The Blood Phoenix by Amber Chen is a mesmerizing fantasy extravaganza, mixing political drama, personal growth, and heart-pounding suspense into one thrilling ride. Set in the enchanting world of the Nine Isles, join Ying as she maneuvers through treacherous twists and tangled relationships. Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Group for the opportunity to read this book in advance.

Amber Chen spins a web of intrigue, plunging readers into the complex political dance of the Nine Isles. With a cocktail of personal and political clashes, readers are swept into a realm where alliances teeter on tightropes and motives lurk in the shadows. The chaos ignited by a pirate ambush by the Blood Phoenix fleet catapults Ying back into the political limelight, sparking a whirlwind of events that keeps readers teetering on the brink.

The world-building is as rich as a chocolate lava cake, with the Nine Isles painted in vibrant hues. From the bustling capital to the perilous straits, each locale is vividly detailed, pulling readers deeper into the tale. The regional and factional dynamics add layers of complexity, as characters tiptoe through a minefield of danger and deception.

The Blood Phoenix is a page-flipper, with suspense woven into every twist and turn. Chen’s writing is a Siren’s call, pulling readers into a world where danger lurks around every corner. The pacing is a perfect blend, with adrenaline-pumping action interlaced with reflective moments and character growth.

The mystery surrounding the puppet master of the Blood Phoenix fleet and the conspiracy within the High Command keeps readers guessing till the nail-biting end. As the plot unfolds, Ying and her allies must untangle a web of deceit and power plays, culminating in a climax that’s both electrifying and gratifying.

To wrap it up, The Blood Phoenix by Amber Chen is a spellbinding fantasy tale, delivering a cocktail of rich world-building, intricate characters, and a suspense-filled plot for an utterly immersive experience. Fans of political drama and fantasy will find a treasure trove of enjoyment in this saga of loyalty, betrayal, and survival in a world teetering on chaos. Whether you're a newcomer to Chen’s enchanting realm or a loyal fan, _The Blood Phoenix_ is a must-read that will leave you eagerly pining for the next adventure in the series.

“But there are no limits to dreaming,’ her father had once told her, ‘and every great invention begins from the littlest of dreams.”

The Blood Phoenix is the conclusion to Amber Chen’s The Fall of the Dragon duology, following the brilliant engineer, Ying, and her politically strategic sister, Nian, as they attempt to keep the Nine Isles intact despite ongoing dangers and betrayals. Two years after Ying completed the Engineers Guild, she finds herself swept back into a life of uncertainty when The Blood Phoenix fleet of pirates captures Ying and the High Command prince, Ye-Yang. Nian, separated from her betrothed Ye-Yang, finds company in the fourteenth prince, Ye-Kan, while navigating ongoing mysteries within the capital. This epic sequel concludes the threats to the Nine Isles and sees the protagonists facing decisions that could change their lives forever.

I am disappointed to say that despite my excitement for the sequel to Of Jade and Dragons, which was one of my favorite reads of 2024, that The Blood Phoenix did not live up to my expectations. Unlike the first novel in the duology, The Blood Phoenix has dual POV’s between Ying and Nian. I found Nian’s perspective to be a distraction from the plot and a bit dull in comparison to Ying’s, which caused this book to have a much slower pace than its predecessor. I also found myself disappointed in the decision to include a two year time gap between novels, as this separated me not only from the characters and their headspaces, but also the ongoing threats to the world Chen had established. The romances in this novel did not capture my heart like they did in the first novel either, which is likely due to the decision to have the romances not only running parallel, but also being vaguely intertwined. Despite my grievances with this sequel, it includes excellent representation of not only Chinese culture, but people with disabilities. Additionally, I must commend Chen for her aptitude in crafting visceral imagery, especially regarding the pirates in the novel and the machines and weapons that Ying builds. Although I had several issues with this book, it still has engaging writing, innovative aesthetics, and terrific representation, making it a worthwhile read to those invested in this world.

Thank you net gallery for the advanced copy of this book. The story starts two years after the first one ends. There are two main points of view, the heroine from the first book and that of her sister. This time much of the story involves being out on the high seas and pirates. There is definitely adventure and romance. I would definitely recommend

“This war had changed them all, forced them down different paths, broken them in different ways. Some for better, some for worse.”

