Listen, I had really high hopes for this book, it has been my most anticipated read of 2025 since it was announced and yet, it still exceeded every hope I had for it! An absolute triumph!

This book has everything I am looking for in a fantasy-romance. The world was built well and the mythology was enchanting. I loved the three realms we were introduced to and how they intertwine. Amelie did a wonderful job revealing the world as the story progressed in a way that supported the plot and character development, without feeling heavy handed and "info dumpy". Exquisite execution of both world building and introducing the magic system.

This story is a beautiful balance of plot and character development - with family strife driving our main character into a dangerous set of trials, with twists and turns along the way that only served to add depth to the characters and the world, every twist served a purpose, it wasn't just there for shock value or as a device. Between the trials and the underlying conflict between the realms, I couldn't stop reading, and when I was forced to stop reading, I couldn't stop thinking about reading more.

And let's talk about the characters for a moment. I have zero notes honestly, I love both our main characters. An'ying (FMC) was dynamic - torn between doing whatever she had to do for her family and doing what she felt was ethical and right - we see her struggle between what she thinks she knows to be true and what she's learning about the world outside her village. Meanwhile, we have Yu'chen, who might be the actual swooniest MMC I've ever read - he's clearly torn and troubled but down SO BAD for An'ying - he definitely falls first, and certainly falls harder. The tension in this book between them leaps off the page and puts my heart in an actual vice. I ACHED for these two. Without spoiling anything, their interpersonal conflict hurt me and healed me. It's truly top tier. TOP TIER.

In case it wasn't obvious, this book was a SLAM DUNK for me. I loved everything about it, the ending left me reeling and I will be in agony until the second book is in my hot little hands.

Highly, highly, HIGHLY recommend!

Fat-friendly rating? Pretty neutral, there's definitely some body talk, but not terribly anti-fat!

DNF at 47%. I enjoy the premise, but it’s so slow paced, and began to feel like a chore to read, so I’m stopping here.

Impeccable, delightful, and wonderfully written!

This story is utterly beautiful and spell-binding! I couldn't help but feel myself be whisked away by this story. It felt so refreshing and new. This book had great pacing, and the flow of the story matched the plot very well. I had high hopes for this book, and it is safe to say, this book went above and beyond my expectations.

The characters were wonderful. The FMC was brave and intriguing. I enjoyed watching her character throughout this book as her dynamic shifted so well within the plotting of this story. The MMC was a jaw-dropper! I loved him from the moment we met him...which is why his arc cuts so so deep. The other MMC is also a very unique character, and I cannot wait to see more of him in the future. The dynamics between all of these characters were very well written, and I can't wait to see them explored more in the next book.

The last 25% of this book was chaos incarnate, but I loved every minute of it! So much happened, but it had me on the edge of my seat right until the very end. The ending was full of twists and turns, and although some of it was a little predictable, I still enjoyed it. Overall, this book was so much more than I could've expected. I cannot wait to see what'll happen in book two!

I would like to extend a huge thank you to the author, the publisher, and to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Rating: 4.7/5

Review: 4.5 Stars

This book was an amazing, binge-worthy read for me. I buddy-read it with Ope and Deaa, and we binged it over a course of 3-4 days. We would have finished it in 2 days if it wasn’t for real life and adulting.

To save her mother’s soul, Àn’yīng, our FL, is forced to enter the deadly immortal trials to compete for the immortality pill. During the trials, she met Yù’chén, our secretive ML and her rival….Their meet-cute was interesting, to say the least, for she almost killed him if it wasn’t for his fast reactions. Holy beep, their relationship is one of push-pull and intense. I lost count of the times she attempted to stab him or stab him for real! (hicsss) Àn’yīng is the stabby stab kind of heroine who is wary of trusting him. It is obvious that she is the weakest one in the trials, but that does not stop her from not becoming prey, and her determination to win the competition. Yù’chén is a secretive and sneaky type of hero, but with Àn’yīng, he cannot help but fall for her. THE ACTIONS he took and how he constantly looks out for her and saves her is ALOT! But of course, he isn’t without his secrets and one wonders why he is constantly setting himself up…

As the story progresses in the immortal realm, there are hints to the fragility of Àn’yīng’s world, which is in danger of being overrun by the Mó, leading to a hint of the overarching plot. The introduction of the other side characters adds to the dimension of the book.

