If I had to choose one word to summarize this book I would choose, BREATHTAKING

Amélie Wen Zhao executes the most captivating world building, perfectly balancing the beauty and darkness

The Scorpion and the Night Blossom is fast paced with beautifully layered characters and INTENSE trials that had me flipping through the pages incredibly quick, I was so engaged and invested.

What an incredible start to this promising duology, cant wait to get my eyes on book two!

Scorpion and the Night Blossom is the first in a new duology by Amélie When Zhao. I was really looking forward to this novel after reading the author's previous Song of the Last Kingdom duology and I had such a fun time reading this book.

Plot: Scorpion and the Night Blossom follows Àn’yīng, a mortal practitioner on her journey in the Immortal realm to save her mother. Àn’yīng competes in the immortality trials and although she has spent her life protecting her family from mò, demons from the Kingdom of Night who invaded the mortal realm she has had very little formal training. In the trials she realizes that she is up against much more experienced practitioners so Àn’yīng teams up with a mysterious practitioner Yù’chén. As Àn’yīng stays in the immortal realm she unravels dangerous secrets about the war that has taken over her life.

Characters:
Àn’yīng - protective of her loved ones, determined, and unforgiving. She has not one blade but eight (and she isn’t just a useless fmc). How cool is that?

Yù’chén - mysterious, powerful, kind, 🙂‍↕️hes kinda funny?, typical mmc (aka. Seems like he wants to kill you, but is actually really sweet)

While this book is not perfect, I loved so many aspects of it. It’s been a while since I have been so invested in a book and had really emotional reactions to everything. I think I was looking forward to this book so much that I connected to the characters really fast which will probably not happen to everybody reading this book. I would recommend this book to people who like C-Dramas and Asian Fantasy. Also, to people who like (upper) YA fantasy. I can’t wait to read the next book even though it's going to be a while until it comes out 😭
The conflict between the three kingdoms was super interesting. I also thought Àn’yīng and Yù’chén had really good development in their relationship, which was very satisfying as a reader, even though it took a while. It was nice to see Àn’yīng make new friends but I wish we got to know more about them. Unfortunately the book goes in a love triangle direction which was something I am not particularly fond of. I will say Yù’chén is better but I don’t want to spoil anything 🤐

4.5 stars rounded up

Thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for the eARC

I loved the overall story and the world building in The Scorpion and the Night Blossom. The romantic tension was also super good and I’m a huge fan of Yù’chén! I love the way he interacts with Àn’yīng and the cute little nickname he calls her.

I do think the book felt a bit rushed. I feel like there was so much action and not enough down time or calm moments. I would’ve loved to see the characters interact more in a lower stakes environment, just for a little bit. I would have loved to get to know them without the threat of death hanging around all the time.

It also annoyed me how Àn’yīng is supposed to be like the protector of her town and seen as strong, but then she constantly needs help all the time when she gets to the trials. I know she doesn’t have much training, but still, she was too helpless. I hope in the second book she is more capable.

Despite a few little issues I have with the book, I am really looking forward to book two and seeing where this story goes!

*The Scorpion and the Night Blossom* by Amélie Wen Zhao is a lush, captivating fantasy that immerses readers in a world inspired by Chinese mythology and folklore. The story follows two complex characters—a fierce, skilled assassin and a mysterious, enigmatic prince—whose destinies intertwine through magic, betrayal, and a blossoming romance. Zhao’s world-building is rich and vivid, with intricate details that bring the setting to life, while the characters are layered and compelling, each grappling with their own moral dilemmas and desires. The pacing is dynamic, balancing action with emotional depth, and the slow-burn romance adds an element of tension and yearning. *The Scorpion and the Night Blossom* is a beautiful, evocative read for fans of dark fantasy and character-driven stories.

The Scorpion and the Night Blossom is a brilliant, easy read with twists and a beautiful slow burn enemies-to-lovers romance. I adored it!

Thank you to the publisher for providing a copy to review.

I definitely enjoyed and ate up the love triangle of this. There are heavy elements ofc-drama vibes with this and I also found that to be enjoyable. Book 2 makes me excited and curious to see how this continues, I will be recommending this and keeping my eye out. This is definitely a book I will be looking to add to my bookshelf!

