A mixture of political intrigue and some academia. Ying is the odd one of her family, thriving and wanting to pursue a path designated for men alone. When her father is murdered she sets off to find his killer putting her dreams aside. The tracks of the killer lead her to the doors of the very school she has always dreamed of attending.

She meets Ye-Yang a prince and unlikely ally who is in a political battle for who will be the next heir.

This was a really enjoyable book. It found a great balance between politics, academia, and a murder mystery.

I am not sure that this book is really YA. It seems, other than a few (misplaced?) story elements, that this book may be written at a much lower level than YA. Even still, a Mulan retelling will still have a high level of interest amongst the YA crowd. Plus... that cover is astounding.

Steampunk Mulan? I LOVE seeing authors getting creative and this somehow translated so well. Absolutely a joy of a book and I ate this UP!!

Anyone who knows me, knows I love a good retelling, especially when it deals with badass women. The Mulan mixed with steampunk vibes of this novel were absolutely immaculate, and I was so immersed in this story I usually forgot I was reading (which is not great for someone who has to get up at five, but is fabulous for a reader/story).

With how incredibly detailed and immersive this was, I'm surprised that this was the author's debut! Very well done, my only tiny complaint is that there were instances that I felt could have done without quite as much research or detail, and other instances that likely needed a little more. But for YA this was great, and I think it will really connect with a lot of people.

a steampunk mulan retelling with a twist! this was so much fun, I was not prepared for that end. a feisty girl engineer, a mysterious prince, AND a murder mystery, its all too fun!

I want to start off by saying a great thanks to NetGalley, author, and publisher for this e-Arc.
Overall, I do think this debut has a lot of promise and potential for the future of this series. I would give this novel realistically a 3.8/5.
The components that I really enjoyed were the inspiration of the beloved “Mulan” and liked the author's own spin on it. The book did feel dense and at times I felt like there was a lot of info dumping that was getting lost in the plot. I did really like the interactions between the characters and felt that they were really well fleshed out. I do love a good betrayal trope, and it was done great. I also really enjoyed the romance and I am excited to see the next step in that. Overall, I really enjoyed the book, it just sometimes felt a little dense.

I genuinely enjoyed this story. The steampunk aspect was definitely a refreshing feature but not only that, the Mulan vibes made it a very compelling read as well. The author did an amazing job with creating this unique world and customs and culture. The characters were some of the best features standing out in this book. Especially Ying as the FMC. She was thoughtful, intelligent but also witty and curious. -lAnd I really loved that about her.

Mulan but make it steampunk (actually silkpunk)… but without too much Mulan or too much steampunk.

I can’t go into detail about my favorite part of this book without spoiling it. I’ll just say… the ending is wonderful. It’s not where you think it will go, but it makes sense. As I was reading, I kept thinking, “There’s not very much of this left! How on earth is it going to get resolved?” I was so excited by how the ending handled things that I had to tell my husband about the book in detail so I could geek out over it. I know a lot of people won't like the ending, but I did.

There was just a lot of showing rather than telling, and I felt that a lot in the characters and some of the plot.

A big part of the point is supposed to be that her actions are grieving her father’s death, but there isn’t that much focus on it overall. She seems generally unbothered by it for most of the story. She also seems mostly unbothered about the stresses of needing to disguise herself as a boy (why didn’t I feel stressed about her potentially getting caught?) or even about the culture shock she’d undoubtedly face as a village girl coming to a big city and the very intimidating guild. She also doesn’t use engineering as much as you’d think for someone who is supposed to be so smart and good at it. I also was a little annoyed that the trials were supposed to be such high stakes but I kept forgetting they existed because Ying barely seemed to care — even though being there should be everything!

It’s also a little frustrating sometimes that it seems like sexism should be a big part of it. She is disguised as a boy to be able to fight for a place in the Engineer’s Guild, but we never really see why women aren’t allowed or an inherent culture of sexism that would make that necessary. There’s even a confusing event later on in the book that made me wonder what the fuss of disguising herself as a boy was all about in the first place. There’s no reason for this level of sexism in the world we’re given.

I wish the cast of characters had been more developed. It felt like it was mostly an expressionless sea of names for a lot of it. None of the characters getting cut were people we knew well, so the trials didn’t seem as big of a deal to go through. Especially with the ending, I wish we’d gotten to know her competitors and the guild masters much better. The love interest was difficult to get to know, and their moments together seemed more based on tropes than uniqueness.

