Ying witnesses her father's murder, and he tells her of a secret notebook with instructions to destroy it. Of course, Ying does no such thing, and instead joins an engineering competition that girls aren't allowed into in her quest to learn who it was that killed her father. This is very much YA, as it followed a bit of a predictable road in the beginning. There's an engineering school, with three tests everyone must pass in order to become a part of the order. Ying has to hide her gender along the way, giving way for some awkward moments. If you like books with somewhat magical trials, this is for you!

While it does feel YA, it is intriguing and will hook you. I read the majority of it in a day. Not going to be a classic, but I will definitely read the next one!

Thank you to Viking Books for Young Reader for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I was expecting to love this book but honestly it fell really flat for me. I thought the FMC was extremely annoying and she was more focused on the drama than finding her father’s killer, which is what she went to the school to do. She wasn’t very motivated, and the murder mystery aspect was very easy to guess

The cover for this book is simply gorgeous, and from the description, I knew this book was right up my alley. A Mulan-inspired murder mystery? Let's GO! The setting for this novel is unique and fits the plot beautifully.

I absolutely loved that the the female protagonist, Ying, is an engineer. We need more women in STEM! She is bright, determined, and clever. I desperately wanted her to find out who is responsible for her father's murder. Rivals to lovers is one of my favorite tropes, so I was happy to have not just one, but two (!!) rivals enter the scene. I'm excited to see how this progresses in the next book.

Overall, the pace is fast and it is an easy and delightful read! A wonderful fantasy read with some romance that doesn't overpower the story.

"These seas can never trap those who are meant to fly."
This story follows Aihui "reckless mare" Ying in finding clues about her father's mysterious murder and continuing where he left of in the engineering world.

I liked the descriptions; the author used imagery very well in them. I could imagine everything as I was reading. I really loved the cast of characters, like Ye-kan, An-xi, and Chang'en. The main MCs too, but I just felt like they had a shallow characterization. I enjoyed the story nonetheless.

I loved how the author dealt with Ying and Ye-yang's relationship and the last 10% of the book were exciting and made me look forward to the next book!

Thank you, NetGalley, PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group | Viking Books for Young Readers, for the chance to read this book in exchange of an honest review.

Aihui Ying dreams to become a world-class engineer like her father, but when he's murdered in front of her, her life falls apart. Left with only a journal filled with her father's engineering's secrets and a jade pendant snatched from the assassin, Ying decided to follow the trails to the capital and to the Engineers Guild, in order to discover the culprit. Disguised as her brother to enter the guild's male-only apprenticeship trials, Ying finds herself an unexpected ally: Aogiya Ye-yang, the eight prince of the High Command and a target on her back, since her father's fame. Ying will have to do anything to be one step ahead, dealing with jealous guild masters, fellow competitors and the assassin, hidden in the guild. Not only that, but also the blossoming feeling towards the taciturn prince. Will Ying be able to avenge her father?


I loved reading this silkpunk fantasy! Mulan meets Iron Widow? I'm absolutely sold! The story is incredible and I loved every single thing. Ying is a fantastic main character, she's smart, brilliant, inquisitive and determined, willing to do anything in order to discover who killed her father and why someone would have done such a thing to a man who choose a calm life, instead of fame and power.
The setting is incredible and I loved the contrast between the quiet, but safe, life on her island and the chaotic world of the guild, made dangerous by fellow competitors, masters, lies, secrets and assassins.
I also loved how the romance was so well interwoven with the rest of the story and Ying's personal journey, without overpowering neither.
A brilliant, funny and intriguing book. I can't wait to read more!

This is an excellent young adult story. The fantasy, steampunk, and Asian influences helped create an interesting story that quickly immerses the reader. There are a few points where the pacing is off, and the story did drag a bit at times, but overall, it was worth the read.

I liked how the romance was not the main focus of the story. The romance was compelling, though, and I lingered over it after finishing.

It was not a direct Mulan retelling, but it had similarities. It reminded me of many other books, and I think the Mulan comparisons miss the depth and complexity of the storyline.

I especially loved engineering school because Ying was not always at the top of her class.

I am super pumped for the next book!

Thank you to Penguin Group Penguin Young Readers Group and Net Galley for the eARC!

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for an eARC in exchange for my honest review. This was a fun read! The overall book reminded me of the Mechanist episode from Avatar, filled with inventions, airships, and adventure. If this is Chen’s debut novel, she will be a gem in YA publishing.

⇢➤ Plot: The main female character, Ying, has dreamt of creating inventions like her father. She doesn’t understand why her father left the engineer’s guild in the heart of the empire, their family now secluded in a rural land.

