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lexysbookcorner's review
Thank you netgalley and penguin young reader group for the gifted arc in exchange for an honest review.
Dnf 35%
I want to preface this by saying I try to write my reviews with an overall positive vibe, but sometimes it can be hard while I’m trying to remain honest. I intend no hate to the author. Just because this wasn’t for me, doesn’t mean it’s not for you.
The premise of this book was incredibly intriguing for me. I was thrilled when I was accepted for this arc because this was a highly anticipated read for me. However, I am left very disappointed. I do think that this book has so much potential, but it could’ve used a lot more editing.
The writing is extremely choppy and I had a very hard time staying engaged. There is so much info dumping without actually giving any relevant information. I still don’t understand the world as a whole and barely understand the guild/political hierarchy. There are also jumps in the timeline with no details on where we are now. 35% and it’s been over 45 days in the book? I thought it had been a week max bc nothing has happened. She’s supposed to be solving her father’s murder and she’s done absolutely nothing. Idk I just can’t get over that.
The characters felt really shallow and the dialogue is just off to me. I honestly don’t even know who any characters really are outside ye-Yang and ying, and these two main characters are superficial. Based on the characters and dialogue, this read really young. It felt closer to middle grade than YA.
I also think the focus of this book just feels off. I can’t say if it remains that way, but so far we’ve seen very little of what was promised out of this book. She hasn’t done anything to solve the mystery and we haven’t seen any high stakes trials.
I do hope there was extensive editing done after arcs were sent out, because I would love to give this another shot. I will be receiving a physical copy from a book sub soon so I’ll have take a peak to see!
Dnf 35%
I want to preface this by saying I try to write my reviews with an overall positive vibe, but sometimes it can be hard while I’m trying to remain honest. I intend no hate to the author. Just because this wasn’t for me, doesn’t mean it’s not for you.
The premise of this book was incredibly intriguing for me. I was thrilled when I was accepted for this arc because this was a highly anticipated read for me. However, I am left very disappointed. I do think that this book has so much potential, but it could’ve used a lot more editing.
The writing is extremely choppy and I had a very hard time staying engaged. There is so much info dumping without actually giving any relevant information. I still don’t understand the world as a whole and barely understand the guild/political hierarchy. There are also jumps in the timeline with no details on where we are now. 35% and it’s been over 45 days in the book? I thought it had been a week max bc nothing has happened. She’s supposed to be solving her father’s murder and she’s done absolutely nothing. Idk I just can’t get over that.
The characters felt really shallow and the dialogue is just off to me. I honestly don’t even know who any characters really are outside ye-Yang and ying, and these two main characters are superficial. Based on the characters and dialogue, this read really young. It felt closer to middle grade than YA.
I also think the focus of this book just feels off. I can’t say if it remains that way, but so far we’ve seen very little of what was promised out of this book. She hasn’t done anything to solve the mystery and we haven’t seen any high stakes trials.
I do hope there was extensive editing done after arcs were sent out, because I would love to give this another shot. I will be receiving a physical copy from a book sub soon so I’ll have take a peak to see!
_kindlegirlie's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
4.75
4.8 Stars !!!!
I truly enjoyed the beautiful story that Amber Chen gave us with "Of Jade and Dragons"
After doing some research (followed her on instagram) I learned that her novel was inspired by true events that happened during the Ming and Qing Dynasty and that both FMC and MMC are based on real people!!
Even though we did not see a lot of interaction between Ying and Ye-yang the little sweet moments that we did get from them was enough for me to fall in love with their relationship & for me to root for their happy ending. With that being said, I'm hoping and praying Ying overcomes her "dad issues" in the second novel because WHY !!!!!??? (That's all I can say without giving spoilers)
The plot and imagery was great! I will say that it starts a bit slow but then it picks up and you end up reading until 3am.
I also do not read many Sci-Fi Fantasy books so I was very surprised in how I really enjoyed the technology development part of the plot. it was very easy to follow and very intriguing. Did I also mention that the technology prototypes are inspired from actual weaponry design from the Ming Dynasty.
Lastly if you enjoy Mulan Vibes, History, weaponry, technology advancements and C-dramas you will enjoy "Of Jade and Dragons" !
Now I will go and watch all the C-dramas that are inspired by Ming and Qin Dynasty to get my fill until I wait for the announcement of book two.
Must Read for sure. ADD IT TO YOUR TBR RIGHT NOW!
p.s. Thank you Netgally and Amber Chen for allow me to read the ARC !!
I truly enjoyed the beautiful story that Amber Chen gave us with "Of Jade and Dragons"
After doing some research (followed her on instagram) I learned that her novel was inspired by true events that happened during the Ming and Qing Dynasty and that both FMC and MMC are based on real people!!
Even though we did not see a lot of interaction between Ying and Ye-yang the little sweet moments that we did get from them was enough for me to fall in love with their relationship & for me to root for their happy ending. With that being said, I'm hoping and praying Ying overcomes her "dad issues" in the second novel because WHY !!!!!??? (That's all I can say without giving spoilers)
The plot and imagery was great! I will say that it starts a bit slow but then it picks up and you end up reading until 3am.