Wow wow wow

first!! The grip this book had one me needs to be studied, I was FLYING through the first part of it. If my phone literally didn’t break, this would’ve been a one sitting read

In terms of action, character growth and insane twists, this book did NOT miss! Genuinely trying to catch my breath after the way it turned at the end

My only criticism and why it’s four instead of five is I do feel like some things felt rushed and I had to question if this was a standalone to have so much crammed into it? I just wanted a little more development for some of the relationships and plot points

But loved it and will 100% be eagerly waiting for book 2!

This book is so great and hard to put down! The world building is phenomenal and the characters are easy to love! The FMC makes mistakes, and I absolutely love that. There were a few times I shouted at her.

What a fun, action-packed read! The world built in this novel is stunning and the twists and stakes throughout were mesmerizing! I will say it did take me awhile to get into this book as it’s my first time stepping into this mythology, I’m used to Greek, so I had a slight learning curve to master. But once I got 60% in I really enjoyed this book and did not see some of the twists coming at all. I look forward to continuing the series in the future!

I will read anything by Amelie Wen Zhao. I hope to read her Blood Heir trilogy soon. This book was SOOOOO good. I really enjoyed it. It did take me a bit to get into it, but wow. We get a lot of action and romance and deceit. All the twists and turns I didn't see coming. We might get a love triangle here too. I cannot wait for the next book!

Okay spoilers below so I remember the pot when the next book comes out:

Anying decides to enter the trials of the Immortals in order to gain the pil of immortality for her mother. When Anying was 10 years old, the demon queen sucked a lot of her mother's life energy and also killed her dad. The pill will help her mother become like her old self. Before entering the First Trial, Anying meets Yuchen, who is half mo and half human. They kind of form an alliance. They get through the other trials together. During the trials, some candidates are found dead and a demon is suspected of killing them. Yanlu turns out to be that demon! Unfortunately, this exposes Yuchen as well. I was sad to see him sentenced to death. Anying was sad too, but then we find out he is the son of the demon queen who killed her father and was gaining Anying's trust to turn on her to find Haoyang, the heir to the mortal realm. Yuchen is also the stepbrother of Haoyang since he is the son of the mortal emperor as well. The demon queen ends up killing an Immortal, Shiya, who is Anying's birth mother. Shiya gives Anying the pill to save her mother. Haoyang also asks Anying to marry him so they can form an alliance between the mortal and immortal realms. At the end of the book, Anying is able to do exactly what she sought out to do by returning to Meizi and giving the pill of immortality to her mother. In the next book, we will see whether they can garner the support from the realm of the dragons and defeat the Kingdom of the Night. I think Yuchen will make an appearance too. I also will make a guess that Anying will have to decide between Haoyang and Yuchen.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
An epic battle against good and evil, love and hate, logic and emotion to save a life, a love and a kingdom.

Read The Scorpion and the Night Blossom by Amèlie Wen Zhao if you like…

🌹 enemies to lovers
🌹 magic
🌹 mythology
🌹 immortals and demons
🌹 women who can fight
🌹 a pinch of spice
🌹 forbidden love


🩷HER🩷
A knife-wielding girl with a penchant for killing demons who is determined to save her mother’s soul at any cost

💙HIM💙
A secretive, powerful, and (of course) handsome stranger who decides to help her for (yep you guessed it) a cost

📖 THEIR STORY 📖
A demon killed Àn’yīng’s father and stole half her mother’s soul, right in front of her. Left alone to survive in a war between mortals and demons, Àn’yīng knows there is only one way to protect her little sister from the demons and save her mother’s soul.

Armed with enchanted blades and a fierce determination, Àn’yīng enters the deadly Immortal Trials for a chance to learn the magical skills she needs to protect her family from demons and win a pill of immortality that will restore her mother’s soul.

Àn’yīng fears she may not have what it takes to survive, let alone win the immortal trials, until a handsome stranger starts helping her survive.

But Yù’chén is a rival in the trials, and he refuses to say why he is helping Àn’yīng.
Can Àn’yīng unravel his secrets before it is too late for her mother, her heart and her kingdom?

Thank you to Amèlie Wen Zhao and #NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of The Scorpion and the Night Blossom.

Up for a gripping fantasy with surprises around each corner? Get your copy now!

I was sent an early review copy in exchange for my honest review! Thanks to NetGalley & Random House Children’s for the ARC. This doesn’t affect my thoughts about the book in any way. Out on the shelves on March 4, 2025!

