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3.73 AVERAGE
3.73 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I was so excited to get back to Ying's story! I really enjoyed the pirate aspect and getting to see more engineering. I was a little disappointed to find out that this is only a duology, especially since the ending was a little unsatisfying. I'm really hoping we get more in this world!
I received a free digital ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
I received a free digital ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
The Blood Phoenix is book 2 in a duology after Of Jade and Dragons. The problem is, these books don’t feel like a duology. In book 1, we were introduced to the nine isles of Antaran, led by a high commander, with an engineering guild training the brightest minds to eventually stand up against the Empire. And then this book is a pirate adventure that has nothing to do with the Empire with a completely different adversary?
The meandering plot felt disjointed. More set up and clear direction would have probably made me feel more invested in the storyline. The side characters were also never fleshed out in book 1 or 2, so when big reveals happened, I didn’t feel the emotional connection that I should have.
Ying and Ye-Yang’s relationship is confusing. Are we supposed to be rooting for them as a couple? We are constantly told and shown how Ye-yang doesn’t respect Ying’s independence and how he repeatedly makes decisions or withholds information to manipulate, or at times forcefully change Ying’s actions. Ying keeps on saying that she is done with him and then they’re kissing a few chapters later. This doesn’t seem like a healthy relationship and is just unsatisfying all around with no redeeming aspects.
The best part of this book is probably Nian and Ye-kun. Their relationship development was cute.
Overall, the progression of both the main plot and romantic subplot was lacking and I wasn’t invested in any of it. The ending did not feel like a closure to a duology but left things open for further stories.
*Thank you to Netgalley for providing an ARC for an honest review. All opinions are my own*
The meandering plot felt disjointed. More set up and clear direction would have probably made me feel more invested in the storyline. The side characters were also never fleshed out in book 1 or 2, so when big reveals happened, I didn’t feel the emotional connection that I should have.
Ying and Ye-Yang’s relationship is confusing. Are we supposed to be rooting for them as a couple? We are constantly told and shown how Ye-yang doesn’t respect Ying’s independence and how he repeatedly makes decisions or withholds information to manipulate, or at times forcefully change Ying’s actions. Ying keeps on saying that she is done with him and then they’re kissing a few chapters later. This doesn’t seem like a healthy relationship and is just unsatisfying all around with no redeeming aspects.
The best part of this book is probably Nian and Ye-kun. Their relationship development was cute.
Overall, the progression of both the main plot and romantic subplot was lacking and I wasn’t invested in any of it. The ending did not feel like a closure to a duology but left things open for further stories.
*Thank you to Netgalley for providing an ARC for an honest review. All opinions are my own*
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
We begin 2 years after the first book in the series begins. The first book was good and left things open ended which one would expect in a duology. I loved the idea of this series, the asian steam punk Jules Verne aspect. I think I saw someone call it silk-punk. There are a lot of interesting things happening in this book but what really bothered me was the lack of character development. The characters just seemed lifeless to me which cause me to get bored at times and loose interest. This story had a lot of potential but it just did not come through for me.
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:
Complicated
Thank you to Amber Chen, PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group, and NetGalley for giving me an eARC of The Blood Phoenix in exchange for my honest review.
The Blood Phoenix is the second book in Amber Chen's Fall of the Dragons duology. This book takes place two years after the end of Of Jade and Dragons. This book follows both Ying and her sister Nian as they navigate the current political climate. I have seen reviews saying that they did not enjoy Nian's POV, but I have to agree, I thought her POV was outstanding and essential to the plot and the character development on several characters. I also enjoyed Ying's POV, but it was different, though in a way that I still enjoyed. I really liked watching both Ying and Nian throughout this book. I appreciated that while Ying grew, she still stuck to her guns and her beliefs that she held, which made it feel more realistic. Plot wise, I also truly enjoyed this book. It kept me on my toes and felt like a good sequel to Fall of the Dragons
I will say that I have seen a lot of mixed opinions on the ending so I wanted to give my thoughts on that. I actually appreciated the ending and liked that I was able to come to my own conclusions. I will say this is something that I do not normally appreciate, but it worked in this situation. It did remind me of another duology ending, but this ending still felt unique. While I do hope there is another book or duology maybe following the fallout of this book thought Nian's POV, which would give clarity to this ending, but even if there is not, I would be happy. I think this book ended in a way that was both satisfying and left room for more stories in this world if Chen choose. I will say that if there is more books in this world, I will pick it up instantly because I love the concept and feel as though there are more stories that could be told. Either way this was a great ending to a great duology.
