I think this was a fun YA novel, I especially loved the strong female main character that was Ying, I think the most impressive thing about this book is that I am left wanting to continue the series in a big way.

3.5 stars

This is marketed as "Mulan" meets "Iron Widow", as it follows Ying, an 18-year-old girl from a small village, as she disguises herself as a boy for a chance to track down her father's murderer and join the Engineering Guild in the capital city (which of course only admits men). Ying becomes allies and ~potentially more~ with a prince, Ye-Yang, who finds out she's a girl in CHAPTER FOUR. Sorry for yelling, but I was expecting awkward homoerotic-but-not-really tension between them for at least half the book, so that threw me. There's a few Harry Potter-esque elements here, with the school setting and the teachers who have history with Ying's father that influences their dynamic with her. Not to mention that she suspects some of them of being involved in his death. There's also trials that the candidates go through before being invited into Guild, so that's entertaining.

I found the school setting fun, and I liked the trials aspect and the actual engineering parts. But I found myself wishing that those all had more detail to them. I felt like the passage of time was a little off-kilter sometimes; we'd go from having several chapters covering one evening to suddenly it being 45 days later and having skipped most of the work Ying was doing to prepare for a trial, which I'd have liked to see. I didn't feel very attached to most of the characters, so there wasn't the emotional impact I need in order to really love a story. I think Ye-Kan, Ying's bratty classmate, was probably my favorite, for the comic relief.I did like the twists towards the end and the focus on the morality questions of invention and its uses, that was very well done. Also, this did make me want to watch "Mulan" again. Thanks to Penguin Teen and the author for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving this ARC, and this doesn’t influence my review. This was a good book, the plot was intriguing, however the romance could’ve used some work. The Mulan-inspired part could’ve gone better in my opinion as well.

This was a strong start to a YA Fantasy series inspired by the Qing Dynasty and the story of Mulan. I liked how the mc, Ying, was written.
She showed intelligence and wisdom beyond her years while retaining the essence of a young adult. The romance aspect wasn't my favorite part, but I really did enjoy the other relationships that were developed and cultivated throughout the book. Very cool story and cool world.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

DNF, I’ve tried reading this book for the last month and have finally decided to just DNF it. I didn’t really care about the characters and it just reminded me to much of other books I’ve read. It also read to young to me.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me an ARC in exchange for honest review. DNF. I will not be finishing this. I don’t really care about what’s happening and even though it started off interesting it feels really slow. I am only rating and reviewing this, so it doesn’t hurt my feedback ratio and it makes me.

Of Jade and Dragons:
• YA Fantasy with some romance
• Academia-like: Engineer guild feels very similar to a university setting
• Female in STEM when its forbidden
• Political plot centered on avenging the death of the FMC’s father
• Based on some interesting historical people and inventions
• No real dragons (but there are dragons)
• Silkpunk – science fiction and fantasy combined with historical East Asian flare

I love a girl with a STEM centered way of thinking. Ying (FMC) is brave, headstrong, loyal, smart and lucky. She lives fairly isolated from her nation’s capital, leaving much of her father’s past a mystery when he is murdered for his engineering ideas and inventions. When her brother and sister don’t share her fierce need for vengeance, she sets off to achieve it herself. Ying’s character development is great from start to finish. I found her endearing, and I easily wanted to route for her. I really enjoyed the world building throughout the book as well.

I think anyone with interests in YA fantasy and STEM/academia should give this book a consideration. I enjoyed it!

What kept this from being a 5 star read for me were convivence issues, specifically how lucky Ying was and how easily she formed strong relationships with others. Ying found the one person that could help her be successful in the whole empire/nation by chance at the exact right time in a completely random location on her journey she had no real plan for. Regardless of why that person decided to help her, she wouldn’t have been able to get past the city gates, let alone achieve her goal, without that chance occurrence. Also, the only real on page relationship development happened between Ying and Ye-kan (he’s my favorite as a result!). They started out as “stay away from me” acquaintances and evolved into true friends [(fingers crossed for something deeper) – not a spoiler just my hopes and dreams]. Friendly relationships with Ye-yang and Chang-en were instant or dang close to it – these relationships are a center focus of the storyline. Banter and tension between friends, enemies, romantic interests, it all counts, get me hooked in stories; I thought there were a lot of missed opportunities in that arena.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Amber Chen, and Viking Books for sharing this eARC with me!

