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The Three Realms Duology #2
The Dragon and the Sun Lotus
Not yet published
Expected 3 Mar 26In the breathtaking sequel to The Scorpion and the Night Blossom, the battle has just begun. With Àn’yīng’s kingdom teetering on the brink of destruction, and amidst a budding forbidden romance, she must now risk everything to protect her world.
A decade ago, the Kingdom of Night began the war against the Kingdom of Rivers, ravaging the lands and releasing mó—beautiful, ravenous demons—to roam free, drinking the souls of mortals. Now the mó have made it beyond the magical wards of the immortal realm—the Kingdom of Sky—and will not stop until the entire world falls to darkness.
Àn’yīng is determined to banish the mó to their realm and return the mortal realm to peace. But a stunning betrayal has turned the tides of this Her handsome rival from the Immortality Trials and the man she was falling in love with, Yù’chén, is now the enemy. Yù’chén is half mó, his mother none other than Sansiran, the Demon Queen of the Kingdom of Night . . . and the monster responsible for killing Àn’yīng’s father.
There is one hope for the future, though. The boy in the jade—Àn’yīng’s lifelong mystery guardian and heir to the last mortal Emperor—Hào’yáng. Together, Àn’yīng and Hào’yáng must join forces to rally an army that stretches across realms, from the Four Seas of the Dragons to the Phoenixes of the Golden Desert. But first she must awaken to the immortal power slumbering in her own veins.
The thrilling conclusion of The Three Realms duology
THE SCORPION AND THE NIGHT BLOSSOM • THE DRAGON AND THE SUN LOTUS
A decade ago, the Kingdom of Night began the war against the Kingdom of Rivers, ravaging the lands and releasing mó—beautiful, ravenous demons—to roam free, drinking the souls of mortals. Now the mó have made it beyond the magical wards of the immortal realm—the Kingdom of Sky—and will not stop until the entire world falls to darkness.
Àn’yīng is determined to banish the mó to their realm and return the mortal realm to peace. But a stunning betrayal has turned the tides of this Her handsome rival from the Immortality Trials and the man she was falling in love with, Yù’chén, is now the enemy. Yù’chén is half mó, his mother none other than Sansiran, the Demon Queen of the Kingdom of Night . . . and the monster responsible for killing Àn’yīng’s father.
There is one hope for the future, though. The boy in the jade—Àn’yīng’s lifelong mystery guardian and heir to the last mortal Emperor—Hào’yáng. Together, Àn’yīng and Hào’yáng must join forces to rally an army that stretches across realms, from the Four Seas of the Dragons to the Phoenixes of the Golden Desert. But first she must awaken to the immortal power slumbering in her own veins.
The thrilling conclusion of The Three Realms duology
THE SCORPION AND THE NIGHT BLOSSOM • THE DRAGON AND THE SUN LOTUS
400 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication March 3, 2026
8625 people want to read
About the author
Amélie Wen Zhao
10 books3,480 followersAmélie Wen Zhao（赵雯）was born in Paris and grew up in Beijing, where she spent her days reenacting tales of legendary heroes, ancient kingdoms, and lost magic at her grandmother’s courtyard house. She attended college in the United States and now resides in New York City, working as a finance professional by day and fantasy author by night. In her spare time, she loves to travel with her family in China, where she’s determined to walk the rivers and lakes of old just like the practitioners in her novels do.
Amélie is the author of the Blood Heir trilogy and the upcoming Song of Silver, Flame Like Night duology.
Amélie is the author of the Blood Heir trilogy and the upcoming Song of Silver, Flame Like Night duology.
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arc-tbr
November 6, 2025
August 21, 2025
Omg. A CDrama dream. More I like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me a chance at reading this.
For the CDrama girlies indeed. Amelie gives us an end to the story that gives feelings of Till the End of the Moon. If you know, you know. Though, there are shades of Moonlight Mystique in there too.
The book picks up almost immediately after the events of the first. An'Ying remains a steadfast protagonist, she is on a mission to end the Mo, free the Sky and mortal realm for the night that is slowly taking over everything. Discovering she is the heir of a goddess leaves her in a bit of a predicament when it comes to her powers - they don't seem to be manifesting.
The events of the first book also leave her in a crossroads regarding her heart. She thought she was falling in love with someone who truly was misjudged and instead, he turns out to be the son of the enemy. The boy in the jade is really the guard who she never really focused on or bothered to feel deeply for. Which one should she give her hear to?
Talking too much about which man deserves her and ends up with her is spoiler territory, but I will say this: I like that you can see both sides - the chapters with Yu'Chen are sad, and you realize that while he is the son of evil he is not evil himself. He can't help what he is, but he can help who he is and what he can be. So this book is basically watching him rough it out due to a covenant (a pact between his mother and he) that she [An'Ying] cannot be harmed as long as he does what he asks of her [his mom].
I really like Hao'Yang. He remains loyal, determined, and understanding through it all. He understands her difficulty, he never forces her, and on-top of that he is very respectful of the boundaries of her heart. There is a part where her mother asks him would you choose your kingdom or her [An'Ying] and while it gave him pause, his response later on is sweet.
The ending of the book is one of my favorites in a story featuring love triangles - because I feel both shipper sides will be happy.
I can't wait to purchase the book and put in on my shelf with my other CDrama inspired tales. Thank you Amelie!. 5 stars for sure.
For the CDrama girlies indeed. Amelie gives us an end to the story that gives feelings of Till the End of the Moon. If you know, you know. Though, there are shades of Moonlight Mystique in there too.
The book picks up almost immediately after the events of the first. An'Ying remains a steadfast protagonist, she is on a mission to end the Mo, free the Sky and mortal realm for the night that is slowly taking over everything. Discovering she is the heir of a goddess leaves her in a bit of a predicament when it comes to her powers - they don't seem to be manifesting.
The events of the first book also leave her in a crossroads regarding her heart. She thought she was falling in love with someone who truly was misjudged and instead, he turns out to be the son of the enemy. The boy in the jade is really the guard who she never really focused on or bothered to feel deeply for. Which one should she give her hear to?
Talking too much about which man deserves her and ends up with her is spoiler territory, but I will say this: I like that you can see both sides - the chapters with Yu'Chen are sad, and you realize that while he is the son of evil he is not evil himself. He can't help what he is, but he can help who he is and what he can be. So this book is basically watching him rough it out due to a covenant (a pact between his mother and he) that she [An'Ying] cannot be harmed as long as he does what he asks of her [his mom].
I really like Hao'Yang. He remains loyal, determined, and understanding through it all. He understands her difficulty, he never forces her, and on-top of that he is very respectful of the boundaries of her heart. There is a part where her mother asks him would you choose your kingdom or her [An'Ying] and while it gave him pause, his response later on is sweet.
The ending of the book is one of my favorites in a story featuring love triangles - because I feel both shipper sides will be happy.
I can't wait to purchase the book and put in on my shelf with my other CDrama inspired tales. Thank you Amelie!. 5 stars for sure.
Want to read
June 25, 2025⋆˙⟡ — pre-read thoughts ˙⊹
꩜ .ᐟ 25/06/2025: as president of the yù’chén fanclub, dear miss amélie pls let them be endgame!!! please im begging you on my knees 🥺🥺 hào’yáng is cool, but he can't be the love of án’yīng’s life!!! PLEASE PUBLISHING GODS BE MERCIFUL!! but also... that cover is stunning!! (but nor the title or the colors are giving me any hope T-T) my theory? hào’yáng finds a lover of his own, and we get 4 pov's in the book (delulu is indeed the solulu 🙂↕️🙂↕️)
꩜ .ᐟ 25/06/2025: as president of the yù’chén fanclub, dear miss amélie pls let them be endgame!!! please im begging you on my knees 🥺🥺 hào’yáng is cool, but he can't be the love of án’yīng’s life!!! PLEASE PUBLISHING GODS BE MERCIFUL!! but also... that cover is stunning!! (but nor the title or the colors are giving me any hope T-T) my theory? hào’yáng finds a lover of his own, and we get 4 pov's in the book (delulu is indeed the solulu 🙂↕️🙂↕️)
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
4.5⭐
This was the perfect conclusion to the duology, it started straight from where the last book ended and I loved how it was a richer plot and very action based from the beginning, I really enjoyed the author's writing and I found everything moved at such a good pace.
While I'm not a big fan of love triangles I found this one to be one those that worked and though I preferred one of the love interests more, I can totally appreciate the way the author took the story as it was the only viable way for this duology to reach a satisfying conclusion and I really loved the final pages, it made me smile while also having tears in my eyes. The yearning though in this book was superb and it's why it will always be a favourite.
Thank you so much to the publisher for the opportunity to read and review before publication. All opinions are my own.
This was the perfect conclusion to the duology, it started straight from where the last book ended and I loved how it was a richer plot and very action based from the beginning, I really enjoyed the author's writing and I found everything moved at such a good pace.
While I'm not a big fan of love triangles I found this one to be one those that worked and though I preferred one of the love interests more, I can totally appreciate the way the author took the story as it was the only viable way for this duology to reach a satisfying conclusion and I really loved the final pages, it made me smile while also having tears in my eyes. The yearning though in this book was superb and it's why it will always be a favourite.
Thank you so much to the publisher for the opportunity to read and review before publication. All opinions are my own.
December 15, 2025
the writing of this duology remains incredible, but the actual plot and direction the story went in were not great. too much repetition of the phrase “my boy in the jade” made the history between Àn’yīng and Hào’yáng get annoying fast, and it made it difficult to really connect and care about his character. there’s also the fact that Àn’yīng continues to behave absolutely despicably towards Yù’chén and it’s a literary choice I still can’t understand from the first book.
this book was a perfect example of a love triangle that doesn’t work and shouldn’t have existed in this story. not to mention, its ending was too convenient/ a cheap cop out and didn’t do any of the characters justice.
Yù’chén continued to be one of the few redeeming qualities of this duology and I loved every scene he was in. this man was perfect and my heart breaks for everything he went through.
thank you Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
this book was a perfect example of a love triangle that doesn’t work and shouldn’t have existed in this story. not to mention, its ending was too convenient/ a cheap cop out and didn’t do any of the characters justice.
Yù’chén continued to be one of the few redeeming qualities of this duology and I loved every scene he was in. this man was perfect and my heart breaks for everything he went through.
thank you Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
February 13, 2026
I can’t breathe
Rtc
Rtc
September 26, 2025
3.5 Stars
Its really hard to review this book. Overall the writing is beautiful and its a compelling read. What I liked about it was the overall world and story telling. Wen Zhao does a great job setting up this world and making it feel rich and beautiful. I like most of where the story went, but where I struggled was the main character.
