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chrisljm's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I enjoyed reading this book. The descriptions were so vivid and beautiful and the main cast of characters are so likable. Story-wise, the pacing was set up very well. It contained a lot of time jumps which worked well with this set up. However, character-wise, I feel like the set up stunted the growth you get to see between characters. I think you see this especially with Altan and Ahn’s relationship because they have the chemistry and the tension, and they’re so dumb (in a good way), and you get glimpses of how they slowly start to care for each other, but a lot of it takes place in between time jumps and I really wish I got to see more of their relationship instead. I liked what I read, but I know it had the potential to make me love it so much more.
I also felt like this had the potential to be an epic novel, and along with all the other things it had the potential for, it could’ve easily been done with a much longer length. I know Jade Fire Gold is an homage to xianxia novels, but I think making it only 400~ pages does it a huge disservice because it truly could’ve been extraordinary — so much more rich, captivating, and epic.
I also felt like this had the potential to be an epic novel, and along with all the other things it had the potential for, it could’ve easily been done with a much longer length. I know Jade Fire Gold is an homage to xianxia novels, but I think making it only 400~ pages does it a huge disservice because it truly could’ve been extraordinary — so much more rich, captivating, and epic.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Murder, Terminal illness, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Violence, War, Death, Grief, Torture, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Alcohol, Child death, Cursing, Death of parent, Kidnapping, Sexual harassment, and Classism
Minor: Animal death and Vomit
jes7037's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I really wanted to love this book, but it was just okay. I couldn't really feel much for the two main characters, as their personalities and especially their romance fell kinda flat. There were a few queer side characters who were much more interesting to me personally, and I really wish we got to experience more of their personalities and interactions with our MCs. Instead, we just get the much more bland MCs in a slow-burn and sort of enemies-to-lovers romance that just felt dull and incomplete.
If you're interested in knowing who the LGBTQ+ side characters are, I've put it inside this spoiler tag.Linxi, Tang Wei, Leiye, and Tai Shun. We get the most interaction with Tai Shun, the heir to the throne, and I honestly liked his character the best overall. Tang Wei is also pretty great, and I wish we got more of her.
I wish that there had been more focus on the magic systems, as that was something that I was really interested in. This book has been compared to Avatar the Last Airbender, since there's elemental magic and Altan is a one-eyed banished prince. But I don't think that's really a good comparison, and it left me feeling disappointed in the book overall. The vibes are entirely different from ATLA, the characters didn't capture my attention or my heart in the same way, and the ending felt rushed. This could have definitely been spread out over two books instead of one, and that might help with some of the pacing issues.
I'm also confused as to why Ahn survived in the end? She stabbed herself with the magic sword, sacrificing herself in order to stop the undead army from being created. Then suddenly she gets a magic wish that cures the world and stops the dark magic that's spreading the desert, even though she only actually wished for "everyone she loves to be safe." And then of course she's magically alive again with only minor injuries. There were a lot of things toward the end that just didn't make sense and felt like maybe the author rushed to make sure there was a happy ending.
But at the same time, in the epilogue, they also threw in the surprise that Altan's long-dead sister is somehow alive? I was under the impression that this was a standalone with no sequels planned, but that little bit at the end makes it seem as though the author might be planning more in the future in order to follow up on that bombshell. But if that was their intention, it seems like they should have spread some of this book out more and not rushed the ending, but instead have it end in a spot that makes it clear that the story will continue in a sequel.
If you're interested in knowing who the LGBTQ+ side characters are, I've put it inside this spoiler tag.
I wish that there had been more focus on the magic systems, as that was something that I was really interested in. This book has been compared to Avatar the Last Airbender, since there's elemental magic and Altan is a one-eyed banished prince. But I don't think that's really a good comparison, and it left me feeling disappointed in the book overall. The vibes are entirely different from ATLA, the characters didn't capture my attention or my heart in the same way, and the ending felt rushed. This could have definitely been spread out over two books instead of one, and that might help with some of the pacing issues.