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Of Jade and Dragons by Amber Chen is a YA third person-POV fantasy retelling of Mulan. When Ying’s father is murdered, she heads to the Engineers Guild to not only pursue his murderer, but also to become an engineer. Women are not allowed into the Guild, so Ying disguises herself as a young man while she grows closer to the beile, a prince of the High Command, Ye-yang.

The worldbuilding was a blending of steampunk and Ancient China, allowing the story to explore inventions and mechanical parts while those same inventions are informed by the world around them. There's a mysterious country with green-eyed people who brought some of the ideas to Ying’s country, but people like her father have made those inventions their own and found ways to improve upon them.

I really liked that the story was about a young woman pursuing invention and being an engineer. We always need more women in STEAM and engineering still seems quite male-dominated. The guild tests reminded me a bit of the tests engineers need to take in order to get a license to practice.

Ying spends the majority of her time among her cohort of engineering hopefuls, getting to them and learning bits and pieces about her father from their conversations. Ying was aware of her father's brilliance as an engineer, but not that he was almost the guild master before he returned to his rural home. Recontextualizing a parent after they pass is never easy, but I felt that seeing Ying struggle with learning just how involved her father was in certain things and what he was involved in was realistic and added a sense of complexity to her character arc.

I would recommend this to fans of fantasy retellings of Mulan, readers looking for stories about invention in a fantasy world, and those who want a YA Asian fantasy with a slower pacing.

4 out of 5 stars

⚙️ 🧡 Poppy War meets steam punk!🧡⚙️

Overall description: This book reminds me of the Avatar: The Last Airbender episode where they discover engineers working out of the air temple. A duality of engineering is explored in this book between invention and engineering as a public benefit or as an arms race for war.

The setting and plot has academia, a girl undercover as a boy (Mulan vibes), a beautiful asian inspired setting and age appropriate romantic pining🏮. The story was interesting with twists and political maneuvering while the characters are loveable yet frustrating at times. I feel like the character development and relationships were realistic in how they build and grow. I would say this book skews to the upper end of YA as there were more mature and complex plot lines that I don't usually see in YA nowadays.


What lacked for me were the politics seeming one-dimensional, a few logic things that took me out of the story and the geography/empire was a bit complex, For example, there 10 isles, 9 banners and 8 banner-men - or something of the sort. It only minorly detracted from my understand and enjoyment of the story. The story wraps up nicely with room for the overarching plot in future books.

I’d recommend this if you enjoy steampunk or Asian inspired fantasy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Teen for the opportunity to read and review this eARC.

I hybrid read of Jade and Dragons by Amber Chen thanks to PRH audio and Penguin Teen. We follow Aihui Ying, a young girl who witness's her father's murder. She sets out to figure out who would want her father dead, disguised as her brother. She joins the trials to join the prestigious Engineer's Guild, in hopes she'll find more about her father while also following her dream to be a guild master engineer. This mysterious, captivating debut kept me at the edge of my seat! I loved the trials and the main character's tenacity and stubbornness. The twist and turns made this book a 5/5 for me. And THAT ENDING, WOW! Run to get yourself a copy on June 18!

Of Jade and Dragons by Amber Chen is an enthralling fantasy novel that captivated me from the very beginning. The story follows Yin, a brilliant and determined young woman who disguises herself as her brother to enter an engineer’s guild and solve her father’s murder.

Yin is a standout protagonist—smart, vigilant, and possessing a strong moral compass. Her unwavering attitude and strength make her an inspiring character to root for. The way she navigates the challenges in a world where she must conceal her true identity is both gripping and empowering.

The book is rich in fantasy elements, and Amber Chen does an exceptional job building a vivid, imaginative world. The city of Fei, with its unique customs and detailed setting, comes alive in the reader’s mind. Chen’s world-building skills are impressive, making the complex fantasy setting easy to understand and deeply immersive.

One of the highlights of Of Jade and Dragons is its diverse and well-developed cast of characters. There are no annoying or unnecessary characters; each one adds depth and significance to the story. The inclusion of more main characters in STEM fields is a refreshing and commendable touch, adding to the novel’s appeal.