The Blood Phoenix is the second book in Amber Chen's Fall of the Dragons duology. This book takes place two years after the end of Of Jade and Dragons. This book follows both Ying and her sister Nian as they navigate the current political climate. I have seen reviews saying that they did not enjoy Nian's POV, but I have to agree, I thought her POV was outstanding and essential to the plot and the character development on several characters. I also enjoyed Ying's POV, but it was different, though in a way that I still enjoyed. I really liked watching both Ying and Nian throughout this book. I appreciated that while Ying grew, she still stuck to her guns and her beliefs that she held, which made it feel more realistic. Plot wise, I also truly enjoyed this book. It kept me on my toes and felt like a good sequel to Fall of the Dragons
I will say that I have seen a lot of mixed opinions on the ending so I wanted to give my thoughts on that. I actually appreciated the ending and liked that I was able to come to my own conclusions. I will say this is something that I do not normally appreciate, but it worked in this situation. It did remind me of another duology ending, but this ending still felt unique. While I do hope there is another book or duology maybe following the fallout of this book thought Nian's POV, which would give clarity to this ending, but even if there is not, I would be happy. I think this book ended in a way that was both satisfying and left room for more stories in this world if Chen choose. I will say that if there is more books in this world, I will pick it up instantly because I love the concept and feel as though there are more stories that could be told. Either way this was a great ending to a great duology.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This was an excellent conclusion to the Duology and I was super excited to be approved for an ARC read so soon after finishing the first book.
This book takes place 2 years after the events of the first book and focuses more on how to handle the refugee and lack of food situation and the pirates that are causing the situation. Yins chapters are more focused on the pirate situation and how to stop them whereas Nians chapters are more political based and what goes on behind the scenes.
It's good to keep in mind that the main characters are loosely based on real life people. So as the ending is left open ended where you don't know what happened to two of the main characters definitively we can sort of guess what happened to them based on their real life counterparts. Maybe the author will revisit this world again and we'll get complete closure on some storylines or maybe not. Either way I was happy with ending and am happy to draw my own conclusions.
Thank you to NetGalley and to PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group | Viking Books for Young Readers
This book takes place 2 years after the events of the first book and focuses more on how to handle the refugee and lack of food situation and the pirates that are causing the situation. Yins chapters are more focused on the pirate situation and how to stop them whereas Nians chapters are more political based and what goes on behind the scenes.
It's good to keep in mind that the main characters are loosely based on real life people. So as the ending is left open ended where you don't know what happened to two of the main characters definitively we can sort of guess what happened to them based on their real life counterparts. Maybe the author will revisit this world again and we'll get complete closure on some storylines or maybe not. Either way I was happy with ending and am happy to draw my own conclusions.
Thank you to NetGalley and to PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group | Viking Books for Young Readers
adventurous
emotional
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
The Blood Phoenix is an exhilarating follow-up to Of Jade and Dragons, and this time, it comes with the added thrill of pirates!
Ying has grown from the first book's events, yet she still grapples with unresolved emotions. The story fast-forwards two years, with Ying hiding away in an isolated province, trying to escape her past. However, she is soon drawn back into the orbit of the capital—and of Ye-yang. This time, we also follow her sister and Ye-kan as they navigate a dangerous investigation. While I truly enjoyed their chapters, I did feel that they made the overall story a bit more dispersive.
