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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
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
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
hello_lovely13's review
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
betweentheshelves's review
adventurous
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
3.0
While the world here is interesting and I enjoyed what the author did with Asian mythology, the pacing was off for me. The book felt too long for what it was trying to accomplish, and then pieces of the end felt rushed. I am also confused whether or not there is going to be a sequel, especially with that epilogue.
Overall, there was pretty strong character development, and Tan did a good job making each of the voices disntinct. Do I think there needed to be a romance? Not really. There was enough going on without it. But there is promise in this YA fantasy debut, and I'm interested in seeing what else the author does in the future!
Overall, there was pretty strong character development, and Tan did a good job making each of the voices disntinct. Do I think there needed to be a romance? Not really. There was enough going on without it. But there is promise in this YA fantasy debut, and I'm interested in seeing what else the author does in the future!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Suicide, and Torture
Moderate: Medical trauma
Minor: Gore and Blood
graculus's review against another edition
3.0
I've watched a lot of wuxia and xianxia material in my time, both movies and (especially in the recent couple of years) more c-drama than I care to think about, so it's really good to see the universe I know so well from those reflected in more and more books. To be honest, though I don't read a lot of YA, it was very much the setting and related promised world-building that drew me to Jade Fire Gold as an ARC.
Beyond that, it's a pretty well-trodden story line - a hidden prince and a girl from a poor background join together in search of revenge (not to mention the reclamation of a throne) with a quest for a mythical sword thrown in. The world-building is solid, more so at times than the plot itself, and also definitely more convincing than the inevitable romance sub-plot.
Altan is our prince, who spends the first part of the book bemoaning the loss of his mother and sister and who has also (for a reason I don't actually remember being explained) mutilated himself and cut out his own eye? I think it's supposed to have been because it showed he was the son of the previous emperor, but I don't actually recall it being explicitly stated. Seems a bit extreme, tbh. Meanwhile, Ahn has also been orphaned - seriously, being a parent in a YA story is so high risk! - and is scraping by with her adopted grandmother when their paths cross. She, of course, also has a secret and in her case it's hidden magic that can steal people's souls.
Things wind on to their pretty much inevitable conclusion but I found myself caring more about the fate of the supporting characters than I did about the two main leads - there's some clunky plotting involved for them too, especially in terms of the occasional time jump between scenes. In particular, for me anyway, the romantic sub-plot was contrived and I found myself wishing more than once for a Luke-and-Leia situation, where they fall for each other and then it's revealed they're siblings. That, at least, would have had the virtue of being something a little different.
So, all in all not the worst thing I've ever read but I'm not convinced I would have finished it if I wasn't planning to review it. The world in which it's set deserves more stories being told, that's for certain, but I hope they'll be a little more nuanced than this one turned out to be for me.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher, via Netgalley. This review is my honest opinion of this book.
Beyond that, it's a pretty well-trodden story line - a hidden prince and a girl from a poor background join together in search of revenge (not to mention the reclamation of a throne) with a quest for a mythical sword thrown in. The world-building is solid, more so at times than the plot itself, and also definitely more convincing than the inevitable romance sub-plot.
Altan is our prince, who spends the first part of the book bemoaning the loss of his mother and sister and who has also (for a reason I don't actually remember being explained) mutilated himself and cut out his own eye? I think it's supposed to have been because it showed he was the son of the previous emperor, but I don't actually recall it being explicitly stated. Seems a bit extreme, tbh. Meanwhile, Ahn has also been orphaned - seriously, being a parent in a YA story is so high risk! - and is scraping by with her adopted grandmother when their paths cross. She, of course, also has a secret and in her case it's hidden magic that can steal people's souls.
Things wind on to their pretty much inevitable conclusion but I found myself caring more about the fate of the supporting characters than I did about the two main leads - there's some clunky plotting involved for them too, especially in terms of the occasional time jump between scenes. In particular, for me anyway, the romantic sub-plot was contrived and I found myself wishing more than once for a Luke-and-Leia situation, where they fall for each other and then it's revealed they're siblings. That, at least, would have had the virtue of being something a little different.
So, all in all not the worst thing I've ever read but I'm not convinced I would have finished it if I wasn't planning to review it. The world in which it's set deserves more stories being told, that's for certain, but I hope they'll be a little more nuanced than this one turned out to be for me.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher, via Netgalley. This review is my honest opinion of this book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Medical trauma
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