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bookishflower's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
slow-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
3.75
3.75/5
- I have to kill you trope
- elemental magic
- political intrigue
- slow burn romance
- heavily inspired by Chinese mythology
This book had beautiful writing with a rich influence of Chinese mythology, wlw and mlm rep, good world building and magic system, and importantly a balance of light and dark moments.
I do, however, think I would have enjoyed it even more if I went into it with the right expectations. I was recommended Jade Fire Gold as a book similar to Avatar the last Airbender if zutara was endgame, but I think it’s more accurately a book centred in politics and family trauma. The romance is more a slow-burn sub-plot- which I didn’t mind at all as I enjoy a keener focus on the fantasy world over romance- but was surprising based on my expectations going in.
Once I got my head around that, however, you definitely root for the characters- I personally loved Tang Wei and the cluelessness of the main characters when they are around each other- they are lovable and true to their characterisation throughout with good character development.
I believe the book would be perfect as a duology rather than a stand-alone to finish up what happened to Ahn’s mother, what Altan’s sister wants and her story, if Leiye returned Tai Shun’s feelings, how Altan will be as a ruler, how Ahn and Altan’s relationship will develop, and how Ahn will cope with the impact of what she has done. But it is still very enjoyable and a good standalone in its own right.
- I have to kill you trope
- elemental magic
- political intrigue
- slow burn romance
- heavily inspired by Chinese mythology
This book had beautiful writing with a rich influence of Chinese mythology, wlw and mlm rep, good world building and magic system, and importantly a balance of light and dark moments.
I do, however, think I would have enjoyed it even more if I went into it with the right expectations. I was recommended Jade Fire Gold as a book similar to Avatar the last Airbender if zutara was endgame, but I think it’s more accurately a book centred in politics and family trauma. The romance is more a slow-burn sub-plot- which I didn’t mind at all as I enjoy a keener focus on the fantasy world over romance- but was surprising based on my expectations going in.
Once I got my head around that, however, you definitely root for the characters- I personally loved Tang Wei and the cluelessness of the main characters when they are around each other- they are lovable and true to their characterisation throughout with good character development.
I believe the book would be perfect as a duology rather than a stand-alone to finish up
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Death, Suicide, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Self harm, Blood, Emotional abuse, and Torture
Moderate: War
Minor: Animal death
hello_lovely13's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
slow-paced
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Suicide, and Death
Moderate: Medical trauma, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Misogyny
Minor: Death of parent, Blood, Gore, and War
mothie_girlie's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Death, and Torture
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Medical trauma, and Misogyny
aetelka's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
mysterious
medium-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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail
alexiab's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
medium-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
4.0
This was a very solid, enjoyable story. I really love the world being built and the awesome characters, the avatar: the last airbender vibes were off the chart and that’s never a bad thing. I think overall things felt underdeveloped but it was still enough to keep me engaged and rooting for a happy ending. A DAMN WHAT AN ENDING IT WAS?!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Torture, and Death
bookishcb_21's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Wow. Wow. Wow!! I loved this story and finishing it just now…mind blown 🤯 Possible book 2??? 😬🥳😍 Each character has a special place in my heart now, so I might have a hard time moving on to new book characters. The journey they all went through to get where they are now - I’m so glad I went on this magical ride 💚🔥⭐️ If you’re looking for a great debut novel, this is one to check out!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
Minor: Death of parent, Grief, and Murder
maple_dove's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
tense
slow-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
3.75
Hmmmm....
I really liked this book but this book overall--wasn't for me. After reading the sypnosis, I figured from the start it wouldn't become one of my favorites. However, I still wanted to read it. 😊
I Liked:
I really liked this book but this book overall--wasn't for me. After reading the sypnosis, I figured from the start it wouldn't become one of my favorites. However, I still wanted to read it. 😊
I Liked:
- The messiness of the main characters
- Tai Shun (I just do)
How the Obsidian Sword and the White Jade sword turned out to be one-and-the-same. It's like how good and evil aren't exactly two separate things - The slowwww burn
(Even at the end! How Ahn was like, "I need time to think about it"!)
There was something that concerned me.
Read below
“Men are simple,” she tells me in a conspiratorial tone after the waiter leaves with a self-satisfied smile on his face. “Make a man feel like he’s your hero and he’ll do whatever you want.” (Pg. 308)
Like the main character in The (Un)Popular Vote by Jasper Sanchez, that kind of feminism throws transmasculine people under the bus. Without acknowledging how masculinity harms males and nonbinary people too.
She's heard me rant enough times about how transmasculine people get thrown under the bus in this kind of totalizing discourse, where any and all masculinity must be sacrificed at the altar of entry-level Feminism, but I can't say anything now. Any nuanced attempt to deconstruct toxic masculinity would be condemned as mansplaining. Clary would snicker not all men before I got a full sentence out, without a thought to how masculinity harms men and nonbinary people, too. (Pg. 117 - The (Un)Popular Vote by Jasper Sanchez)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Suicide, and Torture
Moderate: Blood and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Sexual content
The sexual content from what I remember is just sexual innuendoes.plumpaperbacks's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
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? No
3.5
My experience with this book was a weird one, because from the very first page, I was intrigued by Tan’s world and story and quickly grew attached to the characters; however, I just… wasn’t in the mood to read. So it took me about a week to trudge through the first half, and then I sped through the second half in a couple of days. And while I did really love the characters and character dynamics, right now I just feel unsatisfied.
The story was great until the last quarter, in which things began to seem too easy. I saw one of the twists coming a mile away, and there was another event that, though it was emotional, didn’t have much of an effect on me because it was fixed two chapters later.
