Book Overview
"A dark and glittering jewel of a book." --Judy I. Lin, #1 New York Times-bestselling author of A Magic Steeped in Poison
"Visceral to the core." --Chloe Gong, New York Times bestselling author of These Violent Delights
New from the author of The Keeper of Night comes a YA fantasy duology set in an alternate Tang Dynasty China, where a poor biracial girl with the ability to raise the dead gets caught up in the dangerous political games of the royal family.
Zilan dreams of becoming a royal alchemist, of providing for her family by making alchemical gold and gems for the wealthy to eat in order to stay young forever. But for now, she's trapped in her impoverished village in southern China, practicing an illegal form of alchemy to keep food on the table--resurrecting the dead, for a price.
When Zilan finally has the chance to complete her imperial exams, she ventures to the capital to compete against the best alchemists in the country in tasks she'll be lucky to survive, let alone pass. On top of that, her reputation for raising the dead has followed her to the capital, and the Crown Prince himself seeks out her help, suspecting a coming assassination attempt.
The more Zilan succeeds in her alchemy, the more she gets caught in the dangerous political games of the royal family. There are monsters lurking within the palace walls, and it's only a matter of time before they--and secrets of Zilan's past--catch up with her.
Don't miss the Keeper of Night duology
The Keeper of Night
The Empress of Time
"Visceral to the core." --Chloe Gong, New York Times bestselling author of These Violent Delights
New from the author of The Keeper of Night comes a YA fantasy duology set in an alternate Tang Dynasty China, where a poor biracial girl with the ability to raise the dead gets caught up in the dangerous political games of the royal family.
Zilan dreams of becoming a royal alchemist, of providing for her family by making alchemical gold and gems for the wealthy to eat in order to stay young forever. But for now, she's trapped in her impoverished village in southern China, practicing an illegal form of alchemy to keep food on the table--resurrecting the dead, for a price.
When Zilan finally has the chance to complete her imperial exams, she ventures to the capital to compete against the best alchemists in the country in tasks she'll be lucky to survive, let alone pass. On top of that, her reputation for raising the dead has followed her to the capital, and the Crown Prince himself seeks out her help, suspecting a coming assassination attempt.
The more Zilan succeeds in her alchemy, the more she gets caught in the dangerous political games of the royal family. There are monsters lurking within the palace walls, and it's only a matter of time before they--and secrets of Zilan's past--catch up with her.
Don't miss the Keeper of Night duology
The Keeper of Night
The Empress of Time
Format:Hardcover
Language:English
ISBN:1335458018
ISBN13:9781335458018
Release Date:October 2023
Publisher:Inkyard Press
Length:432 Pages
Weight:0.99 lbs.
Dimensions:1.4" x 5.5" x 8.3"
Age Range:13 years and up
Grade Range:Grade 8 and higher
Customer Reviews
2 ratings
Loved
Published by amfaf , 1 year ago
The Scarlet Alchemist follows Zilan, a girl with dreams to become a royal alchemist and provide for her family. She has to go through many dangerous trials. The more she becomes involved with the royal family, the more danger she is becoming entrapped in. While struggling to handle the dangers, she learns more and more about the secrets surrounding her.
The more I read this book, the more I fell in love with Zilan's character. Zilan is a strong protagonist who is able to defend herself. The more challenges she faces, the more she is able to prove her strength. I also enjoyed reading about the setting of this story and thinking about the what ifs of the situation. The relationships between the characters was also developed well and felt natural. The interactions between characters evoked many emotions, ranging from joy to anger. I was hooked on this story from beginning to end.
The Dark Side of Alchemy
Published by MizzyRed , 1 year ago
Welcome to the dark world of alchemy, where the dead can rise again (albeit sometimes a bit gooey inside) and those with means can live forever like the Empress has been, eating the life gold created by the alchemists in her employ. Zilan longs to be one of those royal alchemists and escape the bonds of poverty along with her brother and sister (AKA cousins). I really enjoyed that trio and the way they stuck together which made the ending pretty awesome with how it was solved even though I now can't wait for the next book to see if Zilan can bring about the impossible in bringing everyone back without the price of evil attached to it.
I will admit when the Empress named Zilan the Scarlet Alchemist, I got very strong Full Metal Alchemist vibes. Kind of the same in the regards that the royal alchemists are working dark magic for a powerful Empress who has her own agenda which does not include anyone else in power (like a certain Crown Prince). I am glad this book focused more on familial bonds, rather than just rushing headlong into romance between Hong and Zilan. Though they were cute and I hope they get a happy ending (along with Durian the duck!).
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