A review by boomwormbrittany
The Scarlet Alchemist by Kylie Lee Baker

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense fast-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? It's complicated

4.75

The Scarlet Alchemist follows Zilan who dreams of being an alchemist for the royal family. But when she receives the opportunity to become an alchemist, she realizes that the royal court might be more sinister than she realizes.
I really loved this book! I thought it would be right up my alley considering the content and I love historical books. I found this to be a really interesting story that was told so well. My jaw was on the floor at the end of this book because I couldn't believe what was happening. That ending made me so excited for the next book.
Kylie Lee Baker's writing is exquisite. The way the world was built and the story was done was perfect. I absolutely loved reading her prose and seeing how she told this story. It was so clear that she knew her characters and really took the time to get to know and tell their stories. I thought that this was such an interesting story and the fantasy twist in it was so well done.
I really loved Zilan and the Crown Prince so much. They were such interesting characters to follow and the Crown Prince was so sweet. Zilan had to fight her whole life and seeing her start to open up to him was so satisfying.
I am so excited for the next book to come out next year because I need to know what's going to happen. I absolutely enjoyed this. If you find the premise interesting, it's definitely worth a read.

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