The plot is a perfect blend of mystery and fantasy, with a hint of romance that enhances the story without overshadowing the main narrative. The mystery surrounding Yin’s father’s murder is skillfully woven, leading to a series of unexpected twists and betrayals that left me stunned when the secrets were finally revealed.

Overall, Of Jade and Dragons is a beautifully crafted novel with strong characters, an engaging plot, and a richly detailed world. Amber Chen has created a story that is both thought-provoking and entertaining, making it a must-read for fans of fantasy and mystery alike.

Interesting from the get go, this was a great story that I couldn't put down. Solving the mystery of her father's murder, Aihui goes to great lengths to stay hidden and find information to help her.

Thanks to Viking Books for Young Readers for the gifted copy of this book!

When Aihui Ying's father is killed and she's left only with a jade pendant snatched from his assassin, she decides to head to the capital to try out for the Engineers Guild, learn more about her father's killer, and get revenge.

Mulan meets IRON WIDOW was a great way to describe OF JADE AND DRAGONS. The Mulan-esque storyline is soooo up my alley becuase Ying just wants to follow in her father's footsteps and be an engineer in a society where women are not allowed to be engineers. The apprenticeship trials contain lots of action, there's a lovely eighth prince of the High Command (Aogiya Ye-yang), who makes some ~feelings~ come out, a great friendship, and of course lots of secrets. I couldn't put this book down... the 480 pages absolutely flew by! If you're worried about the IRON WIDOW comparison / sci-fi element, I promise you -- this is SUPER light on the sci fi front and easy to understand!

I gave four ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ to Of Jade and Dragons. Thank you Net Galley, Penguin Group Publishing and Amber Chen for this ARC. These are my honest opinions.

I had to wait a few days to review this book because I needed to see how I truly felt about it. This is a retelling of Mulan and Amber Chen does a great job!

I struggled with it when I first started reading it. It is pretty fast paced at the beginning with a lot of information thrown at the reader. But, it was necessary information, so I felt like I had to pay close attention. The middle of the book got a little tedious and didn’t feel like it moved forward for a while. But, the end was fabulous! Somewhat predictable, but not everything was and I love when I’m taken by surprise.

This was an incredible storyline to follow. Ying is an inspirations to young women everywhere. I loved following her as she tried to solve her father's murder while overturning the patriarchy and their outdated ideals. She's an incredibly smart and dedicated young woman finding her way. I cannot wait for more from Chen

In the ancient land of legends, there exists a tome entitled Of Jade and Dragons. The tale is one of swift and harmonious cadence, where each chapter flows with the grace of a warrior's dance, leading the reader through a land brimming with honor and valor and some deceit. The story unfolds with the spirit of Mulan herself, infusing every scene with the essence of courage and sacrifice, a tribute to the noble path of the warrior.

Yet, as the final pages draw near, the tale falters, its resolution unworthy of the grandeur that preceded it. The ending, alas, is a grave dishonor, a stark contrast to the valorous journey. Despite this, the book's heart beats with the indomitable spirit of a true warrior's saga, and for that, it is cherished.

Thus is the tale of Jade and Dragons really doesn't have Dragons :( its a story of great pacing and noble spirit, marred only by its regrettable conclusion.

Of Jade and Dragons was one of my most anticipated debuts of 2024. I was immediately drawn by this insanely gorgeous cover and was intrigued by the premise. This silkpunk fantasy centers on Aihui Ying who finds father murdered and embarks on a quest to uncover the secrets which led to his tragic end. In addition to that, she must disguise herself as her brother in order to join the Engineer's Guild (which she has always wanted to do), since this is the only connection she has to her father's death.

