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lauramcsherry's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Of Jade and Dragons
3.25 ⭐️
I saw this on a few lists of upcoming fantasy novels and it sounded so promising!
Ying disguises as her brother and enters an engineering trial in order to figure out why her father was killed. Along the way she ends up falling for a prince who sees right through her disguise.
This had a lot of twists and turns and was pretty entertaining. While it probably could have done with some shortening, it was easy to follow. Not a ton of character development, and I honestly wanted more of the cool engineering parts.
Thanks to @netgalley for this eARC!
bamamelereads's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.25
So first of all, there are no dragons (ok there’s an automaton at the end but that doesn’t count). Second, this is really more silkpunk than standard fantasy (there’s no magic here).
I would say the setup here is closest to Spin the Dawn with “girl enters 3 stage competition disguised as boy, palace intrigues ensue with much danger, and gets close to boy, but can she trust him and his motives”.
The problem I had is that the middle really drags and the pacing is uneven. I’m not sold on Ye-Yang as the love interest either. There were some things he did, even early on, that made me uncomfortable. And the end really solidified those feelings.
Speaking of the end, it was really a gut-punch. We’re clearly set up for an angsty second book, and I’m really curious as to where Ying goes from here.
All that being said, the engineering portion was pretty cool, and I liked the friendship Ying and Ye-kan developed.
“I was your sword. But you were never mine.”
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the preview. All opinions are my own.
I would say the setup here is closest to Spin the Dawn with “girl enters 3 stage competition disguised as boy, palace intrigues ensue with much danger, and gets close to boy, but can she trust him and his motives”.
The problem I had is that the middle really drags and the pacing is uneven. I’m not sold on Ye-Yang as the love interest either. There were some things he did, even early on, that made me uncomfortable. And the end really solidified those feelings.
Speaking of the end, it was really a gut-punch. We’re clearly set up for an angsty second book, and I’m really curious as to where Ying goes from here.
All that being said, the engineering portion was pretty cool, and I liked the friendship Ying and Ye-kan developed.
“I was your sword. But you were never mine.”
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the preview. All opinions are my own.
mirahgonzalez's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A Mulan-esque story set at an engineering school was all it took to sell me on this book. I love a good STEM heroine and it was nice to get something a little different that concentrated on the weapons manufacture and engineering side of a war rather than a typical warrior training montage type of book. I do think the characters could have been developed more, I didn’t connect quite as much with them as I wanted to. But overall I enjoyed the read and will follow the series.
Thanks to Penguin and NetGalley for the ARC!
allivenger's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
alimac713's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
"A lamp can light up the darkness around you, but a story lights up the darkness within."
A disclaimer: There are no real dragons.
Eighteen-year-old Aihui Ying is living a relatively sedentary life when her brilliant engineer father is murdered during a workshop break-in. Desperate to learn the truth behind the murder, Aihui disguises herself as a boy and enrolls in the nation's notoriously difficult Engineering Guild in order to uncover the secret behind her father's past and what led to his death. Along the way she befriends two princes and uses her father's lessons to get through school, solve the case, and stay alive.
I'd never heard of silk punk but was drawn to this for the Mulan comparison, and it didn't disappoint. The first few pages were hard for me to get into, I think more due to the way the ARC formatted on my Kindle than anything to do with the story itself, but once I got going I read straight through to the end. The setting/set-up wasn't particularly unique, but the execution made the book fun to read nonetheless (after all, if you market the book with a Mulan comparison, you need to deliver). The trials at the Engineering Guild were interesting, and Aihui's unique answers also underscored the idea that engineering is both a science and an art. I could see the Chinese culture and influence throughout the book, and it really left me with some food for thought on today's world. No spoilers, but I also really appreciated that author didn't go with the easy, Disney-ending and instead let the characters be who they were and the chips fall where they may.
Thank you NetGalley, Penguin Group, and Viking Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
A disclaimer: There are no real dragons.
Eighteen-year-old Aihui Ying is living a relatively sedentary life when her brilliant engineer father is murdered during a workshop break-in. Desperate to learn the truth behind the murder, Aihui disguises herself as a boy and enrolls in the nation's notoriously difficult Engineering Guild in order to uncover the secret behind her father's past and what led to his death. Along the way she befriends two princes and uses her father's lessons to get through school, solve the case, and stay alive.
