search for sisterhood and connection through multiple timelines and parallel universes, I'll Find You Where The Timeline Ends by Kylie Lee Baker; an arc review

Title: I'll Find You Where The Timeline Ends

Author: Kylie Lee Baker

Number of Pages: 304

Publishing Date: 18 November 2025

Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Young-Adult, Coming of age, Magical Realism, Romance, Asian Representation

Synopsis:

A teen descendant of a Japanese dragon god must team up with a cute rogue agent to subvert a corrupt time travel organization and find out the truth of what happened to her missing sister in acclaimed author Kylie Lee Baker's magical new YA romance, I'll Find You Where the Timeline Ends.
When you’re ready, come find me. I will keep you safe. -Hana
Descended from a Japanese dragon god, Yang Mina was born with the power to travel through time, and has spent her life training to take her place in the Descendants, a secret organization whose purpose is to protect the timeline. Then Mina’s world is uprooted when she moves to Seoul and finds a note from her sister–a sister who no one remembers, as if she had been erased. The only people who could have made her sister vanish so completely are part of the very agency that she’s been working so hard to join. So now Mina has a new mission, infiltrate the agency as quickly as possible to find her lost sister.
And, as if things weren’t complicated enough, a strikingly handsome rogue agent has determined that Mina is the only person who can help him put an end to the Descendants' corruption. Placed in an impossible situation, Mina must decide how much she’s willing to risk to find the truth.

Review:

“time travel but with family emotional damage” This book follows Yang Mina, a dragon descendant with the power to slip through timelines, on a personal secret mission to uncover why her sister Hana has been erased from existence, while also completing task assigned to her by the a secret association. And trust me, once the story gets going, it does not let go.
🐞What I loved most? The blend of mythology, time-bending chaos, and that slow-burn “we really shouldn’t be doing this, but there's no other way” chemistry between Mina and Yejun. Their dynamic adds just the right amount of tension, banter and sweet chaos while everything around them is collapsing, reforming, and collapsing again. 
The world-building is wild in the best way, dragon ancestors, parallel timelines, secret organizations, butterfly effects(so silly yet sooooo good) but the heart of the story is Mina’s grief, her loyalty, her need of attention, love, and time from her parents, and the brutal emotional cost of trying to fix the unfixable.
And the Seoul settings? Gorgeous. The family themes? Gut-wrenching. The cheesecake? Mouth watering. The unraveling of corruption inside the Descendants organization? Messy in a deliciously addictive way.
🐞A few things that i did not like were, Mina being very self-centered in different parts of the book, her not questioning anything at all when her mentor totally ignored her complain about a rouge agent, and the fact that we didn't get to see the boss getting some kind of severe punishment.
🐞If you love YA fantasy with high stakes, high emotion, soft heart achingly cute love story, and that signature Kylie Lee Baker “I’m going to wreck you but tenderly” energy, pick this up now!!

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ARC Review: The Blood Orchid (The Scarlet Alchemist book # 2) by Kylie Lee Baker

 

Title: The Blood Orchid

Author: Kylie Lee Baker

Number of Pages: 384

Publishing Date: 22 October 2024

Genre: Young-Adult, Sci-Fi, Fantasy Romance, Historical Fiction, Asian Literature

Synopsis:

Since Zilan entered the world of royal alchemists, she has learned that alchemy comes at a price. She has lost loved ones in her search for broader justice against the evil Empress and all she wants now is to find some way to bring them back. Resurrection is her specialty, after all.

In search of the myth of Penglai Island, where it’s rumored life can be fully restored, Zilan starts a new adventure. But when old threats come back to haunt her and the path to Penglai Island means facing down unpredictable, sometimes dangerous, alchemists, she wonders just how high of a price she may be willing to pay.

Review:

In "The Blood Orchid", Kylie Lee Baker picks up right where The Scarlet Alchemist left, it weaves a captivating narrative that delves into the dark side of alchemy and the true cost of playing with the fundamental forces of life and death. Zilan, a talented and determined royal alchemist, is driven by a personal tragedy that sets her on a perilous quest for resurrection and redemption.

As Zilan navigates the treacherous world of alchemy, she finds herself entangled in a web of old threats, new dangers, and unpredictable allies. Her search for Penglai Island, a fabled haven where life can be fully restored, becomes an all-consuming obsession that challenges her morals, her loyalties, and her very sense of self. 

While reading book #1 all I could think about all day long was how Kylie was feeding my Full Metal Alchemist fangirl early teenage self. And then I got the book #2 e-arc on netgalley. As soon as I read the dedication, I screamed out of joy, lol. There was a lot of banter and family moments that made me giggle and kick my feet in the air, and then there was even more betrayal and angst in The Blood Orchid as compared to The Scarlet Alchemist. The duology was completely action packed and is now in my top 5 fantasy duologies. One of the many things that I loved about this book, is the different types of alchemists we got to see who have thrown their morals out in the trash for glory and power.

Kylie's world-building is exceptional, with a richly detailed environment that draws inspiration from Chinese mythology and culture. The characters are complex and multi-dimensional, with Zilan being a particularly compelling protagonist. Her growth and development throughout the story are authentic and satisfying, making her an easy character to root for. The writing is lyrical and evocative, with vivid descriptions that transport the reader to a world of wonder and magic. The pacing is well-balanced, with moments of high tension and action expertly interspersed with quieter moments of introspection and character development. Each chapter is like as if it's ending with a cliff hanger, which keeps the reader engaged throughout the book. Every time the reader might start thinking, oh this is the biggest plot twist nothing will top this. And then wham bam yes ma'am, here comes another even bigger and better totally unexpected plot twist, right in your face.

As compared to the book itself the last chapter was lightly written, and the subtilty with which everything was described, oh my God it scratched an itch in my brain so good. "The Blood Orchid" is more than just a fantasy adventure – it's a thought-provoking exploration of the human condition. Baker raises important questions about the ethics of alchemy, the consequences of ambition, and the true cost of redemption. Through Zilan's story, we are reminded that even the most well-intentioned pursuits can come at a steep price, and that the line between good and evil is often blurred.