This was an excellent romantasy read! I was immediately pulled into the story and didn’t want to put this book down. I loved the overall storyline as well as the characters. This book was fast paced and had a lot packed into it, making it an engaging read. I can’t wait for the next book, especially with how this one ended.

Read this if you like:

📖 He falls first
📖 Deadly trials
📖 Forbidden love
📖 Touch her and die
📖 Chinese mythology

Thank you Delecorte Press for the gifted copy.

This book was fantastic. It’s a dark Chinese fantasy with soul-drinking demons, magic, a deadly competition, and a strong heroine who will do whatever it takes to save her mother’s life. Àn’yīng has been training for the last nine years to be able to enter the Immortality Trials in order to win a pill of eternal life to save her mother who was attacked by a demon. She meets Yù’chén, a handsome and powerful rival contestant and they become reluctant allies to help each other through the trials. There is so much yearning and tension in their relationship, that you never know if they’re enemies, allies, or lovers, and I absolutely ate it up. Yù’chén is perfect. He’s morally grey, secretive, protective, and has a cute nickname for Àn’yīng. This book is beautifully written. It’s filled with Chinese folklore and mythology, fighting and danger, the love between family members, and a slow burn forbidden romance that will leave you wanting more. I highly recommend it!
🦂
My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🦂
Read if you like:
▫️demons and immortals
▫️reluctant allies
▫️forbidden love
▫️deadly competition
🦂
Thank you to Delacorte Press, Get Underlined, Random House Children’s, Amelie Wen Zhao, and NetGalley for the ARC. I received an advanced copy for free, and am leaving this review voluntarily.

✨ARC REVIEW✨

🍃🌸The Scorpion And The Night Blossom🦂

5 ⭐️ 1🌶️

“Should I be the monster you want to see?”

I need to vent I finished this book last night and I can’t stop thinking about it 😮‍💨 it was THAT GOOD!!!!

I think it might be one of my best reads of the year.

Àn’yĩng is a mortal trying to survive a demon invasion in her kingdom, her father was killed by one of them and her mom was left in a half dead. So she decides to enter a tournament in The Temple of Dawn in an Immortal kingdom. The winner will be given the pill of immortality, it will help her heal her mother. Along the way she meets the mysterious Yù’chén who is going to the same tournament that will make her question all her believes. This journey will also reveal hidden secrets about her father that will change her life forever.

I loved the setting in this story it was so mesmerizing full of asian folklore. Through out the book we were taken to different locations and the descriptions were so vivid that I felt my self very submerged in the story.

What made the story so interesting was the romance it was such a slow burn and it had so much angst. Yù’Chén was my favorite character his wittiness won me plus he kept putting out with Àn’Yĩng attitude, no matter what she threw at him he kept coming back and was always there to help her. He was just so perfect, this guy just wanted l to be loved 🥹💔

But then the ending happened😭 and I don’t know what to do with myself anymore I feel so betrayed. The plot twist was so much more of what I was expecting. Perfect enemies to lovers.

I need book two now😩

I’ve read every book Amelie Wen Zhao has published and have loved them all.

But there’s something special about The Scorpion and the Night Blossom.

The opening of the book grabbed my attention immediately. I also felt like Àn’yīng was relatable, and her goals were crystal clear. There were also obvious obstacles ahead of her, and I was eager to see how she would overcome them and achieve her goal.

Wen Zhao does an exceptional job of providing the lush descriptions and insights I’ve come to associate with her works while moving the plot forward at a brisk pace. She uses action and conflict to build the world and establish its rules so we understand Àn’yīng’s internal conflict and the reasons for the decisions she makes along the way.

One of the things I really appreciated was Àn’yīng’s self doubt about her experience. Memory is a fleeting thing and when you’re experiencing unusual events in places that are different, it can be easy to doubt yourself. Àn’yīng must work through her self doubts and confront old wounds on her journey as she decides who to trust and how to feel about some of the people she encounters.

I don’t want to risk giving any spoilers away, but this story was incredible. It moved in interesting and unexpected directions and my heart broke for some of the characters we spend time with. The ending was shocking and perfect, and definitely left me wanting more of Àn’yīng’s story. At the same time, it provided an excellent resolution to this book. It definitely had me all up in my feelings.

I received a review copy of this book, but I also purchased one of the beautiful sprayed edges editions.

This book has lots of twists and turns that you don't see coming. We learn that people don't have to be all bad just because of who/what they are. Cliffhanger ending.

