This is the second in a pan-Asian urban fantasy series that features liberal violence, plenty of family trauma, and minimal romance.

Blood Jade picks up shortly after Ebony Gate left off. When Emiko is called in by an ally to inspect a dead body, she’s swept into an investigation/stakeout that sees her return to her family’s home in Tokyo just in time for her brother’s magical boarding school competition, an affair rife with deadly Jiārén politics.

Like the first volume, this is fast-paced and fun. There are multiple subplots at work, creating a lot of tension and momentum. Emiko is a great PoV character– because we can see inside her head, we see so much more than what she presents to the outside world.

In Ebony Gate, we saw little pieces of the Jiārén world that Emiko left behind, but Blood Jade is thoroughly enmeshed in it. In some ways, I appreciated the first book where we see Emiko operate as a solo entity and catch glimpses of her dark and traumatic past– it makes for a dramatic start. And yet, the first volume left me with SO many questions and very little resolution– frustrating, but also motivating to seek out this volume! While narratively Blood Jade doesn’t neatly wrap things up for us, the book shares far more of Emiko’s background and the power structure she constantly reacts to in the first book– very satisfying and an elegant way to raise the stakes.

And y’all– this book has a synopsis of the first book. SO appreciated. I wish more books did this.

A great continuation from the first book, bringing Emikio away from San Francisco to Japan.

I’ve in the past have had a difficult time with fantasy set in modern day, but this is an exception. The world built underneath the layers of modern day kept me captivated and engaged, reading until late at night. I loved the difficult family dynamics but still having the affection for those you hold dear. Emiko’s character arc from the first book into this second book is seamless. A great adventures read.

This is book two of the Phoenix Hoard series. This book continues Emilo’s story. Family secrets, shame and questioned loyalties all come together in this exciting second book. I am voluntarily posting an honest review after reading an Advance Reader Copy of this story.

This book really exceeded what I expected from the sequel to Ebony Gate- a book which I enjoyed a lot but ended up giving 3 stars to due to some issues I had with how repetitive certain phrases were along with how exposition heavy it was in the beginning. Blood Jade was an incredible improvement, and aside from some issues I had with a few problems being solved in what felt like a rushed and under explained way (Emiko's issues with her meridians felt like a "several chapter problem" but instead was magically fixed in a matter of paragraps), I really enjoyed this book. From the expansion on the world and the magic system to the slow but satisfying unveiling of family mysteries that were only hinted at in the first book. I would definitely say that the strongest aspect of this sequel is in the world building along with the expansion on Emiko's relationship with her family. It was really cool learning more about the Sentinel position that Emiko found herself in at the end of book one and the hints dropped at the possibility of her future in book 3 because of it have left me really excited to read the next book already. Emiko herself in this book both changed and didn't change in a strange way- she learned a lot more about herself and the strange memory fragments she was dreaming about in book 1, but it almost felt like in this book she changed one insecurity for another one. She's still extremely loyal, protective, and devoted to the people she sees as her own, and I wasn't expecting her to change too much given that this is only book 2 and in the book not a lot of time has actually passed for Emiko since book 1 so I'm hoping to see more of that change in how she views herself in book 3. Aside from the world building and expansion on lore, my favorite aspect of this book was seeing Emiko interact with her father and brother in person- especially after how book 1 depicted Emiko's relationship with her parents as a strained one. It was really interesting seeing how the mixture of Emiko projecting her own insecurities, her father's stoicism, and her mother's near constant absence in her life lead to such a misunderstood image of how she believed they viewed her and I really enjoyed seeing Emiko gradually realize how loved and cared for she is by the people in her life who she calls family. Book 2 ends with a lot of set up and mystery for book 3 and I am really excited for the time to come to jump into this world once again.

Imgur link goes to Instagram graphic scheduled for July 29th
Blog post scheduled for July 23rd
Will be covered in upcoming Youtube volg
Amazon review submitted and pending amazon approval


TL;DR: The ride was a bit rough, but the payoff on this was well worth it.
Source: NetGalley! Thank you so much to the publisher!

Plot: Emiko has to return home to Tokyo. We see her face her family and her history, and finally unlock her power and potential.
Characters: We get a LOT more characters in this second book and I really enjoyed all of them. We definitely get less of Adam, who was my least favorite character in book one and frankly I’m pleased with that.
Setting: The bulk of this one takes place in Tokyo and I loved that setting and all the magic we saw there.
Magic: There was so much and it was all delightful. We finally got to see a full rainbow of magic from the families and that was my favorite part of this one (besides the ending).