After book 1, this picks up 2 years later and things are a mess. Ying tries to escape the war and Ye-yang hoping to find a sense of freedom and peace. Instead she is flung back into the middle of the war and must use her inventions to create a deadly weapon to hopefully turn the tides.

I enjoyed following Ying on her journey to find her purpose in her war-torn world and figure out who she wants to be.

The political dynamic is intense with everyone wanting power for themselves. You never know who to trust or who will seize the opportunity to attack. Friendships are strained and families torn apart.

The stakes were higher and the betrayals gut-wrenching. I loved watching both Ying and her sister Nina grow throughout the book into the strong women I knew they could be.

If you love fast-paced high-stakes adventure, filled with political intrigue, pirates, female rage, and romance then I highly recommend the Fall of the Dragon Duology .

“Remember who you are, my lamb. Remember that you are strong, and there is much you are capable of. A single ember can raze the entire plains.”

Wonderful sequel. I loved being back in this world and following these characters on this new journey. Can't wait to read more from this author!

I expected more from this sequel, but I felt it failed to fully convey what happened in the first book. I was left wanting more.

The Blood Phoenix" is the final book in the "Fall of the Dragon" duology. Unfortunately it was a miss for me.

We pick up with a time hop, 2 years after the events of book 1. Ying is engaged to the son of a clansman, but plans on running away. When a series of events bring her back to Fei, she must navigate her relationship with Ye-Yang, who is still engaged to her sister Nian, and reinstate herself in the guild where her skills are desperately needed in order to create weapons to fight pirates. I felt the story kind of veered off from what was going on in book 1(that they needed to defeat the Qirin empire) and instead changed the antagonists to a bunch of pirates...but then never really went back to the fact that they still need to defeat the empire.

In this story we also get to see Nian's perspective, which was very different from Ying's but enjoyable. I liked this installment enough up until the 80% mark, but overall the ending felt rushed, inconclusive, and underwhelming. I feel like there were a lot of twists and turns with backstabbing characters, but overall the plot points of this novel were painfully obvious. The author also very clearly states this is a duology in the author's note, but I felt like it was left open with a VERY ambiguous ending, and the ability to add an entire 3rd book. There were just too many loose ends for me to overlook. Overall, this was a miss for me, however the writing is engaging and the pacing is quite quick, so it was just the plot and ending that let me down.

I think this duology is great for YA fantasy readers and is perfect for the teen audience.

3/5 stars

Thank you so much to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC.

This was an interesting continuation of the world introduced in Of Jade and Dragons. Picking up after the emotional wreckage of book one, Blood Phoenix follows Ying as she tries to avoid the capital and all the painful memories it holds—until a tragic loss forces her to return and confront everything she tried to leave behind. I appreciated how we also got chapters from her sister Nian’s perspective. At first, I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about the shift, but her character grew on me, and it added more texture to the narrative.

There’s a lot going on in this book: the aftermath of a regime change, the impact of pirate invasions, refugee tensions, and all the personal heartbreak layered on top. The pirate storyline felt like a bit of a detour at first, but once the pieces started coming together, I was hooked. Some of the new characters introduced aboard those ships seemed unlikable at first, but as their stories unfolded, they slowly won me over. It wasn’t the most flawless book I’ve ever read, but it was fun—full of twists, big reveals, and just enough political scheming to keep me guessing.

While the pacing was uneven at times and a few threads felt like they needed more time to develop, I’m still really glad I read this. The ending was especially unexpected—I thought I knew where it was going, but it definitely surprised me. I’m not sure if this really works as the end of a duology (there are quite a few loose ends still hanging), but I’d happily return to this world if there’s ever a third book or even a novella.

A solid sequel that expands the world in creative ways, even if it left me wishing for a bit more resolution. 3.75/5

4.5⭐️

The Blood Phoenix was an adventurous and entertaining sequel to the first book Of Jade and Dragons! It definitely lived up it its predecessor, and out of the two, I think The Blood Phoenix is the one that I enjoyed even more! Regarding the book, It’s been two years since the events of the first book and Ying is trying to live a quiet life until she can truly be free. But with attacks from pirates, Ying is thrust back into reuniting with old friends—including Ye-Yang.