The Scorpion and the Night Blossom evokes the well-known classic wuxia tales of a quest to defeat evil, falling in love with a mythical foe, and learning the value of family and honor in a world so rich in culture. The story centers on Àn’yīng, a villager whose family was destroyed by a powerful demon who killed her father and rendered her mother unconscious before the novel was written. Since then, she has spent the last nine years diligently training with weapons and manuals left by her deceased father in order to pass the terrible and perilous Immortality Trials and join the celestial army. But as she makes her way through the challenges, she comes to the realization that there are more evil things to deal with, like the secrets behind her protective amulet and the sweet and tenacious boy who has an equally intriguing background and helps her through the trials.

This is my first Amélie Wen Zhao novel, and I must say that I am thoroughly impressed with the story she tells; it's relatively fast-paced for the number of chapters, sharp-witted, and concise in its storytelling, without sacrificing the important elements that build to its climax. Zhao's greatest achievement in writing this book is the deft use of foreshadowing, which is crucial to developing a plot twist in a high-stakes tale. The book contains exquisite clues, some of which may be slightly off-kilter and require a second glance to identify, yet they remain valuable in establishing the connections between each character arc. The unexpected second adversary, who I initially believed to be a simple-minded and antagonistic character who only exists to bully the main characters and then die a horrible death, is perhaps my favorite revelation. It illustrates how important their roles are behind the scenes and how readers could have missed it so greatly, which is why the invasion trope appears so neat, effective, and unquestionably has the upper hand at the end of the book.

The influence of Chinese culture is not lost; it can be found throughout the narrative, from the usage of nicknames and labels to terminology that can only be utilized if the author is well-versed in their own culture in order to construct the appropriate idioms in their fictitious universe. Zhao places a strong emphasis on providing culturally specific meanings to each name, which she directly connects to the characters' births and personalities, the setting, or the origins of some of the locations that are mentioned in the narrative. Zhao's worldbuilding is one of the examples that support my belief that Asian-inspired fantasy worlds will be more fascinating and relatable at the same time than the others, even though I won't say that white-authored fantasy universes are weak (some are complex enough with their establishment of rules).

Let’s talk about the main characters. Àn’yīng is a representation of a well-written, strong female character: tough, stubborn, sometimes selfish, yet never shunning feminine aspects to be beneath her pride and acknowledging that strength comes from many different angles. Although it is minor, she occasionally exhibits racism and xenophobia, which are viewpoints that are shaped by potential fear-mongering strategies about "the others" (non-humans) that are used in her own country. She starts to really understand and let go of her wrong judgments, as shown by her constant reminder that every life with a beating heart deserves to survive.

Then there's Yù’chén, the morally gray character who serves as the love interest in the star-crossed romance Zhao plans to create. His personality is different from what I would have expected from a masculine character of his caliber, who struggles to accept his fate while attempting to alter it. He never attempts to present himself as the mysterious guy with a secret dark past; he's pretty much straightforward about his being and intentions, coming off as someone who has nothing to lose even if his secret is revealed to the world. At the same time, he comes across as a gentle person—this is the biggest turning point in his characterization, which is trying hard to be a good person throughout the story, so when the revelation arrives, it's truly devastating because it appears to undo everything he wants to change for the better.

However, supporting characters—aside from the Royal Guard Hào’yáng—have brief appearances in the book; they serve only as a continuation of Àn’yīng's constantly developing dynamic and serve as models for how to remain fair and compassionate when recognizing the differences between mythical races. Although I acknowledge Hào’yáng's more covert role in Àn’yīng's survival, I have not yet developed an opinion about him personally. This opinion is based on my continued mistrust of his actual motivation; therefore, I'm interested to see how Zhao develops his character more in the upcoming book.

As I previously mentioned, the romance between Àn’yīng and Yù’chén could be interpreted as a tumultuous journey, transitioning from adversaries to reluctant allies, and ultimately becoming doomed lovers due to their divergent positions in the war. Zhao's portrayal of their love affair is exceptionally well-written, captivating readers with a sense of anticipation and frustration as they slowly develop their relationship, testing each other's trust and empathy. At times, I harbored strong hopes that they would manage to escape the cliché before chaos erupted. The conclusion's twist adds even more complexity; I expect that not all readers will agree with the abrupt change, but I think it's a perfectly reasonable conclusion because politics always plays a role in conflicts that compel us to do things we don't want to, even for romantic reasons.

