Firstly, I just want to say how impressive it is to write a book like this one!! The intellect and work that goes into researching details like these and then being able to remember them all in order to form a cohesive piece of work is something that should absolutely not be overlooked or under appreciated.

I really enjoyed the setting, it reminded me a lot of the K-Drama ‘Sungkyunkwan Scandal’, but also mixed with ‘Mulan’ and ‘The Legend of Korra’ at times.
I’ll be honest though, this isn’t the type of book I usually read, so at times It did kind of drag on for me. And I would have loved if the romance had been a little more fleshed out—I’m all for the romance being a subplot, but I also think at times this one just felt like it didn’t have much substance. Which makes sense, since the focus was her finding the assassin and competing in the competition, but again, It just made the ending a little less hard-hitting for me. Though, I did actually still really love the ending! I eat that kind of drama up, and though I did see the main plot-twist coming, I still very much enjoyed the outcome.

I really want to rate this book higher, and I probably would had I not read it during a big reading slump that made it harder to immerse myself into the world the author created, on top of Ying making some dumb choices that just upset me; which as a very character driven reader, made me kind of angry. Reading it though, I just kept seeing how much potential the author has, and how I can just imagine her writing on all fronts just improving as her career continues—which is obviously a very good thing, and something that will keep me excited and eager to read her books in the future!

I can definitely think of multiple people I know who will probably LOVE this book! And even if it wasn’t a complete hit for me, I still enjoyed it and will be buying a physical copy when it comes out:)

One last thing: YING AND YE-KAN’S FRIENDSHIP IS MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE PART OF THIS BOOK AND I NEED MORE OF THEM RIGHT NOW!!!!

"Of Jade and Dragons" is an enchanting YA fantasy about a girl who refuses to give up on her dreams. While I appreciated its STEMinist empowerment and Eastern influences, I couldn't overlook the characters' unrealistic decisions or stilted dialogue. Full disclosure—I DNFed this book around 25%.

My biggest issue with this story is its writing. I loved the immersive descriptions of the setting, but the worldbuilding was difficult for me to keep straight. Part of the issue is that the main character travels a lot during the beginning of the book. I'm sure it would have gotten better once she reached the Engineer's Guild, but I'd already checked out of the story by the time that happened.

I also think the writing style was a little off. I soldiered through awkward dialogue and clunky prose before finally giving up. For example, one argument between the main character and her brother read:

'“Do what?” Wen replied, his tone harsh and curt. The muscles of his jaw tensed visibly beneath his tan skin. “You can’t conclude that based on this pendant alone.” He tossed the black jade back down onto the table as if it were a worthless piece of rock."

This excerpt is problematic because it TELLS how Wen feels instead of SHOWING. The author could have conveyed the same information more effectively if it read:

'“Do what?” Wen replied, his voice harsh. “You can’t conclude that based on this pendant alone.” He tossed the black jade onto the table as if it were a worthless piece of rock."

Do you see how that's a smoother read? Picking apart excerpts isn't something I usually do in reviews, but it helps illustrate a larger issue throughout this book.

I also thought some of the characters' decisions seemed unrealistic. I couldn't figure out why a prince would endanger himself to help a stranger in a dark alley. Even if you ignore that plot hole, it doesn't make sense that the prince would offer for his physician to treat her wounds, give her free passage on his airship, and nominate her as his pick for the Engineer's Guild. Again, they're COMPLETE STRANGERS. The prince's reasoning might have become clear if I'd continued reading, but I didn't care enough to find out.

I liked the main character from what I read of the book. Ying had a strong moral compass and sought justice for her father's killer. I can respect a girl who's determined to avenge her family. I also like that Ying chose to chase her dream of attending the Engineer's Guild. As a fellow woman in STEM, it's refreshing to read books with characters like me!

While I didn't love the writing style, I still appreciated this book's murder mystery and strong female protagonist. I'd recommend it to YA fantasy fans of "Spin the Dawn" and "Descendent of the Crane".

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and Netgalley; all opinions are my own.

Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Teen / Epic Reads for allowing me to read and review this book! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I've said it once and I'll say it again: 2024 is going to be a beast for readers and we are not prepared for the onslaught of gorgeously written stories. Of Jade and Dragons is no different. I knew from the first chapter that I would want to follow Ying on her journey and beyond.

Ying's ambition is to follow in her father's footsteps to become part of the Engineer's Guild in Fei where only the highest ranking men can achieve their dreams and create unimaginable things. When her father is murdered for his life-threatening Guild notes, Ying takes it upon herself to track the killer which leads her to disguising herself as a boy to enter the Engineer's Guild where her father is most revered and her father's secrets will be revealed.

Of Jade and Dragons is a murder mystery enriched in a Chinese Qing dynasty-inspired world. The politics are cut-throat, the world-building is stunning, and Amber Chen's storytelling kept me engaged until the very end.

