The Blood Orchid

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What to expect

The highly anticipated sequel to The Scarlet Alchemist from Sunday Times bestselling author Kylie Lee Baker.

'DAZZLING' CHLOE GONG
'GRIM, LUSH, FASCINATING' GUARDIAN

A YA fantasy duology set in an alternate Tang Dynasty China, where a poor biracial girl with the ability to raise the dead gets caught up in the dangerous political games of the royal family.

Since Zilan entered the world of royal alchemists, she has learned that alchemy comes at a price. She has lost loved ones in her search for justice against the evil Empress and all she wants now is to find some way to bring them back. Resurrection is her specialty, after all.

In search of the myth of Penglai Island, where it's rumoured life can be fully restored, Zilan starts a new adventure. But when old threats come back to haunt her and the path to Penglai Island means facing down unpredictable, sometimes dangerous, alchemists, she wonders just how high of a price she may be willing to pay. . .

READERS LOVE THE BLOOD ORCHID
'It's exciting, unique, interesting, and a lot of fun' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'Full of adventure, magic, resurrection' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'This book was just "chef's kiss" and I could not put it down! 💕' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'Action packed, gritty, tense and addictive' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'A captivating narrative' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Critics Review

This GRIM, LUSH, FASCINATING YA fantasy is the first book of a duology that will grip fans of Xiran Jay Zhao.
Guardian, on The Scarlet Alchemist
Visceral to the core. The Scarlet Alchemist imagines alternate history with daring imagination and incredible detail. Even once you've turned the last page, you'll still be entrenched within this dazzling world running with gold and blood
Chloe Gong, New York Times bestselling author of These Violent Delights
The Scarlet Alchemist is a dark and glittering jewel of a book, full of blood, gold, and fury. I devoured it in a day!
Judy I. Lin, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Book of Tea duology
Kylie Lee Baker stuns in this deliciously dark page-turner! An exhilarating blend of strikingly unique magic and masterful twists, with a sharp-edged, fiercely ambitious heroine who subverts the rules of life and death, clawing her way to the top-and into your heart
June CL Tan, international bestselling author of Jade Fire Gold
Vivid, twisting and thrilling! I loved this morally grey rollercoaster through an alternate Tang Dynasty with ruthless competition, intrigue and dark magic. Zilan is a captivating and complex protagonist, by turns relatable, loveable and monstrous-and always fascinating
Vanessa Len, author of Only a Monster
The Scarlet Alchemist is a beautifully crafted and incisively written tale of alchemy, blood, magic, and family that gripped me from the first page to the last. Full of twists I didn't see coming, a wry humor that made me laugh out loud, and a fierce, capable heroine I couldn't help but root for, this book is everything I look for in a fantasy novel. Read it!
Rati Mehrotra, author of Night of the Raven, Dawn of the Dove
I loved this book and you will too. The Scarlet Alchemist is perfectly paced, with dynamic prose, clever competition setups, and a protagonist who will leave you in awe of her resourcefulness. Kylie Lee Baker is an amazing storycrafter, and I would sell my soul for the sequel!
Joan He, New York Times bestselling author of Strike the Zither
Kylie Lee Baker writes incredibly immersive historical fantasies. So fans of C-dramas and Fullmetal Alchemist, look no further. The Scarlet Alchemist is an absolute treat
June Hur, bestselling author of The Red Palace
In this deeply immersive historical fantasy, a grisly duology opener, Baker (The Empress of Time) expertly navigates the societal constraints and pains of marginalization via visceral prose. A developing romance between Zilan and the Crown Prince offers lighthearted joy amid the narrative's ruthless and gruesome happenings. A historical note concludes.
Publishers Weekly
Centered around life and death, this fast-paced story is gory and gruesome but lightened by moments of levity. Baker touches on racism, sexism, classism, identity, and family and friendship ties. Contemporary Mandarin and Cantonese words are woven into this dark duology opener. Grisly, dark, and utterly entrancing.
Kirkus Review
A ruthless and standout series opener to a dark, adrenaline-fueled duology. Highly recommended for all collections.
SLJ Reviews
Immersive, unique, grisly and delightfully dark, Kylie Lee Baker's newest YA fantasy novel, The Scarlet Alchemist, is quite frankly one of the most compelling and readable fantasies we've read this year
United by Pop
The sumptuously dark and vicious twists of this story bound by the magic of life, blood and familial love will have any young fantasy fan hooked in an instant. Kylie Lee Baker is a master of the world-building skills that can make historical fiction feel like stepping into a nightmare and a dream at once, with an unforgettably stubborn protagonist you'll want to follow until the end
The National

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