Her world is flipped upside down when an assassin abruptly takes her father’s life. After the assassination, Ying finds blueprints that seem antithetical to her quiet father. Intent on learning more, Ying disguises herself as her older brother and travels to the capital to pursue a place in the engineer’s guild. Along the way, she befriends Aogiya Yeyang, the eighth prince of the kingdom. Yeyang is the only one who knows that she’s a woman. The two bond over their unlikely circumstances and, upon seeing her ingenuity in action, he vows to help her through the guild trials. It’s only upon her arrival that Ying realizes there may be more than one reason why her father left the capital…

⇢➤ Pros: A Chinese-inspired Mulan retelling with airships, trials, unlikely friends, gender politics, and commentary on imperialism? Truly, what more could a girl ask for in YA? The book kept a great pace throughout, showcasing Ying’s inner dilemma before branching out to the wider politics of the world. There are twists at the end, even at the 95% mark, that I wasn’t expecting.

Also, I liked the romance. I fear I am a victim of Apothecary Diaries and I live for a man like Yeyang. Their relationship felt meaningful without being overbearing for younger readers. Even for older readers, there’s something about period drama romance (where even a forehead kiss is improper) that is so engaging.

⇢➤ Cons: While I enjoyed 90% of the book, the first 10% is harder to get into. Given how abrupt her father’s death is, it’s hard to connect to the main character or understand the full impact of his assassination. It isn’t until the reader meets Yeyang that there seems to be better structure to Ying’s story.

⇢➤ Recommended for fans of: Xiran Jay Zhao, Elizabeth Lim

4.5⭐️

This was a great ya fantasy with a little bit of a Mulan retelling. I loved the story, its characters, and the changing relationships between them. Aihui Ying is our mc who travels from her small town to the capital disguised as her brother, after her father is murdered. This is the start to the mystery surrounding the story, but there’s also Ying’s time in the Engineer’s guild where she learns more about her father and live her dreams of being an engineer. I loved her sibling like relationship with Ye-Kan, another student. She also meets one of the princes, Ye-Yang. I loved their relationship and the changes it goes through in this book. I would love to see more of this relationship and its consequences in another book!

Overall, this is a great ya fantasy that I recommend!

Ying witnesses her father's murder, and finds out it was because of his connection with the Engineering Guild in the main city. She decides to travel to the city and try to enter the Engineering Trials, disguising herself as her younger brother. Fortunately on her way there, she runs into one of the princes, and he is allowed to enter a candidate for the trials. She impresses him by coming up with a repair on his flying ship, and he offers to be her patron for the trials. Ying moves through the lessons and trials, while also trying to find our who was behind her father's murder, and why.
This was a super fun Mulan-inspired steampunk fantasy. I appreciated Ying's dedication to avenging her father, as well as her commitment to becoming an Engineer. I thought the balance of the key plot points and seeing Ying at the Engineering Trials was good and kept the story moving while building the world and Ying's character. The side characters definitely added to the story, and I enjoyed seeing Ying develop relationships. The last third of the book went in a totally different direction than I thought, and for the better, as it sidestepped some fantasy cliches and made it a better story.

Of Jade and Dragons is a fantasy set in a somewhat recognizable past time in Asia, with references that appear to be from both Mongolia and China. Aihui Ying is the daughter of a well-known engineer, who desires to be an engineer herself - but girls are not accepted at the engineering college. Despite that, her father taught her everything she wanted to know about engineering, and encouraged her to experiment. When her father is unexpectedly murdered, and, with his dying breath, orders her to destroy his notebook, Jing instead flees to the Engineering Guild, to try to gain the knowledge she needs to understand her father's final work.

This is a fantasy that reads like Asian mythology, with a setting to match. Ying is an adolescent girl with ambitions, in a society that limits female aspirations, who doesn't allow the rules of society to stop her from trying to reach her dreams. Along the way, she meets another young man who, like herself, chafes at the expectations of society, who is striving to reach a goal at odds with his rank and caste, as well as others who, in more conventional fashion, strive to reach various goals of their own. Recommended for readers middle school through adult.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
“‘To yearn for great opportunity without the courage to accept great risk is naive.’ My father used to say that.”
Of Jade and Dragons is a Mulan retelling mixed with steampunk fantasy and the vibes were excellent in this book. I loved the obvious research and effort put in to try and keep you immersed in the story, but sadly the actual writing and plot kept pulling me back out. While it was YA, I felt like the story could’ve had more depth and been more dynamic to keep readers of all ages engaged. It felt more ‘tell rather than show’ in many instances and I wish we could see the characters develop more! The last 10% of the book was the best and I would read the next book if it felt more like that. This writing style will likely work for some folks but sadly I just didn’t love it. I would be willing to read more from the author in the future to see how she grows as a writer!🐲

This book is indeed like Mulan where the main protagonist is pitted into joining an apprenticeship to honor her father and to utilize his secret book. I think if you like silk fantasy and a story on proving oneself, you’ll like this one.

