I absolutely loved this book! I was invested from early on and loved finding out more from this world. Anytime I wasn’t reading this I kept finding myself thinking about it which is the sign of a great book for me!

There is an engineering school with fantasy elements and trials so I was immediately interested in this book and it didn’t disappoint! I liked the main character but I was also a big fan of the side characters and I enjoyed seeing some of those relationships develop.

Often in fantasy many of the more ‘magical’ elements are explained away as being part of the magic system of the world, but in Of Jade and Dragons I particularly enjoyed the engineering aspect and how big of a role it plays in this world. I have a background in STEM so I loved that aspect.

I am now desperate for more in this world!

I LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH, luckily got the pretty illumicrate edition too!!

It was just so beautifully written, I’m now off to find everything by amber chen

Thank you to NetGalley, publisher and author for providing me with an ARC copy of the book.

There are some plot spoilers.

I admit to have anticipated to read Of Jade and Dragons. Like the author I enjoy watching Chinese fantasy TV series (widely known as C-dramas, though there are many sub-genres), which provided the inspiration for the book. I think overall it is a very encouraging step that recently more and more books written in the style of East Asian TV shows/fantasy novels are being published directly in English. I appreciate some of the books have become topics of discussion in regards to whether they provide accurate representation, but most are actually written by new authors with East Asian heritage and at very least they, I hope, will encourage more and more readers to diversify their reading and look into the culture and history as a result.

This is why I was quite saddened by the lost promise of the book, which unfortunately did not come up to expectations or even its own potential.

As the author suggested it is very obviously inspired by C-dramas and reads as one. An 18 year old girl called Aihui Ying, daughter of the clan's leader, is more interested in engineering than marriage and spends time with her father in his workshop inventing rather than engaging in the expected "housekeeping" activities expected of her, and is supported in this by her progressive father. One night she bares witness to his murder, and discovers secrets from his hidden past. Despite her dying father;'s wishes to leave things alone, of course she decides to investigate and disguises herself as her brother to enter the elusive Engineers' Guild of her father's past in order to uncover the truth. Throughout this ordeal, she meets one of the nation's Princes who is also a war leader, and who becomes an ally in her quest, but also puts her in the middle of palace politics and intrigue.

The premise and storyline are quite stereotypical - I can recall numerous dramas where the rebellious daughter of a patriarchical society disguises herself as a boy and follows a quest, meeting a handsome comrade and various allies and foes on the way. This book was aiming to be silkpunk, ie Asian based fantasy with technology that would not normally belong to an ancient era, and that could have led to interesting plot points, and so could the integration of engineering, murder, Guild secrets and politics.

I think the biggest problem is that despite the plot, the book is not actually YA but very much middle grade. The heroine is supposed to be 18yrs old and yet reads as barely a 13-14y old, and so does the whole book in terms of complexity of ideas and character development. There is very little that is not easily predictable, too many plot conveniences, very shallow characters and motivation and, in the end, the book loses its interest and drags. The relationship between the two main characters is supposedly developing into a romantic attraction but that is not really felt, and the villains are more caricatures in the end. There is also a lot of dialogue that is entirely out of keeping with the era/premise, such as the word "chauvinistic"-which makes the heroine read like a modern teenage character chewing out a speech on the rights of women.

This is going to be a series, and I will probably read the sequel as I always try to finish the sequels.. but the book might have been better off if targeted to a much younger audience and if editing smoothed out the oddities in speech/expression and gave the plot more complexity.

I think I would have loved this when I was a child! I really enjoyed the silkpunk worldbuilding, the decisions on what technologies and inventions had been created.

Ying was hit and miss for me - I liked some of her spunk and interest in engineering, but it really felt like she didn't think things through or have much strategic thinking ability. I also wish that her relationships and conversations with Yeyang, Ning, even Lianshu had gone deeper. I did really enjoy the sibling bond she created with Ye-kan though.

I also liked this enough as a standalone - I'm not sure I want there to be a relationship development because her ending up at home understanding her father's choices is a perfect bittersweet parallel.

