by Kylie Lee Baker
ASIN/ISBN: 9781335458018
Publication: October 3, 2023
Series: The Scarlet Alchemist #1

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DESCRIPTiON

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.

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Trigger Warnings: death, violence, murder, blood, gore, racism, sexism, classism, animal death, death of a parent, forced public undressing (down to underwear)

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kylie Lee Baker grew up in Boston and has since lived in Atlanta, Salamanca, and Seoul. Her work is informed by her heritage (Japanese, Chinese, & Irish) as well as her experiences living abroad as both a student and teacher. She has a BA in creative writing and Spanish from Emory University and is pursuing a master of library and information science degree at Simmons University. In her free time, she plays the cello, watches horror movies, and bakes too many cookies. The Keeper of Night is her debut novel.

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REVIEW

Baker “came in like a wrecking ball” and messed up my rankings this year. Engrossed in the story, I failed to recognize certain things were going to happen until…they did. My book is filled with multiple annotations that simply say, “What?” and “I did not see that coming!”

There are multiple reasons to pick up this YA historical fantasy. The world is immersive, brought to life with Baker’s writing. The book is replete with beautiful descriptions–the prologue is my favorite chapter. The magic system is well-thought out and provides an interesting spin on necromancy. And then there’s Zilan.

Zilan is the teen that will save the world, which is made probable by her quick wit and survivalist attitude. She is selfish, often appearing greedy, but underneath it all, she still maintains a sense of righteousness. I’m not sure if I would call her morally gray. She doesn’t toe the line as much as she could, but for the people she cares about, there is no line.

Among the many themes present, the value of family is at the forefront. Her relationship with her siblings was a highlight. A hidden gem was the humor, and when Wenshu, Yufei, and Zilan are together, it shines through. Their love for each other was a source of strength for Zilan and also one for the book. I don’t think I would have loved it half as much if it had not been for the three of them together and Wenshu constantly asking why his sisters were this way.

It’s probably not too unexpected that there is a bit of romance here. I love romance, so was happy to have it, but I wish it felt less like instalove. The love interest, while sweet and often adorable like a puppy, was one I wish had more depth to him. It’s supposed to be a duology, maybe even a trilogy, so maybe in the next one?

The Scarlet Alchemist is a favorite this year. Readers who enjoy historical fantasies that emphasize family bonds and provide a twist on raising the dead should pick this one up.

**Thank you to Colored Pages Book Tours for allowing me to be part of the tour. Remember to check out the schedule and visit more posts. Also, thank you to the publisher and author for providing me with access to the book. I voluntarily read and reviewed it. All opinions are my own.**