Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. I didn't enjoy this book as much as Song of Silver, Flame like Night, mostly because I feel the book was too short for a) the main characters 'strength' to be demonstrated or b) for any of the relationships to fully develop. I did like the reveals in the second half, but I do wish we had more build up and more focus on the trial elements.

Thank you, Netgalley and HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction | HarperVoyager, for providing an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

The first in The Three Realms duology by Amélie Wen Zhao. The story follows Àn’yīng while the war between the Kingdom of Night and the Kingdom of Rivers, the mortal realm, tears it apart. The story features themes of trust, friendship, rivalry and sacrifice.

Àn’yīng has lost her father and nearly her mother to the dangerous demons roaming the mortal realm. To heal her dying mother, she must participate in the Immortality Trails. However, for this, she must risk the journey to the immortal realm and leave behind her mother and little sister. But when a rival contestant, both powerful and handsome, promises protection and a chance of survival for both Àn’yīng and her mother, she will need to find out quickly whether she can truly trust the stranger she’s falling for or if he’s the most dangerous player of all … for herself and all the realms.

The story was fast-paced and intriguing very quickly. It includes a murder mystery, romance, and many interesting "what is a monster, or what defines a monster" moments. The mythology elements combined with fantasy are always a win for me. I cannot wait for the second book!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A sweeping and emotional epic that reads like a historical Chinese drama, The Scorpion and the Night Blossom is full of magic, drama and yearning. I felt completely immersed in this world, along for the ride with our sometimes abrasive and rash An'ying as she journeyed to the realm of immortals to seek a cure for her mother. While I managed to predict a lot of the elements and twists of the story, I still thoroughly enjoyed the process of getting there!

I thought I was going to love this, but I only ended up liking this. This is for a few reasons: the side characters had no depth, as such any deaths had no effect, Yunchen should have his own POV, and she was too much of a damsel in distress. I liked the plot, I liked the conflict, and the characters that had more depth. I am hoping the sequel will be able to fix some of the issues I mentioned above.

This book was incredible and I can't wait for the second book!! Àn’yīng decides to enter the Immortality Trials to try and win a pill to grant eternal life as her mum was left for dead by a demon after the attack on their home 9 years ago and has never recovered after losing part of her soul. Àn’yīng has been training hard to get the opportunity to compete, even though she knows not many survive. When she enters the trials she meets Yù’chén, who for some reason is doing everything he can to try and keep her alive, but she has no idea why and doesn't understand why an enemy would be helping her and why she is so distracted everytime she sees him (swoon). I loved the building connection and chemistry between the two of them as they go from rivals to lovers, and the book was packed with so much action that my anxiety was through the roof as she was competing. I loved the description of their world and their magic which is so multidimensional. I was never sure which side Yù’chén was on and the book kept me guessing the whole way through, and loved how he was teaching her how to face challenges in a 'controlled' situation under his guise. I felt as though although Àn’yīng was portrayed as this fierce warrior, this was because this was what she HAD to become and not necessarily what she WANTED to become, as she had to grow up so quickly the night the demons invaded her home and nearly killed her mum and sister, so when she meets Yù’chén she falters as she is torn between continuing the strong, fierce guise she has been masking herself behind, and allowing herself to trust enough to be saved by someone else for a change (rather having to be the one to save everyone else), which I felt was so poetic.
Thoughly enjoyed this so much!!

The Scorpion and the Night Blossom is the first in a new duology by Amelie Wen Zhao. It follows An'Ying, a mortal, as she travels to take part in an immortal trial in order to win a pill of immortality to save her unwell mother. I really enjoyed this Chinese mythology inspired book. It is a light fantasy that I found easy to follow. It has lots of adventure and intrigue as our characters compete in the trials and try to resolve mysterious deaths occurring. There is also a sub plot of romance that I really enjoyed.
Overall a really good start to this duology and I look forward to reading the next book.

The first volume of an Asian dark romantasy duology, perfect for cdrama fans !

