Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. It was a breath of fresh air with an engaging plot. I loved the complexity of the romance and the plot twist, did not expect that one bit.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review. DNF unfortunately. I am just not connecting to the characters or the plot which is awful because I’ve enjoyed books from this author before. I really thought this would be for me especially because of the sub-genre. I’m only rating and reviewing because it makes me, and I don’t want it to hurt my feedback ratio.

After her father is killed and her mother's soul is mostly devoured by a mó (demon), Àn'yīng is left caring for her mother and younger sister. Every so often, the Immortals in the sky kingdom open their gates to a series of trials that mortals can compete in to win a pill of immortality. Àn'yīng leaves her mother and sister behind to win the pill and resort her mother's soul.

Generally, this story was beautiful. Amélie Wen Zhao obviously puts love and care into the attention of Chinese folk lore. The writing was beautiful and flowed so well, it was hard to put the book down!

The maim characters have depth and full back stories, but I found the side characters all to be lacking and very flat, which is disappointing because they all were interesting on the surface. The love interest had so much potential, but Àn'yīng was always so cruel, it was hard to find "why" Yù'chén even liked her. The ending was also very rushed, but ended at a great starting point for book too. Excited to keep exploring Àn'yīng and Yù'chén in the next book!

“In a world at war with demons, one girl will face the ultimate test when she is forced to enter into an ancient, deadly competition for the chance to save her mother's soul… before she loses her forever”
☁️
Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/🫑
I really enjoyed this story.

It has a little bit of dark themes/gore (soul sucking demons that consume a mortal’s heart and organs👀). Although it was part of the Fairyloot adult box, It’s not adult for the spice; there is one mild scene, It’s adult more for the dark themes.

It’s a hunger games-like competition where mortals can compete in the Immortal Trials and one human earns an immortal pill, a pill the FMC needs to save her mother.

The writing is beautiful. The world building and magic system is a little confusing (spirit magic), though. It’s more Character driven.

There were definitely some twists I didn’t see coming and I cannot wait for the next one.

This is listed as a “duology” so the next book will be the conclusion.
☁️
Multiple realms, dark magic, spirit/light magic, mortals/immortals, immortal realm in the sky, dragons, demons, crescent dagger wielding FMC, betrayal, guardian.

The Scorpion and the Night Blossom is a stunning, immersive fantasy that grabs you from the first page and doesn’t let go. Amélie Wen Zhao delivers a world that’s rich, dangerous, and hauntingly beautiful, where mortal and immortal realms collide in a battle for survival, power, and secrets.

Àn’yīng is a fierce and determined protagonist, molded by the tragedy of her past. Her journey to the Immortality Trials is one of resilience and hope, as she fights not only for her survival but to save her mother from death’s grip. Her weapon of choice—crescent blades—reflects her inner strength and the dedication she has to the ancient art of practitioning. In the midst of war and a world on the brink of eternal darkness, Àn’yīng is more than a warrior—she’s a symbol of defiance.

What makes this story truly unforgettable, however, is the incredible world-building. Zhao has created a stunningly detailed world where demons called mó feast on souls and the immortal realm holds dark secrets. Each page reveals a new layer to this world, full of mystery and breathtaking beauty. From the ethereal Immortality Trials to the terrifying demons roaming the land, you’re constantly pulled deeper into this intricately crafted universe.

Yù’chén, the enigmatic rival who secretly aids Àn’yīng, is a fascinating character whose motives keep you guessing. He’s powerful, handsome, and just as secretive as he is dangerous. As the Trials unfold, you can’t help but wonder: can Àn’yīng trust him, or is he playing his own game with her life on the line? The slow burn of their relationship, mixed with intrigue and tension, is absolutely addictive.

The twists and turns in The Scorpion and the Night Blossom are nothing short of brilliant. Zhao keeps you on the edge of your seat, constantly surprised by the revelations and the high-stakes action. And the ending… it’s nothing short of devastating. The cliffhanger leaves you craving more, eager to find out what will happen next.

The characters are fully fleshed out, each with their own motivations, fears, and desires, making it impossible not to become emotionally invested in their fates. The writing is lush, evocative, and poetic, with moments of tension and heartbreak that linger long after you’ve turned the final page.

This is a story about survival, trust, love, and sacrifice, set against the backdrop of a beautifully dangerous world. The Scorpion and the Night Blossom is a must-read for anyone who loves epic fantasy with a touch of romance and a whole lot of heart-pounding suspense. It's a perfect balance of action, mystery, and emotional depth, and I can’t wait to see where Amélie Wen Zhao takes us next.

Absolutely loved the story telling and world building. The FMC is such a strong, independent and admirable. The story was fast paced and kept my attention the entire time.

