The Scorpion and the Night Blossom by Amélie Wen Zhao is a beautifully and atmospheric read that draws us into it's richly fantastic world. I've read Zhao's previous duology - Song of the Last Kingdom - and adored it so this was an anticipated read for me. The set of characters is compelling and it sets the tone of the story. We follow Àn’yīng, a young, mortal woman that enters the Immortality Trials in order to win the famous pill of eternal life to help her sick mother

It's fill with Asian mythology and folklore and it's full of amazing descriptions throughout the story. There are secrets and a lot of plot twists that keep you invested until the very end. There were a few revelations and while a few were predictable, others were not, and the tension was the chef's kiss. I founded this book interested until the end, with all it't plots and subplots, and it was difficult to put down.

I cannot stop recommending this book to all fans of Asian mythology and deadly trials with amazing writing.

I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ebook in exchange for a honest review.

I really loved this book! Amélie's writing is beautiful and this story was filled with Chinese mythology, exciting world building, a unique magic system, forbidden romance and deadly trials! The characters were well written and I enjoyed the chemistry between the two MCs! I can't wait to read the next book!

The Scorpion and the Night Blossom opens with a beautifully written and atmospheric introduction, drawing readers into its richly imagined world with ease. The characters are compelling and the tone sets high expectations for an emotionally resonant and adventurous journey. However, once the story moves into the central "trials" portion, the momentum noticeably falters. What begins as an engaging premise becomes mired in a series of repetitive or uninspired challenges that fail to build meaningful tension or character growth. Despite the high stakes, the narrative often feels directionless, as if the plot is meandering rather than advancing toward a clear purpose.. For readers drawn to intriguing setups, the book offers much to admire early on—but those seeking a tight, purposeful plot may find themselves disappointed as the journey unfolds.

In short: a promising start that struggles to fulfil its potential.

The Scorpion and The Night Blossom was a great read, taking the dark high risk fantasy and turning it into a story full of mythology. I loved the way this novel developed, the characters and world building all created a fantastic fantasy read that really brought the story to life.

3.5 Rounded to 4.

A dark, high-stakes fantasy where deadly trials, demon-infested lands, and impossible choices shape Àn’yīng’s journey. The Scorpion and the Night Blossom delivers rich mythology and intense action, though some pacing issues hold it back.

✨ A warrior fighting for her mother’s soul 💀 A brutal competition with life-or-death stakes 💫 A mysterious rival with secrets of his own

Zhao’s world-building is intricate and compelling, weaving together fae-like immortals, ruthless demons, and a heroine willing to risk everything. While the Immortality Trials keep the tension high, the romance feels underdeveloped, and certain plot twists lack emotional weight.

If you love deadly competitions, morally grey characters, and lush fantasy settings, this is an engaging read—though it doesn’t quite reach the heights of Song of Silver, Flame Like Night.

𝗧𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲: The Three Realms, book 1: The Scorpion and the Night Blossom
𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿: Amélie Wen Zhao
𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁 + 𝗣𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁: Ebook, 400 pages by HarperVoyager

💌 First of all, I would like to thank @NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ebook in exchange for a honest review. I requested this ebook because I had previously read Amélie Wen Zhao's Song of Silver, Flame Like Night and wanted to see if I would like this series better than the previous one.

📖 The Scorpion and The Night Blossom is the first book in this new duology in which we follow Àn’yīng, a young and mortal woman who enters the Immortality Trials in order to win the famous pill of eternal life for her sick mother.

🌺 You must know me by now, as soon as a synopsis calls for a deadly game, I want to read the book. And I have got to say, this one did not disappoint me. The Asian mythology and folklore inspiration is really there, and you can actually feel it when reading the descriptions in this novel. Imagine a sea of clouds, celestial rivers, cherry blossoms, lotus ponds, and you have the whole vibe of the book.
There are secrets, plot twists and revelations in this instalment (some were predictable, some were not), and a lot of tension. I also enjoyed the fact that the trials were not the only main event of the book and that some plots and subplots were here to keep the whole book interesting.
The relationship between the two main characters was curious, as I could not pinpoint exactly whether they were friends, lovers, enemies, rivals, or allies.

I highly recommend this book!

DNF

I know this one will not be for me at all, so nipping it in the bud now rather than dragging it out...

The second we learn FMC is keeping her mum alive in a horrible, painful state for the last 9+ years under the idea that she will 'save her' and her soul. Nope.

PROS
Love the writing style
Interesting setting

CONS
lack of explanation to magic systems / worldbuilding
awful FMC

No one is sadder than me to say I didn't enjoy this having loved the authors previous duology!

The Scorpion and the Night Blossom is the latest book by Amélie Wen Zhao, first of the new series The Three Realms. With the marketing focus on the manylogy, I realized that this wount for me anymore. If I read anything else about the imperial test for selecting the best, I think I might just bang my head against the wall... unless there's something about the red rebellion.

thank you HarperCollins UK for the DRC. I have provided my honest review, but since I did not finish it, so I have not rated it.

Absolutely loved the world-building in this one. The characters are great too and I loved watching them develop. It got a little draggy and repetitive in the middle which was boring, but the ending made up for it.

