Stunning photo by @jbooksndreams!
Hello everyone!
Who is excited but nervous for today’s chapters? I feel like A LOT is going to happen in today’s reading!
Happy Friday and welcome to day 5 of our readalong of The Scarlet Alchemist by Kylie Lee Baker. I’m so excited to be reading this one with you, I hope you all love it!
Today we’re reading from chapter 27 to the end of the book. Let’s do this!
When you’ve finished today’s section, catch up with me in the comments down below so we can discuss the beginning of the book. Happy reading!
Please be warned, the following section will include spoilers for The Scarlet Alchemist by Kylie Lee Baker from Chapter 27 to the end of the book. Please only read on if you have finished this section!
!SPOILERS!
Our final day of reading starts off a little tense! Zilan has spent the entire night searching the city for her missing cousins but with no luck. Do you think they are both still alive?
Zilan goes to the Moon Alchemist for help regarding her cousins but she simply tells her it can wait. They argue and The Moon Alchemist slaps her and then beats her. Ooooop. 🫢
Zilan goes back towards her room where she bumps into the prince who abandons his meeting for her which is what I like to call princess treatment! He is definitely in his feels.
And we have another great example of princess treatment “Whatever you want Zilan”. Ahhh the prince is the standard! So adorable.
Exhausted, Zilan goes to sleep in her room when she is abruptly woken by someone unlocking her door… Two figures in red opera masks grab her, bind her wrists, put a cloth in her mouth and then a piece of fabric over eyes.
Eventually her blindfold is removed and she finds herself sat in a chair in what appears to be an old classroom. The Moon alchemist and all the other alchemists behind her. What is happening?!
The plot thickens and I am SHOOKETH!! The Moon Alchemist tells her that she and the other alchemists have been planning to stop the empress for years and they would like her help!
They come up with a plan for Zilan to try and get some of the Empress’s blood in order to set the monsters on her.
Zilan finally tells the Moon Alchemist about her strange fainting episodes and finds out it’s because her soul is loose; because her scar has stretched and faded.
Zilan and the crown prince’s original plan ultimately fails. Zilan uses the gold in the princes blood as a conduit and is able to use alchemy to turn the gold the empress is eating into a spike, breaking her tooth and causing blood to gush from her mouth. I love her, she is so clever!
Zilan intercepts the healer and takes the rags with the empress’s blood to the Moon Alchemist and they plan to strike the next day.
Can you hear me squealing? Because I absolutely am! The prince basically asks her to be his wife, OMGGG! 🥰
Well I should have known the glimmer of hope we had was too good to be true. Monsters are attacking alchemists instead of the empress and her guards. Of course she was one step ahead, it turns out the blood on the rags was the alchemists and she tricked them.
The Moon Alchemist is then killed by one of the monsters along with the other alchemists. Zilan promises not to bring her back since it was her dying wish.
We find out that the emperor has been dead for months and the empress was the one who killed him.
Demanding to know where her cousins are, the empress throws their soul tags at Zilan and points to the fire where two bodies are burning. This has taken an even darker turn I didn’t think was possible!
Hong is then dragged into the throne room where the empress then presses a knife to his throat and forces Zilan to give up her stones and get into a cage. She means to keep her prisoner to make her life gold since she is the only alchemist left alive.
Using some gold thread Zilan is able to use alchemy to injure the empress but she manages to slash the gold thread as well as Hong’s throat. Noooooo!!! Who else is crying right now?! 😭
Zilan eats some pearls and transforms into a monster, escaping the cage and attacking the empress. YESSSS!
A guard removes her soul tag but she manages to use a blade to carve a new soul tag into her arm.
With the empress finally dead and her new soul tag in place, Zilan resurrects Yufei into the empress’s body. But there is only the prince’s body left and she needs to resurrect both him and her cousin Wenshu.
She decides to bring her cousin back in the prince’s body. I have no words except what about the prince?! Now I’m crying all over again.
With Yufei in the empress’s body she halts the production of life gold and makes various changes across the nation with everyone except Zilan and Wenshu knowing the real truth.
Wenshu reveals that he has found some promising information and there might be a way to bring the prince back into his body again and Wenshu into his; they need to find the elixir of immortality on Pengali Island.
We end the book with the two of them riding off into the sunset ready to embark on a journey to find the elixir of immortality and bring the prince back.
Wow, what a dark, intense and amazing story!
What did you think of The Scarlet Alchemist by Kylie Lee Baker?
Any theories for book two?
As always, thank you so much for taking part in another FairyLoot readalong! We hope you had the best time and enjoyed the book – we’ll see you again soon for another!
