Oh , this book was a wild ride. The scarlet alchemist crafts a story set in an alternate Tang dynasty, where our female main character Zilan travels to the country’s capital to be a royal alchemist but soon she becomes entangled in dark royal secrets and politics, making her realize that being a royal alchemist isn't as she had initially imagined.

I loved the vivid and immersive writing. The necromancy and alchemy parts are well explained. It’s dark and quite bloody I would say. ( bodies are chopped oop -)

It’s hilarious , the characters are funny and perfectly fleshed out to be relatable. There’s romance but I’d say it’s a subplot as it doesn’t overshadow the plot. There’s a strong theme of family in these books and it’s nice to watch Zilan waddle through her feelings of being adopted and what it means in that timeline.

This book surprised me in so many ways and just when I thought the ending was going to be a basic predictable ending , the author drops a lovely twist that leaves you desperately wanting for the next book.

P.S. From the start of the book, I noticed similarities between our trio (Zilan and her siblings) and the trio Venka, Rin, and Kitay from "The Poppy War." Later, I read the author's note and discovered that she drew inspiration from "The Poppy War," which I found cute.

First book from Kylie Lee Baker and won’t be my last. Fantastic writing that was so vivid that I felt I was part of this story. The plot was so well done and this book had me hooked from start to finish. Things aren’t easy for Zilan as she tries to become a royal alchemist and I think the way this story was told was just so good and full of amazing descriptions.

I was very excited to receive an e-arc of this book! I kept seeing such great reviews about it which really made me want to read it, despite it being slightly outside of my normal style of books.

I really enjoyed the writing style within this book and being able to step into another culture I knew almost nothing about and being able to fully enjoy the experience and contexts presented within the book. The story was well paced and fluid, east to understand and enjoy, but fully compelling at the same time.

One of the main lures of this story for me was the magic surrounding alchemy, I have read books with this being part of the magic system and really enjoyed them, but this was a fresh take that really drove the story forward.

Overall, I loved the action and drama within this story, the characters were complex and interesting in their own ways, and the darker elements of the story really added a depth that I loved!

Living in an impoverished Chinese village, Zilan dreams of becoming a royal alchemist, gaining wealth, respect and her family’s approval. While preparing for the examinations, she earns her living by practising the forbidden form of alchemy- resurrections. Her fame spreads wide as the unlikely customer approaches her- the Crown Prince who fears assassinations...

Scarlet Alchemist quickly became one of my favourite reads. The author created a detailed world based on a historical period but altered by alchemical inventions. We explore a divided society where the rich eat gold to prolong their lives while the poorest starve. Zilan is fiercely determined to advance on the social ladder and improve life for herself and her family despite being halted on every step by prejudiced officials. This book contains many secrets, intrigues and fascinating descriptions of the alchemical processes. The storyline is captivating, and I could not stop reading. Also, the two main characters are incredible! Zilan is resourceful and transgresses many boundaries to achieve her goals, while the Crown Prince is a slightly spoiled but immensely kind boy. I loved seeing their worlds and personalities collide.

Once again, the ending of the first book in a new series left me desperate for book two.

I really enjoyed The Keeper of Night and when I heard that The Scarlet Alchemist would be partly inspired by Fullmetal Alchemist I became even more excited for it.

The Keeper of Night was fantastic in how dark and gripping the story was, and The Scarlet Alchemist had a similarly dark element to it throughout (kind of to be expected when the MC is a specialist in resurrections).

The main character, Zilan, is hoping to help make things better for her family by becoming a Royal Alchemist, though she knows her job would be focused around making life gold then to help the rich live longer. Her family, in contrast, currently resides in the South and they’re quite poor, which is only exacerbated by life gold diminishing the importance of businesses that deal with death, like theirs does.

If you enjoy stories rich in world-building then you’re definitely in for a treat, because the story is filled with background on the political landscape, whilst we also learn a lot about the main character and those closest to her, so fans of character development will also love this!

The story itself is pretty fast-paced and involves high stakes throughout (with many life or death situations) but things just become clearer and more comprehensive the further you read on.