I also have a minor complaint about the title, though. If you promise me dragons… I’m going to expect dragons. A mechanical one with little time on the page is not enough!

Although I think it could have used a little more editing and development, I enjoyed the experience of reading it and look forward to reading the sequel.

This book was great and i’d recommend it, although it wasn’t my favorite I still think it’s worth a read and some people might love it

first of all, i was disappointed because for a book with "dragons" in its title, there's barely any dragons inside. second of all, Ying, how can you be so smart-in-an-extraordinary-genius way but SO clueless and stupid when it comes to social matters, I'd ever understand.

Ying found her father's workplace destroyed and he himself dying, and his last request was for Ying to burn a certain book. did she listen? of course not! the book will end right there if she just did what he asked her to. and that, my friend, was one of the annoying things that began this story. not only that she didn't grant her father's last wish, she also want to find the murderer and avenge her father's unfair death. after that she stumbled upon a series of coincidences that worked in her favor. i 'd be suspicious if i were her. but apparently she's super oblivious.

this kinda reminded me of Mulan, but about engineering. the steampunk aspect was kinda cool i guess but I disliked the MC and basically every other characters except for one side character named Ye-Kan, and that alone affected my general reading experience. the romance was cringe and problematic, i didn't enjoy their dynamics. will I read the sequel? don't think so.

A Mulan retelling (the Mulan aspect here is a female disguising herself as a boy) with steampunk/silkpunk vibes. I enjoyed the beginning, felt it lagged in the middle, and then the ending was wow, along with that CLIFFHANGER! All in all a promising story by Amber Chen.

*I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for the free book*

I will try to keep this short. I very much enjoyed the book despite the obvious flaws. Good things:
- Mulan, but with engineering
- Murder mystery
- Undercover engineering
- Supportive daddy in patriarchy
- Secrets of parents and classmates
- Questioning the role of engineering in war
- Love interest with secrets

After finishing though:
- Daddy Issues
- Main character of course so beautiful, the best engineer ever, everything always works out for her, yaddayaddayadda
- Pacing off, ending too rushed
- Love interest turns out to be a toxic little...not gonna write it
- War crimes

I still loved the part of her at the Guild. The murder mystery had become secondary. The initial love story with the dude was also cute, we also love a hurt brooding type, but when he turned out to be a power hungry liar (not a surprise exactly), I was annoyed.

3.5 stars

This is one of the hardest reviews for me to write because its hard to put into words just how much I adored this book.
It has all my favourite things including a murder mystery, secret identities, and complex politics. I'm a huge fan of YA fantasy novels with the three-part trial structure and I was so invested in these particularly because of the world building and how this effects the nature of the challenges. And best of all, I was floored by the conclusion and can't wait to get my hands on The Blood Phoenix.
Perfect for fans of Spin the Dawn, A Magic Steeped in Poison, and Song of Silver Flame Like Night.

Unfortunately was not able to read this book before it was archived. For all intents and purposes, looked like a great read. Can’t do wrong with a dragon book. Might pick up at a later date.

There has been a high bar set for YA & Middle Grade Sci-Fi and Fantasy over the years. Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, Hunger Games, The Giver, The Maze Runner, The Legend series...each has been widely beloved by fans and rapidly canonized as some of modern day culture's greatest literary achievements. And for good reason. These series have shaped adolescents and altered their brain chemistry to desire more and more relatable, yet fallible characters in fast-paced, imaginative settings. And this book is no different.

When Aihui Ying's father is murdered, shattering the idealistic world that she has created as a hopeful, future engineer, she sets out on a Mulan-inspired endeavor to infiltrate the prestigious, male-only Engineers Guild and uncover the cruel secrets behind her father's death. Will she find closure and maybe a little romance along the way?

I really enjoyed this book. The writing style is easy to follow, the plot is fast-paced, and the characters are developed enough that you can uncover their motives and desires without too much trouble. All this to say, I wish this book leaned more toward dark academia. All of the necessary elements are there--a prestigious school, a wide range of characters, an unattainable romance, and a goal that the MC is working toward--but somehow it falls short. The novel is reminiscent of Poppy Wars, Harry Potter, and Fourth Wing at various points throughout, but it fails to dive deeper into the academic setting, world-building, or the plethora of characters that are just waiting to be explored.

