Rating: 4.5/5
Spice Level: 1/5

addicting from the very first chapter. It felt like a mix of Lightlark and the Hunger Games wrapped beautifully together. Àn’yīng fights with everything she has to save her family, her town and her people while uncovering the truth about the notes and pendant her father left her. The raw emotions Àn’yīng experiences throughout are hauntly captivating as she struggles with her morality. This book left me emotionally drained and contemplative. I will be thinking about it for days.

Note: Thank you netgalley for providing me a copy of this arc. All thoughts and words are my own.

The story follows Ànyīng, who must compete in deadly trials to gain a cure to her mother’s sickness. Dropped into a series of deadly battles, she must make an alliance with Yù chén, whose half-demon heritage critically makes them enemies…

This book, as many others have said, was not anything brand new, but it perfectly played on the popular high stakes trial trope that’s been circulating. While I wouldn’t say this book was my best of the year, there definitely wasn’t that much to complain about, and, by the end of it, I wholly enjoyed myself.

If you’re looking for an Asian-inspired read after finishing Carissa Broadbent’s Serpent and the Wings of Night, this is a perfect choice

This story had me with all the feels!!!! The twist and turns and the love triangle…….. OMG my heart could not take it!!!! And that ending I am desperate for the next book!!!

Oh, my. This might be my favorite Amelie Wen Zhao book yet.

This was an epic, unexpected, heart-throbbing, and heart-breaking adventure. We begin with the An’ying, a practitioner of magic from a village that has all but fallen to the invasion of the demon realm. She has spent her whole life fighting and hating Mo, and knows she will likely need to face more of them when she enters the Immortality Trials to win the ability to save her ailing mother. Enter: a truly terrifying trial that often leads to death.

Early on in this story, An’ying finds and allies with Yu’chen, and begins to uncover hidden truths about her dead father who also completed these trials in his youth. The story unfolds so beautifully from here, with the perfect mixture of action, magic, romance, world-building, unexpected twists, betrayal, friendship, and a lifetimes worth of hidden secrets. I truly adored every second of this, and found it struck the exact fancy I was in the mood for. I think this is this author’s most romance forward book that I’ve read, and while she upped the ante in that department, it really didn’t detract from how perfectly executed the plot was.

The ending has left us in a truly heart-breaking and unexpected spot, one that I’m chomping at the bit to learn more about what’s coming next. If you love fantasy, magic, deadly trials, C-dramas, twists, betrayal, STUNNING imagery, beautiful writing, and romance, you will ADORE this!

A massive thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte for allowing me to read and review this title.

This was such a fun and gripping read, with everything I love in a romantasy: a magic school setting, dangerous trials, high-stakes secrets, and a romance that you know is going to ruin you a little (in the best way). I've enjoyed Amélie Wen Zhao's previous work, so I had high expectations going in—and this book absolutely delivered.

The story follows Anying, a fierce and determined girl who's willing to risk everything to win a pill of immortality and save her mother. From the moment she arrives at the celestial academy, it’s clear that this won’t be a simple path. The trials are brutal, the magic is unpredictable, and demons are creeping ever closer to their world. But what really kept me glued to the page was the mystery surrounding the people around her—especially Yù’chén. He’s the type of character who keeps you guessing, but also keeps showing up exactly when it matters. Their connection was evident from the start, and although the love triangle angle wasn’t my favourite thing, I was rooting for them the whole way through.

The pacing is fast—at times it felt like I blinked and fifty pages had flown by. But Zhao still manages to weave in stunning imagery and rich world-building, with just enough poetic detail to feel immersive without slowing things down. I also really appreciated how distinct and memorable the characters were, especially the sibling bond between Anying and Meizi, which added some emotional weight in the quieter moments.

If I had one wish, it would’ve been for a little more time with the side characters and the trials themselves. I would have gladly read a longer book if it meant more development there. That said, I tore through this one and finished it in a single weekend—I was completely hooked.