I don't mind there was a love triangle and I really think it had so much potential. I loved both love interests and I was fine with whatever direction it went. However, Àn’yīng is such a terrible person. Like T.E.R.R.I.B.L.E. She is so awful to both love interests, that honestly I wanted both of them to be like peace were out. My heart broke for Yù’chén, the way he is portrayed and treated in this book is just so crappy. It makes me kind of upset, that maybe this book is more of a 2 Star. But the writing is so beautiful that it bumped itself up. I must have blacked out the first book, until I started reading this one and started to remember I had the same feelings with the first one. It's fine that Àn’yīng is cautious regarding trusting Yù’chén, but when he continues show that he emotionall.y/physically abused and is generally just a good person and Àn’yīng just continues to treat him so poorly it started feel pretty gross.
Yù’chén and Hào’yáng are both fantastic characters. I loved them both and honestly they could have just became besties and ruled this world leaving Àn’yīng behind. They were kind, deep and beautifully portrayed. I also really loved the idea of the boy in the Jade that just looked over Àn’yīng and how so much potential to be something really special. For the most part this author delivered, but when Àn’yīng separates from Hào’yáng it lost all momentum for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for this advanced reader copy. My review is voluntarily my own.
Its really hard to review this book. Overall the writing is beautiful and its a compelling read. What I liked about it was the overall world and story telling. Wen Zhao does a great job setting up this world and making it feel rich and beautiful. I like most of where the story went, but where I struggled was the main character.
I don't mind there was a love triangle and I really think it had so much potential. I loved both love interests and I was fine with whatever direction it went. However, Àn’yīng is such a terrible person. Like T.E.R.R.I.B.L.E. She is so awful to both love interests, that honestly I wanted both of them to be like peace were out. My heart broke for Yù’chén, the way he is portrayed and treated in this book is just so crappy. It makes me kind of upset, that maybe this book is more of a 2 Star. But the writing is so beautiful that it bumped itself up. I must have blacked out the first book, until I started reading this one and started to remember I had the same feelings with the first one. It's fine that Àn’yīng is cautious regarding trusting Yù’chén, but when he continues show that he emotionall.y/physically abused and is generally just a good person and Àn’yīng just continues to treat him so poorly it started feel pretty gross.
Yù’chén and Hào’yáng are both fantastic characters. I loved them both and honestly they could have just became besties and ruled this world leaving Àn’yīng behind. They were kind, deep and beautifully portrayed. I also really loved the idea of the boy in the Jade that just looked over Àn’yīng and how so much potential to be something really special. For the most part this author delivered, but when Àn’yīng separates from Hào’yáng it lost all momentum for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for this advanced reader copy. My review is voluntarily my own.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Beautiful, lyrical and another amazing addition to my Chinese fantasy/mythology collection.
February 7, 2026
𝘮𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘯𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘯 𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘮 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦 🐧🖤 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺. 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴𝘯'𝘵 𝘢𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘺. 𝘪𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘮𝘦 𝘴𝘰 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘧 𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘯 𝘴𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘦𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘭𝘺 𝘉𝘌𝘈𝘜𝘛𝘐𝘍𝘜𝘓 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥𝘴 𝘪’𝘷𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 🗡️🩸
3.75. ⭐️
this gut-wrenching, high-stakes sequel to the three realms duology is definitely one to die for. it takes place a few days after ending of scorpion and the night blossom, with an'ying preparing for battle against the kingdom of night. i definitely liked the first one more because i am not a fan of love triangles. there was enough yearning and angst but i wasn't fully satisfied. why should there always be a need for a love triangle?
"𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼 𝗱𝗼 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗹𝘀, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗜'𝗱 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗶𝗳 𝗜 𝗱𝗶𝗱, 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂."
this man had BANGER lines. he sadly lacked the development and exposure he deserved in this book. since the sequel was mostly set the kingdom of night, i expected a proper backstory especially about his childhood prior to the trials. he had so much unexplored lore that i simply felt bad for him. for someone who shared the dual perspective in this book, he certainly wasn't there enough nor did have a bigger role in this book the way an'ying did. not only that but he and an'ying had one "unnecessary scene" that pissed me off. yu'chen deserved so much better. the author used so much foreshadowing that i knew he was a doomed character from the beginning. but a girl can dream, right? i shouldn't have.
I AM GOING TO SAY THIS ONCE: 𝗜 𝗗𝗢 𝗡𝗢𝗧 𝗖𝗔𝗥𝗘 𝗔𝗕𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗛𝗔𝗢'𝗬𝗔𝗡𝗚. thanks for coming to my ted talk <3 i expected tension in a supposed love triangle but all i felt was detachment especially because it was predictable.... so much for having morally-grey characters :3 anyways! (；⌣̀_⌣́)
of course, there's also my criticism with the other elements of this story such as the eight immortals, sansiran, the higher ones, and even the rest of the elements that make up the world this duology is set in. they were all very riveting. but even sansiran's demise wasn't compelling enough to capture my attention. it was very unclimactic considering she's the antagonist who drove the story for so long.
the ending however, was quite bittersweet and momentous. it was similar to most of the xianxia fantasy books i've read and i guess i really liked how harrowing it was. that last chapter definitely saved this book for me. overall, the story is immersing and good, but not as great as i expected it to be.
ೃ ✿ pre-reading thoughts below𓈒ॱ⬭ᩙ
-----------------------------------
i cannot believe i got one of my most awaited-sequels! the three kingdoms was one of my favorite reads last year and it ended in such a gut-wrenching cliffhanger that i almost lost my mind 😭 that revelation at the end totally ruined me that even i felt betrayed bro what am i supposed to do with that information..??? i don’t even know who she ends up with 🧐 I HAVE A SUGGESTION FOR AN’YING ACTUALLY
3.75. ⭐️
this gut-wrenching, high-stakes sequel to the three realms duology is definitely one to die for. it takes place a few days after ending of scorpion and the night blossom, with an'ying preparing for battle against the kingdom of night. i definitely liked the first one more because i am not a fan of love triangles. there was enough yearning and angst but i wasn't fully satisfied. why should there always be a need for a love triangle?
"𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼 𝗱𝗼 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗹𝘀, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗜'𝗱 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗶𝗳 𝗜 𝗱𝗶𝗱, 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂."
this man had BANGER lines. he sadly lacked the development and exposure he deserved in this book. since the sequel was mostly set the kingdom of night, i expected a proper backstory especially about his childhood prior to the trials. he had so much unexplored lore that i simply felt bad for him. for someone who shared the dual perspective in this book, he certainly wasn't there enough nor did have a bigger role in this book the way an'ying did. not only that but he and an'ying had one "unnecessary scene" that pissed me off. yu'chen deserved so much better. the author used so much foreshadowing that i knew he was a doomed character from the beginning. but a girl can dream, right? i shouldn't have.
I AM GOING TO SAY THIS ONCE: 𝗜 𝗗𝗢 𝗡𝗢𝗧 𝗖𝗔𝗥𝗘 𝗔𝗕𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗛𝗔𝗢'𝗬𝗔𝗡𝗚. thanks for coming to my ted talk <3 i expected tension in a supposed love triangle but all i felt was detachment especially because it was predictable.... so much for having morally-grey characters :3 anyways! (；⌣̀_⌣́)
of course, there's also my criticism with the other elements of this story such as the eight immortals, sansiran, the higher ones, and even the rest of the elements that make up the world this duology is set in. they were all very riveting. but even sansiran's demise wasn't compelling enough to capture my attention. it was very unclimactic considering she's the antagonist who drove the story for so long.
the ending however, was quite bittersweet and momentous. it was similar to most of the xianxia fantasy books i've read and i guess i really liked how harrowing it was. that last chapter definitely saved this book for me. overall, the story is immersing and good, but not as great as i expected it to be.
ೃ ✿ pre-reading thoughts below𓈒ॱ⬭ᩙ
-----------------------------------
i cannot believe i got one of my most awaited-sequels! the three kingdoms was one of my favorite reads last year and it ended in such a gut-wrenching cliffhanger that i almost lost my mind 😭 that revelation at the end totally ruined me that even i felt betrayed bro what am i supposed to do with that information..??? i don’t even know who she ends up with 🧐 I HAVE A SUGGESTION FOR AN’YING ACTUALLY
September 8, 2025
4.5 stars!! Thank you to NetGalley, Delacorte Press, and Random House Children's Books for this advanced copy! You can pick up The Dragon and the Sun Lotus on March 3, 2026.
If there's one thing I trust Amélie Wen Zhao to do well, it's craft a devastating conclusion to a series that's equal parts heartbreak and hope. This book had me gasping, crying, and giggling kicking my feet at all turns. But ultimately, it's a story of sacrifice and the things we're willing to do to save the ones we love.
In the first book, Àn’yīng demonstrates that theme when she does everything in her power to pass the Immortality Trials and save her mother's life. Now, in The Dragon and the Sun Lotus, we see what lengths Yù’chén and Hào’yáng are willing to go to in order to protect their respective kingdoms and Àn’yīng. The introduction of new POVs made these characters' journeys even more heartbreaking, as we see certain events play out through their eyes (and see their devotion and yearning for Àn’yīng firsthand).
I was a bit surprised by how dark this book turned at times. Amélie pulled no punches when it came to the events happening in the demon realm, and the pain and suffering Yù’chén especially endured. It put so much of his past into perspective, as well as his desperate wish for Àn’yīng to see him as more than his demon self. He's had to close off his humanity for so long, and only she brought out that side of him and allowed him to be (somewhat) vulnerable.
I'll be very curious to see what changes Amélie made to the final version of this book! I loved this one, but I am wildly curious how some scenes might have changed and influenced different character arcs or overall vibes from the book.
Overall, if you love heartbreaking enemies-to-lovers with immortals and monsters fighting across multiple realms, this is 100% your book! Also, the K-Pop Demon Hunter vibes are incredible throughout the whole series, so def pick it up if you loved that movie.
If there's one thing I trust Amélie Wen Zhao to do well, it's craft a devastating conclusion to a series that's equal parts heartbreak and hope. This book had me gasping, crying, and giggling kicking my feet at all turns. But ultimately, it's a story of sacrifice and the things we're willing to do to save the ones we love.
In the first book, Àn’yīng demonstrates that theme when she does everything in her power to pass the Immortality Trials and save her mother's life. Now, in The Dragon and the Sun Lotus, we see what lengths Yù’chén and Hào’yáng are willing to go to in order to protect their respective kingdoms and Àn’yīng. The introduction of new POVs made these characters' journeys even more heartbreaking, as we see certain events play out through their eyes (and see their devotion and yearning for Àn’yīng firsthand).
I was a bit surprised by how dark this book turned at times. Amélie pulled no punches when it came to the events happening in the demon realm, and the pain and suffering Yù’chén especially endured. It put so much of his past into perspective, as well as his desperate wish for Àn’yīng to see him as more than his demon self. He's had to close off his humanity for so long, and only she brought out that side of him and allowed him to be (somewhat) vulnerable.
I'll be very curious to see what changes Amélie made to the final version of this book! I loved this one, but I am wildly curious how some scenes might have changed and influenced different character arcs or overall vibes from the book.