My only minor nitpick is that I wish Àn'yīng could stand by herself more instead of constantly relying on others to save or get her through. It would be great to see her character grow in that regard as a warrior and well-versed in the practitioner arts.

What a riveting read with an epic cliffhanger and, thus, setting it up for the next book. Note that this book is a duology…so read at your own risk!

Many thanks to PenguinTeenCa and Delacorte Press for the egalley version and AK for gifting me a copy of the physical arc.

✨✨ARC REVIEW✨✨
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

‼️‼️TW\CW‼️‼️
- Mild Violence
- Mentions death of parent

💕Quotes that caught my attention💕
- Life as we know it is about to end, he told me, eyes black as ink, reflecting mine. Will you give up your dreams to protect our family?
- “The brightest and most beautiful flowers are the most poisonous. Most would think twice about attacking me.

✨✨Onto the Review✨✨
As always thank you to NetGalley and Random House publishing for sending me this book!
An’ying (FMC) leaves the only places she’s called home her entire life to cross over into the immortal realm to compete in games and trials to win an immortality pill for her mother. There are demons called “Mó” that love amongst the human realm who feast on human souls to survive and took half of her mother’s soul so she needs this pill to save her life.
This book starts off strong I was immediately captivated and inhaled the first few chapters. It does get a little slow towards the middle and kept losing my attention which is why it has such a low score. I think of you liked Games Gods Play you might like this book as well! The Scorpion and the Night Blossom releases March 3rd!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of the eARC!

I was hooked on the premise of this book having a Hunger Games vibe but with immortals, demons, and monsters set in an East Asian inspired fantasy world, with the trials themselves being called the Immortality Trials. I was happy that the book got right into it - before 20% of the way into the book, the trials are already kicked off and running.

I really enjoyed the main cast of characters, and adored several of the side characters as well. Àn’yīng felt realistic to me in that, while she had some experience as a self-taught practitioner, she wasn't overpowered and was reasonably weaker than many of her fellow practioners who had received some amount of formal training. Additionally, the romance aspect of the book didn't feel forced. There was some back and forth on Àn’yīng's part, but her hesitation felt more than understandable considering the circumstances she was facing.

Moreover, when the second love interest showed up on page, it didn't feel like a traditional "love triangle" with the two love interests going at each other constantly to win the FMC over. In fact, the two hardly interacted at all and neither sought to prove themselves as better than the other. For me, this felt like such a relief as well as a refreshing take on the trope, as I tend to default to disliking the love triangle trope.

My biggest "issue" I encountered while reading was the pacing at the start felt a tad slow to me, so it took me a little while to get into. Similarly, near the end there was a stretch of a couple chapters where the pacing slowed down once again, though I think all in all it worked for the story.

Beautifully written.
I love how the story starts out with an action scene
Amelia has grown wonders in her writing career and this story is a testament of a writing with great pace, story building, and moments of wow.

She sought out to bring about a Chinese drama in novel form and BOY did I feel like I was watching one.

I definitely cannot wait for the next book.

I was immediately drawn into this world and all the Chinese mythology behind everything. There wasn't a dull moment in this book.

Not so long ago, the Kingdom of Night (demons and monsters) attacked the Kingdom of Rivers (humans) while the immortals in the Kingdom of Sky sat by and did nothing, protecting themselves within a barrier. This made me think how relevant this is in real world problems.

An'ying is plagued by the memory of the red lipped demon who sucked the soul out of her father and left only half the soul in her mother. In order to save her mother, she travels to the Kingdom of the Sky to become a practitioner and compete in the trials to gain the immortality pill which can save her mother's soul.

Along the way she meets Yu'chen who she mistakes as a Mo, a human-like demon who feasts on blood and souls, only to realize he bleeds red and has a heartbeat, unlike any demon from the Kingdom of Night.