Another beautifully crafted world and plot! I loved the Chinese mythology and how the story took place in a variety of mythical places with different creatures etc. The characterisation and twists were well written and full of mystery. Ending with an agonising cliffhanger with a few reveals just leading to more intrigue and questions!

3.5 ⭐

The dedication reads "this one's for the C-drama girlies", and it stands true!

Filled with tension, trials, immortals, demons, and magic, you are transported to a new world where demons have been wageing war against mortals and immortals for years!

The world building was fantastic, however I struggled with the plot. I enjoyed the start, enjoyed the end, but struggled in the middle and even contemplated a DNF.

My main issue came down to the repetition of Àn’yīng needing to be rescued by rival contestant Yù’chén, or seeking his help in some way. I felt like I was reading the same thing again and again, with the purpose of the characters growing closer. Once the main plot finally started moving again and we experience a series of revelations I was interested again.

I definitely did not see most of the twists coming and was surprised by the ending. The decisions made at the end will definitely cause some great drama in the next book, but, knowing it's a duology, I'm left wondering if it will be wrapped up in a satisfying ending or whether it will feel rushed.

It was a well written enjoyable book, it just lost me in the middle so I'm unsure as to whether I would continue.

An excellent introduction to this world with nuanced but endearing characters and intriguing world building and plot reveals

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!

Perfect for fans of Song of Silver, Flame Like Night, we follow Àn’yīng competing in trials to help save her mother with the pill of immortality. The ending was great and the last 20% or so of the book was full of action and intrigue which has me excited for the sequel!

I really hope we see more of Àn’yīng being capable as it did seem like she had to rely on others quite frequently during the trials, despite our introduction to her being her single-handedly slaying a monster. When we did see Àn’yīng's fighting style with her crescent blades it was really great to picture and the combat was really fluid to read.


The scenery was fantastic and the differing locations across different realms were striking. I'm also interested to see how the romances develop across the main characters in the next entry after that ending. I have high hopes for the sequel and that it can build on the foundations laid down in this one.

Thanks to Netgalley & Harpercollins for this arc.

Right from the start we are brought straight into the story with action and tragedy.

The tension between the fmc and mmc was so good I was hooked!

I wanted more of the trials to be solved from Àn Ying rather than outside sources because I know from the start of the book that she’s this fierce, independent and intelligent warrior

This book has such excellent world building, and was full of characters that gripped me. The enemies to lovers romance was so brilliantly done, I was desperate for more ... And the twists at the end have me dying for the sequel!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the eARC of this book.

This book promised C-drama fantasy and boy did it deliver! The twists in this book will keep you on your toes, and certainly provides for an interesting sequel. The world-building in this novel was also fantastic, with some gorgeous as well as dark imagery that amplified the story.
I did however crave a little more chemistry between the characters, at times feeling as though those connections are forced, and occasionally I wanted more from the FMC in times of crisis.

This wasn't the most amazing book ever, the main characters were cliched and there was some obvious plot twists, such as the identity of Àn’yīng's jade pendant guardian. However, it was still a fun and easy read.

I loved the dark and alluring atmosphere, and the vampire like creatures called mó. I'm not a fan of trails in books as I usually find them boring, but as this read quite fast I didn't mind. I will say that I wasn't attached to the the main characters due to them being your stereotypical romantasy archetypes. Which meant I wasn't invested in their romance, despite some great moments of tension. Something that annoyed me was how the love interest, Yù’chén, kept saying Àn’yīng's name at the beginning or end of every sentence addressed to her.

While I am somewhat curious to see how the story continues and concludes, I doubt I will be picking up the sequel.

I didn’t get very far into this book before I realised I do not enjoy the writing/age level. I can recognise it is well written and the plot does have some intrigue but much of how it is set up just isn’t for my age, which is fine. I am sure others will love it.

The Scorpion and the Night Blossom follows Àn’yīng, a mortal who enters the dangerous Immortality Trials. The prize for completing them is eternal life, which can heal her dying mother. However, when a handsome and powerful rival contestant promises protection, Àn’yīng will need to figure out if she can truly trust the stranger she’s falling for.

We are dropped straight into this story with very little world-building. After finishing this book I’m still unsure of how the realms, kingdoms, hierarchy and magic system work. I also found the descriptions of the mythical creatures lacking - I could not picture them clearly at all.

The writing style was fine, but felt quite simplistic and a little stiff. While the pacing was fairly fast, the long, dense paragraphs without much dialogue made this book feel much longer than it was. I was really looking forward to the trials aspect of this book, but they were a minor part of the story, lacked any kind of stakes, and I found them really boring.

As for the characters, I could not stand the FMC. She was absolutely awful to everyone, and I hated her prejudice towards characters who had done nothing but help her, just because they were different to her. From the first chapter, we are told that she is a strong, skilled fighter who can hold her own. However, all she does in this book is get rescued by two hot men. It was contradictory and boring.

The MMC had no personality, except for being dangerous and hot. The chemistry between them both was non-existent, and the romance felt both insta-lusty and insta-lovey. The side characters lacked depth, and a friendship group was introduced when it was relevant to the plot, and then swiftly forgotten.

The plot was predictable, and I guessed most of the twists, which made the ending feel anticlimactic. Unfortunately, this book was just not for me, and I won’t be picking up the sequel.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.