Ying meets Ye-yang, the male love interest, on her way to the Engineer's Guild and I wish they had more scenes together. Ye-yang is one of the fourteen children of the High Commander and helps Ying keep her disguise while she competes at the Guild. There are difficult tasks she needs to pass in order to move up the ranks. The longer she stays there, the easier it'll be for her to find out more information on her father's murderer, what he kept hidden from her, and why he asked her to burn the notebook on the day he died. I liked the hints of romance between Ying and Ye-yang. Of Jade and Dragons focuses more on the murder mystery and the trials than the romance, which honestly is totally fine. I was so engrossed in Ying's path to finding the truth that the romance is an extra bonus.

There were many plot twists, some I was able to decipher quickly and others that took me by surprise. I hope we will see more from Ying's family and how they are incorporated in the war and how that will affect their relationships. The friendships she built with a few of the aspiring Engineers is developed well and I love her bond with Ye-kan. I'm desperate to find out his reaction to the ending of this story and how his friendship with Ying will be affected, too. The murder mystery and the steampunk ships, automaton creatures, and creations were so cool. I hope we will see another dragon in a sequel.

The ending is open for a possible sequel, which makes me very happy. I would love to read more about Ying and what may come in the future for her and her home. Of Jade and Dragons is on my life as of my most anticipated books of 2024 and I was not disappointed. I highly recommend this beautiful story if you've read To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods, Defy the Night, and fell in love with the story of Mulan.

Utterly gorgeous sci-fi tale. I mean, wow. Murder mystery engineer steampunk world was just stunner. Thanks for the arc

The cover is gorgeous and was what initially made me curious about this book. Then I started reading and was instantly hooked. It had a nice, steady pace with plenty of action and information and “normal moments” that made for a well balanced book. The writing was solid, there were some good twists as the story unfolded and the ending of course makes me want to know what’s going to happen next.

Ying was a great FMC, I really enjoyed being in her perspective. The school/academic setting was fun to read about too. I love the different types of challenge/competition plot lines in books so that added to my enjoyment of the story.

Song of the Lioness meets Mulan meets…Harry Potter? This has an interesting premise, whereby Yang disguises herself as her brother to enter a competition in the hopes of being accepted into the famed Engineers Guild. One of the Guild Masters gives off some serious Snape vs. James Potter vibes, but then that’s largely abandoned. I found this enjoyable, but I do wish that we had been able to read more about the actual lessons being taught. There’d be a mention of a boring class, and the next thing you know, it’s two months later. I did figure out a couple of reveals ahead of time, but I was still drawn into the story.

And that COVER. All the awards should go to that cover. *chef’s kiss*

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Group and Viking Books for gifting me an eARC in exchange for my honest feedback!

These seas can never trap those who are meant to fly.

"A lamp can light up the darkness around you, but a story lights up the darkness within."

a young engineer disguises herself as a boy to compete for a spot in the esteemed engineer guild while solving her father's murder, sponsored by one of the heirs amid a power struggle for succession.

steampunk x Mulan vibes, good pacing, no worldbuilding info dumps, & romance subplot. a little violence as war is a very central theme. i genuinely enjoyed the story and would continue the series (i'm curious to see what happens next).

there were some occasional moments where the writing was a bit too contemporary/colloquial for the setting. for example, early on it describes "parking a ship" when it prob should be docking.

mmc has a dimple hehe

"If I want to conquer the world, will you stand by my side?"

OH MY GOD I loved this book, from the gorgeous cover to the characters and interesting world building. Although I loved Ying and Ye-Yang's tension and angst, the plot itself is what drove me. Ying's adventure and drive to finish her goal and seek revenge for her father was so interesting and fun to follow, and the characters (her friends) she made were lovable. I hate myself for requesting an arc for this book because I want the second one NOW.

Steampunk engineer woman disguised as a man, doing the same (and more) than what a man was doing at the guild. The writing style wasn't my favorite but it was still a quick and fun read. I am looking forward to the second book !! ♥️

Wow.
This book is it. If you liked Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim, I think you'll like this.
Of Jade and Dragons gives heavy Mulan vibes.
When I wasn't reading this, I was thinking about it constantly.
Ying is really close to her father and his engineering work. When he's killed in cold blood, Ying sets out for revenge. She goes undercover as a man and goes through the engineering guilds trials to claim a place for herself in the guild. She gets so close to answers and then the trails evaporate like smoke. I couldn't read it fast enough. It kept pace very well. I didn't feel slowed down by any part of the story. Ying is smart and strong but she's also not made of stone. The romance here was *chefs kiss* even though I wish there were a little more substance to the deep feelings between Ying and *wiggles eyebrows* (just read it and you'll know).
I already can't wait for the sequel and what adventures Ying will be thrust into there. Will she be reunited with her friends? Will she have to work with her not so much friends but not really enemies? I need answers now haha
One thing I'd really love in the finished product is a pronunciation guide and maybe an explanation of the government names and of course a map!

With a beautiful cover such as this, combined with a Mulan retelling, I am instantly sold. Thankfully, Of Jade and Dragons held up to the high praise this book was receiving. A majority of the time I thought this book was similar to The Poppy War due to the Engineer's Guild/school setting during war time, albeit a little less brutal. Ying's journey in uncovering who was behind her father's murder was exhilarating, and reading her grow as a character throughout the book was something I enjoyed. She grew from being sheltered in her hometown, to someone who is able to navigate the political landscape with intelligence and bravery while hiding her identity and motive from those around her. I am also kind of glad that the romance, if it can even be called that, was not a main focus point so that Ying's personal growth can be the main focus. I look forward to seeing her relationship with Ye-yang will develop in the following book.