They decide to ally with one another to make it through the first trial. An'ying almost dies and barely makes it to the Temple of Dawn before the trial ends.

After realizing what Yu'chen really is, she is hesitant to trust him and ally with him again. The trials are harder than she realized, but her pendent has always helped her. Someone on the other side has been aiding her and sending messages to her ever since her father was killed. It aids her still sending messages at just the right moment. Who is the person on the other side?

Can she willing to walk the inevitable path that fate has set her on?

The main men characters in this book remind me of Grim and Oro from Lightlark because of their powers and their character arcs.
Yu'chen = Grim
Hao'yang = Oro

The tension between Yu'chen and An'ying is perfect and very fun to read. She is always pulling a knife to his throat (which got very repetitive after a while) giving her the nick name "little scorpion". Yu'chen even makes the comment "never without your blades." Because her blades are marked with talismans giving them special effects. Made by her father. She never leaves them.

I actually really loved when Hao'yang came into play. It makes you wonder who An'ying is going to end up with.

I just really enjoyed reading this and I am pretty sure my eyes went wide multiple times when reading this. There are moments where the author brings into account the wealthy people and people of power are the ones who abuse it (the immortals) and the only way for change is through force. (Hence the battle with the Kingdom of Night).

There were moments that felt tragic, but beautiful at the same time.

Such a fun read!

Amélie has done it again!! This is going to be THE romantasy of the year! I loved the tropes and the rich worldbuilding! Every chapter - no, every PAGE - left me eager to keep reading.

Thank you Netgalley and Penguin for an earc in exchange for an honest review.

This book devoured my soul. I absolutely loved it. I adored it. An'ying lives in a world with soul eating demons trying to take over the kingdom. She grew up training for the immortal trials to seek the pill of immortality to save her mother’s soul and to help her seek revenge on the demon who killed her father.

I absolutely fell in love with this story. An'ying has such a strong purpose and would do anything for her family. I loved seeing her persevere through these trials. I absolutely adored her and Yu’chén. They are my reason for breathing right now. He was not what I was expecting and yet I loved him even more for it.

In the past I have found Amélie Wen Zhao’s first book in a duology to be pretty slow, however I really enjoyed the pacing of this story. I felt very connected to the world and the characters. I think this was a brilliant start to this series and I can’t wait for the next one. This is definitely one of my favorite reads of the year.

**4.5 STARS**

Content Warning: violence, death

+ This author is becoming a must-read for me. I love her last series and now this one has started off amazingly. The world-building sucked me in! I love the magic, and martial arts.

+ Àn’yīng has been through some trauma at the hands of the Kingdom of Night which is run by mó (demons). She's the caretaker for her family now that her father is gone, and to save her mother she takes part in the Immortal Trials in order to win the pill of immortality for her. But it's a challenge to pass the trials when her competition wants her dead.

+ Àn’yīng meets someone on her way to the trials and the enemies to lovers trope going on between them is so good. Yu'chén is powerful, gorgeous, and gets on her nerves. To make it worse she finds out he is half mó. Àn’yīng hates demons because a demon killed her father and harmed her mother, so she's warring with her feelings about Yu'chén throughout the whole book. The spice is mild but the angst and tension between them is intense. I loved it from beginning to end. I am rooting for them.

+ The trials taking place gives us more insight into the Immortals and the history of the war going on between the kingdoms. I love the twist and reveal at the ending of the book and it makes me very curious to see what will happen next.

~ The romance seems doomed as things play out but please I hope this does not become a love-triangle. I'm vested in Àn’yīng and Yu'chén, I love the two of them together, but with the way this book ended, it makes me curious as to another character who has gotten close to Àn’yīng.

~ Would love to see some growth with Àn’yīng. I could see why she was angry and distrustful, because of her trauma, but she was always kind of weak in the competition compared to everyone else. With what is revealed at the end, I wonder if she gets stronger when it comes to magical powers? I do love her fighting skills.