Zilan herself is formidable, she’s always willing to go above and beyond for those closest to her and I couldn’t help rooting for her. But the Crown Prince, Li Hong, quickly became one of my favourites due to how much of a cinnamon roll he is.

Zilan’s cousins, Yufei and Wenshu, play important secondary roles throughout a lot of the story as well and they are similarly endearing characters. They refer to Zilan as a sibling and Yufei is cheeky and straightforward, whilst Wenshu protects both of them.

There were many twists thrown in throughout the story and there’s even more depth to it than I’ve been able to mention, but overall I just can’t wait for next instalment!

(And, I would love a Durian 🦆)

Please note that this book is not for me - I have read the book, However I had to DNF and because i do not like to give negative reviews I will not review this book fully - there is no specific reason for not liking this book. I found it a struggle to read and did not enjoy trying to force myself to read this book.

Apologies for any inconvenience caused and thank you for the opportunity to read this book

Every time I think I've grown out of YA Fantasy, an absolute gem like this will come along and make me fall back in love with the genre.

The Scarlet Alchemist is set in an alternate version of the Chinese Tang dynasty, in which the empress Wu Zetian found the alchemical elixir to eternal life. As such, she employs Royal Alchemists who make the life gold that enables her to reign for a as long as a century at the beginning of the story. Our MC, Zilan, is an orphan living with her cousins and aunt and uncle in the south of China. To provide for their family, her and her cousins want to go to the capital to earn money for their sick parents. While her cousins strive to be bureaucrats, Zilan wants to pursue the coveted position of Royal Alchemist. So far, her family was only able to make ends meet by Zilan's illegal practice of death magic. When Zilan takes her royal exams, she soon learns the cards are stacked against her and she will have to fight tooth and nail to fulfill her dream.

In the acknowledgements, the author mentioned she was inspired by R. F. Kuang's The Poppy War and she really succeeded in making me feel similarly as to when I read Kuang's work. With a completely unique world and strong characters, I was glued to the pages from the very beginning.

The Scarlet Alchemist was plotted so well, I couldn't put the book down. The story moved quite fast and hit you with plot-twist after plot-twist, none of which I saw coming. Overall, I found the historical and magical aspects to be well-balanced and the author built a completely believable and thrilling new world.

Considering the themes, it shows that the book was originally intended to be Adult fantasy and I would only recommend it to Upper YA readers. As such, The Scarlet Alchemist didn't gloss over the 'uglier' elements of the Tang Dynasty like racism, lack of upward mobility, extreme poverty and classism. Baker incorporated these themes into the story smoothly by making Zilan a merchant's daughter, which was a class that was highly looked down upon in the Tang dynasty. Reading The Scarlet Alchemist gave me a fascination for the Tang dynasty and I'm excited to do some research of my own on the time period.

The heart of the book was its characters and I loved all of them. No really, ALL of them. Each and every character had satisfying character growth throughout the story.

For one, we had a morally-grey MC that was a shrewd merchant's daughter and wouldn't let anyone walk over her. Zilan starts out the story not caring for others except for her family and being quite ruthless. Truly, some of her scenes had me GASPING, she was iconic. In the lineage of morally grey female fantasy characters, Zilan can hold her own with the likes of Fang Runin from The Poppy War and, ironically, the portrayal of Wu Zetian from Iron Widow.

The sibling and family bonds in this were so touching and I loved the connection between Zilan and her cousins, Yufei and Wenshu. Family relationships aside, there was also a really sweet romance between Zilan and the Imperial prince. While the prince was quite oblivious, he was kind and honestly a little awkward which made his and Zilan's scenes very funny. From possibly evil ducklings to pretending to be a concubine, their romance gave the book some much needed levity and a break from the heavier themes.