“I want you to look at me and see me.”

The story was entertaining and easy to picture in my mind, I always wanted to come back to the book to find out what was going to happen next. There are quite a few foreshadowing elements, but I didn't mind as I found the revelations well executed and was surprised by a particular plot twist.
It is not such a dark story but many elements reminded me of The Poppy War in a certain way.
The main character was interesting: at the same time generous and pragmatic. She is prejudiced by the society in which she lives in, but you can sense that she has half-opened her eyes to the stupidity of senseless hatred. What still anchors her in her prejudices is directly linked to the traumas of her past, so I rather liked the message conveyed by the story of accepting differences in others and seing them for who they are and not how society sees them.

The romance is not in the backseat but it doesn't submerge the story at all. Indeed, the banter is satisfying, and while the attraction is there, romance isn't at the heart of the protagonist' concerns.
In terms of the story's pace, it starts off strong and ends strong! The middle of the story is less dynamic but not boring. I ticked at a few clumsy sentences, but I understood the idea of denouncing ethnic and gender discrimination.
Unfortunately, I didn't get particularly attached to the characters, so I don't feel very invested in their fate, even though it was a very good read. I have a theory about what kind of ending the duology might have, it would make sense since a lot of sentences were not innocuous from my point of view.

I recommend this book to people who love asian fantasy and impossible love’s trope. Thank you NetGalley for this satisfying ARC !

4.5 stars - Upper YA fantasy romance.

Set within a fantasy world of mortals, immortals and demons, An Ying, a mortal, travels to the kingdom of light ruled by immortals, to compete in a deadly trial. If she succeeds, she can obtain a pill, made from the blood of the immortal, that will save her mothers soul that has been partially eaten by a demon from the kingdom of night. The two kingdoms are currently in a long war with each other that has ravaged An Yings mortal realm. Along the way An Ying meets several of her competitors - some of which are "halflings" / half demons but who can she trust?

I flew through this story, I couldn't put it down! The world was beautifully described and the action was intense. Quite fast paced with the journey to the trials and the trials themselves. There is a slight love triangle that also keeps you on your toes throughout with a forbidden romance and a future marriage of convenience teased. Twists and turns throughout.

I rated it down slightly as I thought An Ying acted too harshly towards the halflings (at first) but especially to Yu Chen but maybe I'm too forgiving!

I found it had similar vibes to the scarlett alchemist and darker by four both set within in fantasy Chinese world with mythology and folk tales.

I believe this will be a duology and I will most definitely read the sequel. I have seen it described as both Adult and Young adult fantasy so I'm not 100% which it falls into officially, but I would personally rate it upper YA . The characters are late teens - mid 20s with a non physical spicy scene, but also has some darker gory scenes and a more descriptive world building for younger YA readers.

Simply spellbinding!
When I heard this was a dark Chinese romantany I thought, sure why not? I am so glad I picked this book up. I really enjoyed this authors writing. She is so descriptive in her world building is impeccable. I love the characters the action, and while the romance was a little insta-love, I didn’t mind it. I did find the story, very creative and original, even while having all of our favorite tropes
- Rivals the lovers
-forbidden romance
-trial
And my favorite with a twist
- only one bed.
I would definitely recommend this book to anybody and I cannot wait for the sequel

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Voyager UK for the ARC!

I love Song of Last Kingdom so I was super excited to get an arc of this book! Amelie did not disappoint. The world building is simple but solid, and not to mention I love all the characters.

The words painted such a beautiful world and how beautiful or details of each character. The story is fast paced too with no slow parts I had to push through which felt good. Not to mention the yearning the two characters felt is just.

The plot twists are predictable but I enjoyed the story overall so I didn’t mind it.

Highly recommend if you love a Chinese romantasy.

I would like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and honestly review an advanced reader’s copy of this book.

Five Stars—No Notes—More, Please!