Favorite quote(s):

"But meeting the right person at the wrong time, the right love in the wrong life, is a tragedy written from the start"


Review:

This was amazing! The descriptions, the mythology, and the emotions were all so incredible. I loved An'ying so much! The love she had for her family was amazing. She would do anything for them, even enter trials that could kill her. I loved her journey and her story. Despite being young, her sister, Méi'zi, was so sweet and amazing. The trials were interesting, and I loved meeting amazing characters who became friends with An'ying. I thought the whole thing about demons, immortals, and mortals and their kingdoms being at war was interesting. Yu'chén was an interesting character to read about, being half demon and half mortal. He cared for An'ying, but sometimes other things got in the way. He was there to help her so often. Hào'yáng was such a great character, and I thought his history was interesting, especially his connection to An'ying and her father. Lady Shīʼyă was fascinating, and I enjoyed what we got of her. I wish we got more of her. The last chapters were insane, with the war between the Kingdom of Night and the Kingdom of the River and the Immortals coming to a head. I was shocked at what we learned about Hào'yáng, Yu'chén, and even An'ying. I hate Sansiran even if some things were rough for her. She is evil. I can't wait for more on the war and rebellion and what comes next for this world and the characters.

possible way! It was the perfect blend of dark romantasy and asian mythology. Perfect enemies to lovers balance, with banter, tension, high stakes and lots of knife to the throat or situations that went straight to my heart. Anying is so stabby stab and such a girl after my own heart! She cares about her family the most and will do and sacrifice anything to save them from the mo demons and heal them. Including going through the impossible trials set by the immortals and face death and enemies multiple times. She makes friends along the way, discovers shocking thruths about her lineage, finds (and loses?) trust and love... But she prevails. And Yu'chen... *sigh*. He is the epitome of mysterious broody shadow hero. He gives off the vibe that he has a hidden agenda and secrets but he is also there for Anying every step of the way. They clash, they fight, they keep getting closer... until the enemies to lovers lines blur.

Memorable tropes and traits:

Enemies to lovers dynamic
Constant push and pull between hero and heroine and banter
Knife to the throat + kissing
Writing
Tension
Action
Adventures
Slow burn
Who did this to you
Morally grey hero
Questionable actions
He saves/heals her
She stands up for him
Mythical creatures
C-drama vibes
Beautiful worldbuilding
Angst
Twists
Shocking ending
Star-crossed lovers
Unique magic system

I flew through it in a matter of days! I had the pleasure to buddy reading it with my friends Jasmine and Ope and we had so much fun sharing our thoughts, emotional situations and swooning! We had the best time! And by best time, I mean there is lot of reactions, screaming, gasping and writing in FULL CAPS BECAUSE HE DID WHAT??? AND WHAT DOES THAT MEAN???

THINGS KEPT HAPPENING, there were twists, life or death situations, stabby situations, tension that made us want to scream or cry or swoon. Loved AnYing's character and her enemies to lovers dynamic with the hero was delicious. We rooted for them as much as we feared nothing could be trusted. The writing is superb and fastpaced so it really transported us into this world that made us feel like we had a girls night watching cdrama. Loved and tots recommend!

I am obsessed and this is one of my fave Asian inspired books now.
Thank you Random House Children/Delacorte press for the early review copy, all thoughts and feels are my own... including the heartbreak and hangover over the cliffy. 🥲

I got lured by the dedication "this one's for the C-drama girlies" and the book delivered what you'd expect from that dedication. I enjoyed the plot's exploration of the mortal and immortal realms, with multiple species of people with different but understandable motivations that humanize them. I can't really say I'm on anyone's side and that's what I enjoy most about stories like this. This was a buddy read with two friends, and I think getting a chance to discuss it with them while reading made for a really fun read, I'm excited to see how the story gets wrapped up in the second book!

This was unexpectedly so so good! I’m not sure why I was skeptical going in but threw all those worries out the window within the first couple of chapters!

Àn’yīng’s story was so sad but the way she survived and fought in order to help her mom and sister was magical. She listened to her gut 90% of the time and I truly served her well to do so. When she trusts, she does it after actions have proven she should. She was skeptical about Yù’chén throughout the whole book. She inevitably let her guard down and, of course, things went so so wrong. I am still so upset about Yù’chén!

The twists and revelations that happened were crazy and I did not see any one of them coming. That is always such a pleasant surprise. When I am just enjoying the book and not trying to figure out all the nuances… I love that.

I am so sad I have to wait so long for the second book now that I fell in love with these characters! So so good!

4.5 stars and my thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the eARC!

Deadly trials for immortality with a love triangle with a bad boy and a protec boy isn't a new concept, but Zhao's story feels fresh in a way I wasn't expecting.

