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_christinacreads's review
Mulan inspired but instead of a high stakes war there’s a training competition and a murder mystery that’s kind of pushed to the back burner? Idk I really was just bored. I do think the author is really sweet and genuinely kind and I hope this book finds its audience.
cyndqls's review
4.0
Thank you NetGalley and Viking Books for Young Readers for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!
I heard this was a girls in STEM book and I was immediately intrigued, even though I am sometimes a little hesitant towards YA titles. I did ultimately really like this and found it well-paced and engaging, though I did think the chapters ran a little long for my liking. Though she is at times frustrating, I felt that Ying was fully realized (I mean—she’s 18, and a little stupid, and going through it, it’s fine). I also liked the other characters that Chen introduced; Ye-Kan’s character arc was good to see in particular.
The overall plot was interesting and I’m definitely interested in seeing how the rest of the story will unfold in the sequel. There’s some neat things happening and I liked the worldbuilding a lot, though I’ve always thought silkpunk is an interesting genre. Though there are no real dragons in this, reading about the engineers’ work was fun. I was pleasantly surprised at some of the turns this took and while I didn’t care much for the tiny romance subplot, I also didn’t mind it.
There were some bumps at the start but I think they evened out as the story progressed and I had fun reading it! My biggest complaint is that I felt like the chapters were all a bit too long and could’ve been cut in half (even if it would’ve doubled the chapter count) but that’s just a matter of personal preference.
fatime_sino's review against another edition
3.0
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!
This was enjoyable, but ultimately kind of all over the place in terms of characters and story.
After Ying’s father is murdered, she goes to the engineering school that he went to for answers. What I love about this plot line is that Ying is a HORRIBLE detective. She figures out absolutely nothing and gets no clues, and it was honestly kind of refreshing to see. She’s an engineer, not a detective.
I really had trouble with Ying and Ye-yang’s relationship, as I didn’t trust him even a little bit the whole time (and I was ultimately right), but I think this was intentional. It made me feel uncomfortable and unsure, and I think (hope) that was the goal, to show some truly morally gray characters.
One relationship I loved was Ying and Ye-kan, they were great together and I know they had a brotherly/sisterly bond but I was still like… I could get behind that romance if the author went that way. They had great back-and-forth and they truly cared about each other and made each other laugh.
Ultimately, the biggest issue with this book for me was the pacing. Time was going by so fast and we weren’t seeing some moments that I felt we should have seen. We didn’t see ANY of Ying’s lessons and schooling so I’m really not sure what she learned and what growth she had as an engineer other than her starting to design and build weapons. Everything felt very rushed and convenient to me.
I’m probably going to read the next book because I am curious to see where the story goes and I think there’s room for a lot of growth and interesting story ideas, plus the writing potential is there.
This was enjoyable, but ultimately kind of all over the place in terms of characters and story.
After Ying’s father is murdered, she goes to the engineering school that he went to for answers. What I love about this plot line is that Ying is a HORRIBLE detective. She figures out absolutely nothing and gets no clues, and it was honestly kind of refreshing to see. She’s an engineer, not a detective.
I really had trouble with Ying and Ye-yang’s relationship, as I didn’t trust him even a little bit the whole time (and I was ultimately right), but I think this was intentional. It made me feel uncomfortable and unsure, and I think (hope) that was the goal, to show some truly morally gray characters.
One relationship I loved was Ying and Ye-kan, they were great together and I know they had a brotherly/sisterly bond but I was still like… I could get behind that romance if the author went that way. They had great back-and-forth and they truly cared about each other and made each other laugh.
Ultimately, the biggest issue with this book for me was the pacing. Time was going by so fast and we weren’t seeing some moments that I felt we should have seen. We didn’t see ANY of Ying’s lessons and schooling so I’m really not sure what she learned and what growth she had as an engineer other than her starting to design and build weapons. Everything felt very rushed and convenient to me.
I’m probably going to read the next book because I am curious to see where the story goes and I think there’s room for a lot of growth and interesting story ideas, plus the writing potential is there.
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.