The Blood Orchid
the high-anticipated sequel to The Scarlet Alchemist!
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4.0 • 1 Rating
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- 65,00 kr
Publisher Description
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' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Customer Reviews
A chaotic road trip with the least compatible travel companions imaginable and a lack of horror.
Zilan is like a walking, talking middle finger to authority, fueled by ambition, a refusal to take nonsense from anyone, and a deeply ingrained “fake it till you make it” philosophy.
She’s morally… let’s say flexible. Not in a full-blown villain way, but in a “Look, if it works, it works” kind of way. She’s practical to the point of ruthlessness, which is honestly a refreshing break from the usual “but is this the right thing to do?” existential crises that fantasy protagonists love to have. Zilan does not have time for that. She’s too busy actually getting things done.
But for all her sharp edges, she’s not some cold, heartless machine. She’s got emotions—buried somewhere under layers of survival instincts, sarcasm, and a refusal to look too closely at the consequences of her actions. And honestly? It makes her fun to follow. She’s messy, she’s chaotic, and she will absolutely make choices that make you go “Girl, what are you DOING?” But that’s what makes her great.
So, in short—I love these books, and the writing is well done. But yeah, as plenty of readers have already pointed out, this sequel leans way more into fantasy than horror, even though the first book was marketed as, you know, spooky. And look, for those of us who came here expecting buckets of blood, grotesque transformations, and unhinged, bone-chilling blood magic… well. We get some of that. But not enough. But hey! There are some ghosts. So that’s something, right?
That being said, if you liked the first book, you have to read this one. It’s just that this time, it’s less nightmare fuel and more chaotic road trip with a bunch of people who have no business traveling together, all desperately hunting for a fountain of youth while narrowly avoiding death at every turn. Which is fun! But also—WHERE IS MY HORROR? Still love the book, though.