Though Ying has a consistent inner monologue, she feels very underdeveloped and robotic at times when she interacts with other characters. She is hyper-focused on her mission to a fault, in that she barely engages with any of the other students and professors around her, so that her romantic dialogue with Ye-Yang often feels forced to become necessary to the plot. The ending felt a little rushed and too convenient, and I wished afterward that the first book had relied more on the academic world-building for the majority, and set up the mystery for a second novel.

Though this book didn't completely alter my brain chemistry, I love what Chen accomplished, and am looking forward to book 2 (if there will be one) to see how the story progresses.

Thank you to the publisher for this e-arc; 3.5 stars for this book.

A fun YA fantasy story that combines fantasy with steampunk elements. A good story to get lost in if you have patience.

This is such an interesting fantasy. Part school competition/part Mulan. This is exactly my kind of story.

After discovering her father seconds from death, Ming is determined to find his killer and seek revenge, at any cost. Her thirst for vengeance will take her to the city of Fai. Once in the city, Ming disguises herself as her brother in order to enter the Guild Engineers Apprenticeship competition. Ming will need all the help she can get in order to not only survive the competition but also find out the truth about her father.

I had a really good time reading this. I started on audiobook (which was fantastic and greatly helped with my pronunciation) but I was too impatient so I ended up reading the rest.

This book is my kind of fantasy. It leans more political and some people aren’t going to like that it’s more scheming and schooling than violence but I thought it had a great balance.

I am impatiently waiting for book two, and now I’m going to have to get the Illumicrate edition of the first.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book. While I am incredibly grateful, it does not change the content of my review.

4.5/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley, PENGUIN GROUP, Penguin Young Readers Group, Viking Books for Young Readers, and Amber Chen for the opportunity to read Of Jade and Dragons in exchange for an honest review.

Of Jade and Dragons was one of my most anticipated books of 2024, and it did not disappoint. It was both expected and unexpected in the thrills of engineering, murder mystery, and romance, along with my most favorite literary trope: crossdressing to hide one's gender identity to achieve a goal.

The story follows Aihui Ying, who wants to follow in her fathers footsteps to join the Engineer's Guild and become a guild master. Unfortunately, they do not allow girls to join the guild. And besides, her father and their family live a quiet life away from the city, because her father wanted to leave that life behind.

The tides turn when Ying's father is assassinated, the culprit seeking the secrets of his works. Ying knows now that she must join the Engineers Guild, if for nothing more than to find her father's killer and learn the secrets behind their motive.

Disguised as Aihui Min, Ying takes on the persona of a boy to take the trials for the Engineers Guild. While she missed the application window, her engineering skills impress a young prince, who is able to put her into the trials as a nominee without an application. Plus, he sees right through her disguise (but why don't others? With some pointers from him, perhaps she can be more manly).

As Ying's outside the box thinking when it comes to engineering and teamwork make her stand out to the High Commander, she strives to keep her identity a secret, or she will never learn what she needs. With few to trust, she bathes at the prince's house and selects him as a confidant...but some secrets even he cannot know.

This novel is exciting in a realistic fantasy flare. The engineering aspects and ideas presented by Ying and the other characters are fun to explore and to wonder what will she do next. The murder mystery continues through to the end, where many secrets about her father and his past are revealed, a certainly worthwhile investment for the reader.

Goodreads calls this Fall of the Dragon #1, indication the start to a series, though no information is available on a second installment...yet. With the way things end, it could be an unsatisfying, yet wholly realistic and true-to-character end, though the promise of more of Ying's story is exhilarating. Looking forward to the next one. A book perfect for fans of Mulan, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and wholistically enjoyable fantasy romance mysteries.

I enjoyed this book but what really did it for me was the world building. It was so refreshing to see a different viewpoint and I'm glad that I read it.

Of Jade and Dragons had a lot of promise with its captivating cover and intriguing synopsis, but ultimately fell a bit short for me. The concept of Ying disguising herself as a man to enter the Engineer’s Guild and solve her father’s murder had me excited, especially with the Mulan-esque twist. The steampunk-inspired Asian fantasy world was fresh and interesting, but the execution left much to be desired. Ying’s character, though described as intelligent and determined, often came across as immature, and the plot frequently meandered, losing focus on her quest for revenge. The romance, while taking up more page time than expected, felt shallow and clichéd, which detracted from the overall narrative. While the world-building had potential, it felt underdeveloped, and the pacing made the story drag. That said, fans of light, fast-paced fantasy might still find enjoyment in it, but I was left hoping for more depth and substance.