All things considered, this new romance-fantasy novel by Amélie Wen Zhao has really impressed me. It's a beautiful tale that strikes a balance between warfare, mystery, honor, romance, and action. Please purchase The Scorpion and the Night Blossom and read it for yourself; I think it will be well received by Zhao's devoted readers as well as lovers of the romantasy genre in general.

I was first drawn to this book because of its premise. Anying joins deadly trials for a pill to save her mother. And there’s demons and immortal beings involved. AND there’s a mysterious guy, Yuchen, helping her. But why? 👀

I loved how the plot developed. There’s a lot of mystery surrounding many of the characters, which led to so many twists. Literally sooo many twists. The plot was very fast-paced. I don’t think Anying had many moments of peace throughout the book. She was always going through something crazy 😭

Anying was a great MC. She made mistakes and was somewhat impulsive at times, but I loved how dedicated she was to her family. Her motivation and determination were admirable. Yuchen, for the most part, was a mystery. Info about him was slowly revealed as the story went on, which only made him more intriguing. The romance was… cute?? I can’t say much about it without spoilers, but I enjoyed how it progressed.

The author herself says this book is for the c-drama girlies, and I completely agree! The premise, the world, the characters, and the storyline–everything reminds of c-dramas. And it helped me imagine the scenes more vividly. It somehow also made the story a bit predictable for me; I think I’ve just watched too many c-dramas 😅

Overall, this was a great read, and I can’t wait for the sequel! I have lots of theories, and I’m excited to see where the story goes!!

In this YA romantasy, Àn’yīng decides to enter the immortality trials. Those who survive the trials are granted one immortality pill, and she is determined to get one to save her mother who has been suffering for years after being attacked by a demon, or mó. Soon, Àn’yīng discovers that a rival, Yù’chén, has been helping her in the trials. But he may be more dangerous than she knows.

I really liked the world building and magic system in this book. The whole concept of the immortals, demons, and immortality trials was really intriguing, but this one fell a little flat for me. The pacing of the book was a little bit all over the place. I was a little disappointed that Àn’yīng was supposed to be strong, but continually needed help from male characters to survive. The last bit of the book definitely picked up the pace and reignited my interest, so I'm intrigued to see where things will go in the next book in this series.

Thank you to Delacorte Press and NetGalley for the advance copy!

This book started out with everything that I love--a badass FMC, mythology and magic, impending war, secrets, mystery....

And then the badass girl couldnt' make it through a single event without a man saving her, the mythology and magic were sped through to the extent that I was never quite sure what was going on, the secrets were extremely predictable after the reveal of who her father sent her to find--and all of a sudden, I found myself 300 pages in with no interest in finishing and only a vague idea of what I had read up to that point.

Long stroy short--another victim of "brilliant idea, lackluster execution." I doubt I'll make room in my gigantic TBR for the sequel...if I can even remember anything that happened in this one!

***Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for providing me with a digital copy of this book to review.***

I had so much fun reading this story. I love how the author mixed pieces from various Chinese stories and legends to create something unique. The chemistry between the FMC and MMC is excellently crafted and entirely heartbreaking. This book is about more than fighting for survival. It’s about fighting for those you love and the happiness you deserve. I’m excited to see how this duology ends.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

The Scorpion and the Night Blossom was my first Chinese folklore fantasy and I found the world and magic system to be super fascinating.

The premise of this book was overall so interesting, but it wasn’t until about 55% in that I really couldn’t put it down. I think that was probably because I couldn’t tell how I felt about Àn’yīng, the fmc. Initially, at the start of the story, I admired the love and strength she showed for her family, but as we got closer to the trials I was incredibly turned off by her immediate hatred for people different than her- especially characters that were helping her stay alive, like Lì’líng and Yù’chén.

“In this moment, I need to be held, even if it is by a half monster.”

That half monster has only done kind things to help you Àn’yīng! 😭 I can understand where she’s coming from to some extent, but as the reader it makes me just want to shake her. 😐 I also felt like there was a lack of dialogue, so a lot of the book was descriptions of the world around them, which I realized I began to skim through on autopilot. Around 55% into the book though, wow did it pick up. The hot springs scene with Yù’chén…. WOOOOOO! I loved his character, and I loved his nickname for Àn’yīng.

“What can you offer me, little scorpion?”

I also just adore Ho’yáng, which didn’t come as a surprise considering I loved every side character. I’m assuming book 2 is going to be a love triangle and I’m going to want to rip my hair out BUT I NEED IT. The ending of this book had so much going on and I’m so excited to see Ho’yáng & Àn’yīng journey to the realm of the dragons together… and to see Yù’chén again. 😫 We can fix him… ❤️‍🩹 I really do think the scenes with Yù’chén made this book worth it for me lol and because of him I’ll be reading book 2.