This wasn’t quite the book I was expecting it to be but there was an interesting element of deception as Ying infiltrates the exclusive Engineering Guild as her brother in an attempt to find answers and exact revenge. Her sponsor, Ye-yang, has power in the city and is entangled in the politics, isolated from his ambitious brothers out of necessity as they all vie for the most coveted position of heir to their father’s growing empire. I found the Guild very interesting and the creations and work a cool part of the story. I also love it when female character say F the patriarchy and prove themselves in a “male” space. However it did feel overall quite slow and I don’t think the friendships were written in a way that made them feel significant in the story, more like were told they’re friends than seeing it and considering how much time Ying spent with those boys/men that would have been a nice addition to the story. I also wanted more from Ye-yang and Ying’s relationship - or maybe just more from Ye-yang. He obviously didn’t deserve Ying and their part of the story took a strange turn and I felt pretty cheated out what was setting itself up to be a great slow burn romance.
Overall I wasn’t invested in the characters or the plot, and it didn’t hit the mark for me, but the concept was interesting and as the pieces came together there were definitely surprises!

I'm at a point in my reading process where I need all the silkpunk, C-drama and Asian mythology in my books. I'm enjoying the setting, worldbuilding, and the mix of fiction and history.
Of Jade and Dragons has one thing more going for it: the engineering aspect of it all, which is really interesting and gives a whole new set of plot possibilities.
I must say though I'm a bit tired of the trial stories, because more often than not they're not holding up and it's more of a structural thing than an interesting narrative. In this book the trial aspect to me is also the least interesting of it all.
The FMC was really tough and straightforward, although I think all of the characters could have been fleshed out a bit more. I got attached to them, but I didn't get hooked or ached/feared for them.
I'm definitely gonna keep on reading though, and I have the urge to go back into this world.

4/5 stars

Thank you @netgalley and @puffinbooks for the eARC!

#OfJadeAndDragons #Netgalley #Bookstagram

The cover of this book is stunning and pulled me in at the first place and I’m happy the story is just as amazing! I’ve always been a fan of Mulan and Six Crimson Cranes and this is pulling of the vibe amazingly. I really liked the FMC and how she went through engineering school. The plot twists aren’t crazy and I wish they were a little less predictable but it’s a great one if you look for high fantasy!

A surprisingly light novel about a talented tinkering girl who gets caught up in plots of murder, ambition, and pride. Regarding its vibes, conflicts, protagonist's arc, pacing, and resolution of the plotlines, this novel vaguely reminds me of aspects of Elizabeth Lim's Spin the Dawn, Joan He's Descendant of the Crane, and Kylie Lee Baker's The Keeper of Night.

The story's worldbuilding regarding the Engineering Guild and the inventions within its world is superb. The chemistry between Ying and her chaotic fellow engineers is charming as they squabble and hunger over the prestige and challenge of engineering and joining the Guild. We see Ying balance her hunger for perspective and connection with her father's mysterious past, her desire to create a positive impact with her inventions, and her thirst for justice and truth about her father's murder. We get hints of Antara's political relations with other isles and the Empire. Ying and Yeyang's relationship definitely has its cute moments.

I could guess most of the twists, small and big, but that's not a detriment to the story's execution as clues were laid for eagle-eyed readers to notice.

Seeing as there would be a sequel, hopefully, it would progress, resolve, and flesh out the supporting crew and their plotlines, the love story, the potential tension between Ying and Yeyang's families, and the foreboding clash between the Nine Isles and the Empire. It felt like we've barely scratched the surface of this story, making the novel feel quite light.

All in all, this is a dip of toes into a new world (and series).

Thanks to Netgalley and PRH UK Children's for providing me with the e-ARC/DRC in exchange for an honest review.

I cannot recommend this book enough. I think it will be a massive hit for Fourth Wing fans and anyone who likes steampunk kind of vibes. It’s a bit of a Mulan retelling, with a rural girl disguising herself as male to enter the competition for a place at the engineers guild but also to find out about her father and avenge his murder. There is a little bit of tame romance but it makes sense and does not detract from the plot which is high fantasy.

Would recommend, I cannot wait for the next one.

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC.

I think I would have loved this book if there was more world building: there is something about steampunkish elements in an Asian-inspired world that just captures my imagination. And while I really enjoyed the plot, I wish the main character would have spent more time focusing on her studies or her quest of revenge. Instead we got a lot of scenes with the main love interest (which weren't bad, I just would have prefered less of them).

A very strong 3.5 stars

Having expected a quest for vengeance, I was surprised when It seemed to turn into a story of an outsider against all odds entering a school (for engineers), with trials and disapproving teachers. A storyline I seemed to have read a lot recently- particularly with middle grade books. Thankfully, this was better than a lot of them. It is aimed a bit older, with hints of romance and some blood thirsty moments. Set in an oriental style world, it reminded me a little of Six of Crows, although it's not as twisty. The one thing that kept bugging me was that early on, when one student gave his name, I immediately thought ' He's from that family', yet no one in the book seemed to realise.
It kept me reading as I really wanted to find out what happened, a sign of a good read.

