The Scorpion and the Night Blossom by Amélie Wen Zhao

Title: The Scorpion and the Night Blossom 

Author: Amélie Wen Zhao

Genre: Fantasy

Series: The Three Realms duology # 1

Publication: March 4, 2025 400 pages

Source: I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for a honest review.

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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.

MY THOUGHTS

Lately, there have been many Eastern Asian fantasy novels, and I’m still on the lookout for a good one. The synopsis for The Scorpion and the Night Blossom sounded intriguing; demons and a magical trial held by the gods? That was right up my alley! I had such high hopes for this book, but unfortunately, it was extremely disappointing and so bad.

The world-building was confusing. The author drops the reader into the story, expecting them to already understand what’s going on. There are different realms and a magic system that is barely explained, if at all. The mortal realm is infested with nightmarish creatures, but their descriptions were vague, leaving me unsure of what they actually looked like. Àn’yīng, our main heroine, wields multiple magical blades, each with a different name and purpose, but again, none of it is properly explained. As the first book in a new series, it desperately needed a clearer foundation and setup.

The writing was okay, but the pacing suffered due to long, dense paragraphs that detailed every little thing, making the story drag. There was barely any dialogue, and the narration relied heavily on telling rather than showing. This made it difficult to stay engaged or connect with the characters. One of the biggest aspects of the novel was the trials, but they were so dull and uninspired that they never felt high-stakes or life-threatening.

Àn’yīng, our main character, was beyond insufferable. I had hoped that as the book progressed, she would grow on me but no, she never did. She is one of the most immature and annoying protagonists I’ve ever read. From the start, readers are told how strong Àn’yīng is, yet we never actually see it. Throughout the entire novel, she constantly needed saving—by Yù’chén, Hao Yang, his mother, and even the other contestants. She also harbors major prejudices against halflings until it’s convenient for her to forget them. For example, when she discovers that Yù’chén is a halfling, she tells him to stay away from her, refusing his help because he disgusts her. And what does she do right after? She befriends and hangs out with a group of halflings. She made disgusting remarks about Yù’chén to his face yet constantly lusts after him. She strings him along, pushes him away, then demands his help whenever she needs it; only to get mad when he uses his demon powers or bends the rules for her. She’s completely delusional, convinced that she’s been saving Yù’chén’s life and that he owed her. But when did she ever save him? Never. And somehow, he’s the one accused of stringing her along? I honestly felt bad for the guy. I have no idea why he likes her when her personality is awful. And don’t even get me started on Yù’chén’s nickname for Àn’yīng, Scorpion, it was not cute at all. I lost count of how many times I rolled my eyes.

I sadly did not enjoy any part of The Scorpion and the Night Blossom. The plot was weak, the world-building was lackluster, and most of the characters were flat. The most important thing to me in any novel is the protagonist, and Àn’yīng was truly a revolting person. I don’t recommend this book, but if you’re still curious, I’d suggest borrowing it from the library. 

Sword Catcher by Cassandra Clare

Title: Sword Catcher

Author: Cassandra Clare

Genre: Fantasy

Series: The Chronicles of Castellane # 1

Publication: October 10, 2023 624 pages

Source: Personal Library

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In the vibrant city-state of Castellane, the richest of nobles and the most debauched of criminals have one thing in common: the constant search for wealth, power, and the next hedonistic thrill.

Kel is an orphan, stolen from the life he knew to become the Sword Catcher—the body double of a royal heir, Prince Conor Aurelian. He has been raised alongside the prince, trained in every aspect of combat and statecraft. He and Conor are as close as brothers, but Kel knows that his destiny is to die for Conor. No other future is possible.

Lin Caster is one of the Ashkar, a small community whose members still possess magical abilities. By law, they must live behind walls within the city, but Lin, a physician, ventures out to tend to the sick and dying of Castellane. Despite her skills, she cannot heal her best friend without access to forbidden knowledge.

After a failed assassination attempt brings Lin and Kel together, they are drawn into the web of the mysterious Ragpicker King, the criminal ruler of Castellane’s underworld. He offers them each what they want most; but as they descend into his world of intrigue and shadow, they discover a conspiracy of corruption that reaches from the darkest gutters of Castellane to the highest tower of its palaces.

As long-kept secrets begin to unravel, they must ask themselves: Is knowledge worth the price of betrayal? Can forbidden love bring down a kingdom? And will their discoveries plunge their nation into war—and the world into chaos?

MY THOUGHTS

Finally, Cassandra Clare writes something other than a Shadowhunter novel. Sword Catcher marks her foray into the adult genre. However, to be honest, it still reads like a Young Adult novel despite the characters being in their 20s and 30s. Many reviews have compared it to another popular series, but aside from the fact that Kel is an orphan who becomes the prince's shield and companion, the two stories are nothing alike, at least, not to me.