Buddy read with sea <3

Amelie Wen Zhao welcomes us back to the world of her luscious xianxia-inspired romantasy series in the first installment of The Three Realms Duology! The Scorpion & The Night Blossom is set in a world ravaged by demons, where a young woman fights in a high-stakes competition to survive and win the prize that will save her mother’s soul.

The elegant prose made this story all the more enjoyable, besides the vast elements woven into the world-building. An’ying’s character evokes feelings of hope and bravery in the readers, and with the challenging nature of the story itself, you will definitely feel as if you live through her within these pages. Some of the plot twists felt predictable, but I’m subjectively speaking, given that I’ve immersed myself in Asian romantasy this year. Nevertheless, this book reminded me of her popular duology, Song of The Last Kingdom. There is lots of tension in this book brought upon by a hopeless romantic affair, along with classic court politics, and treacherous magic. It already poses such a big potential for fans of Chinese fantasy dramas!

2.5 stars rounded down

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Amélie Wen Zhao's The Scorpion and the Night Blossom is a romantasy following Àn’yīng who enters a deadly competition to save her mother and protect her family. When she meets the powerful Yù’chén during the competition, she has to balance her desire for him with her goal to win the trials.

This book was not for me, but I understand why other people love this book.

The biggest issue I had with this book was the characters. I cannot name one character that I liked from this book. They all had personalities that I had read before. I can't point out anything unique about a single one of them. I also found some of the dialogue embarrassing and hard to read. Not liking the characters is always an issue, but it's worse when the romance is the main part of the story. If you don't like the characters, it's hard to enjoy the romance. Since I only enjoyed the fantasy elements and not the love story, I was struggling through most of the book.

One thing about the romance that I actually enjoyed at the beginning was the banter. It was fun when it started, but there ended up being so much of it. The first half of the book felt like it was 90% banter and 10% actual conversations that meant something. There's a limit to how many witty comebacks I can enjoy in one book. This had far too many for my taste.

This is also one of the most obvious cases of insta love I've ever read. Most of her thoughts about him the second they meet is that she's attracted to him. There are a few moments where she tells herself she hates him, but they're flirting from the beginning. If you want slow burn, this isn't it.

I enjoyed almost everything about the fantasy elements in this book. The descriptions were beautiful. When entering a fantasy world, good descriptions are the main thing I hope for. The competition and trials were fun to read and worked well for the story. I loved how the weapons were described. The action scenes were well written. However, there were too many action scenes. When the main characters weren't flirting or arguing, it was non-stop fight scenes and training scenes. When you have so much fast-paced action, it starts to lose it's impact. There are barely any calm moments in between to let the big action scenes and plot twists actually have an effect on the reader. I felt like the story needed to slow down for a chapter sometimes.

Although I have so much I didn't like about this book, I would still recommend it. I don't think it brings anything particularly new to romantasy, but that doesn't mean it won't be a fun, loveable book for a lot of people. This book is great for people who want a quick but fun romantasy, or people who are new to the genre. I think this is a good introduction for people who haven't read many romantasy or fantasy books.

Review on Goodreads (sophreadingbooks https://www.goodreads.com/sophreadingbooks) expected 2/25/2025
Review on Instagram (sophiesreading https://www.instagram.com/sophiesreading/) expected 3/11/2025

This story completely took over my life while I was reading it, and I’m still thinking about it! From the very first page, I was hooked by Àn’yīng’s determination and courage. Her journey through the Immortality Trials to save her mother had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I loved how grounded and real she felt—she’s fierce and driven, but also vulnerable in a way that makes her so easy to root for.

The relationship between Àn’yīng and Yù’chén? WOW. 'Rivals to lovers' doesn’t even begin to cover it. The tension, the layers of mistrust and mutual respect, and the slow build of their connection were all so well done. I’m so glad there wasn’t any insta-love here—it made their relationship feel so much deeper and more rewarding. Every scene they shared had me holding my breath!

The world-building is absolutely stunning. The mix of beauty and danger, with the mó demons and the eerie eternal night, made everything feel so vivid and alive. The pacing was perfect—fast enough to keep me hooked but detailed enough to make me feel completely immersed.

This book is everything I love about dark fantasy: intense stakes, rich characters, and a world that feels so real it’s hard to leave. I devoured every page and didn’t want it to end. If you love stories with heart, action, and a bit of darkness, this is a must-read. I cannot wait for the next book!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book is action packed! And the world building was awesome. I usually don’t like love triangles but in this book I tolerated it well, as long as we get an Anying and Yu Chen HEA? (Please). This is the first book, but closes well and at the same time I can’t wait happens next. Overall I love this book.