I also do not read many Sci-Fi Fantasy books so I was very surprised in how I really enjoyed the technology development part of the plot. it was very easy to follow and very intriguing. Did I also mention that the technology prototypes are inspired from actual weaponry design from the Ming Dynasty.
Lastly if you enjoy Mulan Vibes, History, weaponry, technology advancements and C-dramas you will enjoy "Of Jade and Dragons" !
Now I will go and watch all the C-dramas that are inspired by Ming and Qin Dynasty to get my fill until I wait for the announcement of book two.
Must Read for sure. ADD IT TO YOUR TBR RIGHT NOW!
p.s. Thank you Netgally and Amber Chen for allow me to read the ARC !!
trr51591's review
3.5
This is marketed as "Mulan" meets "Iron Widow", as it follows Ying, an 18-year-old girl from a small village, as she disguises herself as a boy for a chance to track down her father's murderer and join the Engineering Guild in the capital city (which of course only admits men). Ying becomes allies and ~potentially more~ with a prince, Ye-Yang, who finds out she's a girl in CHAPTER FOUR. Sorry for yelling, but I was expecting awkward homoerotic-but-not-really tension between them for at least half the book, so that threw me. There's a few Harry Potter-esque elements here, with the school setting and the teachers who have history with Ying's father that influences their dynamic with her. Not to mention that she suspects some of them of being involved in his death. There's also trials that the candidates go through before being invited into Guild, so that's entertaining.
I found the school setting fun, and I liked the trials aspect and the actual engineering parts. But I found myself wishing that those all had more detail to them. I felt like the passage of time was a little off-kilter sometimes; we'd go from having several chapters covering one evening to suddenly it being 45 days later and having skipped most of the work Ying was doing to prepare for a trial, which I'd have liked to see. I didn't feel very attached to most of the characters, so there wasn't the emotional impact I need in order to really love a story. I think Ye-Kan, Ying's bratty classmate, was probably my favorite, for the comic relief. I did like the twists towards the end and the focus on the morality questions of invention and its uses, that was very well done. Also, this did make me want to watch "Mulan" again. Thanks to Penguin Teen and the author for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
I found the school setting fun, and I liked the trials aspect and the actual engineering parts. But I found myself wishing that those all had more detail to them. I felt like the passage of time was a little off-kilter sometimes; we'd go from having several chapters covering one evening to suddenly it being 45 days later and having skipped most of the work Ying was doing to prepare for a trial, which I'd have liked to see. I didn't feel very attached to most of the characters, so there wasn't the emotional impact I need in order to really love a story. I think Ye-Kan, Ying's bratty classmate, was probably my favorite, for the comic relief. I did like the twists towards the end and the focus on the morality questions of invention and its uses, that was very well done. Also, this did make me want to watch "Mulan" again. Thanks to Penguin Teen and the author for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
crothe77's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
5.0
I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Of Jade and Dragons by Amber Chen is a YA third person-POV fantasy retelling of Mulan. When Ying’s father is murdered, she heads to the Engineers Guild to not only pursue his murderer, but also to become an engineer. Women are not allowed into the Guild, so Ying disguises herself as a young man while she grows closer to the beile, a prince of the High Command, Ye-yang.
The worldbuilding was a blending of steampunk and Ancient China, allowing the story to explore inventions and mechanical parts while those same inventions are informed by the world around them. There's a mysterious country with green-eyed people who brought some of the ideas to Ying’s country, but people like her father have made those inventions their own and found ways to improve upon them.
I really liked that the story was about a young woman pursuing invention and being an engineer. We always need more women in STEAM and engineering still seems quite male-dominated. The guild tests reminded me a bit of the tests engineers need to take in order to get a license to practice.
Ying spends the majority of her time among her cohort of engineering hopefuls, getting to them and learning bits and pieces about her father from their conversations. Ying was aware of her father's brilliance as an engineer, but not that he was almost the guild master before he returned to his rural home. Recontextualizing a parent after they pass is never easy, but I felt that seeing Ying struggle with learning just how involved her father was in certain things and what he was involved in was realistic and added a sense of complexity to her character arc.
I would recommend this to fans of fantasy retellings of Mulan, readers looking for stories about invention in a fantasy world, and those who want a YA Asian fantasy with a slower pacing.
dancerava's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
4 out of 5 stars
⚙️🧡 Poppy War meets steam punk!🧡⚙️
Overall description: This book reminds me of the Avatar: The Last Airbender episode where they discover engineers working out of the air temple. A duality of engineering is explored in this book between invention and engineering as a public benefit or as an arms race for war.
The setting and plot has academia, a girl undercover as a boy (Mulan vibes), a beautiful asian inspired setting and age appropriate romantic pining🏮. The story was interesting with twists and political maneuvering while the characters are loveable yet frustrating at times. I feel like the character development and relationships were realistic in how they build and grow. I would say this book skews to the upper end of YA as there were more mature and complex plot lines that I don't usually see in YA nowadays.
