This was my first book I have read by Amélie Wen Zhao and I am definitely going to be reading more of her work! I loved this book! The only reason this book didn’t get 5 starts is because I did find the FMC to be a bit frustrating. Going into this book I expected her to be a badass but it seemed like almost every other chapter she was needing to be saved by one of the guys. The banter between Án’yīng and Yù’chén was amazing. Yú’chén reminded me a lot of Kingfisher from Quicksilver. This book kind of gives hunger games/powerless vibes. I am super excited for the second book to come out! This one left me an emotional mess and I NEED to know what happens! lol

This is a captivating fantasy novel that immerses readers in a world besieged by demons, where the young heroine embarks on a perilous journey to save her mother’s soul. This book was a mesmerizing blend of danger, spellbinding magic, and lush world-building making it a must-read for fans of dark and opulent fantasy tales. 

Thank you NetGalley and Amélie Wen Zhao for an advanced copy of the book for review.

I found the prose in Amélie Wen Zhao’s writing to be some of the most engaging I have read in quite some time. I felt it was atmospherically stimulating from the immediate start of the book. I truly think the strength in this book falls in the beautiful setting writing.

Overall I think the romance was well-paced. I would always like to see more enemy dynamic in the enemies to lovers trope, though I think this may lean more rivals to lovers? I did appreciate the level of pining to keep me satiated.

I have not previously read this author, but I’ve heard such good things that when the book popped up on my recommended, I decided to give it a shot. I must say, I’m inclined to read her other work simply because the atmospheric nature of her writing really captured me.

The Scorpion and the Night Blossom is a classic romantasy, only better. This book is comforting because of its well-written commitment to established genre conventions.

Bottom line: How soon can I revisit the Three Realms?

The Scorpion and the Night Blossom is a somewhat whimsical but also very dark fantasy story about a world overrun by soul sucking demons. The main character has been learning to fight demons so as to protect her village and her sister and mother. She decides to travel to a competition held by the immortals for a chance to cure her mother after an attack by demons that occurred when she was a child where she lost her father and left her mother with half a soul. I’m honestly a little torn between 3 and 4 stars but I’m leaning more toward 3 for a few reasons. This book was good and I did like it, I just didn’t fully love it. I’m not sure I’ll think about this book that much after finishing it but I liked it enough to want to read the sequel whenever that comes out. There’s romance but there’s still such a heavy focus on how awful the demon attacks on the mortal world are and how strongly this main character feels about finding a way to keep her family safe above everything else. Good just not great for me but enjoyable overall. Also I’m still very confused as to whether this is upper YA or a younger adult because it really teeters on that line.

4.5 Stars!

I was not expecting this story to affect me as it did. I have to start by saying that I absolutely hated the way Àn’yīng acted towards Yù’chén for the majority of the book. I was really close to giving this 4 stars instead of 5, simply because I just couldn’t take him being her personal punching bag anymore. alas, I decided to trust that the author was doing everything for a reason.

This book is so fast paced, action packed, and addictive with incredible transportive world building and several really great twists. I found all of the characters very interesting, but the relationships between them were a bit lacking in depth, which I think is a bit to be expected due to the fast paced plot and it only being the first book. I think this is a really great start to a series and I can't wait to see where this story goes in the sequel.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the providing me with an early copy to read and review.

I absolutely devoured this book. I love Cdramas, Xianxia Wuxia, Asian mythology, folklore, historical fiction, and everything in between. This book was such a pleasant surprise and it was so addictive, I read it in one sitting. It reminds me of a Xianxia trials quest drama but SO much better adding in the heat between the powerful and yet somewhat naive FMC An’Ying and the deliciously complicated MMC Yu’Chen. I got so invested and Yu’Chen is, in the best way, dark, sarcastic, flirty and yet also sweet. He definitely has a bad case of touch her and die and who did this to you, while she’s actually feisty and stabby on the regular - and I’m here for it. Bring in golden boy Hao’Yang and things get decadently complicated. There’s so much going on between characters and I was really drawn into the relationships between family, friends, love interests and mysterious benefactors…

Mix in the heavenly realm, immortals, secret protectors, family mysteries, cultivation magic, and a demon realm taking over the mortal world with quests and trials, and it’s a perfect fantasy escape. Amelie Wen Zhao writes beautifully with excellent detail and amazing pacing. Automatic buy author for me from now on. I literally couldn’t ask for more and highly recommend to all who love fantasy. Particularly any Asian inspired setting or Asian inspired fantasy lovers. My Cdrama people will love this too! Now, when can I have book 2?!

