A review by goodeyreads
Of Jade and Dragons by Amber Chen

medium-paced

5.0

Thank you Penguin Teen #PenguinTeenPartner for the gifted copy!

THE ENDING BROUGHT IT.

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I was minding my own business reading this book, enjoying it, thinking this would be a good four star and I’d be happy to pick up the next book. BUT THEN, I just absolutely loved that the last 25% took it to another level for me. This had the classic middle ground young adult vibes (and actually kept it that way with the content) that reminded me of all the things I love about young adult books.

I loved Ying. She was tenacious and full of heart. There were some Mulan nods alongside a fantasy woman in STEM and I loved the combination. The competition and guild trials were interesting and paced well. I loved that the progression of the story kept moving forward and had me glued to my book.

The slow burn romance made me FEEL by the end. And I am HERE FOR THE DRAMA of it all. I can’t wait to see how things shake out and where they go. I love that this ended on a cliffhanger that demanded my attention. I also really loved the friendship Ying had with a few of her fellow apprentices. It showcased a true boy / girl friendship (which I feel like we don’t see enough of???) and I loved how the loyalty was truly forged in fire.

Fantastic book, can’t wait for more!!

Overall audience notes:
- YA Fantasy Romance
- Language: low
- Romance: kisses
- Violence: moderate
- Content Warnings: war themes, near death experiences, murder, weapons violence