"A candidate is dead, likely murdered by a demonic beast that is still on the loose. And more of us might be dead by the end of the night. The immortals don't care. This is all a game to them. And to play their game, to gain Immortality, we must leave behind more and more of our humanity."

I want to preface this with the fact that I have been struggling with romance in my recent reads. I have not found anything that has been making me giggle, or blush, or anything and it’s made for a lot of disappointing reading experiences.

that said, does The Scorpion and the Night Blossom have a bit of an “insta-love” feel to it? yeah.

did I f*cking EAT IT UP ANYWAY??? YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

this was soooo much fun to read. the author’s dedication reads: “This one’s for the C-drama girlies.”
and honestly that alone could sum up the story.

is it a little outlandish and “much” at times? of course.
is that part of what makes it so fun? absolutely.

The Scorpion and the Night Blossom follows 19 year old Àn’yīng as she cares for her younger sister and her sick mother, while training to be a “Practitioner”. her father was a Practitioner as well until he was murdered by a demon (mó) . the same mó who killed her father began to devour her mother’s soul, but did not finish the job—leaving her mother in a weak, almost vegetable-like state. Practitioners practice types of magic that allow them to fight mó. the mó have began invading the mortal realm and it is becoming more difficult for mortals to defend themselves. there are also Immortal beings that live in the Temple of Dawn in the Kingdom of Sky. the Immortals hold a series of trials each year that allow mortals to learn magic directly from them, and if they survive the trials, they are offered a pill of immortality and opportunity to live with the Immortals. Àn’yīng hopes to win a pill in order to heal her mother.

The Scorpion and the Night Blossom is a romantasy at its core, but I also appreciated how much it explored Chinese mythology, a world of varying politics (murdered emperor, missing heir, questionable lineages, pending war) and a dialogue of internal prejudices. the halfling characters are often treated poorly in this world, because they do not fit in with either half of themselves. Àn’yīng sees them as disgusting abominations, until she begins to get to know them and is forced to challenge her own world beliefs.

quick spoiler: for Àn’yīng being revealed to be part immortal, it made her performance in the trials almost embarrassing. she wasn’t successful in ANY of the trials without help (this bothered me even before the halfling reveal happened, bc why did she always need help?????? it made sense for her to struggle since she anticipated being trained by the Immortals before the trials began, but damn). but anyway, all of that felt even more crazy to learn she’s HALF IMMORTAL??? and still struggled like that??? HUH????

as someone who loves drama, I’m really excited to read the next book. the ending was chaotic and I think the second book can only be more fun.

plot: ★★★★★
the plot definitely gave a bit of a The Hunger Games vibe at first glance (head of household daughter, competing in a competition to keep her family safe) but it quickly became so much more than that. I would definitely consider this book a C-drama in text format. the plot was pure chaos, but in such a fun way. there were a couple reveals that were a little predictable, but not so much that it took away from my reading experience.

writing: ★★★★☆ (3.5 rounded up)
the focus on the story is 100% the romance and the drama, which is great, but I wish a little more time had been spent breaking down the magic system and the world building. what exactly IS spirit energy? and how does it work??? do you run out? how do you know you run out? how do you generate more? some of Àn’yīng’s blades activate with spirit energy, but others appear to need her blood to activate—why???

I kind of wish there had been a glossary at the beginning for the Chinese terms that are used in the story. they explain some of them when they come up, but some pop up throughout the story and I struggle to remember what it meant or where we were first introduced to it. it’s a bit of a bummer to set the book down and go to look up the translation (especially as an ADHD reader because once I open my phone, I’m going to accidentally spend the next 40 minutes playing on my phone instead of reading😂).

in the same vein, a pronunciation guide would have been sooo kind to have. all the names have various accents included with them, and I’m not convinced that I’ve been pronouncing them correctly in my head and at this point I’m a little scared to find out.

I also wish there would have been more structure to the trials/tournament. like for the reasoning behind each task to be more apparent.

