A review by jes7037
Jade Fire Gold by June CL Tan

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.
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