Overall, if you love heartbreaking enemies-to-lovers with immortals and monsters fighting across multiple realms, this is 100% your book! Also, the K-Pop Demon Hunter vibes are incredible throughout the whole series, so def pick it up if you loved that movie.
January 25, 2026
5⭐️ - Thank you so much Delacorte Press for gifting me with an E-ARC on NetGalley!
Guys where do I even start. Literally just give this book all my stars right now. I’ve never rlly done the whole 6 star reads but literally just give this one 6 stars.
When I read the first book back in July I absolutely fell in love with it and I was so certain I knew how the second book would go but I actually had no clue what was coming.
The Dragon and the Sun Lotus is absolutely beautiful and the perfect ending for this duology. The writing was atmospheric and exciting to read. I absolutely love this author’s writing style and I’m very excited to read more books by her in the future.
The plot was so good! I never ever wanted to put the book down and there were so many twists and turns. Ugh like it was literally so good and everything tied together with the first book so nicely.
My biggest impact with this book comes with the romance. The love triangle that I usually hate but actually enjoyed in this series. Let me tell you I was SOBBING the last 4 chapters of this book. Like uncontrollably sobbing in my dorm room. But it was so beautiful and so perfect and so heartbreakingly sad which made it even more meaningful and impactful. This is truly my favorite ending I’ve ever read in all my years on this Earth. It was everything I’ve wanted from a book emotionally and more. I literally cannot put into words how much this duology means to me. Absolutely one of my all time favs right next to Divine Rivals.
I don’t want to spoil this book so this is really all I can say. But I want everyone to know that I’m experiencing every emotion right now but overall I’m very satisfied with this ending. It was so beautiful 😭
Anyways, 100% recommend. I’ll be spending all my money on editions of this book. (This book is adult Romantasy/Fantasy and has some spice). Can’t wait to get my hands on a physical copy in March.
P.S. I know the author said this was a very early version than what she wanted to submit but it was still amazing and I can’t wait to reread the final version!
Guys where do I even start. Literally just give this book all my stars right now. I’ve never rlly done the whole 6 star reads but literally just give this one 6 stars.
When I read the first book back in July I absolutely fell in love with it and I was so certain I knew how the second book would go but I actually had no clue what was coming.
The Dragon and the Sun Lotus is absolutely beautiful and the perfect ending for this duology. The writing was atmospheric and exciting to read. I absolutely love this author’s writing style and I’m very excited to read more books by her in the future.
The plot was so good! I never ever wanted to put the book down and there were so many twists and turns. Ugh like it was literally so good and everything tied together with the first book so nicely.
My biggest impact with this book comes with the romance. The love triangle that I usually hate but actually enjoyed in this series. Let me tell you I was SOBBING the last 4 chapters of this book. Like uncontrollably sobbing in my dorm room. But it was so beautiful and so perfect and so heartbreakingly sad which made it even more meaningful and impactful. This is truly my favorite ending I’ve ever read in all my years on this Earth. It was everything I’ve wanted from a book emotionally and more. I literally cannot put into words how much this duology means to me. Absolutely one of my all time favs right next to Divine Rivals.
I don’t want to spoil this book so this is really all I can say. But I want everyone to know that I’m experiencing every emotion right now but overall I’m very satisfied with this ending. It was so beautiful 😭
Anyways, 100% recommend. I’ll be spending all my money on editions of this book. (This book is adult Romantasy/Fantasy and has some spice). Can’t wait to get my hands on a physical copy in March.
P.S. I know the author said this was a very early version than what she wanted to submit but it was still amazing and I can’t wait to reread the final version!
January 18, 2026
The Dragon and the Sun Lotus is the second book in the Three Realms duology, and you can read my review for The Scorpion and the Night Blossom HERE
We pick up after the events of book one, and this book feels different to book one for a lot of reasons. The pace is somewhat slower and more consistent, and the plot is more character driven. The love triangle is a LOT more on the nose (and not everyone is going to enjoy this), but the writing feels a lot more fluid and lyrical.
I enjoyed the inspiration from C-drama's but this may not be to everyone's taste. The highlight for me was definitley Yù’chén, and man did he get the raw end of the deal. Àn’yīng was not my favourite, but at least her character was more consistent compared to book one.
I really enjoyed the ending, I found it quite poetic and fitting and it was satisfying to conclude here.
Thankyou to HarperCollins UK, Harper Fiction and Harper Voyager for an advance copy of the Dragon and the Sun Lotus
Narration: Dual character, first person POV
Spice: 1/5 (two scenes, not very graphic)
Tropes:
- Love Triangle
- Hidden bloodlines
- Demons, mortals and immortals
Similar Titles:
- Heart of the Sun Warrior
- Immortal
Follow for more:
INSTAGRAM
We pick up after the events of book one, and this book feels different to book one for a lot of reasons. The pace is somewhat slower and more consistent, and the plot is more character driven. The love triangle is a LOT more on the nose (and not everyone is going to enjoy this), but the writing feels a lot more fluid and lyrical.
I enjoyed the inspiration from C-drama's but this may not be to everyone's taste. The highlight for me was definitley Yù’chén, and man did he get the raw end of the deal. Àn’yīng was not my favourite, but at least her character was more consistent compared to book one.
I really enjoyed the ending, I found it quite poetic and fitting and it was satisfying to conclude here.
Thankyou to HarperCollins UK, Harper Fiction and Harper Voyager for an advance copy of the Dragon and the Sun Lotus
Narration: Dual character, first person POV
Spice: 1/5 (two scenes, not very graphic)
Tropes:
- Love Triangle
- Hidden bloodlines
- Demons, mortals and immortals
Similar Titles:
- Heart of the Sun Warrior
- Immortal
Follow for more:
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This book was everything I hoped it would be. I adored book 1, and I couldn't believe that I received an ARC for this book from Netgalley. it made my day.
I am low key traumatized and also devastated by this story but in the best ways possible.
The epic battles, Light rising to face the Dark, the romance, it was all so beautifully done. I can't believe this and the first in this duology are the first books I've read by this author.
My heart was so broken by one of the MMC's but he's everything you could want and more.
Love isn't selfish, and wow, this story paints the heartbreaking truth of that in strokes of magic and prose.
I loved this book, and it is easily a 6 star read for me for this year.
What a beautiful story.
I am low key traumatized and also devastated by this story but in the best ways possible.
The epic battles, Light rising to face the Dark, the romance, it was all so beautifully done. I can't believe this and the first in this duology are the first books I've read by this author.
My heart was so broken by one of the MMC's but he's everything you could want and more.
Love isn't selfish, and wow, this story paints the heartbreaking truth of that in strokes of magic and prose.
I loved this book, and it is easily a 6 star read for me for this year.
What a beautiful story.
December 17, 2025
I’m not a huge fan of love triangles, but I still very much enjoyed the first book of this duology. However, for my own personal and very subjective taste, the love triangle was triangling a bit too much here, hence why I didn’t enjoy this sequel as much.
Thank you Netgalley and HarperCollins for the ARC!
Thank you Netgalley and HarperCollins for the ARC!
December 30, 2025
I didn’t enjoy The Dragon and the Sun Lotus as much as The Scorpion and the Night Blossom. I just don’t like love triangles, and wish this wasn’t one. The writing was beautiful though and the world was so interesting which kept me reading. Overall not bad but not a favorite either.
3.25/5 rounded down
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the E-ARC
October 22, 2025
I cannot accurately express the love I have for Amélie Wen Zhao’s writing, characters, and stories! She creates such rich and dense characters who are written with layers to portray them as real people - even if they are a work of fiction.
This was an incredible second novel and I’m unsure if I loved this one or the first one more! The ending of this one felt so sweet and so heart wrenching - especially that last line, wow…. I’m curious if she kissed that blade before she twisted it into my heart.
I am so eager to see what Zhao writes next because her stories are ALL in my top 10 books and I will never stop recommending them to people.
Thank you NetGalley for an eARC of this breathtaking sequel!
This was an incredible second novel and I’m unsure if I loved this one or the first one more! The ending of this one felt so sweet and so heart wrenching - especially that last line, wow…. I’m curious if she kissed that blade before she twisted it into my heart.
I am so eager to see what Zhao writes next because her stories are ALL in my top 10 books and I will never stop recommending them to people.
Thank you NetGalley for an eARC of this breathtaking sequel!
February 12, 2026
4.25 - (review to come)
November 14, 2025
Thank you NetGalley for sharing the ARC of this book with me.
This is a truly exhilarating yet heartbreaking read. I raced from start to finish through the ever-twisting plot to the finale that left me both breathless and grief-stricken. So much emotion is written into each character that they feel real, real enough to dream about when I sleep. Just when the reader thinks they know the direction the story is heading, suddenly, plot twist! There were so many unexpected turns that left my head spinning, but in the best possible way. The author created a world so vivid and stunning that I can't help but wish to visit it myself.
This is a truly exhilarating yet heartbreaking read. I raced from start to finish through the ever-twisting plot to the finale that left me both breathless and grief-stricken. So much emotion is written into each character that they feel real, real enough to dream about when I sleep. Just when the reader thinks they know the direction the story is heading, suddenly, plot twist! There were so many unexpected turns that left my head spinning, but in the best possible way. The author created a world so vivid and stunning that I can't help but wish to visit it myself.
January 12, 2026
The ending of this book hit me hard. I loved the beginning, I loved the middle, but the end pushed the story into something unforgettable. It’s not often that a duology improves in the second book, but this one really does. Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoyed the first book, but this sequel goes deeper emotionally. The stakes feel huge, not just because of the plot, but because you are so emotionally invested in these characters.
Do I like love triangles now? Maybe. This book might have changed my mind. I cared about both of them, genuinely. I wanted both to be happy, which made every moment of tension feel heavier. The story never lets that discomfort go, and the ending reflects that. It’s painful, but it fits the story.
Yù’chén is tragic in a way that makes your chest ache. Born into darkness and molded by pain, he spends the story trying to prove he is more than what the world sees. You feel how much he sacrifices, how much he endures, and how badly he wants to be worthy of Àn’yīng. His arc builds slowly, and by the end, you’re carrying that weight with him.
Hào’yáng is devastating in a quieter way. He is steady and patient, and his love never feels possessive or demanding. He supports Àn’yīng even when it costs him. His kind of love is calm and constant.
The mythology and fantasy elements are woven into the story beautifully. The world is described in ways that keeps you interested and never felt like an info dump. Grief, loss, loyalty, and choice show up naturally, not as themes being explained to the reader, but as challenges the characters have to face and live with.
Zhao trusts the reader. The story doesn’t rush the emotional moments or soften the consequences. The writing is immersive, the pacing is steady, and the emotional moments hit exactly where they should.
I’m already thinking about who I can talk to about this book. I’m very interested in whatever Amélie Wen Zhao writes next. Five stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's Books | Delacorte Press for an advanced copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review.
