A YA fantasy that will sweep you up, with enchanting worldbuilding and mythology and a delightful cast. Ahn and Altan are sure to be a favored heroine and hero among readers.

Myth: 4/5

It always takes me a minute to get into both characters in this type of alternating perspective story. Ahn was easy, she was just trying to survive in a hard world and take care of the one person who had taken a chance on caring for her. Altan, the lost heir, took a little more getting used to, but his character’s drive, wry wit and ongoing self reflection ended up drawing me in.

The romantic subplot is definitely slow-burn but the chemistry is there but the trust takes awhile as they try to navigate their individual goals.

Magic: 4/5

A dash of soul stealing and maybe necromancy side by side with elemental magic, in a world where some magics are a death sentence. The rich magic system of Jade Fire Gold was wound tightly with the world building, political climate and ancient history of the empire.

Overall: 4/5

A rich world filled with magic, political intrigue and delightful characters. Ahn was definitely a favorite as she just wants to make a place for herself in the world outside of what is destined. She’s willing to fight for the life and future she wants.

This book gets an auto four stars because Altan's favorite mooncake is my favorite mooncake -- double yolk, lotus paste, chewy (not flakey) outside -- mm yum.

I jest. I think? I really did have a big smile on my face when I read that part though. Its little tidbits like that, that have made me realize how much I need Asian authors in my life. I never read fantasy stories before that had elements I could relate to culturally in real life.

In any case, on to the book! Jade Fire Gold is a fun easy read. It falls between a 3.5-4 stars for me due to pacing and some character relationship development issues. The first half of the book feels slow. I know the world and characters need to be set up, but I did feel like it could've been woven more through out the book instead of all in the beginning. Up until this point, the book was feeling like a 3 star.

***Small spoilers from this point on***

Around the 50% mark is where our two mains start their journey together and this is where the book began pushing into a 4 star. The second half was fantastic. It was the kind of reading where hours flew by and I didn't even realize. I really wanted more of that. I wish the beginning could've been condensed down and the second half expanded. It would have given us more time to build up the chemistry between Ahn and Altan and invest more into the climax battle and the reveals, which while great, also felt rushed. I would have LOVED to spend more time exploring the complex emotions that resulted from. I also loved how things ended w/ Ahn and Altan, not quite that fairytale ending. I believe that there is a lot of potential here. The secondary character are great too. I look forward to learning more about them. I'm assuming that is. I can't find any information to verify, but the book doesn't feel like a stand alone. It resolves well and is self contained, but definitely feels like there is more we will learn about.

Thank you Netgalley and HarperTeen for the e-Arc. Oh! and P.S. the cover for this book is FIRE (jade and gold ;) )

Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy JADE FIRE GOLD. The story has a promising start and has wonderful worldbuilding ideas (I loved the idea of the mandate of heaven being tied to magic of the land!), but I felt all its potential for a fascinating and original story were forsaken for a lacklustre journey, uninspired character development, and a confusing romance. Rather than lean on the story's original ideas, the direction that the story takes ultimately falls in the trap of being a generic fantasy.

So much potential, but unfortunately disappointing.

I absolutely loved this book.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an e-arc of this book.
Jade fire gold has it all, inspired by Chinese mythology, representation, magic, action, and an achingly slow romance that has you screaming “just kiss already!” And it also just happens to be a standalone.
This book didn’t slow me down at all, maybe it was the fact that my excitement overruled everything else. The magic system was straightforward and not too hard to understand. The world building was on its own rather well done.
The main characters took some time to warm up to but the side characters were instantly lovable.
I must say though, that the epilogue for this book, was so uncalled for. Because now I want a sequel, knowing there won’t be one.

What I loved about Jade Fire Gold is that it examines power and monstrosity. Revenge and forgiveness. This dual POV story explores what we will sacrifice for power, salvation, and revenge. Do we allow ourselves to become weaponized? How do we know if the costs of action are worth it? While Jade Fire Gold is certainly slower paced than I was expecting, I enjoyed the character development for Ahn and Altan. How Ahn has to come to terms with her power, with her lack of control, and with her own responsibility. How Altan thinks he has nothing left to lose, but there's always more.

Jade Fire Gold explores the ways history is permeable and susceptible to erosion. The ways that history is like fabric - and it's all in the way its cut. All the ways we are confined by our legacy, our past, and our family. So while I was expecting more action at the beginning, what ended up captivating me were the thematic explorations. In some ways, they're both convinced of their own monstrosity, but could they find pieces of themselves in each other?

