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A review by alimac713
Of Jade and Dragons by Amber Chen
adventurous
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
"A lamp can light up the darkness around you, but a story lights up the darkness within."
A disclaimer: There are no real dragons.
Eighteen-year-old Aihui Ying is living a relatively sedentary life when her brilliant engineer father is murdered during a workshop break-in. Desperate to learn the truth behind the murder, Aihui disguises herself as a boy and enrolls in the nation's notoriously difficult Engineering Guild in order to uncover the secret behind her father's past and what led to his death. Along the way she befriends two princes and uses her father's lessons to get through school, solve the case, and stay alive.
I'd never heard of silk punk but was drawn to this for the Mulan comparison, and it didn't disappoint. The first few pages were hard for me to get into, I think more due to the way the ARC formatted on my Kindle than anything to do with the story itself, but once I got going I read straight through to the end. The setting/set-up wasn't particularly unique, but the execution made the book fun to read nonetheless (after all, if you market the book with a Mulan comparison, you need to deliver). The trials at the Engineering Guild were interesting, and Aihui's unique answers also underscored the idea that engineering is both a science and an art. I could see the Chinese culture and influence throughout the book, and it really left me with some food for thought on today's world. No spoilers, but I also really appreciated that author didn't go with the easy, Disney-ending and instead let the characters be who they were and the chips fall where they may.
Thank you NetGalley, Penguin Group, and Viking Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
A disclaimer: There are no real dragons.
Eighteen-year-old Aihui Ying is living a relatively sedentary life when her brilliant engineer father is murdered during a workshop break-in. Desperate to learn the truth behind the murder, Aihui disguises herself as a boy and enrolls in the nation's notoriously difficult Engineering Guild in order to uncover the secret behind her father's past and what led to his death. Along the way she befriends two princes and uses her father's lessons to get through school, solve the case, and stay alive.
I'd never heard of silk punk but was drawn to this for the Mulan comparison, and it didn't disappoint. The first few pages were hard for me to get into, I think more due to the way the ARC formatted on my Kindle than anything to do with the story itself, but once I got going I read straight through to the end. The setting/set-up wasn't particularly unique, but the execution made the book fun to read nonetheless (after all, if you market the book with a Mulan comparison, you need to deliver). The trials at the Engineering Guild were interesting, and Aihui's unique answers also underscored the idea that engineering is both a science and an art. I could see the Chinese culture and influence throughout the book, and it really left me with some food for thought on today's world. No spoilers, but I also really appreciated that author didn't go with the easy, Disney-ending and instead let the characters be who they were and the chips fall where they may.
Thank you NetGalley, Penguin Group, and Viking Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.