I'd never heard of silk punk but was drawn to this for the Mulan comparison, and it didn't disappoint. The first few pages were hard for me to get into, I think more due to the way the ARC formatted on my Kindle than anything to do with the story itself, but once I got going I read straight through to the end. The setting/set-up wasn't particularly unique, but the execution made the book fun to read nonetheless (after all, if you market the book with a Mulan comparison, you need to deliver). The trials at the Engineering Guild were interesting, and Aihui's unique answers also underscored the idea that engineering is both a science and an art. I could see the Chinese culture and influence throughout the book, and it really left me with some food for thought on today's world. No spoilers, but I also really appreciated that author didn't go with the easy, Disney-ending and instead let the characters be who they were and the chips fall where they may.
Thank you NetGalley, Penguin Group, and Viking Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
caffeinated_reads3's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
medium-paced
4.0
Amber Chen's "Of Jade and Dragons" is a relatively quick read. As part of the summary, it's Mulan meets Iron Widow. Unfortunately, I have yet to read Iron Widow (horrifying fact), but I can see where they draw the similarity to Mulan.
Of Jade and Dragons is about the journey of the FMC who disguises themselves as a male. This FMC is not necessarily trying to bring honor to her family like Mulan did. Instead, the FMC wants to join a magical engineering guild, find out who murdered her father, AND avenge her father's untimely death. Along the way, she needs to pass three different tests to become guild member, do her best not to be found out as a female, and navigate some feelings that develop for the seemingly friendly, royal MMC. Their world is also at odds with another empire, and war is a way for both the FMC and MMC to put their best foot forward.
The reader can definitely feel the Mulan vibes. I also thought about The Daughter of the Moon Goddess and the Poppy Wars. A small part of my brain thinks of Fourth Wing as well, but the more I think about it, the less I think there is a similarity - no one comes back from the dead (yet?).
I am very excited to see that this is the first book of series (there's a #1 next to it!). Congratulations to Amber Chen for their debut book! If Asian mythological, YA fantasy book is your thing, I would recommend this to you. Thank you to Netgalley, PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group | Viking Books for Young Readers, and the author for allowing me to read this for a review.
Of Jade and Dragons is about the journey of the FMC who disguises themselves as a male. This FMC is not necessarily trying to bring honor to her family like Mulan did. Instead, the FMC wants to join a magical engineering guild, find out who murdered her father, AND avenge her father's untimely death. Along the way, she needs to pass three different tests to become guild member, do her best not to be found out as a female, and navigate some feelings that develop for the seemingly friendly, royal MMC. Their world is also at odds with another empire, and war is a way for both the FMC and MMC to put their best foot forward.
The reader can definitely feel the Mulan vibes. I also thought about The Daughter of the Moon Goddess and the Poppy Wars. A small part of my brain thinks of Fourth Wing as well, but the more I think about it, the less I think there is a similarity - no one comes back from the dead (yet?).
I am very excited to see that this is the first book of series (there's a #1 next to it!). Congratulations to Amber Chen for their debut book! If Asian mythological, YA fantasy book is your thing, I would recommend this to you. Thank you to Netgalley, PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group | Viking Books for Young Readers, and the author for allowing me to read this for a review.
2nd2lastunicorn's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A rich tale of mysteries and friendships and revenge. The character arcs were full and sometimes surprising! Twists and turns occur often and keep the story moving and I look forward to a sequel, though this book stands on its own wonderfully.
ronan5's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
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? Yes
4.75
Wow wow wow. This was such a fascinating book! Full review to come as I collect my thoughts but this really had me engrossed in the story and characters.
sretta's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.5
I thoroughly enjoyed this read! Though the pacing felt uneven at times- it was a bit slow and drawn out at some parts of the book, I did appreciate the fact that we got right into the catalyst of the plot in the beginning. I thought the world building and characters were some of the strongest points of the story. It was interesting to see how the relationships between all the different characters were developed throughout the story. The scenes having to do with the engineering guild were also engaging and enjoyable. Overall, it was an easy and fun read. Really looking forward to the sequel to see how the story progresses.
neonfrills's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
inspiring
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Thank you to Viking Books for Young Readers and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this book for review purposes.
An amazing debut and start to a series. The silkpunk elements are so fun and interesting, taking everything I’ve loved from the inventiveness of steampunk and then rooting it in East Asian history and culture. Ying is an amazing main female character who you can’t help but root for and feel overjoyed every time she overcomes an obstacle. In a lot of ways she takes the best things from a character like Katniss in the Hunger Games- she’s in a bad situation and has faced hardship, but uses that pain to make her stronger and more resourceful as she puts her mind to achieving her goals. Her romance with Ye-Yang is EVERYTHING; their interactions have that perfect, butterflies-in-your-stomach, cute but also a little dangerous and angsty type of romance that I go to YA for. I was a little disappointed in the ending, but I overall loved the vibes of this book and can’t wait to see what the sequel holds!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
Minor: Misogyny