Throughout the book, I loved the dynamic pov from Ying and Nian. While Ying was going through her turmoils on her feeling and the betrayal from Ye-Yang, I was loving Nian and Ye-Kan’s interactions as they got closer to each other. The political aspect and world building of this book was expanded on which I really enjoyed. The betrayals in this book may be predictable as the book goes on but it still catches you off guard. The book leaves off on an open-ended ending, and I’m definitely looking forward to if the author decides to come back to this world and create more with it!

Current rating: rounded up to 3 stars

While I enjoyed the first book, this sequel was rather disappointing. It started off decently, but ended up dragging so much that I almost wanted to dnf. I still liked the descriptions of the different technologies and their unique mechanisms, but other than that, I didn't really care for anything. Plus, there were several moments that felt very anticlimactic when they were meant to be the opposite.

I was able to remember all the characters, even minor ones, but I felt zero connection to any of them. Still, I did like Nian's pov chapters, though even less happened in those.
The romance between Ying and Ye-yang was bland in the first book, but became even more unsatisfying here. The only moment I remember finding cute was when a different character was observing a token of their relationship, and they weren't even in the scene...

Idk what will happen next because of the underwhelming and open ending, so maybe there will be more books set in this same world? This duology has pretty covers, at least.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 4.25⭐️/5

The Blood Phoenix by Amber Chen is the second novel to Of Jade and Dragons (which was my first ever special edition book) and holds a very special place in my heart! I was so excited to get an ARC for this novel.

I really enjoyed the fast paced adventure in this novel, with a lot of action and the love story between Ye-Yang and Ying. The world building was expansive in this and was a way different vibe from the first one. More of a pirate adventure rather than the steampunk sleuth of the first novel. Still really, really good in its own way!

Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25
This book takes place 2 years after the ending of Of Jade and Dragons.

Ming has tried to move on with her life, engineering a submersible pod in the hopes to leave the nine isles and start a new life.

Pirates within the straits have been preventing trade and causing havoc. As a result, refugees have been flooding the shores and food supply is starting to be a concern.

As a result Ye-Yang convinces Ying to return to the guild to help expand on her submersible in the hopes they will be able to stop the pirates.
🐦‍🔥
This book has less engineering technicalities and more political development, espionage, attempted coup, and pirates.
🐦‍🔥
This ended on an open-ended cliffhanger. Which concerns me since this is listed as a duology.

It technically can be left to our imagination. But it would be nice to have more.

The author stated on her page for the book release last week that if we want another book, novella, epilogue, that is up to the publisher.

So this is my request to @penguinrandomhouse that we can get another book!

If nothing else, it would be nice to have a free epilogue on the author’s website so we can find our closure with these characters.

I almost feel like not getting an additional book would greatly change my rating.

I’ve been looking forward to this sequel a lot because I loved Of Jade and Dragons, which was probably one of my favorite debuts of last year. After finishing though, I’m still processing my thoughts.

After getting only Ying’s POV throughout book 1, it was interesting to get to see the plot through the eyes of Nian as well, who was hardly a presence in the first. The plot progression felt too quick at times for the first three quarters of the book because there were many many time jumps and we would just be told that things happened. There were many ups and downs in Ying and Ye-Yang’s relationship but I still loved seeing them together. The blossoming friendship and love between Ye-kan and Nian was definitely my favorite part of the book though. They were just lovely together and their individual character progresses was also written very well.

Overall, I liked the book a lot, but maybe that’s because I already loved these characters from the first book. This book hardly felt like a duology finale and more like the middle of a trilogy or the 2nd book of a longer series. What this means is that while it seems like it ends at a logical endpoint, it’s quite dissatisfying. Now if the author manages to write a spin-off series which follows Nian and Ye-kan and what happens next, or any new characters but set in the immediate aftermath of this ending, that will give me lot of happiness and make me wanna read more of the author’s works in the future.

I’ve been looking forward to this sequel a lot because I loved Of Jade and Dragons, which was probably one of my favorite debuts of last year. After finishing though, I’m still processing my thoughts.