Do I like love triangles now? Maybe. This book might have changed my mind. I cared about both of them, genuinely. I wanted both to be happy, which made every moment of tension feel heavier. The story never lets that discomfort go, and the ending reflects that. It’s painful, but it fits the story.
Yù’chén is tragic in a way that makes your chest ache. Born into darkness and molded by pain, he spends the story trying to prove he is more than what the world sees. You feel how much he sacrifices, how much he endures, and how badly he wants to be worthy of Àn’yīng. His arc builds slowly, and by the end, you’re carrying that weight with him.
Hào’yáng is devastating in a quieter way. He is steady and patient, and his love never feels possessive or demanding. He supports Àn’yīng even when it costs him. His kind of love is calm and constant.
The mythology and fantasy elements are woven into the story beautifully. The world is described in ways that keeps you interested and never felt like an info dump. Grief, loss, loyalty, and choice show up naturally, not as themes being explained to the reader, but as challenges the characters have to face and live with.
Zhao trusts the reader. The story doesn’t rush the emotional moments or soften the consequences. The writing is immersive, the pacing is steady, and the emotional moments hit exactly where they should.
I’m already thinking about who I can talk to about this book. I’m very interested in whatever Amélie Wen Zhao writes next. Five stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's Books | Delacorte Press for an advanced copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review.
August 21, 2025
I loved most of this book. Amélie Wen Zhao is an excellent writer, and her descriptions are beautiful and immersive. And (sometimes) she writes romance really, really well.
This is my spoiler-free review, which I will update once the book is released.
I had originally separated this review into things I liked and things I didn't like, but I realized that I couldn't put most things into one category because the things I felt strongly about had both positive and negative aspects.
So instead, some comments:
1. Àn'yīng is an idiot. I disagreed with most of her decisions. I think she's a well-written and interesting character, and it was good torture to see her be forced to make impossible choices, but she kept doing the wrong things!! (In my opinion. But my opinion is right.)
2. I was not a huge fan of the ending.
3. Àn'yīng's romance with Hào'yáng had no foundation. I understand that she already had a connection with him from the jade pendant, but all of that development happened off the page. I was surprised by her feelings for him because there was no set-up. As soon as she learned who he was, it seemed like she was just instantly in love with him.
4. It would have been interesting to meet a couple of mó who weren't pure evil, rather than just having an entire race be "the bad guys." The only good mó was the one who wasn't fully mó.
Finally,
5. Yù'chén. YÙ'CHÉN! I love this man with my whole soul. He deserves the world. Amélie Wen Zhao did such an amazing job depicting his growing feelings for Àn'yīng alongside his inner conflict about his identity as a half-mó, which was NOT HELPED by Àn'yīng's stubborn prejudice against mó. I get that a mó pretty much destroyed her family, but [spoiler to come]. Honestly, he deserves better than her.
Final thoughts: The Dragon and the Sun Lotus was a thrilling sequel that was hard to put down, and it was a mostly satisfying conclusion to the duology. Despite some flaws, I would recommend the duology to anyone who likes fantasy and romance (and is ready for their heart to be torn out).
This is my spoiler-free review, which I will update once the book is released.
I had originally separated this review into things I liked and things I didn't like, but I realized that I couldn't put most things into one category because the things I felt strongly about had both positive and negative aspects.
So instead, some comments:
1. Àn'yīng is an idiot. I disagreed with most of her decisions. I think she's a well-written and interesting character, and it was good torture to see her be forced to make impossible choices, but she kept doing the wrong things!! (In my opinion. But my opinion is right.)
2. I was not a huge fan of the ending.
3. Àn'yīng's romance with Hào'yáng had no foundation. I understand that she already had a connection with him from the jade pendant, but all of that development happened off the page. I was surprised by her feelings for him because there was no set-up. As soon as she learned who he was, it seemed like she was just instantly in love with him.
4. It would have been interesting to meet a couple of mó who weren't pure evil, rather than just having an entire race be "the bad guys." The only good mó was the one who wasn't fully mó.
Finally,
5. Yù'chén. YÙ'CHÉN! I love this man with my whole soul. He deserves the world. Amélie Wen Zhao did such an amazing job depicting his growing feelings for Àn'yīng alongside his inner conflict about his identity as a half-mó, which was NOT HELPED by Àn'yīng's stubborn prejudice against mó. I get that a mó pretty much destroyed her family, but [spoiler to come]. Honestly, he deserves better than her.
Final thoughts: The Dragon and the Sun Lotus was a thrilling sequel that was hard to put down, and it was a mostly satisfying conclusion to the duology. Despite some flaws, I would recommend the duology to anyone who likes fantasy and romance (and is ready for their heart to be torn out).
September 29, 2025
“I keep having a dream,” he whispers. “The same dream. I'm in a forest, and I've been searching my entire life for something, but I don't know what it is. Then I hear someone say my name, and suddenly, I know in my soul that I've found what I'm looking for.”
-ˋˏ ༻❁✿❀༺ ˎˊ-
~ 𝒇𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆𝒔 ~
⚔️ Dual pov
🦂 Rivals to Lovers to Enemies
💙 Love Triangle
🌸 C-Drama Vibes + Chinese Mythology
🐉 Forced Proximity
❤️ Villain Demon Prince
-ˋˏ ༻❁✿❀༺ ˎˊ-
~ 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔 ~
The Dragon and the Sun Lotus is a solid follow-up to The Scorpion and the Night Blossom, it’s just as easy to get swept up in the beautiful enchanting prose and the devastatingly tragic story. I flew the pages of The Dragon and the Sun Lotus and while I loved it, I do think in the third act is where the book falters. I found it dragged the book down a lot and left me feeling a little disappointed, it's what ultimately stopped it from being a 5 star read.
Amélie Wen Zhao did mention on her IG that the arc is a draft to which she has since made thorough edits since then. A few key scenes have been refined tonally and a LOT has been revised or cut, so it is possible some of the weaknesses I perceived in the arc could have changed or been improved on.
~ 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔 ~
⟢Àn’yīng
At the end of The Dragon and the Sun Lotus, I admittedly walked away not knowing how I felt about Àn’yīng as a character. I do understand her actions and her motivations, but yet I can't help but feel she just went about it the wrong way. She’s just as driven as in The Scorpion and the Night Blossom and her love for her family is just fierce. It just comes down outside of that, it's where I don’t think she’s grown as a character since she’s just very hyper focused, which can be a good thing, but it does come at the cost of her character.
⟢Hào’yáng
Hào’yáng represents Àn’yīng's past, her boy in the Jade that grew to be the captain of the immortal guard to heir to the mortal throne. The issues I had with Hào’yáng's character is that he sometimes comes off as the male equivalent of a Mary Sue, he's just a tad bit too perfect and maybe that is in part due to him being presented as the chosen one. His backstory is tragic with his family being murdered but yet it hardly compares to what the reader knows about Yù’chén's history. Even in The Dragon and the Sun Lotus, we do get to know a little more about Hàóyáng, but it adds very little to his overall character. It feels like his character could be summed up easily as the boy in the Jade that is also the heir and that's literally it. Despite his character being a huge driving force in the plot, he himself as a character adds very little since there isn't a proper character arc that happens with him and he just serves as a plot device. Maybe it all just hinges that I just found it hard to root for the golden boy that got to live in the sun.
⟢Yù’chén
A huge part of the reason why I loved The Scorpion and the Night Blossom was in part due to Yù’chén and that certainly still rings true with its sequel. Amélie Wen Zhao artfully crafts such a beautiful tragic and complex character, that I couldn’t help but be drawn to. In The Dragon and the Sun Lotus, we get Yù’chén’s pov, and those were some of my favorite chapters. There are lots of harrowing scenes with Yù’chén and how despite being a possible heir to the mortal throne, he’s treated in an abusive manner and like he’s less than for his halfling status. Everybody uses him, especially his mother, Sansiran, the Demon Queen of the Kingdom of Night. The inherent tragedy to his character is he doesn't know true peace and has to live in the shadows despite yearning for the sun.
~ 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 ~
It's a strange feeling to both love the romance and feel like Yù’chén deserved better than Àn’yīng. The romance is still just as devastating and electric. However, there are choices made that do have me faltering on it. This can be summed up with the dreaded love triangle, now I do think love triangles can work if well executed, this isn’t the case. Hào’yáng could have easily been just Àn’yīng’s friend, but instead there’s a forced stereotypical love triangle between half-brothers. While Katherine Pierce once said, “it’s okay to love them both,” it just didn’t work here because I’m not quite sure why Àn’yīng loved Hào’yáng outside of him being her childhood companion.
The foundation of Àn’yīng and Hào’yáng’s relationship often feels like it was built on stilts, functional but way less solid without the proper development. Their relationship centers on Àn’yīng chasing the feeling of familiarity of the past and the safety it provides, in order to chase away the sting of betrayal. There’s a lot of repetition throughout that Hào'yáng is the boy in the jade and it just feels like that’s all he is to her. As soon as she learns Hàóyáng has loved her for nine years, a switch flipped and she loves him back. It’s like their romance was happening more in the background of the story rather than the forefront. Unlike the romance with Yù’chén, it just didn’t feel real and was being born out of familiarity and duty more than anything else.
There’s a very pivotal scene that touches upon one of the major themes in the novel, the idea of duty and sacrifice of one’s self for the good of their kingdom. Àn’yīng’s mother says, “And if there is anything she deserves in this life, it is someone who will love her first and foremost, irrevocably. Who, when it comes down to it, will choose her over a kingdom.” That rings beyond true with Yù’chén throughout the story, he ALWAYS tries to choose Àn’yīng first even at the cost of his kingdom. He yearns like no other and will literally beg if it means saving Àn’yīng’s life. In contrast, while I do believe Àn’yīng did love Yù’chén, at times it didn’t feel like she ever truly forgave him for what transpired and their relationship doesn't ever fully heal from the wounds inflicted. That's the cusp of their tragic relationship, Yù’chén loves her but it's not enough to overshadow what that love can entail and what has happened in the past.
I can’t help but feel that with Àn’yīng’s choices it does feel like she’s repeating what her father did, picking her kingdom over love. Yes, it is logical and makes sense to be on the good side, but paired with the love triangle and the ending it feels like it could have been handled better. We also may have stayed in the enemies territory a bit too long and not enough of the lovers part of the enemies to lovers.
