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bookishbrainfart's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
elenahuang's review against another edition
4.75
I love this writing style so much - also she was such a queen. LOVE!!
izzys_internet_bookshelf's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
I feel like I’m not having a lot of luck with books lately. I wanted to read a fantasy book, but I felt like the plot didn’t really grab my attention until I was halfway through the book.
sarahj123's review against another edition
Really loved this! Can't wait for the 2nd book
thestarlessdragon's review against another edition
4.0
The Scarlet Alchemist hooked me from the first page…. nothing like starting a book off with a corpse that needs resurrecting. And it only got more interesting from there.
Zilan lives in Guangzhou, China, with her Aunt, Uncle, and two cousins—Wenshu and Yufei. They help run the family míngqì business and also happen to resurrect dead people on the side—a forbidden alchemy performed by Zilan. However, the three of them have dreams to move to Chang’an, Wenshu and Yufei to become scholars, and Zilan to join the royal alchemists. Of course, the whole plan almost gets derailed when a man shows up begging for Zilan’s help in resurrection, offering her a large sum of gold, only problem is that it’s him and he’s still alive. Zilan, though, doesn’t let that stop her and turns him down…. But, it certainly isn’t the last time she sees him.
This story really doesn’t let up from start to finish with political intrigue, corpses piling up by the dozens, alchemical magic, monsters, a love story between a cinnamon roll prince and a head-strong Zilan, and an Empress that will stop at nothing to retain her power and youth. Oh, and a very cute duck.
Thank you HarperCollins Canada for the opportunity to read early! Loved this one and can’t wait for the sequel!
Zilan lives in Guangzhou, China, with her Aunt, Uncle, and two cousins—Wenshu and Yufei. They help run the family míngqì business and also happen to resurrect dead people on the side—a forbidden alchemy performed by Zilan. However, the three of them have dreams to move to Chang’an, Wenshu and Yufei to become scholars, and Zilan to join the royal alchemists. Of course, the whole plan almost gets derailed when a man shows up begging for Zilan’s help in resurrection, offering her a large sum of gold, only problem is that it’s him and he’s still alive. Zilan, though, doesn’t let that stop her and turns him down…. But, it certainly isn’t the last time she sees him.
This story really doesn’t let up from start to finish with political intrigue, corpses piling up by the dozens, alchemical magic, monsters, a love story between a cinnamon roll prince and a head-strong Zilan, and an Empress that will stop at nothing to retain her power and youth. Oh, and a very cute duck.
Thank you HarperCollins Canada for the opportunity to read early! Loved this one and can’t wait for the sequel!
vespix's review against another edition
Nearly halfway through, and I just don't care about anyone or anything. Certainly not the prince love interest. The worldbuilding is overexplained for how simplistic it is, but then that's common in YA.
mitzirox's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
jennyreadsalot4's review against another edition
5.0
5⭐️
Alchemical gold keeps the wealthy young forever, but it doesn’t mean they can’t die.
Zilan is broke and wants more than anything to provide for her family by becoming a royal alchemist, something that won’t be possible without the funds required for exam fees and travel.
Good thing Zilan is just a tiny bit morally gray and doesn’t mind doing illegal resurrection magic for spoiled nobles willing to pay.
Zilan makes it to the royal city and quickly realizes her dream may have been more than she bargained for.
The Scarlet Alchemist is one of the coolest books I’ve read in a long time.
What I loved…
- badass FMC that will stop at nothing to achieve her goals and protect her family
- an MMC that is attracted to the FMC for her brains before her beauty
- quirky side characters that you can’t help but love
- Durian the duck
Alchemical gold keeps the wealthy young forever, but it doesn’t mean they can’t die.
Zilan is broke and wants more than anything to provide for her family by becoming a royal alchemist, something that won’t be possible without the funds required for exam fees and travel.
Good thing Zilan is just a tiny bit morally gray and doesn’t mind doing illegal resurrection magic for spoiled nobles willing to pay.
Zilan makes it to the royal city and quickly realizes her dream may have been more than she bargained for.
The Scarlet Alchemist is one of the coolest books I’ve read in a long time.
What I loved…
- badass FMC that will stop at nothing to achieve her goals and protect her family
- an MMC that is attracted to the FMC for her brains before her beauty
- quirky side characters that you can’t help but love
- Durian the duck
emiann2023's review against another edition
5.0
NGL, that ending had me terrified for a moment there. Excited to see how things play out in the next book.
readwith_elle's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0