Thoughts:

Blood Jade follows Ebony Gate and sees Emiko settling into her role as Sentinel of San Francisco. She’s still trying to protect her friends from the truth of her heritage and grapple with her power when she’s called to Tokyo. She has to return to her family, and face her past. Along with that she finds she must protect friends and then family as an assassin of unknown origin begins to target them. It’s a fast, confusing mess, and the pace on this does net let up.

The tension in this book had my skin crawling, I’m not going to lie. I was deeply frustrated at times. Something seemingly life changing (indeed actually life changing) would occur and Emiko could not get a straight answer out of anyone. And we as the reader were left just as frustrated, if not more. I’m still on the fence on if this was intentional or accidental but so much happened in this book I can’t even begin to puzzle it out. We have Emiko facing her father, the looming and almost diabolical figure of her past, her meeting a fellow Sentinel, her power and meridians being healed and awakened, actual immortal beings taking an interest in her and helping her, and the entirety of her society turning it’s eyes to her and things getting incredibly messy.

All that too say, I did absolutely love the ending of this book. I am not completely sold on how a few conflicts or looming issues were resolved but that ending was beautiful and glorious. I’m very sold on this series, it’s one I plan on following to it’s conclusion and if you enjoy urban fantasy/paranormal books you have to give this a try.

4 out of 5 Blood Jade beads

She's the newly minted Sentinel of San Francisco (and retired killer) and she's already got so much on her plate from: catching a killer, dealing with her duties, connecting with family, and of course dealing with the one guy she's been keeping secrets from. Emiko Soong was a killer but now she is the new appointed Sentinel of San Francisco. She has become the guardian for the sentient city and when murder happens, its up to her to investigate... yet the killer's scent signature is so close to her mother's talent that it has Emiko questioning everything. The further she investigates the more dark family secrets she is beginning to unravel... and these secrets will lead her to realize things about herself. She must also deal with new enemies that have come for her family. Can she save her family and hunt down the killer before she loses those she loves? This was a fun sequel in the series and I absolutely cannot wait for the third book to discover more about the prophecy and how she will deal with Adam after everything that has happened in this book. This book focuses heavily on Emiko and her relationship with her family, its a fun way to get to know more about Emiko and see more of the lore behind the clans. It's a fun sequel that sets up an exciting third book in the series! I've had so much fun reading these books and I can't wait for more!

Release Date: July 16,2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Tor Publishing Group | Tor Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

This was truly soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo good and I can absolutely not wait for the next installment!!!!!!!!

In Book 2 of the Phoenix Horde, Blood Jade, Julia Vee and Ken Bebelle continue the exhilarating ride they created in The Ebony Gate. The story starts with a bang, introducing and pulling the reader into the new intrigues Emiko Soong must deal with as the Sentinel as she also re-connects with her family.
I love that in book two we learn more about Emiko’s past, about her family and that as she embraces her new Sentinel identity, she learns more about her abilities, both positive and negative. The novel does a fantastic job of picking up the threads left from the previous book, showing us more of the intrigue within the dragon clans and hinting at even greater secrets in the process. The twists and turns of the story will keep you thoroughly engaged.
If you like your paranormal with an Asian flare, this new adventure will be sure to keep you entertained. Not only will you learn more about Emiko but you will love her family and her friends. I do recommend reading book one first but if you dive into the second novel, you won’t be disappointed, you’ll just want to read book one afterwards for this original and exciting new urban fantasy.

Fun urban fantasy. I’ve got book three marked as to read on Goodreads and I see she’s got a small press or self published book series that starts with Stakes and Bones. Vampire slaying romance aside from Buffy isn’t absolutely my thing but this series has been good enough so far I’ll try the old series too on the strength of this one. I like the solid character arcs and the real feel to this fantasy.

Oh, I've been waiting for this! Blood Jade takes place a week after the events in Ebony Gate are over. Emiko gets hired by Fiona to find out who killed her beloved bodyguard. While doing so, Emiko also discovers that the Soong family is also on the kill list. The hunt takes her back to her hometown in Tokyo, where the real games begin. I loved traveling with Emiko to her familial grounds. We finally got to see what she left behind in the physical and emotional sense. Watching the weave work of her family history gave Emiko's character a chance to open up and see the real her.

