As a Chinese American that is obsessed with ancient Chinese culture, I absolutely went feral for the historical ancient China setting that this book was set in with a magical twist. It reminded me of all the fantasy historical Chinese dramas that I would watch. The descriptions of the alchemy, the gold and jewels, etc. are all amazing. The Chinese name meanings are super significant as they are in Chinese culture and the plot twist. Wow. I definitely did not expect that. The slow burn love story between the prince and Zilan is also anticipating and the friendships she has with the other alchemists and her cousins are all inspiring. Although the empress is painted as the antagonist, it obvious that she was based on Wu Zetian, the first female emperor of China, and like in the book, she was painted as evil throughout history. There is also a struggle of class division, racial discrimination, and gender inequality that I strongly resonate with. Overall, this was a great and amazing read that I haven't had in a long time, I really really enjoyed it!