just really fun.

I basically went into The Scorpion and the Night Blossom with absolutely no knowledge regarding the plot. I didn’t know anything about the “deadly competition” or the mó or the secretive, beautiful, powerful rival, and it was a blast. I honestly think everyone should go into a story completely clueless at least once in their life because it’s such a wild ride when you read a book with no idea what to expect. (10/10 would recommend.)

Maybe it’s because my feed has been filled with Hunger Games posts lately, but The Scorpion and the Night Blossom gave off Hunger Games set in a C-drama vibes–and not just because of the cutthroat trials (or potentially contentious love triangle.) Àn’yīng’s repeated desire to holding on to what makes her human in the midst of some brutual, bloody times gave off major Peeta “I’m more than just a piece in their Games” Mellark energy. And while The Scorpion and the Night Blossom is a fun, quick read, but Zhao starts to hint at a deeper message about prejudice in a way that isn’t overbearing or obnoxiously in your face–which is another one of my bookish pet peeves. It isn’t explored too much in The Scorpion and the Night Blossom, but I’m interested in seeing where she takes it in the sequel.

Hunger Game vibes aside, The Scorpion and the Night Blossom is chock-full of tropes. If you’re a fan of the knife-to-the-throat trope, it’s all over this book. It’s a little much for my tastes, but there are also plenty of C-dramas tropes worthy of a book dedicated to “the C-drama girlies.” The tropes make the overall story fairly predictable, but I’m an angst girlie and was so invested in the tragic, forbidden romance that it didn’t really matter. I am a little mad the plot twist I was hoping we could escape ended up happening, but you know what? The heartache we get to experience along the way is so satisfying, I’ll give Amélie Wen Zhao a chance to fix it in the sequel. (Please fix it 😩)

The story in The Scorpion and the Night Blossom is more of a trope-centric, plot-heavy story, which isn’t usually my favorite. I’m normally a really particular reader/review, and the characters actually aren’t as developed as I prefer, but I honestly was enjoying the ride so much, I didn’t care. I found myself emotionally attached to these fictional characters even without a lot of development, but I’m also not going to say no if Wen Zhao decides to give everyone more complex arcs in the next book (🤞🏻).

My one complaint about the plot is that there’s a plot twist towards the end that feels a little forced. I’m not a huge fan of the Chosen One trope and Àn’yīng, unfortunately, reeks heavily of it. While I can’t say I didn’t see it coming, I wish it’d been developed more. I feel like I would’ve been more on board with it if Zhao had laid the foundation for it better.

✨A PRINCE IN DISGUISE✨
I’m really hoping my second-lead senses aren’t wrong and that love interested I’m rooting for really is the male lead.

That being said, I do have some issues with the romance in The Scorpion and the Night Blossom. It’s a bit heavy on the insta-lust and way steamier than I’d like for a YA (the number of times I was silently begging everyone to keep their hands to themselves 😩) and about halfway through, it gets a little too will-they-won’t-they for my taste. On the plus side, there’s plenty of heartbreak and hints of a doomed romance (the midpoint to climax, which I’ve names Yù’chén’s Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day is especially heartrending,) and the story features a fictional first meeting that is honestly one of my favorites out of all the ones I’ve read in a long, long time.

Objectively, I’m on the fence about the romance (it’ll probably depend on whether or not my ship takes off,) but subjectively, it’s everything I love–the angst, the yearning, the pain and am so ready for more.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the e-arc.

This was a DNF for me , at 53% I had to stop reading it.
I really try hard to keep going, but there was no much going on in this story, the world was not interesting.
The book started really good, it gave vibes of a creepy and dark story, the first encounter we read with the demon was dark and cool, and I thought I was gonna love the book, but the story got interesting.
From the start until they got to the city it was very entertaining. Then the interesting part of the story died down. Characters did not draw my attention, they had zero personality. Literally nothing exciting was happening and Yuchen was the only good character I took from this book. He was great and I also enjoyed this lines a lot.
I tried , I read 53% of the ebook, and that is a lot for me.

I finally finished “The Scorpion and the Night Blossom” by Amélie Wen Zhao, and...it's complicated. First time reading this author, and honestly, the beginning absolutely grabbed my attention. The writing was gorgeous and I was totally hooked.

An’ying, a young woman has to leave her sister and mom behind and enter this deadly tournament to get an immortality pill to save her mom. Imagine a Chinese folklore meets Hunger Games with a side of demons. My type of book!

But then about halfway through it really started to fizzle out for me. Like the story just started to drag. I struggled to finish it, which is a bummer because the potential was HUGE. It was a 400-page book that felt like it could've been so much more. The characters, I wanted to love them, but they fell flat. Especially An’Ying. She starts off as this badass heroine who’s been training pretty much her whole life for these trials, but then spends most of the time needing to be rescued, which got old real fast.