Through intense battles, we also get to meet a found-family pirate crew, the Blood Phoenix is led by a powerful disabled woman, and they quickly throw our protagonists in the midst of a new slice of the world. I quickly grew fond of these new characters, but with the vastness of the world and all the intriguing developments, the pace did slow down, while still making me feel like we skipped a lot of interesting possible interactions during this arc! .
Despite this slower pace, The Blood Phoenix still left me wanting more. I’m eager to learn more about the world, its history, and the engineering challenges hinted at but never fully explored. While the central romance didn’t fully captivate me, I’m definitely excited to dive into any future books or companion stories set in this rich world.
I thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a review copy
I thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a review copy
Don't mind me spending the first 50% of the book rooting for An-xi and Chang-en to end up together...
The Blood Phoenix is the sequel to Of Jade and Dragons, and I just want to start by saying that if you're here for the romance, I would recommend not reading the sequel and just pretending book one ended however you wanted it to. You won't be happy with this book. If you enjoyed the fantasy/political intrigue aspects...maybe continue? Look, I'm gonna be honest right away and say the ending isn't super satisfying. If the author doesn't end up doing some sort of spin-off series, I'm going to be disappointed because she said this is a duology, and the story ends here...which I'm not happy about.
Two years have passed since the events of book one. Ying has been hiding from Ye-yang after he took on the role of High Commander, but when attacks by the pirates called the Blood Phoenixes force her back to the capital, she must face Ye-yang once more. Meanwhile, Nian is navigating life as the betrothed of the High Commander...despite her growing feelings for Ye-kan. The book alternates between Ying and Nian's POVs, and while I saw a lot of reviews hating Nian's POVs, I didn't mind them too much. While Ying's POVs tend to have more action, Nian's are a nice break from the tension (for the most part) and provide some much-needed answers. The pacing is a bit slow at times, and there are some time jumps that I felt were a bit awkward, but overall, I enjoyed the first 80% of the book or so. The ending is where I'm tempted to drop my rating, but I'm holding out hope for closure in some other form (and also, the shock factor of some plot twists was pretty intense).
This book had my opinions about certain characters completely flipped around. I was really invested in An-xi and Chang-en's friendship for some reason...I just found it really compelling. I did miss the dynamics between Ying and Ye-kan, but I liked Ye-kan and Nian even more in some respects. While their connection did feel a bit forced at the beginning, I liked seeing how Nian's strengths lie in Ying's weaknesses, and I enjoyed seeing Ye-kan grow into his leadership roles...and their chemistry was well-done. I also apologize, but I'm not a fan of Ye-yang. I found him a bit manipulative and was really hoping for a corruption arc based on the events of book one. He just felt a bit flat in this book, too. Ying was fine, but I felt like she was constantly worried about Ye-yang, and it made her POV a little less fun for me.
The Blood Phoenix is the sequel to Of Jade and Dragons that takes place in a fantasy "silkpunk" world and mixes political intrigue with a splash of romance and action.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the free e-ARC!
3.5/5
The Blood Phoenix is the sequel to Of Jade and Dragons, and I just want to start by saying that if you're here for the romance, I would recommend not reading the sequel and just pretending book one ended however you wanted it to. You won't be happy with this book. If you enjoyed the fantasy/political intrigue aspects...maybe continue? Look, I'm gonna be honest right away and say the ending isn't super satisfying. If the author doesn't end up doing some sort of spin-off series, I'm going to be disappointed because she said this is a duology, and the story ends here...which I'm not happy about.
Two years have passed since the events of book one. Ying has been hiding from Ye-yang after he took on the role of High Commander, but when attacks by the pirates called the Blood Phoenixes force her back to the capital, she must face Ye-yang once more. Meanwhile, Nian is navigating life as the betrothed of the High Commander...despite her growing feelings for Ye-kan. The book alternates between Ying and Nian's POVs, and while I saw a lot of reviews hating Nian's POVs, I didn't mind them too much. While Ying's POVs tend to have more action, Nian's are a nice break from the tension (for the most part) and provide some much-needed answers. The pacing is a bit slow at times, and there are some time jumps that I felt were a bit awkward, but overall, I enjoyed the first 80% of the book or so. The ending is where I'm tempted to drop my rating, but I'm holding out hope for closure in some other form (and also, the shock factor of some plot twists was pretty intense).