I don't want to give too much away because this book was unbelievably good. You have to experience it. The action scenes are still immaculate. I want KitKats. New powers emerge in the Soong clan that can elevate or shun the family out of the hoard realm. Adam is still hanging in there, and Mutha has arrived!!!!

Full review is on my blog The Litt Librarian

This was a really fun read. I did feel at times as a reader we’re almost reading a few stories in a story but there was never a dull moment. After a murder takes place in San Francisco, Emiko’s investigation leads her to Tokyo where what she uncovers threatens to unravel her whole world and bring a dark family secret to light. She also is helping her younger brother as he prepares for his tourney all while the mysterious General and his forces amped up on blood jade start to rise, creating new enemies hiding in the shadows.

The story is more cyclical in pacing. There are moments of high tension and exciting action sequences that are followed by some investigation and dialog which leads to then again more action and fighting and so on. To me it felt almost like reading a tv series. We see Emiko work her way through the mysteries surrounding her qì and her blocked meridians. We get to see her learning more about what it means to be a sentinel and more about her home life, family drama, the different clans and a lot more about the lore and history. As a reader we really get to understand Emiko so much better and see her character growth. I really felt like Blood Jade was a great second book that answered some of my previous questions from Ebony Gate while offering us readers more questions and excitement for what comes next! I really can’t wait to find out more about the mysterious prophecy and was so happy we got more of Bāo.

Overall this was a really enjoyable and fully stacked book. It had a mysterious shadow assassin, hidden family secrets, sibling dynamics, really cool weapons and magic and lots of action sequences. I can’t wait to see what will happen next!

Blood Jade is the sequel to the Ebony Gate in The Phoenix Hoard series. Blood Jade picks up following Emiko Soong in her adventures as she investigates intrigues in the Jiaren world and as she takes up the mantle of Sentinel of San Francisco. Emiko works to find a killer and it eventually sends her back to Tokyo and in the middle of the family and Jiaren politics she left years ago.

This book certainly doesn't suffer from a second book slump! Starting from chapter one the action picks up and doesn't let up for the whole book. I was wrapped up in the story as soon as the book started. I couldn't put it down and finished this book in 2 days. I feel like I connected with Emiko and the world even more in this book and understood the magic system even more than in the first book. I actually think I like this book even better than the first book. I can't wait for what the authors will bring in the next book!

Thank your @b2weird for letting me part of the "Blood Jade" tour for Julia Vee, Ken Bebelle, and Tor books! Book Two of the Phoenix Hoard out July 16, 2024!

Emiko is actually doing pretty good in San Francisco as the new Guardian. Has some magic she can access, growing respect in the community (as not The Butcher), and work is trucking along. Except family comes with obligations. More so when you used to be the Blade of yours. Her brother, Tatsuya, is about to graduate and engage in a murder game/prom/social flexing party with the other Hoard family kids. It would be good if his sister could tune him up before that conflict and save his life from the assassin with powers similar to her mother. We see the families in the heart of their power, further information about why they left their realm, and what came with them. Oh and there is the small matter of The General making moves, a second mythical figure threatening her if she doesn't learn things with no guide, and her own convoluted past with her parents and her powers. Easy right?

I might have also listened to it again because Natalie Naudus kills it in this.

Reasons to read:
-More of this world
-Answers to many questions!
-Murder Prom
-Hey if you are going to have a secret magic world flex a bit on the building design
-Emiko gets to let loose a bit
- When the pieces connect I just get excited with this story

Cons:
-I got really hungry because the food sounds delicious...

Oh baby, here we go again!

Emiko Soong is officially sentinel of San Francisco, but as soon as she starts her tenure - a murderer strikes. To find the killer and protect her city, she has to travel back home to Japan and confront some demons.

The stakes are raised and it was SUCH a fun ride following Emiko to Tokyo in this entry in the Phoenix Hoard series. This definitely does not suffer from second book syndrome. In fact, it takes the world building and magic from Ebony Gate and runs with it. It felt like such a rich experience to discover more about the families and what makes the world of Jiaren tick. I especially loved seeing Emiko and her father's relationship grow and change. So many great moments to experience!