Sword Catcher revolves around the politics of Castellane, exploring its relationships with other kingdoms as well as the criminal underbelly within its own walls. The magic element is minimal and takes a backseat to the political intrigue. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but going into the book, I expected more fantasy. The story follows Prince Conor, his Sword Catcher, Kel, and the physician, Lin. Kel serves as the prince’s body double; stepping in for Conor during dangerous situations and publicly posing as his "cousin" when needed. His entire purpose is to serve House Aurelian; until he gets entangled with criminals like the Ragpicker King and Prosper Beck. Lin, on the other hand, lives in the Sault, a walled-off district within Castellane, home to the Ashkari people who sought refuge in the city after fleeing their homeland. As a physician, she cares for the lower class, but her life is upended when she finds herself caught between nobility and the city's criminal underworld.

Clare's new world is intriguing. I enjoyed the political maneuvering and seeing both sides of Castellane, and everything was presented in a clear, easy-to-follow manner. The story unfolded in a way that left me curious enough to pick up the sequel. I struggled to connect with the characters. I didn’t find them particularly likable or well-developed. Most of them were self-serving; even Kel, who convinces himself that everything he did was for the prince.

Two major events near the end drastically changed life for both the nobility on the Hill and the people of the Sault, yet they felt anticlimactic. Normally, moments like these would have me on the edge of my seat, frantically turning pages, but instead, I found myself thinking, 'That’s it?'

Overall, Sword Catcher is a solid introduction to a new series, and I hope the sequel delivers a stronger impact.

Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson

Title: Warbreaker

Author: Brandon Sanderson

Genre: Science Fiction

Series: N/A

Publication: June 9, 2009, 688 pages

Source: Audiobook, Libby

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Warbreaker is the story of two sisters, who happen to be princesses, the God King one of them has to marry, the lesser god who doesn't like his job, and the immortal who's still trying to undo the mistakes he made hundreds of years ago.

Their world is one in which those who die in glory return as gods to live confined to a pantheon in Hallandren's capital city and where a power known as BioChromatic magic is based on an essence known as breath that can only be collected one unit at a time from individual people.

By using breath and drawing upon the color in everyday objects, all manner of miracles and mischief can be accomplished. It will take considerable quantities of each to resolve all the challenges facing Vivenna and Siri, princesses of Idris; Susebron the God King; Lightsong, reluctant god of bravery, and mysterious Vasher, the Warbreaker.

MY THOUGHTS

I think most readers have at least heard of Brandon Sanderson or read one of his books. With his extensive catalog, I decided that this would be the year I finally started one of his works. I chose Warbreaker, which, in hindsight, probably wasn’t the best entry point. The synopsis and rave reviews promised an epic fantasy, but unfortunately, I didn’t experience that at all. There were many aspects I disliked, and I didn’t even find it mildly enjoyable.

First, the cover and title felt misleading. Siri is featured on the cover, yet the book is named after another character. In the grand scheme of the story, with so many characters, Siri and Vasher were two of the main ones, but their roles felt small and somewhat insignificant. They had plenty of page time, yet their presence barely moved the story forward. It’s hard to explain, but their impact just didn’t feel substantial.

At first, the worldbuilding intrigued me. The concept of colors and Breath as a magical system was unique; people could animate inanimate objects by drawing color from their surroundings, provided they had accumulated enough Breath. To gain Breath, they had to take it from another living person. Things became more complex with the introduction of gods and the Returned: people who had died but were brought back to life and worshiped as deities. While the idea was interesting, the execution became confusing and convoluted. The reasoning behind the Breath system and its connection to the gods was poorly explained, and when the truth was finally revealed, it felt underwhelming and inane.

Character-wise, I immediately disliked Vivenna. She was one of the dullest protagonists I’ve ever read. Though she underwent significant development over the course of the book, she remained unlikable. Siri, the younger princess who became the Hallandren Queen, fared slightly better. Initially dismissed as the useless princess, she actually grew over the course of the book. However, I didn’t feel connected to any of the characters. Vivenna, Siri, Lightsong, Vasher, Denth, Tonk Fah, the God King, and even the side characters all felt underdeveloped. None of them had a single memorable moment or defining trait. As the story progressed, I lost interest in the story and didn't care what happened to them.

The pacing was a major issue. Warbreaker was unnecessarily long, with the middle section dragging painfully. Then, after all that buildup, thousands of Lifeless marching on Idris, Vasher’s hidden army, there was no actual battle scene? The ending felt rushed, abrupt, and anticlimactic. One of the worst ending I've read in a long time.

Overall, I don’t recommend this book. It was drawn out for far too long, and I honestly wish I had DNF-ed it instead of wasting so much time, only to be left disappointed.