After getting only Ying’s POV throughout book 1, it was interesting to get to see the plot through the eyes of Nian as well, who was hardly a presence in the first. The plot progression felt too quick at times for the first three quarters of the book because there were many many time jumps and we would just be told that things happened. There were many ups and downs in Ying and Ye-Yang’s relationship but I still loved seeing them together. The blossoming friendship and love between Ye-kan and Nian was definitely my favorite part of the book though. They were just lovely together and their individual character progresses was also written very well.

Overall, I liked the book a lot, but maybe that’s because I already loved these characters from the first book. This book hardly felt like a duology finale and more like the middle of a trilogy or the 2nd book of a longer series. What this means is that while it seems like it ends at a logical endpoint, it’s quite dissatisfying. Now if the author manages to write a spin-off series which follows Nian and Ye-kan and what happens next, or any new characters but set in the immediate aftermath of this ending, that will give me lot of happiness and make me wanna read more of the author’s works in the future.

Thank you, PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group | Viking Books for Young Readers, for sending me this ARC. 🐉🗡️⚙️🌊

I have the most beautiful special editions for the first book in the series, Of Jade and Dragons, so I'm hoping the second book will follow suit! 🤞It's giving "Mulan," and I'm pretty excited about that!

What to expect:

🐉 Duology
🐉 Murder mystery
🐉 Steampunk x Mulan
🐉 Tension/suspense
🐉 Engineer x Prince

This story managed to strike a compelling balance among various elements that contribute to a captivating narrative, such as well-developed characters, an engaging plot, and vivid imagery. BUT with that being said... that ending was not really for me. Maybe it means more will come but the lacking of closure isn't my favorite.

Expected publication: June 17, 2025

As always, all thoughts are my own. 🖤✨

The world of the Fall of the Dragon Duology is so fascinating, well-built, and creative with all of the engineering inventions within the world. I like how the romance was handled in this book, given how book 1 ended, but Ye-yang was infinitely frustrating, with his decision-making that kept leading to Ying taking a step back from him. In other words, I am happy that the writing was so good that the characters could evoke such thoughts - it completely matched Ye-yang’s character. The ending for Nian, Ye-kan, and some others was great. The endings for Ying and Ye-yang were more implied, which I am learning I am not that big of a fan of this type of ending. I do feel this leaves the door open to reenter the world at another time though.

Thank you to @penguinteen and @vikingbooks for the eARC. All thoughts are my own.

Even though Ying is able to work in the guild as herself, everything has changed. All the trouble she found herself in book 1 is nothing compared to what’s to come. I wish we could get closure on Ying and Ye-Yang but I’m still happy with the outcome of The Blood Phoenix.

"Wouldn't it be nice to spend forever accompanied by the silence of the seas?"

This book started so well. The promise of action and adventure, political machinations and romance.

"The phoenix still hung like a fiery harbinger, wings outstretched and beckoning. An inexplicable fear churned in her gut. She got up and ran."

Somehow it didn't quite get there for me.

I love the concept of silkpunk - and I think the author does it well. I was just missing... something. Too many secrets, I guess, even for spies. Honestly, the ship was my favorite part. Reminded me of Poe Blythe.

This duology was such an amazing journey! I loved how this book follows up with Ying and elaborates on her relationship with her family as well as the friends she made in the first book! It was nice for this book to be more focused on a few different characters and their development rather than just Ying!
This story slightly broke my heart and I’m still in denial this is only a duology. I’m lowkey crossing my fingers and hoping the author pulls a fast one on us and makes another book. OR maybe a series involving one of the side characters from book one that we really get to know in this book!
I highly recommend this book series to anyone who wants a nice action packed story with unbridled feminine rage!

The Blood Phoenix takes place a few years after the end of Of Jade and Dragons. When her nations war strikes too close to home, Ying must return to the people and politics she left behind two years ago.

I really loved that we get to see Ying’s determination and strength in a new way in this book. This book sees her in a position where she can fully speak her mind and stand up for what she believes.

I also enjoyed getting Nain’s perspective and seeing her character’s growth throughout the novel. She has the same bold stubbornness and sense of justice as her sister but she has a better understanding of people and the social/political dynamics between them.

Like book one this book also has plenty of angst, political intrigue, and strong willed characters. But unlike book one, this book also has pirates!