But at the same time, in the epilogue, they also threw in the surprise that Altan's long-dead sister is somehow alive? I was under the impression that this was a standalone with no sequels planned, but that little bit at the end makes it seem as though the author might be planning more in the future in order to follow up on that bombshell. But if that was their intention, it seems like they should have spread some of this book out more and not rushed the ending, but instead have it end in a spot that makes it clear that the story will continue in a sequel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Death, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Medical trauma
Minor: War
woolgathering_jane's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
“You may not be able to change the past, but with each action, you can change the future.”
I had high hopes, and I was left disappointed...kind of? It's a pretty average fantasy (always fun), and I liked the inspiration from Asian myths and how the relationship between the characters unfolded. The relationships (not just the main one, that one felt a little flat) were the most fun part of the book. The ending was perfect until there was an unexplained plot point that made everything too good and sweet in my opinion. I still don't understand why did Ahn survive? Not only from the logical view but also from a storytelling perspective. I was so ready to cry my heart out over her sacrifice but then she was just??? Fine??? lol
Overall it's a nice fantasy, nothing less, not much more.
Overall it's a nice fantasy, nothing less, not much more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Torture, Child death, Death of parent, and Death
Moderate: Confinement and Blood
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Kidnapping, and War
thenovelmaura's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Apologies in advance for what will likely be a low-quality review; I read this book months ago (it was our January pick for the #ViolentQueensBookClub) and I didn't enjoy it very much, so I likewise didn't retain very much of it... I did enjoy the action scenes and the world-building! But the characterization fell flat (I clearly remember that I didn't like Altan or Altan and Ahn's relationship) and the ending was very rushed. This one also leans heavily into YA tropes to the point where everything felt incredibly predictable. So in summary, a great concept and poor execution resulted in a rather forgettable YA novel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Blood
robin_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
All in all a solid read, an interesting world and magic system.
Whoever said that this has Zutara vibes was absolutely right!
The pace is weird. At first it’s slow, then fast and then even faster. That threw me. Plus, the time skips and summaries of what was spoken about. I don’t like those.
The beginning of the romance felt a bit forced. I liked their dynamic before Tang Wei involved herself.
one day an author will kill their main character and leave them dead. One day authors will realize that that’s so much better than miraculously bringing them back from the dead. I will be waiting for that day.
Whoever said that this has Zutara vibes was absolutely right!
The pace is weird. At first it’s slow, then fast and then even faster. That threw me. Plus, the time skips and summaries of what was spoken about. I don’t like those.
The beginning of the romance felt a bit forced. I liked their dynamic before Tang Wei involved herself.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Fire/Fire injury, and Blood
Moderate: Gaslighting, Child abuse, Death of parent, and War
Minor: Alcohol and Torture
booksthatburn's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
JADE FIRE GOLD stars Ahn, a peasant girl who finds out that her past is more complicated than she remembers, and Altan, in hiding and making a play for his lost throne.
I loved the first part of the book and then felt like the second half was just okay. It had a tendency to cut away after emotionally intense moments. There felt like too many scenes of watching someone open a door (literally or metaphorically), gasping at what they found inside, then immediately switching to the other character's perspective in a different location and a different emotional beat. A few of these switches were when Ahn and Altan were in the same scenes together. I liked some of those moments where one of them says something and then the perspective switches for the other person's reaction, but it started to feel like a movie with too much cross-cutting. It's a fine technique, but it shouldn't be the only way to edit the scene.
The characters' backstories are conveyed through worries, nightmares, and thoughts about how the present day is shadowed by the past. Because of the empire's use of physical mutilations as punishment followed by shunning, there are complicated layers of ableism established early on which then don't really go anywhere. The audiobook narrators work well as a pair, their performances fit the characters.
