The Dragon and the Sun Lotus

By: Amélie Wen Zhao

Narrated by: Annie Q, Eric Yang

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • In 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 war: 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

Critic reviews

"A duology closer incorporating magic, war, and love and set in a lush, well-described fantasy China." —Kirkus Reviews

"An excellent and sometimes bittersweet conclusion to a sweeping story filled with romance, drama, and adventure." —School Library Journal

"[An] action-packed rollercoaster of a conclusion. Zhao excellently builds on the Chinese folklore of [The Scorpion and the Night Blossom], with a more emotionally resolute Àn’yīng taking control of her destiny. A great duology closer for high-fantasy fans." —Booklist

Solid End to Duology

4.5⭐️rounded up
This book is action packed from the beginning, picking up right at the end of the first book with the demon’s destruction and invasion. There is a love triangle throughout the journey as the fight for control of the mortal kingdom continues. The yearning (cough Yu’chen) is one of the strongest tropes throughout this duology and it’s taken up a notch in this book.
As before, I love the writing - it’s engaging and paints a detailed picture for the reader. It makes it easy to fully immerse yourself in the world. I think I enjoyed the first book a bit more with the trials, but this was a very solid ending to the duology. I look forward to rereading them back to back in the future - it’s a world I was to fall back into.
Thank you NetGalley and Random House - Delacourt Press for an electronic copy of this book! All opinions are my own.