Book Review | The Scarlet Alchemist

Zilan lives an impoverished life with her aunt and uncle, running an illegal resurrection business on the side. However, she dreams of becoming a royal alchemist to support her family, but never did she anticipate how ruthless the world of alchemists and court politics could be.

The Scarlet Alchemist by Kylie Lee Baker weaves a spellbinding historical fantasy about love and ambition, set in an alternate Tang Dynasty.

For me, this book truly shines most in its worldbuilding. Nobles eat gold to prolong their life, creating a class divide, and mysterious monsters made of pearls stalk the streets, preying on citizens.

The alchemy-based magic system was fantastic as well. Here alchemists have to be resourceful and crafty since they rely on transforming the materials around them, which makes for some seriously cool improvised fight scenes that were a whole lot of fun to read.

(Also, yes, for anyone wondering, this book was partly inspired by Full Metal Alchemist.)

Overall, Baker paints a rich, glittering world that teems with life, death, and gold, and I cannot wait for the sequel.

Thank you, NetGalley and Inkyard Press, for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Book Details:

Publication Date : October 3, 2023

Publisher : ‎Inkyard Press

ISBN: 1335458018

Pages : 432

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