Kylie Lee Baker is a massively, talented writer, her prose is wonderful, and her pacing is exquisite. I always find myself flying through her books, like I can’t find out what happens next quickly enough. The world building is great and immersive. I found the concept of a royal alchemist to be extremely interesting and I really liked the main character, Zilan. I’m admittedly not an expert on the Tang Dynasty, but I found the story to both play wonderful historical homage, while also taking creative liberties and adding unique, fantastical elements. I think the books biggest short coming is that some of the character relationships felt rushed along by the plot, so they didn’t always have the greatest emotional impact. That being said, the story ends with a cliffhanger that deepened my investment and has me eagerly awaiting the sequel!