Then, there was the story's antagonist, Empress Wu Zetian, China's only female Empress. Baker succeeded in portraying a female villain that was always one step ahead of everyone and genuinely seemd unbeatable. Honestly, she gave me Azula vibes if Azula had become Fire Lord. While the portrayal did fall into the historical image of Wu Zetian as scheming, child-murdering and duplicitous, I did enjoy reading about her as a villain. With that being said, all the historical sources we have about her today are likely defamation by men who didn't like to see a woman in power, which the author does acknowledge.

The writing style was great, each sentence flowed really well and created some powerful images. I genuinely can't think of a single negative thing to say about the book. My next step is to get Kylie Lee Barker's entire backlist because I will now read anything this woman writes. Easy 5/5 stars.

My first time reading a book by this author but I loved every moment. A brilliant book with everything you could want woven in.

The Scarlet Alchemist is an amazing read, and I loved every second of it!
Kylie Lee Baker weaved this tale so beautifully that I didn't want it to end and I definitely can't wait for the sequel which I hope isn't too far away.
I really felt for Zilan throughout this book, her striving to reach her dream of becoming a Royal Alchemist so that she can help financially provide for her aunt and uncle who essentially raised her, I didn't see a couple of the twists coming and I love when a book surprises me.
Oh and DUCKS! The Prince and his ducks. At one particular point I was crying with laughter with a particular awkward outburst from him that I just was not ready for.
The ending, I was not ready for that ending but it has set up book 2 perfectly. If you've not read The Scarlet Alchemist yet then you need to!

KLB is becoming one of my go-to authors for all things historical asian fantasy.

she has a real talent for highly immersive and vivid writing, letting the reader feel like they are on an adventure with the MCs. i also appreciate how her storytelling never holds back. i finished this feeling like KLB put in everything she had into the characters, plot, and world-building, which left me highly satisfied.

i really enjoyed the alternate view of the tang dynasty and all the drama surrounding the royal family. the blood/death alchemy creates a high stakes element that works well with the tone and atmosphere of the story (the perfect autumnal read). and the characters are also wonderfully flawed and relatable.

overall, i had a lot of fun with this and am very much looking forward to the continuation of the series!

There was so much about this book that I loved, but I really wasn't keen on the ending and it pulled my rating down from 4 stars. I found Zilan an engaging MC and was intrigued by the magic system

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher Hodder & Stoughton for the digital ARC, it has not affected my honest review.

TW: blood, racism, violence, death, injury, self harm

“The Scarlet Alchemist” is the first book in a new series loosely retelling the Chinese Tang Dynasty in a world where alchemy is used for extended life. It follows Zilan as she attempts to become an alchemist for the wealthy (who use golden nuggets and gems to stay young) to provide for her family. However, the chances of this are slim: she’s incredibly poor and trapped in a small village in southern China, practising illegal resurrections for a price to help put food on the table for Zilan, her aunt, uncle and cousins. Given the chance to take the imperial exams that will grant her permission to train in the city, Zilan soon discovers how cruel the world is, especially when she’s put up against the greatest alchemical minds in a series of trials. Before she left home, Zilan had an odd encounter with the Crown Prince, Li Hong: he told her that he was expecting to be assassinated and would appreciate her skills in the capital. Now she’s here, and he’s still very much alive, Li Hong urges Zilan to get further involved in the dark world of the royal family, all while managing her rising success as an alchemist. Zilan’s past, particularly the illegal secrets she learned from her Scottish father’s journals into death magic, threatens to catch up with her as the complex world of the royal court gets even more dangerous.

I really enjoyed this book, particularly the way that history is melded into fantasy. The idea of the wealthy using alchemy to stay young is what originally drew me to the story, while the character of Zilan- and the terrible things she has to do to survive- kept me reading until the end. The writing was gorgeous, showing the brutal reality of poverty and racism while also focusing on the political complications of the royal family (and an adorable group of ducks). Li Hong was such a good foil to Zilan, even as he is terrified for his life and incredibly naive, and I loved how they grew to gradually trust each other throughout the story. Ultimately Zilan is motivated by family, her relationship with her cousins Wunshu and Yufei is beautifully written and I loved how she internalised so much guilt over a single past action, even as it helps her alchemy. The magic system (particularly the resurrection alchemy) was so high stakes, bringing darkness, violence and gore to the story that I thought worked brilliantly. Zilan’s experience of being half Chinese, half Scottish was explored well throughout the book, as she felt like she didn’t fit anywhere even as her gifts with alchemy were taken advantage of by the wealthy. I’m looking forward to seeing where the next book will go and how this world can be developed further.