I was rooting for the romance for most of the second half of the story, because not only was it enemies to lovers but it was also an agonizing slow-burn, a.k.a. one of my favorite combinations. But not even that worked out. There was no drama or passion; the whole ordeal ended up being so nonchalant, which was a tad disappointing. It’s like when you’re making food and you turn the heat down too soon, so instead of the delicious meal you saw in the recipe photo, it’s an undercooked, only vaguely recognizable distant relative.
As for the epilogue, I’d heard from the group I was buddy reading this with that it was intense and unexpected, so I was very curious. Yet it evoked absolutely no reaction from me. Sure, it *was* unexpected, but it’s the sort of thing that sets you up for a sequel, and this is a stand-alone. So what was the point, honestly??
I know this hasn’t been the most stellar review, but I swear, I did enjoy this book. Tan’s ensemble cast was brilliant, and I especially loved Tang Wei. What an absolute icon. In broader terms, I liked multiple aspects—the story was intriguing and kept me on my toes even when there wasn’t much action, the world was well-developed, the banter was top tier, and Tan did an excellent job depicting grief and trauma in her protagonists. I’m just conflicted, for the multiple aforementioned reasons, and a bit disappointed as well because I really thought this would end up a new favorite.
This review is all over the place, but I don’t think I could do better if I tried because my feelings are also all over the place. I started out planning to give this book 4.25 stars, then lowered it to 4, and have now settled on 3.5 stars. It’s been less than an hour since I finished reading, but my mind is going a mile a minute and words are hard enough when it’s going at normal speeds. I’ll end by saying this: I don’t think Jade Fire Gold is a bad book by any means. Overall, it was pretty good, and I think Tan has a lot of potential. I look forward to reading more from her in the future.
Representation
The story was great until the last quarter, in which things began to seem too easy. I saw one of the twists coming a mile away, and there was another event that, though it was emotional, didn’t have much of an effect on me because it was fixed two chapters later.
I was rooting for the romance for most of the second half of the story, because not only was it enemies to lovers but it was also an agonizing slow-burn, a.k.a. one of my favorite combinations. But not even that worked out. There was no drama or passion; the whole ordeal ended up being so nonchalant, which was a tad disappointing. It’s like when you’re making food and you turn the heat down too soon, so instead of the delicious meal you saw in the recipe photo, it’s an undercooked, only vaguely recognizable distant relative.
As for the epilogue, I’d heard from the group I was buddy reading this with that it was intense and unexpected, so I was very curious. Yet it evoked absolutely no reaction from me. Sure, it *was* unexpected, but it’s the sort of thing that sets you up for a sequel, and this is a stand-alone. So what was the point, honestly??
I know this hasn’t been the most stellar review, but I swear, I did enjoy this book. Tan’s ensemble cast was brilliant, and I especially loved Tang Wei. What an absolute icon. In broader terms, I liked multiple aspects—the story was intriguing and kept me on my toes even when there wasn’t much action, the world was well-developed, the banter was top tier, and Tan did an excellent job depicting grief and trauma in her protagonists. I’m just conflicted, for the multiple aforementioned reasons, and a bit disappointed as well because I really thought this would end up a new favorite.
This review is all over the place, but I don’t think I could do better if I tried because my feelings are also all over the place. I started out planning to give this book 4.25 stars, then lowered it to 4, and have now settled on 3.5 stars. It’s been less than an hour since I finished reading, but my mind is going a mile a minute and words are hard enough when it’s going at normal speeds. I’ll end by saying this: I don’t think Jade Fire Gold is a bad book by any means. Overall, it was pretty good, and I think Tan has a lot of potential. I look forward to reading more from her in the future.
Representation
- full Asian cast
- queer side characters (includes sapphic rep)
- sapphic side couple
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Religious bigotry
Minor: Body horror, Blood, and Gore
All things tagged graphic occurred prior to the story, but are mentioned frequently throughout.drakonreads's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
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
3.75 stars
Pace: medium
- the book covers a long timeline (so seems a bit slow paced)
- the book covers the more significant scenes (so kinda on the quick pace side)
Characters:
- Ahn wants to save her grandmother
- Atlan wants revenge (though at times it feels like it could be fleshed out better. For example, exploring why revenge as a societal concept exists. Such as is it expected of sons so he wonders if he really wants revenge or if it's just something expected of him...I might be overthinking this)
- the characters are lovable but at times I feel a bit distant from them
- there's a character that dies and then we get a short flashback about him and it almost feels like it's to make us feel worse about his death. And it fails because I don't think we see that much of him to really care enough about his death. It might have worked if the flashback happened earlier in the book because we don't really see that much of Atlan's life from before his life in the desert.
*Just note on the diversity level. I meant for a Western audience, not in terms of the book. In terms of the book, the characters are not really diverse.
Also though it reminded me of Avatar the Last Airbender a bit, in some ways, it also oddly enough reminded me of Shadow and Bone.
Pace: medium
- the book covers a long timeline (so seems a bit slow paced)
- the book covers the more significant scenes (so kinda on the quick pace side)
Characters:
- Ahn wants to save her grandmother
- Atlan wants revenge (though at times it feels like it could be fleshed out better. For example, exploring why revenge as a societal concept exists. Such as is it expected of sons so he wonders if he really wants revenge or if it's just something expected of him...I might be overthinking this)
- the characters are lovable but at times I feel a bit distant from them
-
*Just note on the diversity level. I meant for a Western audience, not in terms of the book. In terms of the book, the characters are not really diverse.
Also though it reminded me of Avatar the Last Airbender a bit, in some ways, it also oddly enough reminded me of Shadow and Bone.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
Minor: Gore and Self harm
a_reederer's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
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? N/A
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Colonisation and Fire/Fire injury