In Ancient China, during the Tang Dynasty, there were alchemists that worked on developing an elixir for immortality. Imagine a world where they succeeded. In this book, Zilan is a young Chinese girl with an illegal alchemy practice. More than anything, Zilan dreams of becoming a royal alchemist and works toward taking the imperial exam. Despite her illegal practice, she is very talented. Baker draws us into a unique world with a strong and clever female main character in Ancient China. She clearly stands up for herself and is quite the admirable character. I was surprised that she was so capable and confident, especially given the time period. It got really interesting to read about her dynamic with the Crown Prince.
I really enjoyed reading this alternate history fantasy novel. I loved how she incorporated so much Chinese culture, in addition to Chinese words (in Cantonese and in Mandarin).
This book surprised me in the best way possible. I would definitely recommend it to lovers of YA fantasy and historical fiction.
I really enjoyed reading this alternate history fantasy novel. I loved how she incorporated so much Chinese culture, in addition to Chinese words (in Cantonese and in Mandarin).
This book surprised me in the best way possible. I would definitely recommend it to lovers of YA fantasy and historical fiction.