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The Scorpion and the Night Blossom may not reinvent the deadly trials romantasy wheel, but it does manage to carve out its own space with rich Chinese-inspired folklore and mythology, dark, angsty, stabby vibes and opulent visuals. Think a sea of clouds, towering mountain pillars carved by wind and water, celestial rivers, shadow cranes, cherry blossoms and lotus ponds in the sky. It’s really quite grandiose. For those who carry a deep and abiding love for dragons, you might just find yourself fed.

Similarly, if you've read The Serpent and the Wings of Night, you’ll feel right at home. The titles are practically cousins, and the formula is extremely familiar: brutal trials, a love interest where I couldn’t tell if they were enemies, rivals or allies, and a heroine with a chip on her shoulder. Even a similar nickname. "Little Serpent/Scorpion."

And listen, I’m not mad about it. Formula and familiarity isn’t a flaw when it’s done well. But I was hoping for a bit more oomph in execution.

Consider this your mild spoiler warning. I have thoughts, and they verge on spoilery.

Firstly, the love interest shines in one way and is murky in another. There’s solid tension here, the kind where she doesn’t know if she wants to kiss him or kill him and with touch-her-and-die energy. And I was getting hints of “I can show you the world�� Aladdin-Jasmine parallels. But then we hit the real heart of the book, prejudice and bigotry.

Àn’yīng’s hatred of demons is rooted in personal trauma, and I get it. She watched a demon slaughter her father and devour her mother’s soul, leaving her catatonic. But her vitriol towards Yù’chén, her half-demon half-human ally felt uncomfortable and excessive. There were moments I physically recoiled from her words and actions towards him. And sure, her arc is about confronting her bigotry and unlearning it, but the journey was rough and it didn't endear me to her character.

Secondly, the trials. I wanted to see Àn’yīng outthink, outfight, and outmanoeuvre her opponents, but too often, the resolution came from external forces and men saving her. The Immortality Trials should have been a highlight, but often felt anticlimactic, mostly because Àn’yīng rarely got to truly own her victories. I love a strong heroine, but I also love one who actually gets to be strong without being overpowered, rather than we just get told she is.

👆End of mild spoilers👆

That said, somewhere around the 80% mark, Amélie Wen Zhao elevated the game. Suddenly, I found myself invested in the twists and reveals of the final act. Stakes that previously felt manageable suddenly felt monumental. The story stopped coasting on a formula and started twisting plot. Themes of fate and free will, light and darkness, became sharper, more urgent.

By the end, I was emotionally invested. If only that momentum had been there all along. The foundation has been laid for a possibly great conclusion for the next book in the duology. I need answers.

This landed between a 3 to a 4 stars, depending on which section of the book I was reading. Still, even with its bumps, I had a good time. Recommend for people who like stabby romantasy with deadly trials, family secrets, celestial aesthetics and C-drama.

A huge thanks to HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction | HarperVoyager for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

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Publishers said Throne of Glass with deadly trials and soul-drinking demons and I have never felt so targeted.

ARC received, thank you to HarperCollins UK!