Rating: 4.5/5

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group for giving me access to this ARC. Ying might be one of my personal heroes now. If you're looking for a badass female main character, this is the book for you. The fact that this is a debut novel astounds me. The writing was amazing and the side characters stole my heart! I definitely recommend this book if you're looking for a good fantasy read!

I really love silk punk, and there were some nifty ideas here. Unfortunately, I kept putting the book down when I could predict what was going to happen next. The crucial emotional twists and turns tended to be reported in trite, overused expressions, which did not help the characters to become memorable. There is a great deal of promise in this writer; I will look for the next.

Of Jade and Dragons had an interesting premise and I was super excited to get into it.

Unfortunately, I think this book needed more development and editing. My main issue was that there was minimal characterization for the main characters. Aside from what we already know from the summary, I could not tell you anything particular about Ying or Ye-yang. Of Jade and Dragons felt like an extended outline rather than a fully fleshed out novel. I can appreciate a slower, contemplative approach to character writing, but that wasn't here. Ying sort of meandered around the plot and the high stakes felt like an afterthought.

I was glad to see Qing dynasty and Manchu elements be incorporated into the setting. Still, I thought the world building was lacking in terms of the engineering and technology in the silk punk setting. The engineering was underutilized and merely set dressing. The author has a bunch of really interesting ideas, but all those ideas aren't executed in an impactful way, which made it difficult for me to invest in the characters since the world was rather bland. On the plus side, I quite liked the ending. I wish there was more stuff like that for the bulk of the book, though.

I want to be fair with my review, since I know this is a YA fantasy and not an adult fantasy. I felt even given that this is a YA, the complexity of the story honestly feels more middle grade with mentions of violence and brothels as flimsy justification to place this into the YA category.

I really wanted to enjoy Of Jade and Dragons, but the execution fell short. I think fans of Song of Six Realms and Darker by Four would really enjoy it if they like the writing styles in those books. I personally didn't love either of those books, but I think the target audiences for these titles would overlap. While the writing style in this book didn't wow me, I think it's serviceable. My issues are more with fleshing out the characters and polishing the story's emotional impact rather than anything about the prose.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an eARC for review!

Aihui Ying has always wanted to be an engineer like her father. There is only one problem with that, though: she is a girl, and the Engineers’ Guild only takes boys. But when her father is murdered, leaving her his notebook with his most secret designs, Ying has no choice but to head to the capital and seek acceptance in the Engineers’ Guild. After all, all the clues about her father’s death lead back to it, and to the designs he was secretly working on. Ying will have to disguise herself as her younger brother, and use every bit of her intelligence as she both seeks to obtain a spot in the Guild, and solve her father’s murder at the same time.

I received an advanced reading copy of Of Jade and Dragons in exchange for an honest review.

Of Jade and Dragons is a young adult novel by Amber Chen. I’m actually having a hard time giving it a genre. There’s nothing in this book that feels fully magic-based, and, in fact, due to its focus on technology and engineering, I kind of want to call it science fiction, but the setting is an older Chinese-inspired world rather than the space ships or futuristic cities you would expect from a science fiction novel. Maybe steampunk? But it was precisely this blend that makes this novel magical.

From the beginning, we have Ying fighting against stigmas and what society believes she should be doing. In fact, it’s one of the first things she’s told in this novel: she’s told she’s one of the chief’s oldest daughters, and should be looking after her younger siblings. But Ying refuses to just settle into a role she knows isn’t right for her, and wants to follow her dreams. Of course, her dreams get somewhat derailed, but I absolutely loved how determined Ying was every step of the way, and even as new obstacles kept emerging and blocking her path, she continued to find ways around them.

And there’s plenty of them to be sure! After all, Ying is keeping many balls in the air. She’s pretending to be a boy, she’s fiercely competing to be in the Engineers’ Guild, she’s trying to solve the mystery of her father’s death, all while dealing with a complicated relationship she forms with a prince.

Yup! There is some romance happening here! And while it might technically be a spoiler, it’s a minor one, since the book’s summary does mention this “tangled relationship.” And it certainly is tangled! I actually appreciated how complicated it was, especially as I began to pick up more and more about the prince, Ye-yang, who is himself tangled up in the politics of a kingdom on the brink of war.