This book hit every mark for me! It’s a breathtaking start to what promises to be a new favorite duology, set in a richly immersive world filled with heart-wrenching twists and unforgettable characters.

Àn’Yīng has spent the last nine years protecting her family and village from the demons that stole her mother’s soul and killed her father. Armed only with her crescent blades and a tenuous grasp of the magical art of ‘practitioning’, she embarks on a perilous journey to the Kingdom of Heaven, determined to survive the Immortality Trials and win a cure for her mother.

Yù’chén… my beloved. She meets him very early on, saving his life and allying with him so they can both reach the trials.
He shattered my heart in almost every scene, and I am such a sucker for a bad boy who’s completely down bad.
As for the sequel, I’d love about 50% more Hào’yáng—his scenes were some of my favourites. His stoic mask, his quiet depth, and the raw grief in the latter part of the book nearly broke me.

This was absolutely phenomenal. While I’ve enjoyed the author’s other works, I have to say—this is her best yet. If you love C-dramas, emotionally devastating pretty boys, and a fierce heroine who won’t hesitate to kick their asses, this book is for you!

This book is a c-drama in book form and I loved every second of it!!
In this we follow Anying as she travels to partecipate in the Immortality trials, to try and win a pill that could save her mother. After losing her parents and demons reigning free in the empire, this might be the only way for Anying to save her family and her village. Travelling there she meets Yuchen a handsome, but very mysterious fellow partecipant who she allies with. Will they be able to win the trials and save the humans?

Personally I loved the plot so much, it was super action packed and extremely fun to follow. Anying was a super charismatic main character, and although sometimes she annoyed me, the reason behind her actions made sense. Yuchen was absolute perfection, I’ll never accept criticism about him. The love story was really good to follow, with some scenes that were drama worthy. And although the MCs could not catch a break I’m really excited to see where we go from here.

The world building was also super fun to read about, I’m interested to know more about the magic system since some aspects stayed unsolved. Overall if you love enemies to lovers, dagger to throat scenes and trials you can’t not love this book. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an e-arc copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really loved the writing and how from the very first page the lush and vivid world building is so easy to visualise and though it feels like it is a little complex you soon get a clear understanding of the world that The Scorpion and the Night Blossom is set in.

I will say the plot is very fast paced and while at some points this is a good thing in some aspects I really would have liked to see some moments slowed down to get the full impact of that scene or revelation as it felt very rushed and not expanded on fully.

This is a reverse grumpy x sunshine and it really worked, I loved the MMC Yù’chén and every scene he was in. The angst and pining he feels for the FMC is at times bittersweet and other times heartbreaking considering his story, the tension between them was so good. Though at times Àn’yīng’s persistent hatred for Yù'chén became rather tedious to keep reading especially when he's done nothing but go out of his way to look out for her and for me it made it a little hard to fully get behind the romance between them, even more so when the author took the story in a completely different direction to what I was expecting towards the end.

While I enjoyed the overall story and the vibes as well as the slow burn tension I felt like some parts dragged and it was a little too predictable in some plot points but the ending with the emotional turmoil has set up the next book perfectly.

This was an incredible book, and an amazing start to a series. The writing was absolutely beautiful, and the world building expertly crafted. The world described felt rich and beautiful and I felt the depth of the characters so keenly.

Not only did this book have a beautiful setting and incredible characters that you can’t help but love, the plot itself was immense. I was immediately drawn in from the first page and experienced a rollercoaster of emotions while reading. The ending of this book has set up for the next book beautifully, and I cannot wait to see where this story will go next. So thankful to have received a copy early and been given the chance to read this prior to publication. Already looking forward to book number two!

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book!

I absolutely loved this story. The world building was complex and well done, but not difficult to follow, neither was the actual story.

the dynamic between the main characters is what really stood out to me - the banter and slow burn and all the plot twists that will let you begging for more. Not to mention the introduction of Chinese and mythology - absolutely delightful read.

I would only say that the pacing feels a bit slow at times, but that is just a very personal note.