The ending definitely left me needing answers (and maybe shouting at a character or two), but in a way that makes me excited to see where the second book takes us. Fingers crossed for a satisfying conclusion for these characters I’ve come to love—especially my favourites, who absolutely deserve a happy ending.

I can’t wait for the next book in this duology!

I liked this book a lot, but I didn’t love it. I can’t hardly remember anything about it after reading it if I’m honest.

I loved the book. It was a quick and easy read. Loved the world building, the characters and even the monsters. Loved the twists and turns. The reveals towards the end, had my jaw on the floor. I thought the story was unique. Would of loved to have seen more of the trials. Only issue was I pictured Àn’yīng as someone in their early teens but surely she was older then that. Maybe I missed or forgot that when reading. It was only because every time they describe her in comparison to the monsters and her size.

The audio was out by the time I got around to reading it and I enjoyed the narrator. But at times it felt like when she said some of the character names it sounded weird or like it was copy and pasted in. I don't know.

Looking forward to book two. Granted might be waiting awhile since this book only just came out.

This story had me captivated! I finished it so fast. The enemies to lovers, intense trials and plot twists were everything I needed. The story instantly drew me in and had me caring about the character and her journey to bringing her mom back. The relationship was a slow build with a satisfying peak and a heart wrenching drop.(I am dying to know if the end of the book revelations will change who Àn’yīng has her HEA with). The flow of the story was perfect in my opinion especially given that this is to be a duology. The plot kept moving and I did not feel like there were any chapters that had me thinking it should have been left out. The writing was 10/10 and made the world so vivid in my mind. There is something about Asian-Inspired fantasy stories that have been scratching a particular itch for me in a way I cannot explain. I will continue to eat them up!

This book was ok. I found the premise interesting but the execution was average. The writing was very beautiful though.

WOW.
I loved this book.
It’s rare I struggle to formulate theories while reading but this book kept me in the dark yet intrigued the whole way through. I found myself reaching for the most outlandish guesses just for funsies even though I knew they wouldn’t happen—I just couldn’t figure out what would.
The ENDING. I was gasping out loud and in awe. The final chapter wasn’t really anything I wanted from the story but I’m trusting the process that it’s setting up for everything to come.
I did struggle with the hyper fixation on certain words in various passages and I think the flower descriptions were maybe a little overdone (though these could hold some symbolism I missed), but these are minor qualms to a great story.

I need the sequel right this moment.

shock and awe. SHOCK AND AWE! Literally WTF Amélie really knows how to create a plot twist/end a story. The last few books I've read of hers have ended in a similar way but also in very good ways too. I loved Yù chén from the beginning (so I wasn't really all that happy when Hào'yáng was introduced. I felt like Yù chén was a better fit for Àn'yīng. He was funny and he pushed her to work harder and understood her so well. I'm REALLY hoping she ends up with Yù chén and not Hào'yáng. I'm sure he's a great guy but I haven't grown attached to him the way I've grown attached to Yù chén. Part of me thinks though that he might die and/or sacrifice himself for Àn'yīng so we'll see!

Wow! This is a breathtaking and highly promising start to a dark and opulent duology, with mesmerizing world-building that perfectly balances darkness and beauty, life and death, love and hate!

DNF @ 51%

Note that I had every intention of finishing this book. I was so excited for it, as I’m a fan of Zhao’s previous books. However, I just couldn’t push myself to do so with this one anymore.
Firstly, the title only refers to the main character. Her name is Àn’yīng which means night blossom and the mmc caps her little scorpion. So why would the title be her and her? I’m not sure.
Second, I never expected to read a Zhao’s book and not like the writing. In her previous works, I loved her writing. It was always beautiful and I truly connected to the characters. But in this one there was no soul to it. It felt really monotone and gave me nothing to feel or be excited for. The characters, the writing, when the plot felt lack luster and I can’t push myself to read more.
Zhao has a beautiful way of bringing her Chinese culture into these books and that’s so true. I love learning more about it, but nothing else is keeping me from dropping this.
I’m sure other people will enjoy this book, it has romantasy and destroy trials. Much to like! It just wasn’t for me.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for accepting my request and giving me an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to publisher for the eARC via NetGalley - in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first time reading Amélie Wen Zhao’s works. The author’s writing style was great and atmospheric. However, it had tropes that I wish were turned on their heads. I was about to DNF about 10% in but I stuck with it in hopes it would improve. The typical romantasy tropes stood out and were predictable.