Final Thoughts:

I loved this book and read it in two days. I was hooked with the world-building, the murder mystery, and the tension-filled romance. This was a quick, entertaining read with some twists and I am excited to see what happens in the next book. I have watched K-drama but never C-drama, but as I read this, I could see this being a drama show I would totally watch just to see Yu'chén come to life! Loved it and can't wait for book two.

I had a lot of high hopes for this one, but it left me more frustrated than it did engage me. The main character is pretty insufferable and annoying and read more as a teenager than an adult. The problem with YA authors moving to adult is their writing style. You must have some sort of improvement that is not the simplistic style suited and prevalent in YA. I found that the writing style here was a clear case of this, and would find a better target audience if it was marketed as YA. All in all, pretty disappointed in this one.

"The Scorpion and the Night Blossom" very much reminded me of an epic fantasy version of "The Hunger Games" meets "Demon Slayer." Main character Àn’yīng is determined to learn to be a practitioner of magic and fighting so that she can save her younger sister and mother. In order to master these skills she must win a series of trials. The reason Àn’yīng must battle to save her remaining family is because a hoard of demons has invaded the mortal realm and is killing off humans by feeding on their souls. One such demon killed Àn’yīng's father and partially fed off her mother, who is alive but in a catatonic state. If Àn’yīng can win the trials and be one of the few candidates to make it to the end of them, she can gain a pill of immortality that will help restore her mother's life energy. These aspects of the plot very much reminded me of Katniss and her motivations for going to the capitol to compete in her sister's place. In this novel, Àn’yīng is the hunter, protector who her father chose to train as a fighter before his death.

Unlike "The Hunger Games," more than one candidate can win at these trials and in between each one, the candidates are not allowed to kill one another. All bets are off though, in the midst of the actual competitions themselves. However, the bloodshed isn't as gratuitous as what Katniss faced and the trials are interesting as they test a different aspect of a potential warrior with each one. For instance, virtues like strength, courage, and fortitude are each components looked for by the immortals who host the trials in the mortal warrior practitioners they award a chance at immortality. In this way, the story reminded me of the training Tanjiro, from "Demon Slayer," must go through and the tests he must pass in order to join the Demon Slayer Corp. Though, Àn’yīng is much more distrustful and closed off than Tanjiro.

In terms of what I liked about this book, I really enjoyed the worldbuilding and the story's overall pacing. The first chapter opens with Àn’yīng collecting a special type of flower to treat her mother with, to keep her alive a little longer. Unfortunately, Àn’yīng comes across a demon and has to fight it in order to collect the precious blossoms she needs. Right away we get to see how tough and clever Àn’yīng is and how skilled she is with her crescent blade daggers. I also like the mysteries that are introduced as story threads at the very beginning. We don't know why Àn’yīng's family was attacked not by just any demon, but one of the Higher Ones, the equivalent of demon nobility. We also don't know why her father decided to train her to be a fighter when the Kingdom of Night, the demon realm, decided to invade the Kingdom of Rivers, the mortal realm. The only reason that Àn’yīng can come up with is that she was four years older than her younger sister and so the more logical choice. Though, Àn’yīng still questions why her father did not allow her younger sister to do some training with them both, too. The other mystery we are introduced to early on is the meaning behind Àn’yīng's name. She is named for a cherry blossom, but the tree outside her house is a plum tree. These mysteries and the perils Àn’yīng must face to even get to the Kingdom of Sky and the immortal realm where the trials will be held kept me reading and turning the page. As for the romance aspect, I found the enemies-to-lovers trope to be tension filled and believable from Àn’yīng's perspective. I wasn't really sure I understood Yù’chén, the love interest's, motivations throughout most of the story though.

