A review by _shannara_
Of Jade and Dragons by Amber Chen

adventurous challenging emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

A steampunk fantasy inspired by the history of the Qing Dynasty, Of Jade and Dragons is an impressive YA debut. This story follows Aihui Ying as she disguise herself as a boy and infiltrates the prestigious Engineer’s Guild, all in an effort to solve her father’s mysterious murder. 

I appreciated that Ying was a bit older than a lot of ya protagonists. I think it made her actions and choices feel more realistic. I also loved that Ying wasn’t some prodigy when it came to engineering. She’s definitely smart and cleaver but she’s good at engineering because her father nurtured and encouraged her interest in it. Ying’s character has a lot of depth and she really grows as a person over the course of the story. Her interactions with others, particularly Ye-Yang and Ye-Kan really shows her commitment to her core beliefs and her strong sense of self. She speaks her mind and she doesn’t let others treat her as lesser simply because of their status. 

Ye-Yang’s character is intriguing because throughout the story we see him wanting to be a better person than his father while still being trapped by his father’s world view and influence. He’s become complacent with the idea that the ends justify the means. Ying challenges this viewpoint, she pushes him to stand his ground, to demand better because nothing less will do.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and I am definitely interested in picking up the sequel to this story. If you like angst, strong FMC’s, revenge, politics, beautiful world building, and high-stakes adventures then you should pick up this book.