I’ve enjoyed reading Amélie Wen Zhao’s books and so I knew I wanted to read The Scorpion and the Night Blossom. There’s rivals, deadly trials, and competitions. What could go wrong? And while I enjoyed parts of this one, there were some places I wish it was stronger. Keep reading this book review of The Scorpion and the Night Blossom for my full thoughts.
Summary
Nine years ago, the war between the Kingdom of Night and the Kingdom of Rivers tore Àn’yīng’s family apart, leaving her mother barely alive and a baby sister to fend for. Now the mortal realm is falling into eternal night, and mó—beautiful, ravenous demons—roam the land, feasting on the flesh of humans and drinking their souls.
Àn’yīng is no longer a helpless child, though. Armed with her crescent blades and trained in the ancient art of practitioning, she has decided to enter the Immortality Trials, which are open to any mortal who can survive the journey to the immortal realm. Those who complete the Trials are granted a pill of eternal life—the one thing Àn’yīng knows can heal her dying mother. But to attain the prize, she must survive the competition.
Death is common in the Trials. Yet oddly, Àn’yīng finds that someone is helping her stay alive. A rival contestant. Powerful and handsome, Yù’chén is as secretive about his past as he is about his motives for protecting Àn’yīng.
The longer she survives the Trials, the clearer it becomes that all is not right in the immortal realm. To save her mother and herself, Àn’yīng will need to figure out whether she can truly trust the stranger she’s falling for or if he’s the most dangerous player of all . . . for herself and for all the realms.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
Overall, I enjoyed The Scorpion and the Night Blossom there were just a few areas I wish had a bit more depth. This is the beginning of a series, so perhaps this is just meant to whet the appetite, but I enjoyed the secrets about her father. It hinted at larger world secrets and took a bit of a backseat to the high paced deadly trials. If you are looking for a new book with this element, then it’s an easy one to pick up! Throughout we’re not sure who we should trust and Zhao manipulates that continuously.
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They begin as enemies and then transform to rivals and then allies. We are constantly kept on our toes. And in general, Yù’chén is a conundrum of contradictions. The Scorpion and the Night Blossom explores the conflict between immortality and mortality. What it means to give up the prospect of an end and what it means to our own ambitions and love. In general, The Scorpion and the Night Blossom, while full of deadly trials, feels a bit slow at the beginning and feels very much like an opener to the series. I also wish the side characters had a bit more weight so we could both get invested and also feel the stakes. The Scorpion and the Night Blossom is solid, even if there were some areas I wish had a bit more depth.
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