Àn’yīng's family has been torn apart after a mó, or demon from the Kingdom of Night, killed her father and ate half her mother's soul nine years ago. She's been training and waiting for the day when she can take part in the trials put on by the immortals for a chance to save her mother. Along the way, she comes across Yù’chén, a half mó, who seems to actually be trying to help her through the trials. But things are never as they truly seem and Àn’yīng has to figure out if she can trust anyone in these deadly games.

This is my first book by Zhao and I really enjoyed it. I feel like near the end, it got a bit rushed with revealing new thing after new thing, but I know it was just to set up the sequel to the duology. And might I say, I appreciate Zhao sticking with duologies. With all these fantasy books being trilogies or even suddenly surprise pentologies (lookin at you, Yarros), it's nice to know we can find a quick series to read without waiting a decade for the final book.

A girl raised to be a demon hunter/practitioner after her parents were attacked enters into a deadly trail of the immortals in order to discover practitioner secrets and possibly win the pill that grants eternal life to save her dying mother... that is if she can survive the deadly candidates that includes a half demon half mortal who is as deadly as he is handsome. Àn’yīng’s is a girl who lives in a world that is slowly descending into darkness as mó—beautiful, ravenous demons—roam the land, feasting on the flesh of humans and drinking their souls. Àn’yīng had to witness her mother be attacked and could barely save her, and with her mother dying Àn’yīng’s is determined to find a cure. She spends her days killing mó to become stronger and has decided to enter into the deadly Immortality Trails which only allows for mortals who can find a way into the immortal realm to participate. On her journey she meets Yù’chén, a secretive and deadly contestant who is constantly saving her while hiding things from her. The more Àn’yīng gets involved in the trails the more she is beginning to realize that she is much closer to the immortals than she could have ever imagined. This is the first book in a duology and boy... was it a book. On one hand I was super intrigued by the premise on the other hand I could barely stand Àn’yīng. Its hard to read a book when you don't like the main character. Àn’yīng is described as being super strong and a deadly person... but throughout the book she is constantly being saved and going back and forth between hating Yù’chén and lusting after him, one moment she is calling him disgusting the next she wants to know him. She honestly treats him so terribly that I don't see how he can still be so in love with her,it was insta love but like... I just don't feel it at all. The story just felt kind of half finished and honestly, could have just been made into one book rather than dragged on into two. I initially was really into Àn’yīng but by the 20% mark I knew I didn't vibe with her at all. I just didn't care for her lack of agency, the fact that she was so hot and cold with her feelings, and the fact that she isn't all that great of a person and kind of treats everyone around her terribly. I just hope she grows by the second book and I hope that in the end theres an improvement. I love Amelie's previous books so I was so excited when this one was announced because I'm a huge fan of Chinese mythology/fantasy stories and this sounded right up my alley. All in all, if you like mythology/fantasy romances, do give it a go I am interested to see where the next book ends.

Release Date: March 4, 2025

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Random House Children's | Delacorte Press for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

AMÉLIE WEN ZHAO HELLO?!?!?! IM UNWELL!!!! this book was so good i am literally obsessed. i loved the concept of the sky kingdom, the river kingdom, and the night kingdom as representations of heaven, earth, and hell. àn’yīng is a warrior for the ages — after everything she survived and fought for, look where she is today. i would like to say that i 1000000% predicted who yù’chén’s mother was and was still gagged. the reveal scene was written perfectly and i was extremely stressed out. i really enjoyed the immortality trials, the romance, and the unraveling of all the secrets. some insaneeee bombs got dropped at the end. also we knew it was coming but book two is going to be serving some major love triangle moments.

Àn'yīng's main goal is consistent throughout the book, and I love her perseverance in reaching it. I really enjoyed the trials, therefore it was tough for me to put the book down. I didn't expect it to be so action-packed, which is fantastic. I had no trouble getting into the world-building, despite the fact that this was my first time reading Amélie Wen Zhao's work, and I think the way she explains the differences between Kingdom Night, Sky, and Rivers absolutely pleased me.

However, I have difficulties recalling the names because they are nearly identical. An'yīng and Yù'chén have strong chemistry, yet there is still potential for a love triangle. Despite the fact that it drags a little, it does not detract from the overall plot. Some plot twists surprised me, leaving me anxiously waiting for the sequel.

The Scorpion and the Night Blossom is a richly imagined and intricately woven tale.

Àn’yīng has suffered unimaginable tragedy at the hands of the demons roaming the Kingdom of Rivers. With the loss of her father, Àn’yīng is responsible for protecting her mother and younger sister. When the chance to compete in the Immortal Trials arises, and with it a chance to heal her ailing mother, Àn’yīng doesn't hesitate. But when she runs into an alluring and mysterious man on her journey, they decide to ally and travel and together. Skilled and devastatingly beautiful, Yù’chén is more than he seems. But secrets will tear them apart, and Àn’yīng will need to decide who she can trust.