Love,
Jodie
I couldn’t wait. I had to finish this last night after posting to the readalong.
What a good book!
I’m so excited to read the sequel. I really hope you all do a SE of the sequel too. I loved this book.
I loved the history mixed with alchemy. And I loved Zilan’s unhinged character.
I might have cried when the duck was served though. That upset me greatly. Maybe even more so than when the price was murdered. I think she will be able to bring him back in book 2, but probably not his poor pet ducks 😭
I’m rooting for a royal wedding in book 2. I can’t believe he asked her to marry him!!! (Although somewhat indirectly).
I think her father will have a large role to play in the next one. Especially his studies. Another theory I have is that she will need to bring back the moon alchemist despite her dying wish. I hope not, but I just feel this coming.
Overall I really enjoyed this book and would give it a 4.5 star review. It was really good and I really enjoyed it. I also love these readalongs and the summaries.
Have a Merry Christmas everyone! 🎄
I’ll admit, this one got a little strange in the end. But, I definitely appreciated how dark this book was. It almost didn’t fit because Zilan could be immature and the Prince was definitely naïve. But, I thought it was very big of him to say something along that liens of how he hasn’t done anything important and to let himself die, basically. It was kind of depressing.
What did you think of The Scarlet Alchemist by Kylie Lee Baker?
I gave this book 4/5 stars. I did give one less star just because there were times when the characters bugged me and I couldn’t follow their thought process. But, I don’t think that was the author’s fault. I think it was more the fault that I am having a harder time to relate to younger characters these days.
Any theories for book two?
I will definitely be reading book 2. The last scene in the book literally broke my heart. That must have been os hard to choose who to bring back to life. I really hope that the trio is successful in finding a new body for her cousin and bringing the soul of the Prince back.
What did you think of The Scarlet Alchemist by Kylie Lee Baker?
I absolutely loved this book 5 stars 🌟.
This last section was just full of twists and turns and the ending 😱. Loved the characters, unique story with the dark side of alchemy and a great setting.
Any theories for book two?
The prince has to come back! So excited to read book 2 hope we get to find out about the father as this wasn’t resolved whether it was him in the prison cell. I also think something (not sure what) will happen with the duck 🦆.
Omg the ending. I need the second book now!!!!!
Ohhh I can’t believe the book is over, I’m honestly SO EXCITED for Book 2! Zilan is definitely my new favourite MC, I had 0 doubts that she would bring back Wenshu – family is everything after all.
But the book also left me with so many questions, like who are they siphoning now that they are in a different body? Can Z swap them out from this body to a different body? It’s not that I don’t love Yufei as Empress but if they bring back the prince, it would make sense to put him in his own body? and what about that suspicious prisoner that I still think is Zilan’s dad…
I’m so sad we didn’t get to see more moments with the other alchemists but even in the fighting scene it was obvious how strong they were. I felt so bad for poor Z when she realised the mistake and how the Empress outplayed her.
Honestly, the Empress was an AMAZING character, she was so smart and cunning, always so many steps ahead of us, I was very impressed with her.
All in all, I really enjoyed this book, I loved all the unhinged female characters (Zilan, Yufei, Empress) and I honestly think this was one of the best YA books I’ve read this year, so thank you so much for selecting this book for us!
I hope to see some great scenes with the Moon Alchemist in book 2 if Zilan indeed brings her back despite her dying wish and I also hope that Z will find her father! Although, how do you stop yourself from loving others if you know you will kill them that way? Doesn’t sound like a happy ending for sure
I could never in a million years have predicted that ending. WOW.
I never really bought the romance in this story. Zilan just seems too feral and unhinged for the innocent puppy that is Hong. But somehow they still kind of worked?
I love that she was able to reconcile with her siblings, that was the part that really got to me when I realized the Empress had killed them. Yufei as Empress was friggin brilliant. I raised my rating of the book a whole star over these last chapters.
That said, the book as a whole was pretty violent for my tastes so I’m not sure I’ll read book 2, but I bet Zilan will get her prince back! She seems really good at finding impossible solutions.
OMG is all I am going to say ok maybe not al hehe.
I mean am I the only one who thinks that the end was a little anticlimactic ok yes they are going on a quest to find the elixir of immortality but still after all the plots and everything happening its a bit dissapointing.