I also struggled to understand how Àn’yīng‘s blades were attached to her until like the very end of the book, and even then, I struggled to understand how she could keep them hidden and move easily with that many strapped to her.

pacing: ★★★★★
the book is extremely fast paced. the trials did not really give the book a chance to slow down.

romance: ★★★★☆
the romance is a little bit “insta-love”, but honestly I’m kind of here for it right now. I don’t know if it’s just perfect timing, but the last few books I’ve read, the romance felt like there wasn’t ENOUGH. like I ended all my recent books with romances wishing there had been more or the romance had been explored more. that makes me feel thankful for The Scorpion and the Night Blossom for just giving it to me right from the jump and keeping me fed for the entire duration of the story. I don’t typically vibe with “insta-love” but it worked for me in this book.

we are teased with a potential love triangle, but I didn’t hate it. I think it’s going to set up for really fun drama in the next book and I’m low-key excited for things to get messy.

also a little wild that the book says it’s for ages 14+ and has sexual content included. nothing super explicit, but I think I would have said at least 16+, lmao.

characters: ★★★★☆
I loved Àn’yīng from the first page. you get a little bit of Katniss Everdeen vibes from her - her father was killed by a demon. following the shock of her father’s death, her mother collapsed into a coma-like sickness that prevents her from living a normal life or even being able to act like a human being. Àn’yīng is forced into the head of her household, taking care of her sick mother and her younger sister. she was once planning to be a seamstress, but now she is focused on taking care of her sister and saving her mother. she’s admirable and strong and genuine.

I was immediately drawn to the group of halflings that Àn’yīng befriends. I’m a little disappointed that we didn’t get more time with them to get to know them on a more personal level. they reminded me a lot of the anime InuYasha (my favorite growing up) so this book also checked a few nostalgia boxes for me.

over-all: ★★★★★
this is my first time reading Amélie Wen Zhao’s work and I’m definitely going to be digging into her other books ASAP. I had such a fun time reading this and I can’t wait for the next book!!

Thank you Netgalley and Penguin for an E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What a great read! This book was pretty fantastic! I really enjoyed reading this. The fantasy was fantasy-ing!!!!

✨ BOOK RECOMMENDATION ✨

“The brightest and most beautiful flowers are the most poisonous.”

Filled with lush storytelling and vivid imagery, The Scorpion and the Night Blossom is not only stunning with its stenciled edges and gorgeous cover; it electrifies you with a unique and beautiful story that was hard to put down.

Here are my top 5 reasons you should read this:

✨ inspired by Asian mythology
✨ deadly yet thrilling trials
✨ swoony romantasy
✨ diversity representation
✨ Throne of Glass vibes

This cover does NOT disappoint!
Amelie Wen Zhao is an autobuy author for me - I have her release dates on my calendar! And I pre-order without reading anything.
The audiobook consumed me - the rich family history, lore and legends, fight for humanity, diversity and racism, family obligations, romance.
I am already counting down to the next book!

I read this book as part of the blog tour hosted by TBR & Beyond Tours. Special thanks to Delacorte Press for providing a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 4.5 stars rounded up!

TL;DR: This YA fantasy inspired by Chinese mythology was fast-paced, action-packed, and beautifully written—it's perfect for fans of wuxia/xianxia stories. The Scorpion and the Night Blossom is a story about family, fate and rebellion. The author’s lyrical prose and gorgeous world-building will have you feeling immersed in these pages full of horrifying demonic creatures, beautifully cruel immortals, and delightful mythological creatures. I found Àn’Yīng admirable and relatable, I was invested in the ‘Rome and Juliet-esque’ romance, and I was gripped by the twists and turns that came at the end. I had to put the book down to take a breather at one point because everything seemed to happen all at once and I was not ready?! And I loved it. Is it too soon to ask for the next book? 😬

From the opening lines to the very end of this book, AWZ’s beautifully lyrical prose and stunningly vivid world-building will have you feeling fully immersed in the story. There’s something about the author’s writing that makes it so easy to picture all of the scenes unfolding like a movie before my eyes. Being able to do this made me feel so much more absorbed in the story. I appreciated that AWZ doesn’t waste time with slowly setting up the scene in the beginning and the action kicks off immediately. From the go, it’s apparent that this is a dangerous world where hell spawn roam freely and you could die just as easily as you could take your next breath. As Àn’Yīng sets off for the Kingdom in the Sky, leaving her mother and sister behind, you can feel how tense and high-stakes the situation is and just how badly she wants to win the deadly trials.

Àn’Yīng was a fierce MC and there’s no questioning her dedication and willingness to do anything for her family. Due to the war and resulting loss of her parents, she needed to grow up faster than any child should, as she not only had to care for herself and her baby sister but she also took responsibility for ensuring her village’s safety. She’s an admirable young woman who made countless sacrifices for her family. She’s driven by her anger and disgust towards the mo but she also uses her fear as fuel to stoke that anger and propel her forward.