That brings me to some of the things that could have been better about the book. First, even though Àn’yīng is introduced right away as a strong and fierce fighter who is clever enough to outsmart demons, she still seems to be in need of rescuing several times throughout the story. It is one thing to have her ally herself with some stronger and more well-trained candidates to get through the trials. But I didn't feel that the partnership between her and some of the secondary characters was always equal. It seemed that Àn’yīng often got more from her alliances than she contributed. I also agree with some others who have said that the character development for some of the secondary characters was a bit lacking. One in particular that ends up playing a pivotal role in the story for Àn’yīng is very underdeveloped in terms of their arc and their interactions with her. For this reason, I found it hard to be invested in them or Àn’yīng's connection to them even after we find out how they are linked to her in the story. I also found the ending to be a bit rushed and some of the clues that were imbedded in the story to hint at the twist at the end could have been fleshed out more to make it more impactful when Àn’yīng finally gets the answers she's been searching for since arriving at the Temple of Dawn in the immortal realm.

Overall, I gave this a 4 out of 5 star rating because I did like the main character of Àn’yīng. She is fierce, brave, and clever but also flawed and closed off to everyone but her sister at the start of the novel. I also thought the worldbuilding and the way the trials were developed that Àn’yīng and the others have to face and overcome were interesting and original. The pacing for most of the novel was quick and Àn’yīng had relatable and compelling motivations for competing in the trials and for wanting to win no matter the danger or the cost. I did like the love interest of Yù’chén, even though I didn't always understand his motivations for his actions throughout the book. I did find the tension between him and Àn’yīng to be believable and spicy. I am interested enough in the story to want to see how things might turn out for Àn’yīng and her family in the sequel. I want to thank NetGalley, Random House Children's and Delacorte Press for offering me a chance to read an eARC of this novel in exchange for this honest review.

I enjoyed this though I am not sure I would classify it as Adult fantasy instead of YA. This had a really interesting set up and world building. The characters and central romance are enough to pull you in and keep you entertained. Its immensely readable and keeps the action going so that its not easy to put down. The FMC felt young, which is why I thought it might fit better in the YA than Adult subset but there is definitely violence and enough story to make it pass for adult. I'll definitely pick up the next one.

Zhao also did a good job with not leaving plot twists hanging too long. I was really pleasantly surprised when something I guessed (and felt obvious) was revealed quite early. Though there are twists at the end I feel like they are enough that aren't telegraphed that the ones that are can just be considered properly foreshadowed.

Overall, an enjoyable read!

Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Maybe this is 3 to 4 stars, like there is no in between. but yes! I enjoy reading this book, not like the first duology from the author. This is so suitable for you who love reading fantasy with tragic love stories LOL, badass FMC, bad boy MC vibes (?), and most importantly, fast-paced!!!!!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for this e-ARC!

I’ve read and loved previous books by this author, so I was thrilled to have the chance to read The Scorpion and the Night Blossom early. I had high expectations and this book easily lived up to them. I enjoyed the overall premise of this book where mortals are fighting to survive in a world overtaken by demons. There’s so much world building and set up that went into this book; however, it never slowed the story down. It was shared and integrated in a way that still kept you engaged while reading. I thoroughly loved the chemistry and dynamic between An’yīng and Yu’chén. The relationship development between them was so well done while also adding a complexity to the story as you learn more about Yu’chén’s past. The plot felt well balanced between the action and intensity of reaching the trials, learning more about the immortals, and the trials themselves. There were also plenty of twists and surprises woven throughout the story, some of which I guess while others left me absolutely stunned. I can’t wait to see how this duology concludes.

ARC review 🦂🌺🤍The Scorpion and the Night Blossom by Amélie Wen Zhao

Why do I not read Chinese historical dramas more?!

What an amazing book, it had me on the edge of my seat from the first chapter and did a superb job of holding it through to the very last page, leaving me gasping.
It is packed with fabulously done enemies to lovers tension and banter, forbidden love and darkly romantic atmosphere. Paired with a kick-ass main character, a vibrant and nuanced plot-line, plenty of fast paced action mythological and folkloric elements woven throughout the story, and a romance that completely blew me away, along with a healthy dose of female rage, this book was just impossible not to love. This story was an absolute blast to read, I loved every second! The characters practically jumped off the page with their relatability, in-depth personalities and well developed character arcs.

