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A review by kimminy_cricket
Of Jade and Dragons by Amber Chen
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.25
Overall, I liked the book. A girl goes on a quest to avenge her father and has a chance to meet her goal of joining the Engineers Guild at the same time.
I thought the ending of the book was quite strong and the last quarter of the book is where it really shines. I really liked the relationship between Ying and Ye-kan and the understanding that Ying developed of her father.
The world building is somewhat weak and parts of the plot don't stand up to scrutiny. I had a hard time reconciling the level of industry required for Ying and her father to conduct experiments on their island with them being nomadic herders. Ying's father's position as chieftain is a part of the romantic plot of the book, but otherwise does not make sense (why would you send your future chieftain to learn engineering?). I also wonder if all the airship engineers were part of the Engineers Guild, because if they're only taking 3 students a year and there were at least 20 senior airship engineers, most of those airship engineers must have found a different path to that career.
There are a few parts where the writing is confusing and I had to read a sentence several times to figure out what was being said.
Despite the complaints, I could see myself picking up the second book.
I thought the ending of the book was quite strong and the last quarter of the book is where it really shines. I really liked the relationship between Ying and Ye-kan and the understanding that Ying developed of her father.
The world building is somewhat weak and parts of the plot don't stand up to scrutiny. I had a hard time reconciling the level of industry required for Ying and her father to conduct experiments on their island with them being nomadic herders. Ying's father's position as chieftain is a part of the romantic plot of the book, but otherwise does not make sense (why would you send your future chieftain to learn engineering?). I also wonder if all the airship engineers were part of the Engineers Guild, because if they're only taking 3 students a year and there were at least 20 senior airship engineers, most of those airship engineers must have found a different path to that career.
There are a few parts where the writing is confusing and I had to read a sentence several times to figure out what was being said.
Despite the complaints, I could see myself picking up the second book.