I loved this story! The overall plot was intricate and engaging, with the mortal and demon kingdoms at war, and the immortals safe in their haven. Àn’yīng's driving focus is to heal her mother and keep her sister safe, and she selflessly defends her village from the demons, The romance with Àn’yīng and Yù’chén is a wonderful rivals to lovers slow burn, and the secrets they have makes the stakes even higher. The trials kept the plot moving along, and the shift between the mortal and immortal realms was enchanting and magical. We also meet a curious and intriguing character, who helps Àn’yīng and has secrets of his own. I also really enjoyed the Chinese mythological influences. Overall, this was a delightful and engaging story, and I am excitedly waiting for the next books in this series.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and to Random House Children's - Delacorte Press for the advanced copy of this wonderful book. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

First of all, this book made me tear up or cry twice, which is part of its 4 star rating.

Other things the book did well:
- building up the FMC's story + motivations, as well as making her a realistic and flawed character.
- making a (1st) MMC with an intriguing and mysterious backstory that really had me gasping multiple times.
- leaning into the fantasy aspects and having a unique magic system.
- leaning into the Asian world inspiration--in terms of names, fantastical creatures, and myths.
- familial relationship twists that shocked me.
- the emotions always felt real/strong and really sucked me into the story.

Things that didn't work for me:
- the surprise love triangle and THEN the fact that it seemed to resolve for the goody-two-shoes end of it!! rude.
- tbh i thought the 2nd MMC was wholly unnecessary and I wish they had been merged with MMC #1.
- the double and triple crossing by one character. It would have been more interesting for them to prove the FMC's doubts wrong, not correct. I also didn't like the lot they were allotted tbh--felt like the narrative punished them a lot, very unnecessarily.
- the world-building was overwhelming (literally: all the realms got confusing) and I mostly survived on vibes.
- the beginning didn't suck me in and it took awhile to become truly hooked by the book.
- the chapters felt too lengthy and dragged at times.

Will I read the sequel? Maybe. I'm torn, as I want to know what happens, but I also am worried at some of the black&white storytelling that was happening near the end of book #1 in terms of whether characters were "good" or "bad".

Amèlie Wen Zhao knows how to rip my heart out.

The Scorpion and The Night Blossom is absolutely gorgeous. Both the way the mortal and immortal worlds are written is incredibly lovely and vivid, the imagery of which sticking to your mind.

Àn’yīng is a fierce protagonist, desperate to do what it takes to bring her mother back and keep her baby sister safe. Due to her father training her in practictioning, she knows how to fight and how to place wards down, but in order to truly protect her village, she must enter The Immortality Trials.

Practictioners from all across the ruined kingdom come together to compete for a pill of immortality, which will grant them a place in the world of immortals. But a powerful and handsome rival contestant puts a wrench in Àn’yīng’s plans- she can’t afford the distraction with so much at stake.

When contestants start being murdered one by one, the stakes start to rise more than she thought…and it looks like someone is letting a dangerous monster into the Immortal Realm.

I enjoyed this book so much! The Scorpion and The Night Blossom releases on March 4th, and I hope you all will fall for this dark and romantic story as much as I did! Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House!

Review will be posted to socials on Tuesday, I will come back to edit the links!

I really enjoyed this book! I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys asian inspired fantasies and especially anyone who loves both fantasy and anime. I was hooked from the first page and felt the plot had a really satisfying pace. Plus, the plot twists at the end have me ready for the nest one when this isn't even out yet!

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy.

3.5 stars

This is a beautiful tale, and well written. It does to me feel very YA, which while still enjoyable, just doesn't get me as excited as more adult titles. It still was an enjoyable read, and had wonderful imagery and detail. The world building was unique and exquisite.

The story started off pretty strong, and I was interested in it, but it started to drag a little for me, and I unfortunately started to feel a little bored with it. I kept up and was happy with how the pacing picked up and the ending, and I'm interested in possibly finishing this duology once it is done.

This would be a maybe for me on recommending it - if you enjoy Chinese Fantasy, this would definitely be a must read. I'm interested in reading some of the authors other works as well!

Language: PG+ (7+ swears, 0+ "f" + British swears); Mature Content: PG13+; Violence: PG13+
The story of warring realms and invading demons with a girl determined to protect what is left of her family is an engaging one. However, innuendos in the first few chapters made the book suspect, and I stopped reading in case there was sexual content later that I don't want to read.
The sexual content rating is for nudity, mentions of menstruation, and innuendo. The violence rating is for corpses, blood and gore, assault, mentions of suicide, and murder.