What lacked for me were the politics seeming one-dimensional, a few logic things that took me out of the story and the geography/empire was a bit complex, For example, there 10 isles, 9 banners and 8 banner-men - or something of the sort. It only minorly detracted from my understand and enjoyment of the story. The story wraps up nicely with room for the overarching plot in future books.
I’d recommend this if you enjoy steampunk or Asian inspired fantasy.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Teen for the opportunity to read and review this eARC.
⚙️🧡 Poppy War meets steam punk!🧡⚙️
Overall description: This book reminds me of the Avatar: The Last Airbender episode where they discover engineers working out of the air temple. A duality of engineering is explored in this book between invention and engineering as a public benefit or as an arms race for war.
The setting and plot has academia, a girl undercover as a boy (Mulan vibes), a beautiful asian inspired setting and age appropriate romantic pining🏮. The story was interesting with twists and political maneuvering while the characters are loveable yet frustrating at times. I feel like the character development and relationships were realistic in how they build and grow. I would say this book skews to the upper end of YA as there were more mature and complex plot lines that I don't usually see in YA nowadays.
What lacked for me were the politics seeming one-dimensional, a few logic things that took me out of the story and the geography/empire was a bit complex, For example, there 10 isles, 9 banners and 8 banner-men - or something of the sort. It only minorly detracted from my understand and enjoyment of the story. The story wraps up nicely with room for the overarching plot in future books.
I’d recommend this if you enjoy steampunk or Asian inspired fantasy.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Teen for the opportunity to read and review this eARC.
thedragonqueen's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
5.0
I hybrid read of Jade and Dragons by Amber Chen thanks to PRH audio and Penguin Teen. We follow Aihui Ying, a young girl who witness's her father's murder. She sets out to figure out who would want her father dead, disguised as her brother. She joins the trials to join the prestigious Engineer's Guild, in hopes she'll find more about her father while also following her dream to be a guild master engineer. This mysterious, captivating debut kept me at the edge of my seat! I loved the trials and the main character's tenacity and stubbornness. The twist and turns made this book a 5/5 for me. And THAT ENDING, WOW! Run to get yourself a copy on June 18!
francxscamc's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Of Jade and Dragons was one of my most anticipated debuts of 2024. I was immediately drawn by this insanely gorgeous cover and was intrigued by the premise. This silkpunk fantasy centers on Aihui Ying who finds father murdered and embarks on a quest to uncover the secrets which led to his tragic end. In addition to that, she must disguise herself as her brother in order to join the Engineer's Guild (which she has always wanted to do), since this is the only connection she has to her father's death.
From the first chapter, I was so intrigued of the world and the politics. I loved learning about the Engineer's Guild, Huanin, and Fei and I wish to uncover more about the setting in the next book with its unique steampunk nature with sci-fi elements and technology. Personally, I adored Ying's character. The mere strength it takes to leave town in order to avenge her father's death when her brother who becomes chieftain deters her from doing so is impressive. As well as taking into account her disguise, the dangerous trials of the guild, and the murderous assassin who always seems to catch up with her. All the scenes in the guild were my favorite parts, especially ones that involved Ye-kan. The bond that he develops with Ying was so endearing, despite his initial dislike for her. I loved that they ended up being the ones who learned each other's secrets and protected each other, similar to how a sibling would act. Given the fact that Ye-kan was raised in such an environment, it is astounding that he matured within the time he was at the guild. Ye-yang and Ying were so cute and I absolutely gobbled up the crumbs we were given. Their relationship is so complex with all the twists that occurred, which is the most I can say without spoiling too much. Ying remained strong-willed and did not stray from her beliefs despite her loss of innocence. I thought the ending was so impactful and I cannot believe that I have to wait so long for the continuation which I will definitely be picking up.
Thank you so much to Netgalley and Penguin Teen for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review!
From the first chapter, I was so intrigued of the world and the politics. I loved learning about the Engineer's Guild, Huanin, and Fei and I wish to uncover more about the setting in the next book with its unique steampunk nature with sci-fi elements and technology. Personally, I adored Ying's character. The mere strength it takes to leave town in order to avenge her father's death when her brother who becomes chieftain deters her from doing so is impressive. As well as taking into account her disguise, the dangerous trials of the guild, and the murderous assassin who always seems to catch up with her. All the scenes in the guild were my favorite parts, especially ones that involved Ye-kan. The bond that he develops with Ying was so endearing, despite his initial dislike for her. I loved that they ended up being the ones who learned each other's secrets and protected each other, similar to how a sibling would act. Given the fact that Ye-kan was raised in such an environment, it is astounding that he matured within the time he was at the guild. Ye-yang and Ying were so cute and I absolutely gobbled up the crumbs we were given. Their relationship is so complex with all the twists that occurred, which is the most I can say without spoiling too much. Ying remained strong-willed and did not stray from her beliefs despite her loss of innocence. I thought the ending was so impactful and I cannot believe that I have to wait so long for the continuation which I will definitely be picking up.
Thank you so much to Netgalley and Penguin Teen for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review!