This book had my opinions about certain characters completely flipped around. I was really invested in An-xi and Chang-en's friendship for some reason...I just found it really compelling. I did miss the dynamics between Ying and Ye-kan, but I liked Ye-kan and Nian even more in some respects. While their connection did feel a bit forced at the beginning, I liked seeing how Nian's strengths lie in Ying's weaknesses, and I enjoyed seeing Ye-kan grow into his leadership roles...and their chemistry was well-done. I also apologize, but I'm not a fan of Ye-yang. I found him a bit manipulative and was really hoping for a corruption arc based on the events of book one. He just felt a bit flat in this book, too. Ying was fine, but I felt like she was constantly worried about Ye-yang, and it made her POV a little less fun for me.
The Blood Phoenix is the sequel to Of Jade and Dragons that takes place in a fantasy "silkpunk" world and mixes political intrigue with a splash of romance and action.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the free e-ARC!
3.5/5
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Blood Phoenix is the the follow-up to last year's Of Jade and Dragons and picks up 2 years after the events of the last book.
I unfortunately did not enjoy this book as much as I did the first book. The characters felt flat in comparison to the first and the pacing was a bit all over the place. I do love the world the author built and we got to see much more of that world this time around.
The ending felt as if it was leading up to a third book and felt rushed to a conclusion. I think there is enough story there where this could have been a trilogy, but maybe we'll get more stories set in this universe from the author.
Thank you the Penguin / Viking for an early copy of this book! All thoughts are my own.
I unfortunately did not enjoy this book as much as I did the first book. The characters felt flat in comparison to the first and the pacing was a bit all over the place. I do love the world the author built and we got to see much more of that world this time around.
The ending felt as if it was leading up to a third book and felt rushed to a conclusion. I think there is enough story there where this could have been a trilogy, but maybe we'll get more stories set in this universe from the author.
Thank you the Penguin / Viking for an early copy of this book! All thoughts are my own.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
It has been two years since the events in Of Jade and Dragons. FMC Ying is living on a remote island with a new fiance while she works on new inventions. Her heart still belongs to Ye-Yang but they cannot be together after he was forced into an engagement with Ying’s sister and the whole pesky him being involved in the death of her father. Also Yings sister is in love with Ye-Yangs brother. Love triangle? Who needs one of those when you can have a love rectangle instead!
Thank you for NetGalley and Viking Books for the opportunity to read and review this book which I am giving 3⭐️.
The good news is that I did enjoy this book slightly more than the first book. This time I enjoyed the love rectangle that is happening in this book and I enjoyed that the world was expanded upon and that readers get to experience a pirate adventure this time around.
While I did get a bit bored by all the conspiracies and politicking around the High Commander position it was really the end that disappointed me. This book really seemed like it was leading into a third book especially around the 85% mark but no an unsatisfying ending was slapped on and that’s it end of story.
This duology didn’t really work for me, but I think it would work well for newer YA readers. I really don’t think these two books were strong enough to support being picked by Illumicrate as special edition books.
Thank you for NetGalley and Viking Books for the opportunity to read and review this book which I am giving 3⭐️.
The good news is that I did enjoy this book slightly more than the first book. This time I enjoyed the love rectangle that is happening in this book and I enjoyed that the world was expanded upon and that readers get to experience a pirate adventure this time around.
While I did get a bit bored by all the conspiracies and politicking around the High Commander position it was really the end that disappointed me. This book really seemed like it was leading into a third book especially around the 85% mark but no an unsatisfying ending was slapped on and that’s it end of story.
This duology didn’t really work for me, but I think it would work well for newer YA readers. I really don’t think these two books were strong enough to support being picked by Illumicrate as special edition books.