this is the first time I have read a book by this author, and I am glad I did. The story is very interesting, but especially interesting is the main character, her relationship with her family and her powers, which definitely remain the most intriguing part of the book. very nice setting as well, as a lover of palace intrigue I couldn't help but like it, I couldn't wait to move on to find out how it would end, and I certainly didn't expect that ending. wish I had the second one in my hands already, you can't end a book like that!

I didn't have good first impression once I started reading the book as there were many parallels to another book that I shall not name. However at some point the book took another direction. The plot twists were, for me, unexpected but I guess someone could have guessed them easily. The writing of this book was good and it was a good addition of history at the end of the book. As for characters because of the parallels I didn't really got attached to the main character, all I could think of was how similar it is to the other books and I was really struggling. But honestly if you are going with a clean slate into this book I reckon it would be a very good read.

I attempted to reconnect with Kylie Lee Baker's books because they do have an interesting premise and the marketing is spectacular (kudos to the team behind the screen!). However, the book DOES NOT live up to the hype idk what kind of crack you guys are on please be serious. This was NOT it. It was too fast-paced for my liking and the characters... don't get me started on them. I do see where the plot was going and I liked it. Just not anything else about this book.

The Scarlet Alchemist is a pretty dark fantasy book and I haven't read something like it in a long time. I liked it, although in some parts it seemed a little dense, the truth is that I came to enjoy it.

The cover already attracts you in an incredible way and the truth is that it was the first reason why I wanted to read it, I'm not going to lie to you. But then the story lived up to all expectations and more. The truth is that I really like historical novels from Asia and the author manages to take us to that place, to those moments, with these protagonists.

I liked all the mystique of alchemy, it was interesting to read it and the characters we meet here make the story much richer.

Kylie Lee Baker is an author that I am going to keep in mind from this moment because the truth is that she has surprised me.

Thanks Hodder & Stoughton for the ARC I read on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A captivating and vivid reimagining of Chinese history during which the only (regarded as) legitimate female Emperor Wu Zetian ruled, The Scarlet Alchemist is a new addition to a growing and much-loved subgenre that needs to be read.

Here, we have Zilan, half-Chinese and half-wailao who’s without a mother and father, but much loved by her aunt, uncle and two cousins — so much so that they’re practically immediate family. Together, they run a mingqi business, which despite death being a daily occurrence, isn’t doing well. The poor are too poor to buy mingqi for their deceased loved ones while the rich are too scared of death to die so they resort to eating life gold which gives them longevity.

Nevertheless, an extended life doesn’t mean that one can’t die so what do the rich do when one of their own dies? When they’re desperate enough to pay any price to bring back the deceased? Why, they go to a backwater village, walk through the part of the neighbourhood even the villagers themselves turn their noses up at, and find Zilan who has that exact ability they’re looking for.

It’s breaking all sorts of laws — in fact, anything related to the necromantic/blood alchemy Zilan does defies the balance and can have severe consequences or less-than-ideal results, But, for Zilan, it’s a means of survival for her family because the gold the rich pays to stay alive can bring rice to their table, can improve the health of her ailing aunt and uncle, can allow Zilan and her cousins to travel to the capital for the imperial exams that can better their lives should they pass both the exams and the political games that are undoubtedly there.

So, Zilan’s willingness to go against everything for her and her loved ones’ sake? That’s admirable. I really like how she braves her fears and how she takes on the challenges that come her way with cleverness and viciousness. Zilan may come off as rude or selfish to some, but I think it makes her complex and more relatable.