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

The first 30%, I was intrigued but immediately lost me after that. The beginning chapters was so intriguing and fascinating. I loved the worldbuilding and the explanation of the magic system. immortals, the mortals, demons and especially the main character’s weapons which imbued her with special abilities in combat.

The plot kicks off with compelling stakes, An’ying is determined to compete in a trial orchestrated by immortals to win a coveted pill that grants immortality. Her motivation? Saving her mother, who is suffering from the aftermath of a demon attack. The premise had me reeled in, and I devoured the initial chapters, revelling in every monster fight and blade twirling scene.

However, as much as the book started strong, it struggled to capture my full attention. One of the most significant letdowns was the relationship between An’ying and the main love interest. Despite being portrayed as a fierce and capable fighter in the beginning, An’ying frustratingly loses her edge whenever he enters the scene. Time and time again, he swoops in to save her, which felt like a disservice to the strong, independent character we met at the start.

Also, the side characters lacked depth, making it difficult to form any lasting connection with them. The pacing from the first half of the book to the latter was jarringly rushed. That said, the plot twist toward the end did reignite my interest, I’m curious to see how that twist will play out in the next book.

Thank you to Random House Children and Delacorte Press for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

If you are a fan of Phantasma, I definitely think this book is for you. Definitely not as steamy. It has the same premise of our FMC competing in a tournament to save her family, in this case her sister and mother. On her way there, she meets Yù-chén. This is an enemies to lovers, but still to be seen. I really enjoyed the story and the side characters. The monsters, lore, and world building was beautiful. Her friends are super kind and I really liked them. I also really liked Yù-chén. He was complex and I'm excited to see where his story goes. I feel like the ending was where the story really picked up. There were some parts where I wish would have been fleshed out a little more, especially the last 25% of the book because it seemed a little rushed. I would've liked to see the relationships fleshed out more between the FMC and her friends, Hào’yáng, and Shī’yǎ. Overall, this was a fun read and I enjoyed the story. It's well written and the story is fun and interesting.

I really enjoyed the writing style and the premise of the book. The world building was easy to understand and u feel like it was different and something I have never seen before. I really liked the weapons and how they corresponded to a skill. The story itself was compelling and heartbreaking as An'ying had a sad past with the death of her father and her mother currently dying with a younger sister at home. The mó were such a fun idea to enhance the story and made such a creepy villian to the story. There were so many twists at the end and it makes me really excited about the next book!

Thank you NetGalley, Delacorte Press, and Amélie Wen Zhao for the e-ARC.

The Scorpion and the Night Blossom is the story of a mortal young woman who is working to save her family. In this fantasy world, there are different kingdoms- those of the immortals, the mortals, and the demons. The demons, or “mo”, have attacked the mortal kingdom and have a goal to overtake the other kingdoms as well.

The main character is a fierce woman who is fighting to protect her family and to return her mother’s soul to her. She journeys to the immortal kingdom to try and achieve this, fighting mo and forming alliances along the way.

The universe in this book was so interesting! It felt like a perfect blend of mythology and fantasy. The characters had a lot of depth, and I found myself really caring about them. I can’t wait for the next book to come out!

mesmerising world and beautiful story with some very strong senses of cosmology. i love our protag and the MMC is interesting. 5 stars. tysm for thea rc.

The Scorpion and the Night Blossom was my first dive into Amélie Wen Zhao's work, and it certainly won’t be my last. From the first page, I was swept into a world of danger, demons, and high-stakes trials. Àn’yīng is a heroine who refuses to let her past define her—her strength and determination to save her mother from death kept me hooked. The Immortality Trials were thrilling, and the growing tension between Àn’yīng and Yù’chén added an edge to the story that had me second-guessing everything.

