LikedI wasn't sure if I was going to continue on, but I definitely will be because it was just such a exciting, fast-paced, kind of trendy tropy type of story. But I did have fun with it.
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Scorpion and the Night Blossom (2025)
Creators: Liked In a world invaded by demons, one girl will face the ultimate test when she is forced to enter into an ancient, deadly competition for the chance to save her mother's soul... before she loses her forever. From the New York Times bestselling author of Song of Silver, Flame Like Night comes the beginning of a dark and opulent fantasy duology, perfect for fans of Throne of Glass. Nine years ago, the war between the Kingdom of Night and the Kingdom of Rivers tore An'ying'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. An'ying 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 An'ying knows can heal her dying mother. But to attain the prize, she must survive the competition. Death is common in the Trials. Yet oddly, An'ying 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 An'ying. 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, An'ying 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.
LikedSimilar books
Wesley ChuA “superb fantasy saga” (Helene Wecker) of martial arts and magic, about what happens when a prophesied hero is not the chosen one after all—but has to work with a band of unlikely allies to save the kingdom anyway, from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Lives of Tao
“An ambitious and touching exploration of disillusionment in faith, tradition, and family—a glorious reinvention of fantasy and wuxia tropes.”—Naomi Novik, New York Times bestselling author of A Deadly Education
ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: Gizmodo, Kirkus Reviews, The Quill to Live
So many stories begin the same way: With a prophecy. A chosen one. And the inevitable quest to slay a villain, save the kingdom, and fulfill a grand destiny.
But this is not that kind of story.
It does begin with a prophecy: A child will rise to defeat the Eternal Khan, a cruel immortal god-king, and save the kingdom.
And that prophecy did anoint a hero, Jian, raised since birth in luxury and splendor, and celebrated before he has won a single battle.
But that’s when the story hits its first twist: The prophecy is wrong.
What follows is a story more wondrous than any prophecy could foresee, and with many unexpected heroes: Taishi, an older woman who is the greatest grandmaster of magical martial arts in the kingdom but who thought her adventuring days were all behind her; Sali, a straitlaced warrior who learns the rules may no longer apply when the leader to whom she pledged her life is gone; and Qisami, a chaotic assassin who takes a little too much pleasure in the kill.
And Jian himself, who has to find a way to become what he no longer believes he can be—a hero after all.
Why?
What made the match, strongest first
- Liked by creators37 reviews
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