~ 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 + 𝒅𝒓𝒂𝒘𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌𝒔 ~
- 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚔 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚝𝚘 𝚁𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚘𝚖 𝙷𝚘𝚞𝚜𝚎 𝙲𝚑𝚒𝚕𝚍𝚛𝚎𝚗'𝚜 𝙱𝚘𝚘𝚔𝚜 + 𝙳𝚎𝚕𝚊𝚌𝚘𝚛𝚝𝚎 𝙿𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚜 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚊𝚛𝚌. -
-ˋˏ ༻❁✿❀༺ ˎˊ-
~ 𝒇𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆𝒔 ~
⚔️ Dual pov
🦂 Rivals to Lovers to Enemies
💙 Love Triangle
🌸 C-Drama Vibes + Chinese Mythology
🐉 Forced Proximity
❤️ Villain Demon Prince
-ˋˏ ༻❁✿❀༺ ˎˊ-
~ 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔 ~
The Dragon and the Sun Lotus is a solid follow-up to The Scorpion and the Night Blossom, it’s just as easy to get swept up in the beautiful enchanting prose and the devastatingly tragic story. I flew the pages of The Dragon and the Sun Lotus and while I loved it, I do think in the third act is where the book falters. I found it dragged the book down a lot and left me feeling a little disappointed, it's what ultimately stopped it from being a 5 star read.
Amélie Wen Zhao did mention on her IG that the arc is a draft to which she has since made thorough edits since then. A few key scenes have been refined tonally and a LOT has been revised or cut, so it is possible some of the weaknesses I perceived in the arc could have changed or been improved on.
~ 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔 ~
⟢Àn’yīng
At the end of The Dragon and the Sun Lotus, I admittedly walked away not knowing how I felt about Àn’yīng as a character. I do understand her actions and her motivations, but yet I can't help but feel she just went about it the wrong way. She’s just as driven as in The Scorpion and the Night Blossom and her love for her family is just fierce. It just comes down outside of that, it's where I don’t think she’s grown as a character since she’s just very hyper focused, which can be a good thing, but it does come at the cost of her character.
⟢Hào’yáng
Hào’yáng represents Àn’yīng's past, her boy in the Jade that grew to be the captain of the immortal guard to heir to the mortal throne. The issues I had with Hào’yáng's character is that he sometimes comes off as the male equivalent of a Mary Sue, he's just a tad bit too perfect and maybe that is in part due to him being presented as the chosen one. His backstory is tragic with his family being murdered but yet it hardly compares to what the reader knows about Yù’chén's history. Even in The Dragon and the Sun Lotus, we do get to know a little more about Hàóyáng, but it adds very little to his overall character. It feels like his character could be summed up easily as the boy in the Jade that is also the heir and that's literally it. Despite his character being a huge driving force in the plot, he himself as a character adds very little since there isn't a proper character arc that happens with him and he just serves as a plot device. Maybe it all just hinges that I just found it hard to root for the golden boy that got to live in the sun.
⟢Yù’chén
A huge part of the reason why I loved The Scorpion and the Night Blossom was in part due to Yù’chén and that certainly still rings true with its sequel. Amélie Wen Zhao artfully crafts such a beautiful tragic and complex character, that I couldn’t help but be drawn to. In The Dragon and the Sun Lotus, we get Yù’chén’s pov, and those were some of my favorite chapters. There are lots of harrowing scenes with Yù’chén and how despite being a possible heir to the mortal throne, he’s treated in an abusive manner and like he’s less than for his halfling status. Everybody uses him, especially his mother, Sansiran, the Demon Queen of the Kingdom of Night. The inherent tragedy to his character is he doesn't know true peace and has to live in the shadows despite yearning for the sun.
~ 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 ~
It's a strange feeling to both love the romance and feel like Yù’chén deserved better than Àn’yīng. The romance is still just as devastating and electric. However, there are choices made that do have me faltering on it. This can be summed up with the dreaded love triangle, now I do think love triangles can work if well executed, this isn’t the case. Hào’yáng could have easily been just Àn’yīng’s friend, but instead there’s a forced stereotypical love triangle between half-brothers. While Katherine Pierce once said, “it’s okay to love them both,” it just didn’t work here because I’m not quite sure why Àn’yīng loved Hào’yáng outside of him being her childhood companion.
The foundation of Àn’yīng and Hào’yáng’s relationship often feels like it was built on stilts, functional but way less solid without the proper development. Their relationship centers on Àn’yīng chasing the feeling of familiarity of the past and the safety it provides, in order to chase away the sting of betrayal. There’s a lot of repetition throughout that Hào'yáng is the boy in the jade and it just feels like that’s all he is to her. As soon as she learns Hàóyáng has loved her for nine years, a switch flipped and she loves him back. It’s like their romance was happening more in the background of the story rather than the forefront. Unlike the romance with Yù’chén, it just didn’t feel real and was being born out of familiarity and duty more than anything else.
There’s a very pivotal scene that touches upon one of the major themes in the novel, the idea of duty and sacrifice of one’s self for the good of their kingdom. Àn’yīng’s mother says, “And if there is anything she deserves in this life, it is someone who will love her first and foremost, irrevocably. Who, when it comes down to it, will choose her over a kingdom.” That rings beyond true with Yù’chén throughout the story, he ALWAYS tries to choose Àn’yīng first even at the cost of his kingdom. He yearns like no other and will literally beg if it means saving Àn’yīng’s life. In contrast, while I do believe Àn’yīng did love Yù’chén, at times it didn’t feel like she ever truly forgave him for what transpired and their relationship doesn't ever fully heal from the wounds inflicted. That's the cusp of their tragic relationship, Yù’chén loves her but it's not enough to overshadow what that love can entail and what has happened in the past.
I can’t help but feel that with Àn’yīng’s choices it does feel like she’s repeating what her father did, picking her kingdom over love. Yes, it is logical and makes sense to be on the good side, but paired with the love triangle and the ending it feels like it could have been handled better. We also may have stayed in the enemies territory a bit too long and not enough of the lovers part of the enemies to lovers.
~ 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 + 𝒅𝒓𝒂𝒘𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌𝒔 ~
- 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚔 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚝𝚘 𝚁𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚘𝚖 𝙷𝚘𝚞𝚜𝚎 𝙲𝚑𝚒𝚕𝚍𝚛𝚎𝚗'𝚜 𝙱𝚘𝚘𝚔𝚜 + 𝙳𝚎𝚕𝚊𝚌𝚘𝚛𝚝𝚎 𝙿𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚜 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚊𝚛𝚌. -
Want to read
July 26, 2025HELLO?!?!?! AHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!👏👏👏😭😭😍😍
After the ending of the first book, I NEED to have this!!! If Àn’yīng doesn’t end up with Yù’chén, I might cry.
After the ending of the first book, I NEED to have this!!! If Àn’yīng doesn’t end up with Yù’chén, I might cry.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Amélie Wen Zhao once again delivers another emotionally charged ballad with the Dragon and the Sun Lotus that had me crashing out way too many times. The angst and the stakes ramp up as well as my love for Yù’chén, but also my disdain towards Àn’yīng, but more on that later.
I know this book will be a mixed bag for many, many people — some might even hate it — but I do think this was a solid follow up to the first book. Plot wise, I did enjoy this more with how action-packed it was and the higher stakes to the book, and found the villains genuinely despicable. What Amélie always succeeds in doing is making me feel for these characters, whether it’s my overflowing love and devotion to Yù’chén, animosity towards her villains… or absolute hatred for the female lead (even if that’s unintentional).
Zhao’s writing is once again gorgeous, so lush, lyrical and vivid in detail it reads just like a C Drama. It’s always so easy to immerse myself into another one of Zhao’s books and I flew through this one.
I actually didn’t have many issues with this one, but the few ones I did have with this novel did bother me a lot and influenced my reading experience. It’s such a shame because I think this had so much potential to be a five star read, had Àn’yīng been a tolerable female lead. While Yù’chén was promoted to book husband, Àn’yīng unfortunately might now be my least favorite female lead in a book ever. If there’s one thing I like about Àn’yīng, it’s that she’s a good daughter. She’s always been consistent in her love and devotion to her family and protecting them and I do admire that a lot about her. I do like that this book also shows a more competent side to Àn’yīng that felt lacking in book 1 since she was often saved by Yù’chén. That’s really all the praise I can give her because as a girlfriend? I already found Àn’yīng overbearing in the first novel, but the sequel took it to new heights where my blood pressure was SKYROCKETING. Literally every time I think Àn’yīng is about to come around and have some redemptive moment, she goes and does something that ruins it once again. I lost count of the number of times I wanted to jump into the book and replace Àn’yīng as the FMC.
Àn’yīng just sees the world in black and white and it was what I found really infuriating throughout the book. Somebody introduce Àn’yīng to a YA romantasy so she can learn what morally grey means PLEASE.
All jokes aside, I think I could see where Amélie was going with this book. She clearly wanted to make it an angsty ballad, star-crossed lovers type of thing, but there are other ways to do it than force unjustified hatred towards Yù’chén. Àn’yīng argument for hating Yù’chén just felt really flimsy and weak when all he’s done is be the greenest flag around her. Yes, the angst still shattered me and I nearly lost count of the many times I cried because of Yù’chén, but it feels more like Amélie trying to make the readers hurt for the sake of it than give proper weight to it. It feels more like emotional manipulation than establishing well written conflict and hurt between the characters. Yù’chén's hurt is absolutely justified but Àn’yīng animosity and discrimination was just plain childish.
Nonetheless, I still really enjoyed all of the Yù’chén scenes. I was so worried Yù’chén wouldn’t have a lot of screentime in this one, but he gets a lot more than I thought he would have, and I loved every single scene he was in. His POV chapters CRUSHED me. The yearning, the heartbreak, I lost count how many times I was about to cry. I can say now that Yù’chén is without a doubt my favorite love interest Amélie has written and I feel like my love for Yù’chén outweighs my hate for Àn’yīng. There’s so many scenes I want to come back to and reread, if only to fall in love with him again. He just does so much for Àn’yīng that she doesn’t deserve.
This might be the first time where for a love triangle, both leads are the green flags and the FMC is the red flag. Àn’yīng is the problem and quite frankly, I have no idea how both Yù’chén and Hào’yáng fell for her. I do think they deserve so much better. Though I also still think the love triangle was super unnecessary. I get the conflict Zhao wanted to create, but I was still quite neutral about Hào’yáng and feel like he was underdeveloped for me to care about him. Yù’chén always felt like the stronger love interest that carried proper depth, so everytime Àn’yīng was with Hào’yáng, I did lose interest. However, I still think Hào’yáng is a sweet and selfless person.
Despite my frustrations with Àn’yīng, there’s still a lot of beauty to be found in the Dragon and the Sun Lotus, and I still I believe that overall the story and the message Amélie wanted to convey was really sweet, pondering what being in love means and what it means for the other individual. It was touching and heartbreaking.
Thank you NetGalley for the e-ARC.
I know this book will be a mixed bag for many, many people — some might even hate it — but I do think this was a solid follow up to the first book. Plot wise, I did enjoy this more with how action-packed it was and the higher stakes to the book, and found the villains genuinely despicable. What Amélie always succeeds in doing is making me feel for these characters, whether it’s my overflowing love and devotion to Yù’chén, animosity towards her villains… or absolute hatred for the female lead (even if that’s unintentional).