All of these plot threads, plus Ying’s determination and the combination of the classic historical city with modern engineering made for such a compelling read. I had such a fun time reading this book, and actually exclaimed out loud a few times while reading it. The man sitting next to me on the bus was a little confused when I audibly gasped, for sure, and when I reached the end and was practically shaking in my seat on the train, I got a few more weird stares.

Of Jade and Dragons was a great read, and one I would easily recommend to both fans of fantasy and steampunk. This book has elements that would appeal to both, and they, like me, are likely to end up waiting for news about the sequel. Yup, there’s going to be a sequel! I don’t have any news on it yet, but I’ll be excited to learn more!

Of Jade and Dragons was released a few days ago! You can order your copy from Viking Books for Young Readers here, or from anywhere books are sold.

Of Jade and Dragons by Amber Chen is a captivating example of the silkpunk genre, a unique blend of fantasy and technology that is sure to intrigue readers. And it's reminiscent of the Mulan story's rich world-building and engaging plot. This novel held my attention from start to finish, offering a fresh and intriguing take on these genres.

The main characters in 'Of Jade and Dragons' are developed exquisitely, and their interactions are not just intriguing, but also deeply human, fostering a strong sense of connection with the reader. The main character, Ying, is stubborn and champions what is right even when it's a hard choice. Her interactions with Ye-Yang felt authentic and grew over time, which I found particularly engaging. Ye-Yang is a decent, almost bland male lead, but his individuality shines as the story progresses, making the reader feel a strong sense of connection and investment in their journey. You'll find yourself rooting for them as they navigate their complex world.

While the story was engaging overall, it started too slowly for my tastes, and I struggled with unfamiliar Chinese terms dating back to the Qing dynasty. They were unknown to me, and I didn't find them described enough so my reading could flow smoothly. This might resonate with readers who prefer a faster pace and are unfamiliar with Chinese history and culture. However, knowing these aspects beforehand will help you better appreciate the story's unique setting and cultural references, preparing you for a more immersive reading experience.

DNF @ 20%

Unfortunately I just can’t seem to get into this one. I loved the idea and I love silkpunk fantasy, but I am really struggling with the pacing and writing. The dialogue is coming across very stilted and it felt really predictable. I am really bummed because I was so excited for this book! I just don’t want to get into a reading slump.

Thank you to Penguin Teen and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4 stars. The ratings on goodreads for Of Jade and Dragons are lower than I would have expected, and I think that's because this is being promoted as a fantasy book and has "dragon" in the title. However, upon reading this one, I wouldn't really qualify this as fantasy (it's more steam punk), and there are no dragons... at least not in a way you would expect from a book with "dragon" in the title. So I think because of that, for many, this is a case of the book not being what they expected, causing some to ultimately be disappointed. I had no expectations, and don't feel disappointment at all. My main reason for requesting this one was that it was Mulan inspired and I LOVE Mulan. And it turns out, I really enjoyed Of Jade and Dragons. After Ying's father is murdered, she leaves rural life behind and heads to the capital to enter the yearly competition to join the Engineer's Guild. But she's not at the guild just because she loves engineering (which she does), she's there to figure out who is responsible for her father's murder. And oh yeah, girls aren't allowed, so Ying disguises herself as a boy. I enjoyed the general plot behind this one (aka Ying's quest to find more information about her father's murder), but I also enjoyed all the cool tech and engineering feats, AND I enjoyed the budding romance between Ying and one of the princes! This is YA, so as is typical for most books that feature teenage characters, emotions run HIGH. And even though Ying tries to act like an adult, she definitely has her moments (and to be fair, so does her romantic interest). All in all, I really enjoyed this one. This is my first Mulan retelling and it won't be my last. I can also see myself picking up book 2... with how things ended, I'm definitely curious to see how the relationships evolve.

Rating- ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5
Of Jade and Dragons is an adventurous story mixed with academia and murder mystery. Aihui Ying is a young girl who shares her father’s passion for engineering. When she bears witness to his assassination, she goes on a quest to uncover the truth. This leads Ying to the prestigious engineering guild her father worked for. Disguised as her brother, Ying passes the trials and gains entry into the guild. Danger lurks in every corner and Ying isn’t sure who she can trust. If her disguise breaks, she will be convicted of treason. But if she leaves the guild, she will never find her father’s killer.

The story has an interesting plot, but once again I got baited into reading a YA book. Although it’s not my personal preference, the story was entertaining. I enjoyed Aihui Ying’s headstrong character and her determination to not let anything deter her. I’ve given the book three stars because of how long it took me to finish it. I’m conflicted about this one because the book was well written, it just felt dull for me and didn’t stand out. Overall, this would be a great book if you love YA fantasy. Thank you to NetGalley and Viking Books for the advance reader copy.