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A review by dawn_chen
The Scarlet Alchemist by Kylie Lee Baker
3.0
Ok, here is the thing. The book itself is 5 stars in plot,characters and magic system. But the fact that it is rated three stars by me is because the demonization of actual female historical figures in power into one dimensional usurping scheming villainess who care nothing about their family (which is a trend with both this book’s literal character assassination of Wu Zetian and also Zheng Yi Sao in A Clash of Steel).
In this book, Wu Zetian is portrayed as a ruler who schemed her entire family’s death and the reason why this fantasy Tang dynasty is ruined into having huge poverty issues, who clung to immortality with no regard to what happened to her people and is poisoning the king in search of eternal life and power.
While in real life, Wu Zetian is not just the exact opposite, she was one of the emporers who brought reforms that allowed class divide to lessen and who introduced women into having the ability to become court officials and advisers (女官）. Under her reign, Tang dynasty reached its peak in prosperity and more equality. However, she was never one who truly sought immorality or power, as Wu Zetian was known to rid herself of her emperor title so she could be buried with her husband (whom grew up and was a marriage of love). And left behind a wordless tomb because she thought it was best for future generations to decide if she was a good or bad emporer and person.
Sadly, her character was assassinated by subsequent historians centuries/millenia due to her being the only female emporer ever (and who did not ascend due to being born into royal lineage) and still did an amazing job as an emporer. Historians who came long after her who are proven and agreed to be fraud even said she killed her own daughter to frame another concubine in 野史, which means wild history, believing to be untrue and more like historical fiction.
Yes, she was ruthless and cold towards her children, but so was every emperor to ever rule. Yet they aren’t ridiculed and villainized, even this whole immortality business is more known to be Qin Shi Huang, the emporer of qin’s schtick, but I guess villainizing the only female emporer because conforming to internal misogyny suit the western readership better :) honestly fucking he’ll I am pissed off. The author’s note on “Chinese history” that inspired Wu paint her as a monster. It’s just fucking sad.
In this book, Wu Zetian is portrayed as a ruler who schemed her entire family’s death and the reason why this fantasy Tang dynasty is ruined into having huge poverty issues, who clung to immortality with no regard to what happened to her people and is poisoning the king in search of eternal life and power.
While in real life, Wu Zetian is not just the exact opposite, she was one of the emporers who brought reforms that allowed class divide to lessen and who introduced women into having the ability to become court officials and advisers (女官）. Under her reign, Tang dynasty reached its peak in prosperity and more equality. However, she was never one who truly sought immorality or power, as Wu Zetian was known to rid herself of her emperor title so she could be buried with her husband (whom grew up and was a marriage of love). And left behind a wordless tomb because she thought it was best for future generations to decide if she was a good or bad emporer and person.
Sadly, her character was assassinated by subsequent historians centuries/millenia due to her being the only female emporer ever (and who did not ascend due to being born into royal lineage) and still did an amazing job as an emporer. Historians who came long after her who are proven and agreed to be fraud even said she killed her own daughter to frame another concubine in 野史, which means wild history, believing to be untrue and more like historical fiction.
Yes, she was ruthless and cold towards her children, but so was every emperor to ever rule. Yet they aren’t ridiculed and villainized, even this whole immortality business is more known to be Qin Shi Huang, the emporer of qin’s schtick, but I guess villainizing the only female emporer because conforming to internal misogyny suit the western readership better :) honestly fucking he’ll I am pissed off. The author’s note on “Chinese history” that inspired Wu paint her as a monster. It’s just fucking sad.