THE SCORPION AND THE NIGHT BLOSSOM

A set of mystery trials is all that lies between a teenage girl and a coveted prize that can save her mother.

Demons have spread across the land, killing mortals and taking the emperor’s throne. Since 19-year-old Àn’yīng’s father was killed by a demon and her mother’s soul was partially eaten, she’s been looking after her family in what remains of their world. With the magic Àn’yīng learned from her father, she’s kept her mother and little sister alive; acquiring a pill of immortality would allow her to restore her mother’s soul, but Àn’yīng’s only hope of obtaining one is winning the trials of the Temple of Dawn, which are laid out for mortals who hope to prove their magical and physical prowess to the Kingdom of Sky for a chance at eternal life. At the trials, she makes both friends and enemies and struggles with determining whom she can trust and who seeks to use her for their own purposes. Àn’yīng’s father may have laid her path out for her, one that intersects with the fate of the kingdom, in ways she cannot predict, but her priority is survival, no matter the cost. Featuring star-crossed lovers whose relationship unfolds against the backdrop of a demon apocalypse, the novel remixes tropes in new ways, delivering a distinctly Chinese setting and enough twists to keep readers guessing.

A page-turning blend of magic, competition, family, romance, and oh-so-many secrets.