I like how there are several queer secondary characters, but it started to feel a bit like both protagonists got their own gay best friend. That thought might just be my irritation in the book as a whole coming out in something pithy, but it’s a thought I couldn’t shake once I had it. At times it feels more like they're queer so that they won't distract from the romance with the main pair, which was so flimsy that even the possibility they could like someone else would be enough to shred it. It felt like Ahn and Altan spent so long dancing around the idea of a relationship that by the time they actually maybe acknowledge their feelings I’d formed the opinion that they wouldn’t be good together. It’s just enough romantic vibes to keep it from being a platonic guy/girl teamup, but not enough romance to matter to the plot. It’s an awkward middle ground which might be setting up something for the clearly intended sequel, but as of this review in 2022 it doesn’t look like that’ll happen.
I loved the first part of the book and then felt like the second half was just okay. It had a tendency to cut away after emotionally intense moments. There felt like too many scenes of watching someone open a door (literally or metaphorically), gasping at what they found inside, then immediately switching to the other character's perspective in a different location and a different emotional beat. A few of these switches were when Ahn and Altan were in the same scenes together. I liked some of those moments where one of them says something and then the perspective switches for the other person's reaction, but it started to feel like a movie with too much cross-cutting. It's a fine technique, but it shouldn't be the only way to edit the scene.
The characters' backstories are conveyed through worries, nightmares, and thoughts about how the present day is shadowed by the past. Because of the empire's use of physical mutilations as punishment followed by shunning, there are complicated layers of ableism established early on which then don't really go anywhere. The audiobook narrators work well as a pair, their performances fit the characters.
I like how there are several queer secondary characters, but it started to feel a bit like both protagonists got their own gay best friend. That thought might just be my irritation in the book as a whole coming out in something pithy, but it’s a thought I couldn’t shake once I had it. At times it feels more like they're queer so that they won't distract from the romance with the main pair, which was so flimsy that even the possibility they could like someone else would be enough to shred it. It felt like Ahn and Altan spent so long dancing around the idea of a relationship that by the time they actually maybe acknowledge their feelings I’d formed the opinion that they wouldn’t be good together. It’s just enough romantic vibes to keep it from being a platonic guy/girl teamup, but not enough romance to matter to the plot. It’s an awkward middle ground which might be setting up something for the clearly intended sequel, but as of this review in 2022 it doesn’t look like that’ll happen.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Blood, Violence, and Death
Moderate: Torture, Death of parent, Child death, Ableism, Alcoholism, Sexual harassment, Alcohol, Police brutality, Medical trauma, Self harm, and Murder
Minor: Pregnancy, Vomit, and Suicide
doodeedoda's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Death of parent, Death, Grief, Murder, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Violence, War, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Torture, Child death, and Infidelity
kbairbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
As always my reading experiences based on my own perceptions, my own expectations, and my own understanding. I definitely think that this was not as good of a reader as it could’ve been because in my effort one day to see how many pages there were in this book I saw the last line and that colored my perception of what was happening at certain points because I thought there was a note of incest but I was wrong and it makes me sad that my eyes betrayed me like that and messed with my perceptions of the story.There was too much world dumping at the beginning of the book and I spent the entire ready of the book confused which was frustrating and I liked it the lesbian lovers and the representation there and it was a fine read I just spent the majority of it confused and their questions at the end but I almost kind of don’t care about the answers? I don’t know if this was a confusing read for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Confinement, Grief, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Violence, Blood, Body horror, Classism, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Genocide, Self harm, Child death, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Physical abuse, and War
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Toxic friendship, Torture, Toxic relationship, and Eating disorder
Minor: Animal death
abbyschalupa's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Suicide attempt, Torture, Violence, Death, Gaslighting, Self harm, Grief, Blood, and Suicide
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Emotional abuse, Religious bigotry, Gore, Abandonment, Classism, and Death of parent
mandkips's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Torture
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury and Medical trauma
Minor: Death of parent and Blood