The beginning of this novel was a bit slow, but I feel like that's to be expected with first novels. The writing also felt a bit off at times as well. I wish the world building outside of the main areas (such as the empire) and the background of the war were expanded upon a bit more, so I am hopeful that this is built upon with the next installment. Overall, this was an enjoyable read, and Chen has created a great starting point for a series that has potential to do extremely well. I will be looking forward to read the next book!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

Sadly I cannot rate this book very highly. Great concept that I was excited about and decent world building, but the writing just was not there. Better editing would have helped, but even then I’m not sure I would have finished. Just very bland and stiff feeling such that I couldn’t get into the story at all.

Upon reading the description of this book I rushed to request it, a Mulan inspired book? Count me in!
It started off quite slow and only picked up with the introduction of Ye-Yang, but even then I didn’t feel compelled to pick up the book. Around 25% into the book I already felt something off about the writing, it just wasn’t allowing me to be fully immersed in the story. I pushed on hoping that perhaps I could look past it but unfortunately, it really prevented me from enjoying this read and I ended up not finishing it.

I love Asian-inspired fantasy - Daughter of the Moon Goddess, A Magic Steeped in Poison, The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea, A Thousand Steps into Night, and The Bone Shard series and Green Bones saga are some of my favorite recent fantasy books. So I was really primed to love this one too. However, the writing here was quite basic and felt very mechanical. There was lots of "telling" rather than "showing" and it could've used an extra copy edit. I never got the sense that the characters were real - the dialogue was wooden.

Unfortunately, the poor writing really turned me off and prevented me from enjoying something I would have really loved. Please do an extra edit on this one!

Lushly written, this wonderful debut by Amber Chen drew me in from the very first page. I loved the premise and will definitely be looking out for more from the author in the future!

I tried and got thru 40% but I just cannoooooot get invested in this. It might be because I just recently finished another Mulan-inspired fantasy, so maybe I just need to try again at another time. I did like the main character, Ying, and the trials were somewhat interesting, but I also didn’t really feel much for the romance.

If you enjoyed six crimson cranes or song of silver flame like night. You will enjoy this book. The world building was very good and had my attention from the beginning.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an early copy of this book. Below is my honest review!

In this story, we follow Aihui Ying, who just experienced seeing her father get murdered. To find how why he was killed, she secretly enlists in the Guild, a school for the best of the best engineers where her father also attended. Her only two clues are her father's cryptic journal and a jade pendant dropped by the murdered. While trying to solve the murder, she's also faced with the challenges at the Guild, which is male dominated and extremely competitive.

I thought this book was pretty good. Something about the writing style didn't quite sit right with me (though I can't explain why and is totally a personal preference). There were parts of the world that I wish were expanded a bit more, but I'm sure we'll get that in the second, third, etc. books. I love how the author ties in this theme of knowledge and power. Ying's father was an extremely intelligent man and was practically on the verge of creating something that could help their country win the war. But in the name of peace, he decided to not to create it and live his life in peace. However, people will do whatever they can in order to maintain power.

Overall, I would recommend this book to people!

I loved the story, the world building and meeting the different characters. I felt completely immersed in the story and couldn't stop reading it. I would reccomend to pick

In the shadow of an engineer's brutal murder, Aihui Ying embarks on a heart-wrenching quest for truth and justice in "Secrets of the Engineers Guild." Disguised as her brother, she infiltrates the male-dominated world of the Guild, armed with her father's cryptic journal and a jade pendant – fragments of the puzzle leading to his death. But ambition and treachery lurk within the Guild's gilded halls, as rivals scramble for secrets and hidden agendas simmer.

Ying's determination is further ignited by a spark with the enigmatic eighth prince, Aogiya Ye-yang, whose motives entwine with her own in a tangled web of deceit. Can she navigate the perilous currents of ambition and betrayal, all while mastering the arcane art of engineering and untangling the secrets her father left behind?

This captivating tale of grief, resilience, and forbidden love promises a heart-pounding ride through a meticulously crafted world where cogs and gears churn alongside political intrigue. Prepare to be enthralled by Ying's fierce spirit and her daring struggle against a legacy that could consume her or, if wielded wisely, become her weapon against her father's enemies. Be warned, dear reader, for within the gilded halls of the Engineers Guild, trust is a fragile cog, and survival hinges on uncovering the truth, one deadly secret at a time.

Oh this was BRILLIANT.

It is such a gorgeous fantasy world with a steampunk edge. Utterly stunning its its depiction of how the thirst for knowledge can be such a driving force - for both good and bad. While the bloody realities of war work in the background of this book, the way they blossom as Ying continues her way through the Engineer's Guild is so spectacularly done. The violence that comes with power is not ignored, but rather subtly woven into the tapestry that is being built. So many levels work in tandem to fuel this book, and it's a wonder to watch them come together.