They better bring the prince back in the next book I just got hooked up on Hilan ( or maybe Zong no thts worse for a ship name) they have to get married have to
I kinda like Yufei as the Empress kind of wish she stays as her hehe
I can’t wait for book 2 to read about the adventures on the quest to find elixir of immortality
I loved this book! So glad that Yufei and Wenshu are back. I was so sad about the prince😭 but looks like there might be a chance he returns in book two. I think we’ll find out more about the mystery of her dad in the next book as well. Really enjoyed the readalong! Have a nice Christmas everyone x
Honestly, I loved the darker horror type elements in this book. I was honestly confused at the end, because I feel like it could have ended there. No theories, but it’ll be interesting to see what happens in book 2
I am devastated by the ending of this book. Wow what a ride it was but oh my gosh…. I loved the prince so much and while I’m sure he’s coming back in book 2 I’m just not okay?!
The whole last part was devastating, so many intense things. The empress was such a good villain and I’m almost sad she’s gone if only because she added such an interesting layer to the story.
I’m hoping that book two has more information about her father?! (Maybe he’s alive ??) it’ll be interesting to see where it goes!!!
I loved everything about this book and while I’m frustrated by the ending, I am SO HYPE for Book 2. (Honestly we just need Hong back, precious bby )
I didn’t believe this book could get so dark. The empress serving the ducks to the prince and Zilan and then burning Yufei and Wenshu’s boides. I’m shuddering.
I can’t decide if the death of the Moon Alchemist or the prince is more sad. The Moon Alchemist was so important to Zilan, being her role model and also of mixed heritage like Zilan, and then telling her resurrecting her is the best thing she’s ever done. The prince and Zilan’s romance was so sweet, and she felt like she finally found someone who understands her. And then the prince dying saying he never did anything worthwhile in his life “Please, just once, let me do something that matters.”😭
I just want both of them back (and the Paper and the River Alchemists too) and I hope Zilan finds that eternal life elixir, but I keep going back to the Moon Alchemist’s words “People are supposed to die” and I fear this is a lesson Zilan has to learn for herself.
I gave it 5/5 stars and it’s my second favourite YA book of the year, right after Bonesmith. This readalong aws the perfect way to end the year!
This was such a good book! Thoroughly enjoyed it. Definitely want to read the sequel. How could I not after that ending?! I want the prince back 🥹
I fell behind at the very end! But I’m here now. This was such a good book and it took some turns that surprised me. I wish the romance was even slower burn (but i get why it wasn’t after the events at the end) and that we got more time to deepen the relationships between Zilan and Hong as well as between Zilan and the Moon Alchemist.
My overall rating is 4 out of 5 stars.
As for book two theories, I have NO idea. I’m wondering if we’ll see some exploration of more of the dark side effects of this new realms of alchemy Zilan is experimenting with with the soul tags. And I wouldn’t be surprised if she experiments with creating new bodies with alchemy.
I’m also waiting for the new Empress to…. screw up the realm with her drastic changes since she hasn’t really been trained for politics and leading a country. It definitely can’t be as simple as they think it is.
ALSO! There to the resurrected souls draw qi from if they can’t siphon it from loved ones? That’s another thing that wasn’t really touched on in book one that i think might be explored in the sequel.
Wow! I did not see that ending coming! The empress is so cunning and always ahead… Zilan’s cousins dead, again. Eating the pearls, replacing her name tag…
But the part that shook me was not bringing back the prince… the pain she must have felt…
I really hope they find a way to bring them all back, I need Zilan and Li Hong together.
Please fairyloot release the sequels, this edition is so stunning, we need the next ones to match ❤️
I think it was overall a solid book. I enjoyed the relationships between Zilan and her cousins/siblings, the other royal alchemists, and of course the prince.
I’m excited to learn more about the origins of alchemy from that island. I think once they figure out how to resurrect the prince and body swap everyone back, the prince will return with newfound powers and/or knowledge. I also really want to see auntie and uncle again 🥺
1. What did you think of The Scarlet Alchemist by Kylie Lee Baker?
I really enjoyed it! I also liked how it was actually a bit darker and leaned more towards upper YA!
2. Any theories for book two?
I just really hope she’ll resurrect the prince and they’ll live happily ever after hahaha since I really was rooting for those two! And that her cousins will stay with her for a long time as well!
I was shocked by this ending! Not what I was expecting at all, even though it was a little bit weird with the cousins shifting bodies…
I’m really excited for book 2 now. I feel like there will be a lot of involvement from the father and hopefully, they can work out how to get Hong back into his own body so there will be a royal wedding!!
I really enjoyed this read and it was a really fast-paced end to 2023. So I gave it a 5 star as I liked the character development, the world-building and the plot. I hope that book 2 will be just as great and we get closure on a lot of things. I’m sensing a big adventure and Zilan making a lot of discoveries about her past and her father.