Of Jade and Dragons was a fast paced read, and it dove straight into the action without any info dumping. It did jump from one thing to the next, which may not work if you enjoy the journey. Which usually I do, but I felt liked it worked here and didn't take away from the story.

I loved the main character, Aihui. She was very determined and strong willed. Her love interest was intriguing as well. I also enjoyed the friendship she formed in the guild, and was pleased that it didn't turn into a love triangle.

Despite enjoying the story overall I found the romance, one of the aspects I was looking forward, quite underdeveloped. There was no build up or tension, in my opinion. I'm hoping it develops further in the sequel.

From the way things ended I'm definitely interested in picking up the next book in the trilogy when it's released.

I really loved this book, Ying is such a interesting and well written character. I loved how the romantic and platonic relationship were written, and I can't wait to see how they progress.
Really looking forward to the next book in this series!

I really enjoyed this Asian inspired YA novel. It was refreshing to have a female MC who stuck to her morals and principles instead of just blindly following a love interest. It sets a good example for girls (and women, to be fair) everywhere to follow. I was definitely invested in the characters.

The plot was good, although it was also quite simple and easy to work out. The pacing was quick enough to maintain the flow and keep my interest.

I would have liked to see a bit more of the worldbuilding. I enjoyed the guild and the trials the apprentices undertook, but it would have been nicer to see learn more of the history between the Empire and the Isles, for example.
I will definitely look forward to the next one.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an E-ARC.

What a fantastic book!! excuse my language, but holy sh*t!!!
putting it down to focus on my adult responsibilities was constantly a struggle. i would've finished it one sitting if i had the time.

ying as a main character was absolutely fantastic, and i loved the way her relationships developed. the friendship with ye-kan, and romance with ye-yang. im hoping my love triangle senes are right, and this will turn into a somewhat love triangle within the next book.

the story and world building immediately sucked me in, and i could vidily imagine the world amber chan created.

i can't wait for the next book to be released!!

This was very good!! Not as many dragons as I was expecting, however I did appreciate how dragons were incorporated in to the story.

I really liked Ying as a protagonist and I loved her character arc. Filled with conflict over her fathers dying wishes and a need to find out why he died, Ying keeps finding herself in tricky situations and more inner conflict rises as she delves deeper in to the past her father tried so hard to keep secret…

I think this book works well as a standalone so I am very interested to see where book 2 takes us (a book I am currently all for, even though this could work as a standalone doesn’t mean it has to be!).

The world building was good, however I did sometimes find myself getting confused about the geography and the history of the different places which made it hard to understand what exactly was going on and why. For the life of me I couldn’t really keep track of who was loyal to who and who was fighting who and why, so I think there could’ve been more work down to give the context a bit more clarity.

I thought the Engineering Guild was really interesting and I liked the trails, it was a good mix and I think they worked well alongside the other moving elements of the story.

As for the romance, while I did like Yang for some parts of the book as soon as we began to find out more about him I was put off and it’s not a romance I’m rooting for, especially not with Ying and him having opposing views on war, however we will see where the second book takes us.

For fans of The Scarlet Alchemist & The Night Ends With Fire, Of Jade and Dragons combines the magical academy setting & hiding as a man to gain entey. It also has a unique take on the 'magical academy' sub-genre, rather than magic, the power comes from engineering. I really enjoyed this take and it felt really refreshing.

We follow Ying, investigating her father's murder all the way to the Engineering Guild. Through a chance encounter she gains a powerful ally of the fourth beile, Ye-yang. Through his patronage she is able to gain entry as an apprentice and undertake multiple trials to prove her worth. The final trial is a real surprise as well!

Along the way, she gains some unconventional friends such as Ye-kan who has more to him than meets the eye. All the while, trying to remain undercover & find out the truth behind her father's murder.

Of Jade and Dragons is a brilliant debut with a unique take on some popular tropes, it flows really well (I got through about 85% in one sitting) and has a bunch of loveable characters. Highly recommend!

Thanks to Netgalley & Penguin Random House for the arc!

"Of Jade and Dragons" is the first installment of "Fall of the Dragon" , an Asian-inspired ya fantasy series written by Amber Chen and currently in progress.

I have been pointing at this book since its announcement, captivated by the intriguing premise and the gorgeous cover. I had pretty high expectations and in the end I was not disappointed! A few things didn't convince me, but overall I enjoyed it so much and am very happy!