She develops unlikely friendships including a trio of halflings viewed as abominations by mortals, as well as Yù’Chén, who ends up being a central character in her story. He intrigued me immensely and I ended up loving his character. There’s just something about a fierce warrior type who seems invulnerable to so much, yet wears his emotional vulnerability so close to the surface, and seeing these seemingly perfect characters yearn for acceptance and love just hits me in the feels! Sure, I was questioning his motives but I was also reeled in by the softer side he rarely presented.

The one thing that I wish had been done better was the character development for everyone. It would’ve been nice to see more of Àn’Yīng’s growth as someone who can fend for herself without having to be repeatedly rescued. That’s not to say she didn’t know how to fight because she’s a baddie with a warrior heart and I loved seeing her wield her magic daggers. I guess I just wanted to see more of her training and how she learns to harness qi better. Also, as much as I understand why the main love interest wasn’t further developed, I would’ve loved to see more varied interactions with Àn’Yīng. Their scenes ended up feeling a bit formulaic but it didn’t lessen my enjoyment of their romance as I liked their push and pull. It’s complex and angsty, and as certain things are revealed, there’s an increasing sense of “doomed love” and “star-crossed lovers” vibes that I was here for! 😂 I will say this pushed into possible love triangle territory, although the other connection gave a strong ‘platonic’/unrequited vibe. I wasn’t keen since it’s my least fave trope but I’ve noticed that romances in wuxia/xianxia tend to be very dramatic and tragic! This is *obviously* all guesses and who knows what direction AWZ will take this—all I hope is that it’s going to be angsty AF and serve the emotional turmoil that leads to a satisfying end. I was screaming “HOLY FIREBALLS OF ANGST” for the last 10-15% of this so I think AWZ will deliver!

Overall, I had a freaking good time reading this and I’m already so excited for the next book which is honestly a bit tragic seeing as how this book has (by now) just been published. 🥲 I hope we don’t have to wait too long for the sequel cos I need to see how everything will unfold!

The Scorpion and the Night Blossom was such a fun read! I really liked the trials aspect of things. And Àn’yīng is a great main character. She had a lot to deal with- the death of her father, her mother being half soulless, leaving her sister, her being the only one who can do this quest- and you can tell that there was a lot on her mind with some of the times that she went back and forth in her decisions and wasn’t super decisive. That’s what, in my opinion, made her a better main character than in some other books where the main character was all of a sudden this amazing warrior who always knows what to do. I felt as though the trials were done really well and the overall action in this book was done really well. I’m probably biased because I’ve liked all of the Amélie Wen Zhao books that I’ve read so far, but I thought that the writing was well done and I really enjoyed the pacing as well. Overall, this was a great book.

This is the best type of fantasy! I don’t think I can quite put into words.
The Scorpion and the Night Blossom by Amélie Wen Zhao
Amélie Wen Zhao‘s writing is captivating. She knows how to pull the reader into a magnificent and intriguing place.
The story was absolutely engaging and the work that went into the settings was noticeable and superb.
The attention to details in her writing really set the scene and tone.

Thank you to Amelie Wen Zhao, Netgalley, and Random House for a copy of an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Do you like fantasy-centric Asian dramas? Do you like stabby FMCs with a backbone and a compelling backstory? Do you like MMCs in a love triangle that are polar opposites of each other, but are each a solid match with the FMC? Then The Scorpion and the Night Blossom might be for you.

The story follows a mortal named Anying and her journey to the immortal realm for the immortality trials: a set of trials that, if she completes, grants her a pill that could save the life of her sickly mother. Along the way, she teams up with a half mortal named Yuchen, a mysterious man with a sharp tongue and his own mysterious past. But when unexpected deaths begin to occur across the immortal realm, Anying also finds herself entangled with Haoyang, an immortal realm noble who is linked to some of the answers that she see seeks.

I absolutely loved the worldbuilding in this narrative. The lush descriptions of various environments and elaborate details of lore were integrated seamlessly throughout the story. The plot engaged me from beginning to end, blending fast-paced scenes with slower moments to progress through romantic developments. And, even though the story is marketed as a romantasy, I enjoyed how the romance and plot were equally balanced.

I do hope to see more of Anying being able to defeat enemies on her own (she needs more than a couple wins), as well as the narrative to expand on more of the side characters (please give me more Haoyang spotlight). Nonetheless, I definitely recommend this book if you're looking for a romantasy book that doesn't lean too much into spice to craft a love story and a fantasy world inspired by non-Eurocentric mythology.