The story follows Àn’yĩng, who was trained to fight at a young age and experienced a traumatic event which set her on a path to be a protector for nearly a decade. She enters the Immortality Trials to win a cure for her mother.
On that journey, she comes across Yu’chen, who she mistakes for a mó and attacks. They enter the trials along with 42 other candidates (mix of mortals and halflings).

The two have a shaky relationship but essentially it is enemies-to-lovers. This is fine considering the Immortality Trials they compete in.

There is a twist toward the end that I found to be a deus ex machina trope. Nothing hinted that our protagonist was more than she seems. I don’t think needing to be rescued each trial was supposed to be the hint, because it didn’t show any hidden abilities for her other than the ability to get a man to save her.

While this book is 3 stars for me, I like the author’s writing style enough to try out her other duology.

I really enjoyed this book and looking forward to the second part!
I love the dedication of the main female character to help her mom and her sister, she goes on a dangerous adventure to get a pill of immortality for her mom. She uncovers a lot about herself and her past but also the truth about her family.
Enemies to lovers and a little bit of a love triangle make the story even more exciting!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the arc.

This was unfortunately a DNF - around 45%. The tropes in this book were very overwhelming and intensely pushed that it took me out of the book consistently. Honestly, that they me the ick when it happened. Which is so sad because this is a great author, with beautiful stories to tell. I get that this is a romantasy but the way that the FMC completely forgot about her own serious priorities when the MMC shows and, for what? The bones of this story are great and at its core, very entertaining. I just think the romance relies too much on tropes and not enough on character depth and connection.

firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc!

3.5 stars

this was a mash-up of demon slayer and the serpents and the wings of night; demons take the life blood of humans, and our fmc swears she will destroy them and win the immortal life to restore her mother’s health through a tournament.

while not totally original, i still enjoyed the first book of this duology, and will read the second!

the fairyloot edition is absolutely gorgeous!

3.5/5 stars.
Thank you Net Galley for the arc.
I had really high hopes going into this book because I love Chinese folklore inspire stories. And if that’s what you’re looking for this has it! I see a lot of reviews talking about the pacing of the book and I would have to agree- the pacing starts off great and then the climax happens and there is still a lot more book to get through. If you like an epic poem style story where there’s a lot of world building- this book has it! While I mostly enjoyed the book, it took a long time to get through for me.

Book review: 3/5 ⭐️
Genre: YA fantasy
Themes: Chinese mythology
📖 Read if you like: A Magic Steeped in Poison, The Hurricane Wars, The Empress of Time

She is a beauty, which is how I ended up with a special edition and a digital ARC thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Teen. Unfortunately, nothing in this book really wowed me. The premise is really similar to The Serpent and the Wing of Night, so if you like that sort of plot, you’ll enjoy this. There is a trial by fire in a series of tasks within confined quarters, a blood curdling villain that lurks in the night somewhere between vampire and fae, and an undercurrent of politics at the ruling level. Where this really stands out is through the integration of Chinese folklore and the creativity with the shadow world.

For me, this really fell apart with Àn’yīng. In a world in which demons from the Kingdom of Night have taken over the mortal realm and torn her family apart, a young girl stands guard against the onslaught. When chance arises to enter the Immortality Trials, Àn’yīng sees this as the golden opportunity to bring back her mother’s soul and restore her memory of family. Armed with her crescent blades and a rudimentary understanding of practioning, she sets out on this deadly quest.