The Scorpion and The Night Blossom was an intense, action packed story. There wasn't graphic spice, there were vague descriptions (our characters are over 18) and a few curse words sprinkled in. There were also references to SA but none occurred within the story. This is a book set in a besieged land and our character takes part in deadly trials so there is violence, death and tragedy. There were a variety of popular tropes interwoven into the narrative. I spent a good portion of the book as conflicted as our main character. There were so many twists and turns, some that twisted in one direction then in the opposite direction a few pages later. I suspected several of the twists but for every one I guessed there was another I was surprised by. I currently have mixed feeling about so many characters! One of my least favorite tropes came into play (not a generally disliked trope, just one I am not a big fan of) and I have SO MANY QUESTIONS about where the story will go in the next book. Inspiration was drawn from Chinese stories and legends, and I loved how that played out.

Book Review: The Scorpion and the Night Blossom by Amélie Wen Zhao

In The Scorpion and the Night Blossom, Amélie Wen Zhao delivers a spellbinding tale of revenge, redemption, and forbidden alliances set against a lush, atmospheric world teeming with danger and desire. Known for her vibrant storytelling and intricately crafted characters, Zhao once again enchants readers with a narrative that is as darkly captivating as it is emotionally resonant.

The story follows two unlikely protagonists: a deadly assassin known as The Scorpion, who thrives in the shadows, and a noble outcast referred to as The Night Blossom, whose past is steeped in secrets. Thrown together by fate and vengeance, their fragile partnership unfolds amidst a rich tapestry of political intrigue, betrayals, and an undercurrent of slow-burning tension. Zhao masterfully weaves in themes of loyalty, sacrifice, and the blurred lines between hero and villain, creating a morally gray world where every choice has consequences.

What stands out most is Zhao’s worldbuilding. The setting comes alive with vivid descriptions of opulent palaces, treacherous alleyways, and shimmering night markets, immersing readers in a world that feels both magical and perilous. Equally enthralling is the dynamic between the two leads—their sharp banter, guarded emotions, and slow unraveling of trust keep readers on edge, rooting for their survival and connection.

Fans of morally complex characters and immersive fantasy will find The Scorpion and the Night Blossom to be an unputdownable read. Zhao’s talent for balancing high-stakes action with tender emotional depth shines through, delivering a story that lingers long after the final page.

Rating: 4.5/5
Perfect for fans of: The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller and An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir.

This reads like a c-drama. Be that a good thing or a bad thing, it can take some time to get into this story. First, it is written in present tense. While this is a semi-regular occurrence in translations of light novels and other cultivation stories, it is not something that I expected going into this book. As many other books of this nature, there are many names, lore drops, and descriptions that need to be kept track of to understand what is going on. It got to the point where it felt like I needed to start taking notes on the definitions of some of the words in the novel. A glossary or a pronunciation guide would make this a much easier read.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read this eARC.

And wow! I'm just going to get it out there. This is a fantastic start to a promising duology. It's very fast paced, our characters have layers and are very enjoyable. The trials are high stakes that kept me on the edge of my seat! Really enjoyed our romance here. It's very emotional and just spot on for my tastes.

This is very high stakes and extremely thrilling. This was very fresh and exciting. I can't wait to see what's coming up next!

4.5 stars! Thank you to NetGalley, Delacorte Press, and Random House Children's for this advanced copy! You can pick up The Scorpion and the Night Blossom on March 4, 2025.

In Amélie Wen Zhao we trust. She can craft a romance with the most impeccable yearning and tension I've ever read. I was immediately all in on Àn’yīng and Yu'chén, from the moment she attacked him in a clearing. THIS was a proper enemies to lovers, with secrets and betrayals and vulnerabilities and intimacy. It built up fairly slowly, and by the end, you understand why both of them made the choices they did (for themselves and each other).

Zhao also set up a beautiful world with a fascinating conflict between the three realms. The magic was straightforward but intriguing, especially since mortal practitioners, immortals, and demons could use it in various ways. I did feel that the third part of the love triangle was added in for more plot reasons than romance (there really is no romance between them until MAYBE the very end), and that's honestly the only reason this isn't 5 stars. I needed more Yu'chén on the page because his and Àn’yīng's dynamic was EVERYTHING.

I will be gnawing at the bars of my enclosure until book 2 comes out. Y'all better have this in your carts FIRST THING come March!!