Scan barcode
A review by susyispnk
Of Jade and Dragons by Amber Chen
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the eARC of this book.
You're going to like this book if you are a fan of Mulan and the idea of going against what is "expected" from a person in society. This book is a good representation of doing something for your own values instead of just following what others say you should do.
The main characters are well written and intriguing with their interactions. The main female character, Ying, is stubborn but has a good sense of loyalty and what is right on a larger scale. Her interactions with the main male character, Ye-Yang, were a bit bland in my opinion but I liked the fact that she was not immediately in love with him just because of his pretty face or social rank. Ye-Yang, is a decent main male character, he felt a bit boring and even confusing at first because he was not showing as many quirks until after maybe half of the book.
The story did not take on an interesting enough plot until about 40% of the book, when the main idea was being planted and the conflict was kind of obvious. I think the plot was good enough to keep the desire to read ahead but it just started so slow that I almost did not finish it. I am glad I did finish it though, but I think it will be just fine as a standalone since I don't see how it can add anything else to the story that would make me want to keep reading it.
Overall, the story was good and the characters were well planned and introduced. The book itself could have left some stuff out to make it a bit easier to get into the main conflict, but the overall idea of the main character's purpose was well addressed. I liked the book enough to finish it.
You're going to like this book if you are a fan of Mulan and the idea of going against what is "expected" from a person in society. This book is a good representation of doing something for your own values instead of just following what others say you should do.
The main characters are well written and intriguing with their interactions. The main female character, Ying, is stubborn but has a good sense of loyalty and what is right on a larger scale. Her interactions with the main male character, Ye-Yang, were a bit bland in my opinion but I liked the fact that she was not immediately in love with him just because of his pretty face or social rank. Ye-Yang, is a decent main male character, he felt a bit boring and even confusing at first because he was not showing as many quirks until after maybe half of the book.
The story did not take on an interesting enough plot until about 40% of the book, when the main idea was being planted and the conflict was kind of obvious. I think the plot was good enough to keep the desire to read ahead but it just started so slow that I almost did not finish it. I am glad I did finish it though, but I think it will be just fine as a standalone since I don't see how it can add anything else to the story that would make me want to keep reading it.
Overall, the story was good and the characters were well planned and introduced. The book itself could have left some stuff out to make it a bit easier to get into the main conflict, but the overall idea of the main character's purpose was well addressed. I liked the book enough to finish it.