Zhao’s writing is once again gorgeous, so lush, lyrical and vivid in detail it reads just like a C Drama. It’s always so easy to immerse myself into another one of Zhao’s books and I flew through this one.
I actually didn’t have many issues with this one, but the few ones I did have with this novel did bother me a lot and influenced my reading experience. It’s such a shame because I think this had so much potential to be a five star read, had Àn’yīng been a tolerable female lead. While Yù’chén was promoted to book husband, Àn’yīng unfortunately might now be my least favorite female lead in a book ever. If there’s one thing I like about Àn’yīng, it’s that she’s a good daughter. She’s always been consistent in her love and devotion to her family and protecting them and I do admire that a lot about her. I do like that this book also shows a more competent side to Àn’yīng that felt lacking in book 1 since she was often saved by Yù’chén. That’s really all the praise I can give her because as a girlfriend? I already found Àn’yīng overbearing in the first novel, but the sequel took it to new heights where my blood pressure was SKYROCKETING. Literally every time I think Àn’yīng is about to come around and have some redemptive moment, she goes and does something that ruins it once again. I lost count of the number of times I wanted to jump into the book and replace Àn’yīng as the FMC.
Àn’yīng just sees the world in black and white and it was what I found really infuriating throughout the book. Somebody introduce Àn’yīng to a YA romantasy so she can learn what morally grey means PLEASE.
All jokes aside, I think I could see where Amélie was going with this book. She clearly wanted to make it an angsty ballad, star-crossed lovers type of thing, but there are other ways to do it than force unjustified hatred towards Yù’chén. Àn’yīng argument for hating Yù’chén just felt really flimsy and weak when all he’s done is be the greenest flag around her. Yes, the angst still shattered me and I nearly lost count of the many times I cried because of Yù’chén, but it feels more like Amélie trying to make the readers hurt for the sake of it than give proper weight to it. It feels more like emotional manipulation than establishing well written conflict and hurt between the characters. Yù’chén's hurt is absolutely justified but Àn’yīng animosity and discrimination was just plain childish.
Nonetheless, I still really enjoyed all of the Yù’chén scenes. I was so worried Yù’chén wouldn’t have a lot of screentime in this one, but he gets a lot more than I thought he would have, and I loved every single scene he was in. His POV chapters CRUSHED me. The yearning, the heartbreak, I lost count how many times I was about to cry. I can say now that Yù’chén is without a doubt my favorite love interest Amélie has written and I feel like my love for Yù’chén outweighs my hate for Àn’yīng. There’s so many scenes I want to come back to and reread, if only to fall in love with him again. He just does so much for Àn’yīng that she doesn’t deserve.
This might be the first time where for a love triangle, both leads are the green flags and the FMC is the red flag. Àn’yīng is the problem and quite frankly, I have no idea how both Yù’chén and Hào’yáng fell for her. I do think they deserve so much better. Though I also still think the love triangle was super unnecessary. I get the conflict Zhao wanted to create, but I was still quite neutral about Hào’yáng and feel like he was underdeveloped for me to care about him. Yù’chén always felt like the stronger love interest that carried proper depth, so everytime Àn’yīng was with Hào’yáng, I did lose interest. However, I still think Hào’yáng is a sweet and selfless person.
Despite my frustrations with Àn’yīng, there’s still a lot of beauty to be found in the Dragon and the Sun Lotus, and I still I believe that overall the story and the message Amélie wanted to convey was really sweet, pondering what being in love means and what it means for the other individual. It was touching and heartbreaking.
Thank you NetGalley for the e-ARC.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you Random House Children's Books | Delacorte Press, Amélie Wen Zhao and Netgalley for providing me this eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
This sequel takes off right from where The Scorpion and Night Blossom left us. Àn’yīng and Hào’yáng having escaped the Kingdom of Sky prepare for what's to come next. Amid the tumultuous times, they scheme away so they can gain as much support from the other realms in their fight against the demons--mó. So, it is fair to say that it doesn't falter in pacing right from the beginning. I would even say that given all the unexpected twists and turns throughout the novel, the pacing keeps us steady and on our feet, which make this a pretty quick read.
The writing is very luscious, as it had been in the first book, but there were a lot of repetitions I'm sure the author will address. While I love how much she borrows from Chinese mythology, I wish we had gotten more descriptions of the actual world. I appreciated how descriptive the author was of the Night Realm and the Dragon Realm, but it still felt like there was so much more left to explore. The Night Realm made me think of Sailor Moon and once I had that anchor it definitely helped me visualize a lot better. The Dragon Realm was definitely the most unique, and I wasn't expecting we would get to see it so that was a great joy.
As for the plot itself, I would say this book move a lot faster than its predecessor. There's a lot more at stake and there are a lot of moving pieces, but somehow the author managed to carve time for some moments of respite for our main character here and there, which allowed me as the reader to also take a breather.
Our main character, Àn’yīng, was definitely going through it during most of the book, which made me root for her the most. But her romantic choices definitely left me scratching my head. Whereas we got a ton of build up for her relationship with Yù’chén in the first book, the same cannot be said for Hào’yáng. It gave me whiplash how quickly and seemingly out of nowhere she realizes her feelings for her boy in the jade, and I honestly would have preferred if they had kept it strictly platonic because it cheapens her love for Yù’chén without adding anything of value to the plot and is seemingly at odds with the character development we got in Book 1.
Love triangles can be hard to execute, but when done correctly they add yearnful moments for the main couple or leave us truly indecisive between the two leads. In this case, I would say its execution was atrocious because all I felt was confusion and it made me disconnect from the book at around the 70% when Hào’yáng gets back into the picture because I couldn't care any less about this subplot if I tried, and once I realized that it was here to stay I was baffled. We get Yù’chén's additional POVs, which added much to the story, but also solidified him as the male lead. Regardless of the foreshadowing we get for his ending, it makes no sense to have Àn’yīng fall for someone else because then the ending simply doesn't really work since I'm incapable of believing she loved Yù’chén in the first place? I don't know, it was all very confusing.
The yearning Yù’chén provided was at least of glorious levels and the chapters between them in the Night Realm will stay with me for a long time, I just wish the author hadn't gone the way she went with their story because it made it feel like it wasn't that big of a love story by the end of the book. Had Hào’yáng simply been her bff, things would have fallen into place in the exact same way so it was absolutely not needed. And, ultimately, this decision kept this book and duology from being great five star reads for me. It is still a good experience, but it frustrates me because it could have been a lot better.
Overall, I would recommend this duology so everyone can add Yù’chén to their shadow book boyfriends' list. He's worth it.
This sequel takes off right from where The Scorpion and Night Blossom left us. Àn’yīng and Hào’yáng having escaped the Kingdom of Sky prepare for what's to come next. Amid the tumultuous times, they scheme away so they can gain as much support from the other realms in their fight against the demons--mó. So, it is fair to say that it doesn't falter in pacing right from the beginning. I would even say that given all the unexpected twists and turns throughout the novel, the pacing keeps us steady and on our feet, which make this a pretty quick read.
The writing is very luscious, as it had been in the first book, but there were a lot of repetitions I'm sure the author will address. While I love how much she borrows from Chinese mythology, I wish we had gotten more descriptions of the actual world. I appreciated how descriptive the author was of the Night Realm and the Dragon Realm, but it still felt like there was so much more left to explore. The Night Realm made me think of Sailor Moon and once I had that anchor it definitely helped me visualize a lot better. The Dragon Realm was definitely the most unique, and I wasn't expecting we would get to see it so that was a great joy.
As for the plot itself, I would say this book move a lot faster than its predecessor. There's a lot more at stake and there are a lot of moving pieces, but somehow the author managed to carve time for some moments of respite for our main character here and there, which allowed me as the reader to also take a breather.
Our main character, Àn’yīng, was definitely going through it during most of the book, which made me root for her the most. But her romantic choices definitely left me scratching my head. Whereas we got a ton of build up for her relationship with Yù’chén in the first book, the same cannot be said for Hào’yáng. It gave me whiplash how quickly and seemingly out of nowhere she realizes her feelings for her boy in the jade, and I honestly would have preferred if they had kept it strictly platonic because it cheapens her love for Yù’chén without adding anything of value to the plot and is seemingly at odds with the character development we got in Book 1.
Love triangles can be hard to execute, but when done correctly they add yearnful moments for the main couple or leave us truly indecisive between the two leads. In this case, I would say its execution was atrocious because all I felt was confusion and it made me disconnect from the book at around the 70% when Hào’yáng gets back into the picture because I couldn't care any less about this subplot if I tried, and once I realized that it was here to stay I was baffled. We get Yù’chén's additional POVs, which added much to the story, but also solidified him as the male lead. Regardless of the foreshadowing we get for his ending, it makes no sense to have Àn’yīng fall for someone else because then the ending simply doesn't really work since I'm incapable of believing she loved Yù’chén in the first place? I don't know, it was all very confusing.
The yearning Yù’chén provided was at least of glorious levels and the chapters between them in the Night Realm will stay with me for a long time, I just wish the author hadn't gone the way she went with their story because it made it feel like it wasn't that big of a love story by the end of the book. Had Hào’yáng simply been her bff, things would have fallen into place in the exact same way so it was absolutely not needed. And, ultimately, this decision kept this book and duology from being great five star reads for me. It is still a good experience, but it frustrates me because it could have been a lot better.
Overall, I would recommend this duology so everyone can add Yù’chén to their shadow book boyfriends' list. He's worth it.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children's Books for this ARC.
Last year, I managed to find time to read the first book in this duology and I. loved. it. So when I saw that The Dragon and the Sun Lotus was due to be released, I hit request immediately. I wanted to see what would happen to Yu Chen, and how An Ying would handle the betrayal. The murder mystery while at the immortal trials kept me riveted until the end wherein we discovered Yu Chen's heritage. Now, the cat's out of the bag and the Mo are out to take over the world.
In the end I was completely let down. Amelie Wen Zhao had the perfect setup, and then they rushed through the rest of the story. As events kept happening one after another, I never had time to connect to the reality of the situation. Through Yu Chen's perspective, we got to see the inner workings of the court of the Mo and... they're just the evilest thing imaginable. No really, they got nothing for character development other than "sadism" as a trait.
Another hobby of mine is watching Asian Dramas, and I do consume a lot of Chinese Dramas. This duology feels like it wants to be a Xianxia--a popular genre in Chinese Dramas--but I felt Zhao lost the plot. For the scale of events, there was not enough time to go into all the intricacies of the royal court for the Mo. We never get to explore the full plan of what Yu Cheng's mother is enacting to take over the world. All we get is "she's evil and wants power". For the Mo their motivation is down to drugs and stuff, as that's what consuming mortal blood is to them. A way to get high. They don't even need to feast on humans to survive!
Personally, I feel this attempts to turn the narrative black and white. There's so many layers left unexplored due to a lack of time or interest on Zhao's part. Instead it hard pivots into a love triangle romantasy that, let's be real, never felt like a love triangle to begin with?