The captivating, light and simple writing absorbed me completely, making it hard to tear myself away from the story. I admit that I expected a more evocative and lyrical style, a more epic atmosphere, but in the end I still enjoyed it.

The story takes place in the Antaran Isles, a complex of nine officially recognized islands, diverse in economy, society and geography, ruled by a High Commander. An area with limited resources, in depletion, which finds in the neighboring Great Jade Empire their greatest enemy. The Antaran Isles possess a powerful military arsenal, heavily focused on airships, and place great importance on the prestigious Engineers Guild, which trains and prepares engineers for use in weapons construction and many other fields. I was fascinated by this large and complex world building that mixes fantasy elements with more steampunk ones! I found it to be well described, managed and curated, although not fully explored. I liked the part about the Engineers Guild a lot, but I admit I would have liked to see more about the airships or the infamous Great Jade Empire. The former appear very little up close, limited more to figures in the background to admire, while the latter is mentioned several times but never shown. I hope these aspects will be further explored in the sequel, but otherwise I can only express kudos!

The story proceeds fast and brisk, between lessons, trials, investigations, assassination attempts, deceptions, secrets, lies, power plays, and very enjoyable interactions. I found the whole part about the Engineers Guild and the various trials super interesting, as well as the protagonist's investigations and attempts to kill her. I admit that I detected the various plot twists in advance, but this did not bother me. On the contrary, I was a bit puzzled by the general lack of urgency, of danger. Ying resolves the various situations far too easily, with far too convenient systems and aids. Also, as I mentioned above, the non-appearance of the Great Jade Empire in my opinion removes any sense of tension. Overall, however, the narrative entertained me a lot, so I am satisfied!

Ying, the protagonist with her only third person pov, convinced me. An 18-year-old from the remote island of Huarin, she disguises herself as a boy to infiltrate the Engineers Guild and search for clues about her father's murder. Ying is a determined, courageous, loyal and intelligent girl gifted with a natural talent for engineering and driven by the dream of becoming an engineer. An impossible desire to achieve because admission to the Guild is restricted to men only, at least until she disguises herself as a boy for her investigations.  I enjoyed following her adventures and found her to be well portrayed, although she didn't particularly strike me in terms of expressiveness. Among other things, I struggled to perceive her grief for her father's death, her mourning, and her affection for the brothers and sisters she left at home. I liked Ye-yang, the eighth prince of the High Commander! Ambiguous, mysterious, and taciturn, he captivated me with his enigmatic attitude and his attentiveness to Ying. The relationship that blossoms between the two seemed to me an insta-love really insta, but this did not bother me since it was mixed with excellent slooow burn and lots of angst. The rest of the secondary characters, including academy classmates, masters, and Ying and Ye-yang's relatives conveyed nothing to me and seemed rather shallow and vague.

All in all, "Of Jade and Dragons" is an excellent debut that left me eager to read the sequel!

Thank you to the Publisher and NetGalley for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Of Jade and Dragons was hard to put down. From the first pages, I was enchanted by the detailed and original world-building. With the Engineers Guild as a setting, many fantastical inventions and descriptions of intricate machinery create a unique narrative. The plot is fascinating, with many secrets, intrigues and twists. Apart from the murder mystery, we also have power struggles between the many heirs of the High Commander and their supporters.

There are some brilliant characters in this book who I will miss until the second book comes out. Ying is intelligent, independent and determined to prove her engineering skills. Ye-yang is one of the many sons stuck within the conventions and trying to prove his worth. His younger brother Ye-kan is one of my favourite characters, as he joined the guild examinations in secret and proceeded to be a menace. I’ve seen this novel compared to Mulan, but I think the only connection is the close relationship between Ying and her father and dressing up as a boy.

Also, this novel has an unexpected plot twist towards the end that excites me for the second instalment in the series.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Honestly I struggled to get into this book. Something about the writing just felt very lower YA / Middle Grade when I was expecting something different with an 18-year-old FMC. There was something stilted in the prose which felt unnatural. The world was interesting, I loved the vaguely steampunk elements with airships and chimeras (half beast, half machine). I wish there'd been a little more show and less tell with it though. Would have been great to get some more development of characters too. As for the story, things felt a bit too convenient. I think Ying was wearing top quality plot armour. Everything falls into a place a bit too well. It's a standard coming-of-age, finding yourself story. It just fell a bit short for me.

Overall I think it's more a me issue than the book itself.

If you go in with the expectation of a middle grade book you'll be okay, or have a kid in your life of 12-14 then I think they'd enjoy it a lot!