A decent YA fantasy debut. The plot was very fast paced but the writing felt rather simple. It would be a good book for readers who are new to fantasy or not fans of complicated fantasy writing. The magic system felt a bit wishy-washy and because the story moved so fast I never felt connected to the characters. The character’s romantic relationships also didn’t feel well developed. Overall it was a decent read but I wouldn’t rush to pick of the sequel.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

3.5/5 stars!

Jade Fire Gold is a promising debut filled with sweeping adventures, wild magic and enjoyable action. I loved the world that June C.L. Tan created, lush in Chinese mythology, interesting magic and the Avatar the Last Airbender vibes were impeccable. I had really high expectations for this book after reading the synopsis, so I was a little disappointed I didn't love it and only liked it. There are many aspects of the book I thought could have used more work on, however overall it was a good debut that I think many will love.

I really enjoyed the writing style of the book and found myself immersed in the picture of the world that Tan paints. The plot had a lot of promise and kept me intrigued throughout the entirety of the book, and I really appreciated the different tropes that were sprinkled within (the I was sent to kill you trope, exiled prince meets orphaned girl, the chosen one, etc.).

This book definitely kept me on my toes, however I found there were many elements of the book that were really promising, but ultimately fell flat. I think the biggest issue I had with the book was the pacing. At times the book would be super slow and then all of a sudden action was sprung out of no where without any build up at all, making it feel rushed. In addition I wanted a little more world-building. I loved the magical aspect of the book and really wanted to learn more about that. I thought the characters were likable, but needed a bit more development along with the romance. The romance to me was a bit average as I felt more like I was told they were falling for each other rather than feeling/being shown that they did (I really liked the banter and wanted more!).

Jade Fire Gold was still so much fun despite the few things I felt needed a little more work. I liked this book and all the crazy adventures that came with it. I do recommend this book to others and have a feeling many will like it, if not love it!!

In this lusciously crafted world, we see a land where magic is viewed as evil, and people who have this magic, the Tensai, are seen as traitors the empire. We follow the point of view of Ahn, a young peasant girl living in the desert with her Ama. Ahn is definitely one of my favorite characters. I loved her so much, from the beginning to the end. She was so totally awesome, and I am a sucker for women with swords, so I instantly fell in love with her. I enjoyed seeing her remember her past, reconnect with people in her life, and figure out what to do with everything that happens. She really was a cool character, one of my favorites for sure.

As Ahn is plunged into a world of court and priests, we also see Altan. The heir to the empire, though no one knows it, as he was abandoned in the desert when he was young. Everyone believes Altan is dead, and he wields that to his advantage as he plans his vengeance. Altan's character was so interesting, and I enjoyed delving into his past and present as the story moved on.

This book was very fast paced. I enjoyed that, but it also was a little unbalanced at different points, which was my only problem with this book. The action scenes just seemed to blow by at times. It was a light read and impossible to put down from the very beginning, very easy to follow. I knew I would love it within the first page.

The world building in this was spectacular. We see this beautiful land inspired off of Chinese mythology, some of my favorite worlds to read, We see settings from a small town to the desert to mountains, a wide expanse of this world is viewed, which I always love.

All of the characters in this book were so enjoyable. Asides from Ahn and Altan, we also see Tai Shun, Leiye, Linxi, and Tang Wei. I loved all of these characters so much. Especially Tang Wei. She literally owns my entire heart now. I mean, she was the most perfect character ever. I was very very happy when I found out this book had a sapphic side couple in it and they were literally the cutest. I also loved Tai Shun, he was definitely a favorite. The current emperor, he was a lot more fun than I was expecting him to be. Also, as far as I know, he didn't seem very straight, and that makes it all the better.

There were so many good tropes in this book too! We got to see some enemies to lovers, my very favorite, especially when it's the "I'm here to kill you" that turns to reluctant allies and eventually makes its way up to lovers type. There was the chosen one trope, which generally I'm not a fan of, but it was done so well in this book that I hardly even noticed it.

I'm so happy to have received an arc of this book, and cannot wait for book two, especially after that ending! I don't know how I'm going to be able to wait, I'm just dying over here.

I. Loved. This. Book!

What can I say about this book? June CL Tan creates a world that I was able to delve into and wanted to stay!

The characters depth and history was engaging and liked. This was one of those books that I didn't want to put down when I started it.

I thought that this book was good but it wasn't overly innovative. It has a long journey trope, which I love when they're well done... but this wasn't quite to my preference. I loved the East Asian setting but I didn't think that there was enough world-building or deep enough characters. The tone of the book was a touch young, and if there wasn't so much death in the book, it would read like a middle grade book. It was so close, yet the author didn't quite go deep enough. It was cute, and I would read other books by the author in the future.