Though the pacing slowed a little in parts, the emotional depth and intricate worldbuilding more than made up for it. Zhao’s writing has a way of making you feel the weight of each decision and the cost of survival in a world where everything—life, love, trust—feels fragile. It’s a beautiful, gritty journey, and while there were moments of predictability, the twists still felt fresh. Overall, a captivating and promising start to what I hope is a series with a lot more to offer. A strong 3.5 stars from me!

I absolutely loved Àn’yīng's dedication to keeping her sister safe and yearning to win the Trials to save her mother. That determination stays with her throughout her journey where she refuses to give up and let her family down. I also loved Yù’chén and am curious how his character will play out in the sequel. Thank you NetGalley for an ARC, I really enjoyed The Scorpion and the Night Blossom.

The Scorpion and the Night Blossom is book 1 of dark Chinese romantasy duology. This is a beautifully written story that squeezed and punctured my heart. I was hooked from the beginning and on the edge of my seat for the second half. And the ending? I need book two ASAP.

🗡️Chinese Mythology
🗡️Strong FMC
🗡️Demons, Mortals and Immortals
🗡️Trials
🗡️Enemies to lovers
🗡️He falls first
🗡️Slow burn
🗡️Banter


Grab your copy March 4, 2025! Highly recommend for fans of Chinese mythology and Throne of Glass.

This one took me a little bit to get into. But once you hit a certain point, it becomes a page turner. I loved the magic, the world building, the dragonhorse cause come on she just sounded cute, and I felt like I was part of the fight at the end. The ending was so heartwarming and everything I was praying for. I can’t wait for the next book so I can see where this goes.

Spice level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
Rating: 3.75/5

Thank you to Netgally & Random House Kids | Delacorte Press & Amélie Wen Zhao for the review copy.

I really enjoyed The Scorpion and the Night Blossom. Although I have not read much Chinese fantasy or the author’s other work, I enjoyed the story and the characters, and I will definitely go back and read her other books. I really enjoyed the writing style and storytelling.

The book had a quick start and you jump right into the calm before the storm of the trials. I am a sucker for magical trials and for me that is my favorite part of these types of books. I do wish we had gotten more trials out of the story and it felt like the author was trying to do too many things at once, so nothing was completely fleshed out. That being said, the main character development was done well and I really enjoyed the romance, and some of the closer relationships. It did feel like a lot happened at the very end that I wish had happened sooner, but I’m looking forward to where the next book is going to take us.

If you’re a fan of the enemies to lovers trope, magical trials, dark fantasy, found family stories, and emotionally challenging content I would definitely recommend this book.

This book is insanely good. I was hooked from start to finish. The world is beautiful and complex but not in a way that takes all your brain power. I was so invested in the story. You find out what's going on alongside the female main character because there is a lot she doesn't know but it makes sense to the plot and isn't annoying. If you want to read a beautiful fantasy that will take you on a wild ride, pick this up ASAP.

Many thanks to Delacorte Press and NetGalley for the preview. All opinions are my own.

4.5 stars

Sometimes I think Amelie Wen Zhao wants to see how many times she can make me cry while reading. Because once again, she’s done an amazing job. This book gripped me from the very first, and never let go. If you loved her previous duology or Daughter of the Moon Goddess, I think you’ll absolutely love this story.

This is a quick paced, high stakes, action-packed story with gorgeous world building and riveting characters. An’ying is a great protagonist; you both cheer for her and want to yell at her in turns. Yu’chen is utterly fascinating; can he be trusted, what are his secrets, why do I love him so much despite everything? Hao’yang is also compelling. He’s literally a knight in shining armor, and he’s so good.

The angst level is at an all time high in this book. My heart ACHED, was ripped out, stomped on, healed, and broken again. I’ve still never recovered from Zhao’s last book, and I feel like I’ll be sobbing all over again by the time this duology concludes. But I CANNOT WAIT.

Highly recommend (and you should also pick up her completed duo if you haven’t already).