The writing is still beautiful, don't get me wrong. But the story itself needed more oomph, something different. More details, more character development, more...something. It just didn't grab me like I hoped it would. It wasn't a “I need to keep reading!” book, which is a shame. I wanted to love it, but it just didn't quite get there for me.

This book reminded me a lot of Sue Lynn Tan's "Daughter of the Moon Goddess" duology, in the best way possible. There were tons of mythological monsters and the xianxia influence in the story was strong. I liked that the entire story is narrated by An'ying, and thought she was a compelling protagonist as she adjusted her worldview, broadened her perspectives, and moved closer to achieving her goal. The plot moves pretty quickly with plenty of action. I did feel like some of An'ying's decisions were a little silly given the risks she was taking, but everything made sense in the grand scheme of things.

Besides An'ying and the two main romantic leads (this story read very enjoyably like a C-drama), the side characters felt like a bit of an afterthought. They get some moments, but are otherwise sort of there. It does seem that they will have more of a presence in the next book, which should be interesting.

As far as the romance goes, there was plenty of angst, tension, and yearning. I wasn't too convinced until about the last third of the book, but I am now solidly invested. Although there isn't too much of a plot twist and the overall story shape is pretty familiar, this one was very well executed. The ending sets up the next book nicely while still giving a resolution to a significant conflict, and I cannot wait to see where this goes. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes the xianxia and wuxia genres in addition to C-dramas, anyone who likes Sue Lynn Tan's books, and anyone looking for an angsty, romantic story with plenty of mythological aspects set against the backdrop of a competition.

I had trouble getting into the story in the beginning, I'm not exactly sure why. As the book progressed I started to enjoy it more, but overall it was pretty predictable, the characters fell a little flat, and nothing amazed or surprised me. The mythology is very interesting and the world building was good, and honestly that's all that made the book a little better for me.

I really enjoyed this one. It had a mystical and ethereal feel to it. She just wants the immortality pill for her mom but she’s got to Hunger Games her way to it, and though you have to be mortal to compete, it’s not exactly a leveled playing field . There are a lot of halflings, so you have competitors turning into foxes and such. Also demons have taken over the world, but in this Kingdom they are forbidden. Which is why it’s such a shocker when it turns out our MMC is half mó (that’s what they call the demons).
So now our FMC is trying to win the pill, survive the deadly competition and its trials, try to keep herself from falling in love with a half-mó, and keep her family alive. She has two guardians— the one in the jade necklace who we eventually meet, and the MMC. Though he’s half mó and could suck her soul, instead he’s constantly saving her and urging her not to look at him with such disgust and disdain.
There’s a lot of action with the trials and all, which kept it fast paced, and then the third act climax had a battle as well and lots of revelations that were mind-blowing to me. The heartache, the betrayal. We love fantasy for the drama don’t we?

Thank you TBR and Beyond Tours for the copy of the book!

Amelie Wen Zhao does it again. The queen of fantasy is back. This book did not disappoint, you need to pick it up!

This was my first book by Zhao and WOW, it did not disappoint. Zhao’s writing is magical. Lush and eloquent, her characters and landscapes leap off the page. Zhao’s world-building is based in Chinese mythology/lore, and I loved learning about the mortal and immortal realms alike. The pacing in this book is fantastic, too, and I never felt myself getting bored or drawn away. And the “will they or won’t they” love story of Àn’yīng and Yù’chén had me HOOKED.

If you adore books with forbidden love, deadly trials, magic, and “touch her and die” vibes, you NEED to add this book to your tbr immediately! I didn’t want this book to end and am so excited for the sequel. I will shamelessly beg for an ARC of book two

What an amazing story, blending Chinese lore into a gripping fantasy. She sticks quite close to the actual elements of Chinese lore which I loved, yet turning into a brand new story. A refreshing read!

The Scorpion and the Night Blossom is a thrilling and captivating tale following Àn’yīng as she sets out to complete the Immortality Trials which are the key to save her mother from the aftermath of the demon attack that destroyed her family years ago. Along the way, she encounters the mysterious Yù'chén, who takes a liking to her and take it upon himself to help her survive the deadly trials.

Amélie has woven a great story full of action, tension, love, and drama. The world-building is really gripping and there are several twists that will keep you on the edge of your seat. I've enjoyed the characters a lot, though the push and pull between Àn’yīng and Yù'chén became a bit much at some point, but I think the addition of Hào'yáng spiced things up and helped things move forward.

This was a promising start to this duology and I'll be looking forward to reading the next installment.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's for the eARC!