Other than that, I like that Prince Li Hong is a more lighthearted character in contrast to Zilan. He isn’t as strong, as smart or as brave, but he’s sweet, loves his ducks dearly and provides the story with seamlessly integrated touches of humour. Though, I must admit the romance between him and Zilan felt unbalanced. It’s clear that Li Hong likes Zilan more than she likes him, so this makes all the romantic parts feel out of the blue. Still, I think that this simply means more opportunity for Zilan’s feelings to develop and strengthen in the next book.

(Also, idk about you but that moment when Zilan had to choose between the two in her life? Amazing. 10/10 the perfect choice. I bawled at that scene.)

Anyway, if a BAMF female lead who can resurrect people and a gentle male lead who loves his pet ducks caught up in the typical political games of the upper class isn’t enough of a win for you, consider the following plusses: undead made of gems, stunning twists and turns, and fast-paced action. (Yes, you need to read The Scarlet Alchemist ASAP!)

“I am the night that birthed the world. I am the bones of all the planets. I am silence. I am the end.”

Oh, this was so so good. From the first scene where a man brings a body to the main character Zilan to resurrect, I was hooked. We then follow Zilan as she's invited to the palace by the crown prince, and after testing to be a royal alchemist, she is thrown into a world full of politics, magic and mayhem. I absolutely LOVED this book.

I don't know where to start, so let's begin with Fan Zilan the main character. She's fierce, she's fiesty, and she often speaks her mind when her cousing Yufei and Wenshu aren't trying to hold her back. Her determination to become a royal alchemist no matter what, really made her stand out. She literally spends her blood, sweat and tears to compete with men to become an alchemist despite her low status in this world. Accompanying her are her dear cousins who she grew up with. The banter between the three of them was ASTOUNDING. I found myself chuckling at their back and forth, and the found family feelings that they evoked in me. The humour was top tier, and I'm so glad they weren't just there for the sake of forwarding Zilan's character arc. This is one strong trio, and I would honestly read a book just about the three of them!

The plot itself was so twisted and well-paced. Every time I thought it couldn't get better, it did! There's so many twists and turns, blood and mayhem, but there's always some really sweet moments between the prince Li Hong and Zilan. Their dynamic was so seamlessly done, that I don't think I've read a better relationship than them when it comes to a soft boy and a grumpy, murderous girl. Hong literally worships her, and would die and kill for her. He looks at her like she's the only person that matters, and I was HERE for it. Hong is THE most adorable love interest I've read in a hot minute.

The world and the magic system was so intriguing. The alchemy magic is so cool but also terrifying. I loved the way Zilan uses her magic, and the fact that she's not someone who is just good at everything. The empress in this book is inspired by Wu Zetian from Chinese history, and there's notes to explain the link and inspirations behind her character and the world. Plus, I can't wait to see more of this in the next book! After that cliffhanger, I actually needed to take a deep breath because I was FLOORED by the direction of the story. Kylie Lee Baker really did THAT.

I can't praise this book without talking about the writing style. It was beautiful. So descriptive and magical when it needed to be, but also just so very readable. There's so much dialogue and scenes I wish I could highlight, but I'll save that for the rereads!

To summarise, you NEED to read this book. It was everything I wanted and more. And if that doesn't convince you, it also has an alchemical baby duck that is just pure chaos! Please go and read it!!

This book was amazing! It follows Zilan as she competes to become a Royal Alchemist through several trials, but is drawn into more sinister things involving the royal family. I loved the bond she shared with the Crown Prince, and how her relationships with other characters evolved throughout the story. I thought it was very interesting to see how she got her title of ‘The Scarlet Alchemist’, as well as how the other alchemists got theirs. I’d definitely recommend this to anyone wanting a dark, mysterious and thrilling fantasy novel set in China.

Thankyou to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for a free e-arc in exchange of an honest review!

I had almost zero expectations going into this book as i hadnt heard much about and i'm not always a huge fan of YA. I have to say its one of my biggest surprises this year, as i LOVED it!

I really liked the magic system
I found it fast paced
I loved the family dynamics between siblings
I loved the banter between FMC + MMC
Fake dating trope!
Really good humour!

Cant wait for the second book!

Easily a 4 stars!