Personally I am sitting (not so) patiently because we have SUCH a great set up for book 3. Can't wait to see where the series continues to take us. This is becoming a fave urban fantasy series for me and I can't recommend it enough!

Strong 4.5 stars. Let's just say if this book ever got a special edition I would absolutely be purchasing it. Book 2 of the Phoenix Hoard series and I absolutely devoured this book. Took me 3 days to finish this book. We follow Emi from San Francisco to Japan and we learn more about her family, her, and just the overall Jiaren lore. Def left off wanting more, so I'm just a bit bitter that I have to wait for the third book. There was no "case of the second book" where a lot of series book 2 tends to flop. This book came out strong and I'm very impressed and I'm looking forward to book 3!

Also can we talk about the food that Emi gets to eat? I'm jealous.

Oh, Emiko, you have my whole heart.

The Butcher of Beijing, now the Sentinel of San Francisco, is back for a badass, action-packed, and thrilling second book in The Phoenix Hoard trilogy!

Our best gal, Emiko, is learning more about her powers and how to get them unblocked, and the unique magic system overall is delved into further. We learn more about Emiko's family and their secrets. Lots of beautiful world-building and settings depicted. Tons of surprises, plot twists, and even a murder to be solved. The threads are woven nicely for an epic finale to the series, and I cannot wait!

Book one, Ebony Gate, was my favorite Fantasy book of 2023, and Blood Jade is easily my favorite of 2024. I am SO looking forward to book three! Surely, this series will become a movie or TV series at some point. Highly recommend rereading book one on audio before diving into book 2! The narrator is fantastic.

Thank you SO much for the ARC. Please release book 3 ASAP. :)

Ebony Gate is getting a continuation with it’s upcoming sequel Blood Jade which was being pitched as a female John Wick so I of course had to read it and I really enjoyed it. Now for the sequel, though it continues it's badassery. I struggled with it for some reason. We have Emiko who is journeying back home to Japan after the events and consequences of book 1. This series is almost reminding me of the Yakuza video game series, very unsure if that’s a correct way to think of it but it’s what’s popping up in my head for sure. Overall thought it was okay and I still recommend this series for sure.

Unfortunately, I have been in a reading slump for the past 2 weeks—terrible, I know. The one book that seems immune to it has been Blood Jade by Julia Vee and Ken Bebelle. This story was just so fast paced and engaging that I couldn’t help but be completely enamoured with it. It is an urban fantasy, secret society, Japanese folklore influenced thrill ride with assassins, giant snakes, magical artifacts, and sentient cities. My one regret is that I didn’t pick it up sooner.
I was a little concerned when I first started Blood Jade because it is a sequel to a book I haven’t read. Ebony Gate, Blood Jade’s predecessor, was released in 2023, and unlike most of the time when I read a series out of order, it follows the same protagonist. Thankfully, with a little help of a character directory just to understand everyone’s established titles and nicknames, I actually had no trouble following what was going on. In fact, having now read the second book, I am all the more excited to go back and read the first!
Overall, I thought this novel was fantastic. It reminded me of a really well done fantasy action movie—something like Shang Chi or Bright—but with a more Japanese mythology focus. Personally, I look forward to both catching up on this series by reading Ebony Gate, as well as eagerly awaiting book 3. Needless to say, I highly recommend picking it up.

My thanks to NetGalley for making an eARC of this book available to me.

A good read. Middle book in a projected trilogy, it does suffer a bit because of that. Much of this book seems to be building supporting information for the third book, which is not necessarily a bad thing. Many of the supporting characters from the first book reappear. Our main protagonist learns more about her powers and connection with her city, which will no doubt come in handy in the next book. We also get a lot more information about her relationships with her various family members. Looking forward to the next book.

This is a great continuation of the Phoenix Hoard Saga. I really enjoyed both books so far and I'm so excited to see where we go from here. Emiko is constantly seeking her place in this world. Her talents make her a target to some and a potential tool to others. Most of the time she'd rather eat dumplings and drink tea, but those comforts will always come second to her people and her duties.

I really love these books. I grew up watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer and I love contemporary fantasy and this is such an intriguing world that Julia and Ken have made. A very new and exciting twist on the chosen one story. There are a lot of cozy moments as well as action packed fights. This is one of my favorite series in quite a long time.