Scorpion and the Night Blossom by Amélie Wen Zhao
Genre: Fantasy Romance l Young Adult
Length: 400 pages
Release Date: March 4, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley for the gifted e-arc of this new release from Amelie Wen Zhao.

I am finding out a way to a book in these hot little hands is by putting a gorgeous cover on it because from the moment I saw this art I knew I needed to have it. This novel is the first in a duology (love these shorter series!). Within these covers we have quick pacing, magic, family bonds, secrets, and the nature of good and evil against a backdrop of world at war with demons, where mortals are dying out. I was on the edge of my seat loving the action scenes and found myself really captivated by the blossoming romance between the characters.

We follow our FMC, Àn'yīng, who enters the Immortality Trials, a deadly competition that offers the chance to win a pill of eternal life, the only hope for saving her mother's soul. To do so she must face a dangerous rival and a world of secrets. Although not many are successful, she is determined armed with her father’s blades and help from a rival Yu'chén. The lines blur between friend and foe; is Yu'chén to be trusted?

I struggled a bit with the stiffness of the writing that didn’t seem to flow as seamlessly as I was hoping. I am very interested to see how this duology concludes. This is my first work from Zhao and it definitely won’t be my last.

The Scorpion and the Night Blossom is unlike anything else I've read! Even similar mythology-inspired books aren't the same. While some parts were easy to guess, I still have questions on what will ultimately happen, and that's not usual for me in YA duologies at the end of book one. Usually, I know what's coming, and it's the promise of it being told well that has me coming back for more. This time, there are enough unknown variables that that alone will be bringing me back for book two! Excited for the sequel for sure!

Nine years ago, the war between the Kingdom of Night and the Kingdom of Rivers devastated the land. Àn’yīng’s family was also destroyed, her mother was barely alive and with a baby sister. The mortal realm grows dark, and demonic mó eat humans and devour souls. Àn’yīng has trained with crescent blades and plans to enter the Immortality Trials. If she completes the trial, she can get a pill of eternal life to heal her mother. People usually die, but someone is helping Àn’yīng stay alive. Yù’chén is as secretive about his past as he is about his motives for protecting Àn’yīng. On top of this, it becomes clear that something has gone wrong in the immortal realm itself.

Àn’yīng witnessed a demon attacking her village when she was young, and one was in the process of eating her mother's soul when her father intervened. Though her father was killed, the mó left her and her sister behind, as well as their mother. With only half her soul, their mother is unable to feed or care for herself, and rarely speaks. Àn’yīng has been creating a tonic from special lotuses to prolong her mother's life a month per dose, but the pill of immortality will help her mother regrow the soul she is missing. The journey to the tournament is fraught with terrible creatures and practitioners willing to slaughter humans to increase their own chances of winning. Traumatized by the past, Àn’yīng still has mercy enough in her heart that she won't kill innocent humans or even the half-breed creatures that now exist.

Àn’yīng is a target for other contestants, but she also has allies in other ones. There are signs that things have gone wrong during the test, and there are significant issues that she sees within the Kingdom of Heaven. She's still determined to win, but so is everyone else. She must face her prejudices, her fears, and her traumatic history as she progresses through the trials. They're dangerous, and someone is killing other contestants in between trials. Yù’chén continues to help and protect Àn’yīng, even when his secret disgusts her. The two are still drawn to each other, and there are major revelations in the final third of the book. The war between realms and the challenge presented by the mó continues to heighten over the course of the book. I really enjoyed this, and hope we get a sequel. Àn’yīng has a lot more in store for her, and I would love to see it.

I sobbed over this book, in the best of ways.

Was it fairly predictable to avid fantasy/romantasy readers? Yes. Did that take away from its charm? No.

I was swept away by the characters, their relationships, and their individual missions. It was clear that there was a lot more going on than what we were exposed to through the lens of the female protagonist. Even with the anticipated twist, it was delicious.

A few things were wanting:
- Really I wish it was longer. I felt like more backstory and worldbuilding could have made the whole experience deeper and more enjoyable


- I am still a little confused on the “he fell first” element of the love story. It felt like it was a thing but not. Just kind of confusing (maybe that was intentional, given it’s how the FMC felt).

- I will also be mad if this ends as a standalone. There is more story to tell, and not in the way where I can just imagine the ending in my mind. Too many loose ends.

Overall, if you liked Daughter of the Moon Goddess (Sue Lynn Tan) or any of Amelie’s books, definitely don’t miss this one. Dark Star Burning is still my favorite, but this one will merit some rereads and valued shelf space.


Huge thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review the Scorpion and the Night Blossom. All opinions are my own.