At the start of The Dragon and the Sun Lotus, the reader is informed that An Ying has made a political marriage in order to fight against evil. Which is great and all, totally get that, but I would have much rather preferred it to stay as a political marriage with An Ying exploring her conflicted feelings for being in love with the enemy, who ultimately betrayed her. When she does meet with Yu Cheng again, she doesn't even seem that angry at him? Yu Cheng suddenly became a very easy to dodge obstacle, that she took advantage of and dare I say sexually assaulted at the very least. After this scene, we no longer see Yu Cheng's perspective and he becomes a wisp in the wind for all the presence he has for the rest of the novel.
Then An Ying outright declares her love for a character that previously she described as someone she's putting up with to complete her goal of saving the world. Everything after this point is rushed to reach the conclusion and it made me so disheartened to see how bungled this epic became when it lost everything it had going for it. The only thing left was the prose, which was not enough to save the breakneck speed.
All in all, this needed to be an epic in order to cover all the bases that Zhao did in this one novel. It also should not have been limited to only An Ying's POV. We needed more character growth, more world development, and just more time with each scene to feel anything. My hopeful read quickly turned to disappointment.
Last year, I managed to find time to read the first book in this duology and I. loved. it. So when I saw that The Dragon and the Sun Lotus was due to be released, I hit request immediately. I wanted to see what would happen to Yu Chen, and how An Ying would handle the betrayal. The murder mystery while at the immortal trials kept me riveted until the end wherein we discovered Yu Chen's heritage. Now, the cat's out of the bag and the Mo are out to take over the world.
In the end I was completely let down. Amelie Wen Zhao had the perfect setup, and then they rushed through the rest of the story. As events kept happening one after another, I never had time to connect to the reality of the situation. Through Yu Chen's perspective, we got to see the inner workings of the court of the Mo and... they're just the evilest thing imaginable. No really, they got nothing for character development other than "sadism" as a trait.
Another hobby of mine is watching Asian Dramas, and I do consume a lot of Chinese Dramas. This duology feels like it wants to be a Xianxia--a popular genre in Chinese Dramas--but I felt Zhao lost the plot. For the scale of events, there was not enough time to go into all the intricacies of the royal court for the Mo. We never get to explore the full plan of what Yu Cheng's mother is enacting to take over the world. All we get is "she's evil and wants power". For the Mo their motivation is down to drugs and stuff, as that's what consuming mortal blood is to them. A way to get high. They don't even need to feast on humans to survive!
Personally, I feel this attempts to turn the narrative black and white. There's so many layers left unexplored due to a lack of time or interest on Zhao's part. Instead it hard pivots into a love triangle romantasy that, let's be real, never felt like a love triangle to begin with?
At the start of The Dragon and the Sun Lotus, the reader is informed that An Ying has made a political marriage in order to fight against evil. Which is great and all, totally get that, but I would have much rather preferred it to stay as a political marriage with An Ying exploring her conflicted feelings for being in love with the enemy, who ultimately betrayed her. When she does meet with Yu Cheng again, she doesn't even seem that angry at him? Yu Cheng suddenly became a very easy to dodge obstacle, that she took advantage of and dare I say sexually assaulted at the very least. After this scene, we no longer see Yu Cheng's perspective and he becomes a wisp in the wind for all the presence he has for the rest of the novel.
Then An Ying outright declares her love for a character that previously she described as someone she's putting up with to complete her goal of saving the world. Everything after this point is rushed to reach the conclusion and it made me so disheartened to see how bungled this epic became when it lost everything it had going for it. The only thing left was the prose, which was not enough to save the breakneck speed.
All in all, this needed to be an epic in order to cover all the bases that Zhao did in this one novel. It also should not have been limited to only An Ying's POV. We needed more character growth, more world development, and just more time with each scene to feel anything. My hopeful read quickly turned to disappointment.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I wanted your father to feel the pain I felt. I wanted him to watch as his entire family was slaughtered, his people were fed on, and his realm was burned to ashes.
Now I want you to feel the same.
"That's not love." My voice is ragged.
The second volume picks right up where the first one ended: Sansiran and Yù’chén have taken over the Kingdom of Sky, the lands of the Immortals, and reign as Demon Queen and heir appraent in the Kingdom of Night; Àn’yīng and Hào’yáng have sought refuge in the Kingdom of Rivers, preparing to claim their magical inheritances to retake the throne and make Hào’yáng the rightful Emperor.
Much of the first half of the book deals with Àn’yīng having to grapple her half-immortal ancestry and claiming her immortal powers, while Hào’yáng needs to perform a certain ritual to be accepted by the land as the rightful heir. Their porsonal relationship and crucial alliance is central to the plot-and as someone who doesn't like Hào’yáng at all-the first hald was extremely boring. At round 60% of the book, when Àn’yīng and Yù’chén are finally reunited after a series of plottwists, the story finally got interesting again... only to turn around again at 80%. If you're a Hào’yáng fan then you're going to like this book, but if you expected more to happen between Àn’yīng and Yù’chén, then you will be sorely disappointed.
We fly. Onward, rising through the skies, the air around us growing colder, my breath pluming in front of me. We fly, bursting through the layer of clouds to a clear night. Stars reel overhead, and the moon casts all in monochrome.
I loved the Ghibli-esque magic an scenery in the first book and the wordl-building is widely expanded in this sequel-which made me very happy while reading. With the main characters now finally growing into their magical abilities, we saw more of what this world had to offer: blood magic, water-dragons, nine-tailed foxes, flying under a starlit sky towards the moon--some scenes were so dreamy and I just wanted to jump into the book and experience it for myself!
As her lips meet mine, she breaks my heart. Her eyes fall shut; in the moonlight, I catch the silver of her tears as they slip down her cheeks, taste the tang of salt on my tongue as she begins to cry.
The final message of this story left me a bit underwhelmed. I understand that this entire story is about fate, destiny and the heavenly mandate, but isn't there more to life than that? I felt like the agency of the characters was limited by their supposed fate, or as the author puts it, the path they are supposed to walk. I felt like if Àn’yīng had the guts to defy what everyone-her father, her mother, her "destiny", and the people around her-expected of her, the story wouldn't only have been more high-stakes and interesting, but also she could've acted according to her heart's desire. In the end, everything always worked out according to the pre-set "fate/destiny".
"When we are born," I continue, " we are set on a path to walk. That is our fate. But how we choose to walk it--that becomes our destiny. I don't think we should question why we are given the lives we are but, rather, how we should live them."
Thanks to Netgalley UK and HarperCollins UK for giving me digital access to an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I've never felt quite so conflicted with how to rate a book. The writing in this was honestly gorgeous but I found the main character Àn’yīng so infuriating to the point where I almost had to put the book down. The only thing that kept me going was my boy Yù’chén who bumped my rating up from 2 to 3 stars.
I quite enjoyed the first book (The Scorpion and the Night Blossom) but I remember feeling the same about Àn’yīng. I already disliked her in book one due to her temperamental personality and how her sorry arse needed constant saving, but in book 2 she took my rage to a whole new level. She wasn't just a weak pick me girl anymore, she was honestly morally deranged and plain abusive both emotionally and physically. How she treated Yù’chén went from annoying to infuriating to disgusting, I almost couldn't continue reading anymore. Like what is wrong with this girl and what did both Yù’chén and Hào’yáng ever see in her? I couldn't stand her prancing around between the two, her actions were plain revolting and I don't think I've ever disliked a main character as badly as this.
"I thought of taking you away and making you mine. But you taught me that selfishness isn't love; that true love is selfless. That our fates can change because of the choices we make in our lives."
My boy Yù’chén - all I can say is HE DESERVED JUSTICE. He carried both book 1 and 2, his personality was everything and I just cannot believe such an amazing character fell for such a fart also known as Àn’yīng. He was always so kind, so patient, so selfless. Despite the rubbish Àn’yīng put him through, he would always turn up and still call her his "little scorpion". Yù’chén will always be my favourite character in this duology.
I felt a bit indifferent about Hào’yáng in book 1 and about half of book 2 but I started warming up to him and by the end, I honestly felt like he was such a sunshine of a character. He was like the day where Yù’chén was like the night. I grew to really like him and I found the years of emotional connection he had developed through being the boy in the jade quite deep and endearing. The only thing I didn't understand was why he too, was in love with the frustrating Àn’yīng.
The ending though, actually brought a tear to my eye. I found it quite emotional. I have to say, Amélie Wen Zhao has such a beautiful writing style. The whole story was incredibly C-Drama esque and full of stunning, mystical sceneries and descriptions. I just wish Àn’yīng was not as infuriating as she was because both men, especially Yù’chén, deserved better.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the ARC!
I quite enjoyed the first book (The Scorpion and the Night Blossom) but I remember feeling the same about Àn’yīng. I already disliked her in book one due to her temperamental personality and how her sorry arse needed constant saving, but in book 2 she took my rage to a whole new level. She wasn't just a weak pick me girl anymore, she was honestly morally deranged and plain abusive both emotionally and physically. How she treated Yù’chén went from annoying to infuriating to disgusting, I almost couldn't continue reading anymore. Like what is wrong with this girl and what did both Yù’chén and Hào’yáng ever see in her? I couldn't stand her prancing around between the two, her actions were plain revolting and I don't think I've ever disliked a main character as badly as this.
"I thought of taking you away and making you mine. But you taught me that selfishness isn't love; that true love is selfless. That our fates can change because of the choices we make in our lives."
My boy Yù’chén - all I can say is HE DESERVED JUSTICE. He carried both book 1 and 2, his personality was everything and I just cannot believe such an amazing character fell for such a fart also known as Àn’yīng. He was always so kind, so patient, so selfless. Despite the rubbish Àn’yīng put him through, he would always turn up and still call her his "little scorpion". Yù’chén will always be my favourite character in this duology.
I felt a bit indifferent about Hào’yáng in book 1 and about half of book 2 but I started warming up to him and by the end, I honestly felt like he was such a sunshine of a character. He was like the day where Yù’chén was like the night. I grew to really like him and I found the years of emotional connection he had developed through being the boy in the jade quite deep and endearing. The only thing I didn't understand was why he too, was in love with the frustrating Àn’yīng.