The banter between Àn’yīin and Yù’chén was some of the best I have ever had the pleasure to witness. I caught myself giggling and talking aloud to myself a few more times then I would like to admit.
I also really appreciated how much depth we got to Àn’yīng’s character. Usually it’s either the main character is so hardened by their traumatic past, or they’re a complete softie and mostly oblivious to the things going on around them. But we got to see so much more of her character than just those black and white options in this book.
Her fierce protecter, caring and loving older sister type, and her ‘I may do an amazing job with my knives but I still love to sew and make pretty things’ side make a delicious juxtaposition.

If you’re the kind of person who enjoys a fast paced historical fantasy with a forbidden enemies to lovers romance, with political intrigue, Chinese mythology, and one plot twist after another, then The Scorpion And The Night Blossom is (dare I say it) a pretty much perfect book for you. If so, then make sure to mark your calendars because this book comes out very soon!
The 4th of March in the US
And
The 27th of February in the UK
Thank you so much to Amélie, HarperVoyagerUK and NetGalley for giving me the chance to experience this magical book ahead of release!

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

The Scorpion and the Night Blossom by Amélie Wen Zhao is a first person-POV YA fantasy romance inspired by Chinese historical fantasy romance dramas. Àn’yīng was trained by her father to protect her family from beautiful demons who can kill with a single kiss. When a chance to win an immortality pill comes up, Àn’yīng goes to the land of the immortals to save her ailing mother. But things won't be easy for her and there's secrets behind every corner.

While Àn’yīng and Yù’chén’s overarching romance arc could be classified as enemies-to-lovers, it's actually more complex than that within the story. They are initially rivals and they are also enemies and allies and lovers at various points in the plot and that makes their dynamic more complex and harder to pin down to a single relationship dynamic. This is further complicated by the revelations throughout the story about who Àn’yīng and Yù’chén are as people, their heritage, and in their relationships with each other and the world at large.

One of the details I really liked was that all of the blades Àn’yīng received from her father have names and she uses those names every time the specific blade is mentioned. It's little details like that that help establish characters, as we so often personify inanimate objects but the kind of objects we personify varies from person to person. The blades are also something of an extension of her father and they are one of the few things he left her besides a jade amulet.

The worldbuilding is fairly fleshed out. We have a decent understanding of politics in the immortal kingdoms, clothes are given some descriptions to help readers visualize, and the demons are given some explanation. The setting feels very wuxia and like a historical fantasy romance C-drama. I'm not exactly sure which time period it would be most analogous to, but I definitely could get a strong feel for the world because of my reference bank and the details introduced by Zhao.

Content warning for gore

I would recommend this to fans of historical fantasy romance C-dramas and readers of fantasy romance looking for more twists

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to review this book ahead of it's release date. This one was a quick, fast paced read that I thoroughly enjoyed. I liked the romance, the characters were likeable and the descriptions were vividly painted by the author. I can't wait to add this one to my physical shelf!

I am obsessed with the world building in this book. She does such an amazing job of weaving smaller details back into the story and the way we learn about the magic system and magical beings through the story is so well done. There is a lot going on but all the exposition feels so natural to the flow of the story, just so well done. The story itself is exciting and I really enjoyed the mysteries along the way and how that worked into the trials. The romance is one of the strongest points of the book and the back and forth as the characters become more involved and then push each other away was well done. The way both characters let the way they think they are perceived by the other stand in the way was a great tool for the slow burn of their pairing. That said this was a bit less effective overall with the characters, both main characters fluctuate a lot with how powerful they see themselves and how much they trust in their own abilities and each other. With Yù’chén and the secrets he keeps this works a little better and makes more sense. For Àn’yīng it is more problematic, at the start of the book I thought she was such a strong heroine who clearly had more to learn to strengthen her abilities but was starting with a great amount of resilience and strength. Then through out the book it starts to come across more as kind of dumb luck that she has gotten as far as she has. She's still a strong person in many ways but compared to the other competitors she suddenly seems much weaker both as a warrior but also in how she handles hardship. I am really curious about the next book and hope that Àn’yīng will step up and come back to being a more powerful and confident character.