I would 100% recommend this book. Thank you HarperCollins for this early copy!

While I wasn’t sure I would even like this, as I didn’t like her previous duology (pacing issues, mostly), this is a great start to a new duology. This dark Chinese romantasy is right up my alley. While I don’t typically care for instalove, I was able to push past that. There were some small things that bothered me but overall it was decent. I’m really excited for the first print special edition!

The beautiful writing. The coolest word. The best magic. A girl with blades. A boy who’s besotted but also sarcastic about it. What more could you want?
I enjoyed this book immensely, the whole idea was very much my thing and I think the execution was really well done. While side characters were a bit lacking, the main characters made up for it for me- they were very interesting and easy to understand- not to be confused with simple, they are both very complex. I was hooked and flew through this one- can’t wait for book 2.

Many thanks to Harper Collins UK, Harper Voyager UK and NetGalley for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This opening to a new duology is described as a “dark Chinese romantasy”. It includes the tropes that I like to eat up: trials, rivals to lovers, political intrigue, forbidden romance and ‘touch her and die’ and while it was an enjoyable read, I don’t think all the elements came together perfectly.

The main thrust of the plot is The Immortality Trials but towards the end this becomes sidelined in favour of political intrigue and romance, and even shoe-horning in a love triangle. Some of the twists and revelations towards the end were predictable and I think the political subplot was underwritten.

The points in its favour are that it is an intriguing concept and the worldbuilding evokes stunning visuals with lush descriptions, an interesting magic system, and eerie creatures although I couldn’t help but detect some similarities to Daughter Of The Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tann (with the structure of the immortal/immortal realm, and completing a quest to obtain immortality through a consumable object).

I felt the FMC’S love and devotion to her family came across intensely although her relationships with most of the secondary characters were not fully flushed out. She also relies heavily on being rescued by others even though supposedly described as strong and self-sufficient.

This was a pleasant read but I did not get swept up into the story or feel a deep emotional connection to any of the characters.

3.5 stars.

That was simply amazing I adored every second of this book and the need the next one ASAP.

Read this if you love:
-Chinese mythology
-Rivals to lovers
-He falls first
-Forbidden love
-There's only one hot spring👀


Thank you Harper Voyager for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

THE SCORPION AND THE NIGHT BLOSSOM - AMELIE WEN ZHAO

If you love a fast-paced darker fantasy then you're in for an absolute treat with The Scorpion and the Night Blossom. Primarily set in the Kingdom of Rivers, this is a rich magical world, where mortals, demons, hellbeasts, halflings and immortals all co-exist - but not peacefully!

In fact, the events of this book take place years after the start of a brutal war with the Kingdom of Night. The FMC is Àn’yīng, whose family has lost much during the conflict, and her only hope is to enter the Immortality Trials. Àn’yīng is a great FMC; she's strong, stabby (it's true) and determined.

Along the way, Àn’yīng encounters increasingly deadly obstacles, a whole bunch of mysteries to uncover, as well as a host of both allies and foes. She also meets Yù’chén, who is the MMC and her rival in the trials. This is one of the first big positives I'm going to call out: the chemistry between Àn’yīng and Yù’chén is SO good and SO believable. I would even go as far as to say that Yù’chén became my favourite character.

The worldbuilding was another aspect that blew me away, with vivid descriptions of Àn’yīng's surroundings, and the idea that there is still so much more to discover in this world. And, since this is only the first book in what will be The Three Realms duology, I feel like we'll get to do more exploring in the second book.

My one and only note is that this book is fast paced - extremely so. While this isn't necessarily a bad thing, I wished that things slowed down every now and again so as to get the full impact of key events and reveals.

I can't wait for book #2! Thank you to Amelie Wen Zhao, HarperVoyager and NetGalley for granting access to this eARC.

Release date: 27 February 2025

Review score: 4.5/5

TWs: war, d*ath, injury detail, s*xual content