The ending though, actually brought a tear to my eye. I found it quite emotional. I have to say, Amélie Wen Zhao has such a beautiful writing style. The whole story was incredibly C-Drama esque and full of stunning, mystical sceneries and descriptions. I just wish Àn’yīng was not as infuriating as she was because both men, especially Yù’chén, deserved better.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the ARC!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
*thank you so much to HarperVoyagerUK and Netgalley for sending me this arc, and thanks to the author Amelie Wen Zhao for this story! this is my completely honest review*
4⭐️
this sequel felt heavier, darker, and a bit more intense for me compared to book one (the scorpion and the night blossom)!!! 🌙🐉 i could really feel the weight of FMC Àn’yīng’s journey as everything shifts into saving the mortal realm (the Kingdom of River) from the war started by the demon realm (the Kingdom of Night).
one of the biggest highlights for me was the love triangle 💔🔥
Àn’yīng’s relationships with the 2 MMCs - Yù’chén and Hào’yáng get messier, more complicated, and also quite heartbreaking (in the best way possible!!! 😭💕）
the love triangle that unfolds was aching but also a lot fun to read (if you know what i mean!! 😭❤️）and i loved how conflicted it made me feel as a reader 🥹✨ i also have to admit i was rooting for one love interest just a little bit more, which made certain moments hurt even more!!! 🥺😭🫶
just as how i felt abt the first book, i still really love Àn’yīng as a character 🤍🌸 she feels so real in the way she struggles between duty and responsibility versus freedom and following her heart. she wavers, doubts herself, and feels torn in ways that felt very relatable to me, but i also loved that she always tries to ground herself again and make the right choice to the best of her abilities 🥹🫶
a small critique of mine is that some plot development or explanation of the worldbuilding are more told than shown (i noticed this in book one as well but it didn’t bother me there, whereas in book two it stood out much more and affected my immersion a bit) 📖💭
hence there were times i wished certain emotional or plot moments had more space or depth to fully play out🥹
i also felt the certain romance moments relied a bit too much on verbal declarations of love, which made it feel slightly less powerful than i hoped, especially since romance is such a big part of this duology ❤️🩹
however overall i still had a really great time with this book!!! i think it’s a very solid duology ❤️✨
it’s def romance-heavy (which i enjoyed💕), and compared to book 1 i think it has a darker tone, more emotional angst, a messy but fun love triangle, and a fmc i genuinely care about, so i’m really glad i read this!!! 🥰💕
i would recommend this duology to anyone that likes chinese myth–inspired romantasy with love triangle and morally grey MMC! 🧧✨
*book review of The Dragon and the Sun Lotus by Amelie Wen Zhao*
4⭐️
this sequel felt heavier, darker, and a bit more intense for me compared to book one (the scorpion and the night blossom)!!! 🌙🐉 i could really feel the weight of FMC Àn’yīng’s journey as everything shifts into saving the mortal realm (the Kingdom of River) from the war started by the demon realm (the Kingdom of Night).
one of the biggest highlights for me was the love triangle 💔🔥
Àn’yīng’s relationships with the 2 MMCs - Yù’chén and Hào’yáng get messier, more complicated, and also quite heartbreaking (in the best way possible!!! 😭💕）
the love triangle that unfolds was aching but also a lot fun to read (if you know what i mean!! 😭❤️）and i loved how conflicted it made me feel as a reader 🥹✨ i also have to admit i was rooting for one love interest just a little bit more, which made certain moments hurt even more!!! 🥺😭🫶
just as how i felt abt the first book, i still really love Àn’yīng as a character 🤍🌸 she feels so real in the way she struggles between duty and responsibility versus freedom and following her heart. she wavers, doubts herself, and feels torn in ways that felt very relatable to me, but i also loved that she always tries to ground herself again and make the right choice to the best of her abilities 🥹🫶
a small critique of mine is that some plot development or explanation of the worldbuilding are more told than shown (i noticed this in book one as well but it didn’t bother me there, whereas in book two it stood out much more and affected my immersion a bit) 📖💭
hence there were times i wished certain emotional or plot moments had more space or depth to fully play out🥹
i also felt the certain romance moments relied a bit too much on verbal declarations of love, which made it feel slightly less powerful than i hoped, especially since romance is such a big part of this duology ❤️🩹
however overall i still had a really great time with this book!!! i think it’s a very solid duology ❤️✨
it’s def romance-heavy (which i enjoyed💕), and compared to book 1 i think it has a darker tone, more emotional angst, a messy but fun love triangle, and a fmc i genuinely care about, so i’m really glad i read this!!! 🥰💕
i would recommend this duology to anyone that likes chinese myth–inspired romantasy with love triangle and morally grey MMC! 🧧✨
*book review of The Dragon and the Sun Lotus by Amelie Wen Zhao*
February 4, 2026
3.5 Stars
This story picks up a couple of days after book one finished. For the sake of avoiding spoilers, since this is a sequel, I won't be discussing plot summaries or details for either book. I would like to thank Random House for the eARC on NetGalley. What follows is an honest review.
Overall, I think I enjoyed this story slightly more than the first book. The first book had a lot of plot set up and character introductions that needed to happen, whereas this one could just dive right back in. It can be difficult to build worlds and characters in these YA novels when they tend to be shorter than some of the epic fantasies. This one did just alright. There were times when it felt like there was too much telling, but it didn't take away too much from the heart of the story.
I personally struggle with imagery when I read; it is difficult for me to imagine characters and scenery in my head. I tend to rely on the descriptive writing to help my other senses build a scene and become immersed. This isn't a critique of the book or author, but the writing style itself was 'flat' in terms of what I usually need. More of a heads up for anyone who may be like me. The story itself remains easy to follow, and some moments are more descriptive than others.
The love triangle gets resolved in this book, thankfully. I know that tends to be a pain point for some readers. However, I was surprised at how long it took for the love triangle to resolve. In my head, I was constantly wanting to push the FMC in the direction of my choosing. Which actually made it kind of fun, as I was going along. The love triangle itself, though, was handled really well. The FMC and both of the love interests were as respectful as they could be, given the romantic situation they found themselves tangled in.
The pacing of this story was very fast. At times, I appreciated that because you always want to make sure things are staying on track. Other times, I wanted to slow it down and enjoy some of the softer moments. There were some emotionally impactful scenes that occurred on page during this book that I just felt could have hurt me more if there had been more 'downtime' moments on the page. I feel like book one had more of this, as character relationships were built.
This fits well into the YA Fantasy genre, in my opinion. It had its moments where things felt too juvenile at times, but perhaps that is the nature of the genre and partly the point. No one is perfect, and people need to see themselves reflected in characters.
This story picks up a couple of days after book one finished. For the sake of avoiding spoilers, since this is a sequel, I won't be discussing plot summaries or details for either book. I would like to thank Random House for the eARC on NetGalley. What follows is an honest review.
Overall, I think I enjoyed this story slightly more than the first book. The first book had a lot of plot set up and character introductions that needed to happen, whereas this one could just dive right back in. It can be difficult to build worlds and characters in these YA novels when they tend to be shorter than some of the epic fantasies. This one did just alright. There were times when it felt like there was too much telling, but it didn't take away too much from the heart of the story.
I personally struggle with imagery when I read; it is difficult for me to imagine characters and scenery in my head. I tend to rely on the descriptive writing to help my other senses build a scene and become immersed. This isn't a critique of the book or author, but the writing style itself was 'flat' in terms of what I usually need. More of a heads up for anyone who may be like me. The story itself remains easy to follow, and some moments are more descriptive than others.
The love triangle gets resolved in this book, thankfully. I know that tends to be a pain point for some readers. However, I was surprised at how long it took for the love triangle to resolve. In my head, I was constantly wanting to push the FMC in the direction of my choosing. Which actually made it kind of fun, as I was going along. The love triangle itself, though, was handled really well. The FMC and both of the love interests were as respectful as they could be, given the romantic situation they found themselves tangled in.
The pacing of this story was very fast. At times, I appreciated that because you always want to make sure things are staying on track. Other times, I wanted to slow it down and enjoy some of the softer moments. There were some emotionally impactful scenes that occurred on page during this book that I just felt could have hurt me more if there had been more 'downtime' moments on the page. I feel like book one had more of this, as character relationships were built.
This fits well into the YA Fantasy genre, in my opinion. It had its moments where things felt too juvenile at times, but perhaps that is the nature of the genre and partly the point. No one is perfect, and people need to see themselves reflected in characters.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I knew this book would be good, because the first part in this Duology set high expectations but they were exceeded by far.
I had no problem immersing myself in the story again, even though I read part one quite some time ago. The author has a unique writing style in my opinion; clear and straightforward while at the same time being immersive and catapulting you right in the centre of the action. I practically flew through the story. This was one of those books that gave me goosebumps while reading because that’s how close I felt to the story and the ability of the author to write suspense is beyond words.
One thing I will sing from the mountaintops forever is the importance of good dialogue and the ability to give the characters distinct, unique voices. Both these criteria were expertly handled. There was no unnecessary prose, no irrelevant repetitions just pure amazing writing, if you ask me.
The worldbuilding, inspired by Chinese mythology, was well executed with all the relevant information for understanding the story being delivered in an organic way.
As already mentioned, every character had their unique voice, and I enjoyed the character development across both books. The romance plot was, at the same time, heartbreaking and unavoidable, to say the least.
If there was one thing that I absolutely had to criticize, it would be that the story was a bit too fast-paced at times. I feel like this book could have been a tad bit longer to really let the emotions marinate. There was no point in the book where I felt the story dragging. The ending was the most perfect ending there could be, even though I did resent it a bit at first, but I got eased into it and at second glance it has a bittersweet tang but is perfect in its own way, all things considered.
I wish there were another instalment coming so I could continue the story. The best I can do is hope for a short story collection, I guess.
This story will live rent-free in my head from now on. I also keep thinking how great this story would be as a movie?? I’d love to watch this in the cinema. I never tried manifesting anything before, but I’ll try with this one.
Thanks to Netgalley and HarperVoyager for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
I had no problem immersing myself in the story again, even though I read part one quite some time ago. The author has a unique writing style in my opinion; clear and straightforward while at the same time being immersive and catapulting you right in the centre of the action. I practically flew through the story. This was one of those books that gave me goosebumps while reading because that’s how close I felt to the story and the ability of the author to write suspense is beyond words.
One thing I will sing from the mountaintops forever is the importance of good dialogue and the ability to give the characters distinct, unique voices. Both these criteria were expertly handled. There was no unnecessary prose, no irrelevant repetitions just pure amazing writing, if you ask me.
The worldbuilding, inspired by Chinese mythology, was well executed with all the relevant information for understanding the story being delivered in an organic way.
As already mentioned, every character had their unique voice, and I enjoyed the character development across both books. The romance plot was, at the same time, heartbreaking and unavoidable, to say the least.
If there was one thing that I absolutely had to criticize, it would be that the story was a bit too fast-paced at times. I feel like this book could have been a tad bit longer to really let the emotions marinate. There was no point in the book where I felt the story dragging. The ending was the most perfect ending there could be, even though I did resent it a bit at first, but I got eased into it and at second glance it has a bittersweet tang but is perfect in its own way, all things considered.
I wish there were another instalment coming so I could continue the story. The best I can do is hope for a short story collection, I guess.
This story will live rent-free in my head from now on. I also keep thinking how great this story would be as a movie?? I’d love to watch this in the cinema. I never tried manifesting anything before, but I’ll try with this one.
Thanks to Netgalley and HarperVoyager for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
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