At first I had high hopes for her sharp blades and her aggressive need for survivial, but this petered out quickly with her behaviour towards Yù’chén. She became too one note and partisan to be appealing. I get that her bias was based off of a very really trauma, but her actions and speech in the face of repeated kindness and unnecessary risks in her name felt like being slapped. She couldn’t both be compassionate to some half breeds, while also show a complete lack of understanding where Yù’chén is concerned and be unnecessarily cruel. It made her an indecisive character. I almost stopped reading this book because of her repeated pattern of behaviour and what I deem as idiocy, self-centred actions that only others pay for. I also didn’t like that she was basically kept alive because of all the men around her. She wouldn’t have survived a single trial on her own and I wanted her to have that strength. The repetition toward her sister and mother was also pushed a little too far making the plot feel too circular and slowed the pace.

So now let’s enter the love equation. Yù’chén is a powerful and oh so good looking practioner who has also entered the trials. He clearly has an advantage, but for unknown reasons decides to bring her along. Theirs is a relationship of rivals, enemies and occasionally allies. There is certainly a lot of tension in the relationship, but Àn’yīng lacks any give for most of the novel to make this really compelling. She is so steadfastly prejudiced, it makes her really unlikeable. The love triangle with the jade pendant on the other hand was terribly convenient. It is shocking that Àn’yīng holds no anger when revelations towards this fated pair emerge and their history is revealed considering she is generally so angsty. It would have been so much more interesting if she had doubts for both men and could hold space for inquiry and recognition of differing lived experiences and perspectives. It just felt too underdeveloped character and relationship wise.

I am probably being overly generous in this review and that is partly owing to this edition, which I still think is beautiful. I also enjoyed parts of the world and the mythology in which it was rooted. There were revelations at the end that could make this head in an all out battle of wills and truth, but I may end my journey here. I think there are many readers who will enjoy this duology, it just wasn’t my cup of tea on this day.

This is the first in an immersive YA fantasy duology steeped in Chinese folklore, where the boundaries between worlds have shattered and humanity clings to survival. It follows Àn’yīng, a young woman burdened by the loss of her parents (as she knew them, in her mother's case) and the responsibility of caring for her younger sister while desperately seeking a cure for her ailing mother. In this tumultuous setting, she must also confront the deep-seated prejudice she harbors —a bias forged by past trauma—which complicates her interactions with an ally.

While I found Àn’yīng to be a richly drawn character—strong, determined, and fiercely protective of her family—the story falters when it comes to (view spoiler) I'm avoiding spoilers, but if you know, you know. I'll hide it just in case.

That said, there is much to admire here. The tension between Àn’yīng and Yù’chén crackles with the kind of "kiss or kill" energy that makes every encounter feel charged with possibility. Their relationship hints at the potential for significant growth, and I’m hopeful that the next will delve deeper. Conversely, a secondary love interest, introduced as a foil to this intense bond, felt more like a peripheral presence, lacking the complexity and weight of the central romance. Does anyone really think he stands a real chance?

The world Zhao has created is rich with cultural touchstones and mythology, and the setting is rendered with remarkable detail and immersive quality. While some of the promised trials felt underdeveloped—often relying on external interventions rather than showcasing Àn’yīng’s own resourcefulness—the climax in the final chapters is a thrilling twist that completely upends expectations, leaving me eagerly anticipating the next.

This is a fun and engaging read, particularly for those who enjoyed Zhao’s previous work. It offers a fascinating blend of mythology, cultural aspects, and high-stakes romance, though it occasionally struggles to fully satisfy in terms of emotional depth and character evolution. I’m excited to follow further, even as I wish the entire book had hit the same high note as its breathtaking final quarter.

Thanks so much to the author, the publisher, and TBR and Beyond Tours for the complimentary copy. This review is voluntary and all opinions are my own.