From the first chapter, I was so intrigued of the world and the politics. I loved learning about the Engineer's Guild, Huanin, and Fei and I wish to uncover more about the setting in the next book with its unique steampunk nature with sci-fi elements and technology. Personally, I adored Ying's character. The mere strength it takes to leave town in order to avenge her father's death when her brother who becomes chieftain deters her from doing so is impressive. As well as taking into account her disguise, the dangerous trials of the guild, and the murderous assassin who always seems to catch up with her. All the scenes in the guild were my favorite parts, especially ones that involved Ye-kan. The bond that he develops with Ying was so endearing, despite his initial dislike for her. I loved that they ended up being the ones who learned each other's secrets and protected each other, similar to how a sibling would act. Given the fact that Ye-kan was raised in such an environment, it is astounding that he matured within the time he was at the guild. Ye-yang and Ying were so cute and I absolutely gobbled up the crumbs we were given. Their relationship is so complex with all the twists that occurred, which is the most I can say without spoiling too much. Ying remained strong-willed and did not stray from her beliefs despite her loss of innocence. I thought the ending was so impactful and I cannot believe that I have to wait so long for the continuation which I will definitely be picking up!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Penguin Teen for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review!

Of Jade and Dragons is a solid debut. However it does have its flaws.

First the characters. There is a vast array of characters who have unique personalities. Ying is strong willed and smart. She can come off naive at times and things do seem to land in her lap. There are many characters, Ying's family, her riends at the Guild, the teachers and the prince. But because there are so many only 2 become more developed characters. Her friends were interchangeable and so were the teachers. Speaking of teachers, one was pointed out to be very jealous of Ying's father. It was pointed out several times and yet nothing was added to the teacher to make them a more nuanced character. Because of the number of times this teacher was pointed out I expected him to have more depth. Also, the female characters besides Ying were also one note characters.

Second was the story. It did feel like things did fall into Ying's lap. One of her issues of being disguised at the guild is that she can't shower with everyone else. Instead of showing us her ability to problem solve and her skills at engineering the issue is easily resolved. It was small things like this that made me raise my eyebrows. My main issue with the story is how much Ying believes it is this character's fault for her father's death and does nothing to prove it until it is near the end of the book. Ying even says she hasn't been able to find any clues on who killed her father. So, I assumed that this book would be about her graduating, finding out who killed her father, but unable to do anything against them. The second book would be about her learning about and maneuvering in the political world she has found herself in. Because now, she is in the mindset that nothing else matters except revenge. She doesn't care who she has to bring down to do it.

But I did like the ending and how it changed the relationship dynamics between the characters.

As for the worldbuilding, it felt vast and small at the same time. There are good descriptions of the settings but, unless I missed it, there was a lack of history to the place. Ying talks about this Empire and how her country has suffered because of them. And there is nothing else. There was mention of the first emperor I think.

The romance and relationships was pretty good. I was sold on the romance between Ying and YeYang. I was also very happy that Ying decides, rightfully so, this is not the life for her while YeYang is kind of delusional.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC.

I enjoyed this coming-of-age book, found family, with Asian-inspired world building. While this is a murder mystery for the FMC (Ying) to find out who murdered her father and why, it was actually a fun read and I chuckled a few times at the dialogue. I absolutely loved the main character, Ying, because she is intelligent, headstrong, and driven. She dresses as a man and gets into her father's hidden past at the Engineers Guild. Such a great story with amazing atmosphere.

Aihui Yang has always wanted to follow in her father's footsteps by becoming a member of the Engineers Guild. However, she has a big problem. Aihui is a female, which is a big no-no for the Engineers Guild since they only allowed men to enter the trials. And her father really doesn’t want her to enter anyway, either. Too bad that the Engineers Guild hasn’t forgotten about Aihui's father. They may or may not be involved with his father, which leaves Aihui enraged. She is more than ready to investigate her father's death by entering the Engineers Guild as her brother. 

I have so many feelings regarding Jade and Dragons. What I am stressing the most is the dam ending. That was such a major cliffhanger. I feel so disarrayed. I don’t know what to do, but I know I have to freaking wait until the next book. 

What I love so much about Aihui is her wiliness and determination to be herself. She never changed her values or learned from her father. She will always remain loyal to her father's teachings. It’s so touching yet heartbreaking because it creates a ripple effect in the end. I can’t wait to see how it plays out in the next book. 

Do I think that everyone needs to read this book? Yes, I do. It’s freaking amazing and intense, which keeps you wanting more. It has so many elements at play. And don’t get me started on the endless secrets and betrayals along the way. It keeps you on the edge until the very end.