I absolutely adored this book by debut author June CL Tan. What an incredible fantasy full of love, heart (so much heart, ahhhh), reckless danger, family ties, and incredible imagery that sweeps you away. I could feel the dust in my teeth from Ahn’s POV. Could feel the heat during Altan’s desert trip. And the twist!!! Ahhh! Took me by surprise. I’ll read whatever Tan writes next! Loved every second. :-)

I mostly liked the plot of the book but felt that it got a little muddled towards the end, the writing however was a little more tell not show than I'd like and it drew my interest away. I'm sure many readers wouldn't have a problem with it but it just wasn't for me.

Jade Fire Gold expertly intertwines the dual perspectives of two characters from vastly different backgrounds. Their social positions do not define them, but each character must overcome their pasts to forge their futures. I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy action and searches for identity beyond social class.

Holy shit this was so good. (Am I allowed to swear? Idk I’ll do it anyway). This book was wow, I didn’t expect it to be so good but it was just that of amazing. I give this book 5/5 stars. I am speechless it was amazing and everyone needs to go read it right now. I will recommend this to all my friends.

I thoroughly enjoyed June CL Tan’s intricately woven and diverse tale. The unexpected plot twists had my jaw on the floor and the world that Tan built was incredibly vivid and immersive. Though a little slow, the story was still extremely enrapturing and pulled me in from the first sentence and kept me interested until the end. Amazing read for anyone who enjoys fantasy, mythology, and diversity! What’s not to love?

I won’t lie, I heard “avatar inspired book” and sprinted over. Jade Fire Gold is absolutely perfect for any and all Avatar: The Last Airbender fans who are nostalgic for that world. that coupled with chinese mythology, JFG easily became one of my most anticipated book release of 2021. and needless to say, I was not left disappointed.

as of now, JFG is a standalone (I want a sequel pls && thanks). and often times with standalone high fantasy books, world building or character development may fall short. however, Tan effortlessly balanced both without having to sacrifice much of either. Tan flawlessly paints a world what will pull you in and leave you wanting more. her poetic prose never failed to capture my breath. and the ATLA parallels left me throwing my kindle across the room and screeching.

I do, however, have to critique the overall lack of attention and development the side characters received and the pacing of the book. but this was to be expected this since we are limited to a single book in a brand new world. I would’ve loved to read more about the supporting characters (because I am fully obsessed with them Tang Wei pls marry me). additionally, the climax fell short and the timeline a bit rushed but with what Tan was able to give us, she did an excellent job.

I won’t ramble any longer but the main takeaway is to read this book!!!! it is a stunning and enrapturing debut. I promise you that you will not regret it!!

Ahn is just a country girl living in the desert trying to earn enough money to care for her ailing grandmother, but Ahn has a deadly secret. Altan, on the other hand, is an exiled prince who's desperately seeking for a way to end the magical blight on the land and regain his right to the throne. Quite coincidentally, they each find something they need in the other, and a quest full of betrayal, secrets, assassins, magicians, priests and a bit of romance ensues, leading both Altan and Ahn to question what is truly worth fighting for.

Once I got into it, this book was a really gripping read. It has excellent pacing and a style particularly suited to action/adventure. It's most obvious flaw was a lack of world building. Because of the names and a number of cultural references, I got the impression it was set in a pseudo far East area reminiscent of China or Mongolia, but this was never clearly explained. Since I assumed this to be the case, I was occasionally shocked to find strong Western influences cropping up, which rudely took me out of the scene and made me question where we were all over again. Since this is a fantasy world, it shouldn't be surprising that it doesn't follow my expectations of the real world, but many other things were simply assumed, which made it hard to get my bearings at times.

Aside from that one problem, this book was a thrilling foray into intrigue and magic, and I found it both easy to read and thought-provoking. The characters were fairly well constructed and the scenes were expertly crafted to make this an enchanting visual experience.

I requested this book because several reviews compared it to Avatar The Last Airbender. You can tell me a hat was inspired by ATLA and I would probably buy it, to say I'm a fan is an understatement. However I really didn't see too many similarities between this and ATLA. But I did love it none the less! Our two main characters start off as polar opposites, but time brings them closer together, both literally and figuratively. The side characters are all great and fleshed out. They provide a wonderful showcase for the authors writing skills. The only thing I didn't like about this book was that ending! It was amazing, but how dare you leave me hanging like that! 5 out of 5!

A good book with a strong premise. I enjoyed the mythology and the characters were likeable. The book was an easy read, however the story felt rushed with the action scenes being more tell than show. I wish that the story's transitions had been smoother as there were some jumps and leaps that were jarring to the reader. The mythology was something that I wished could have been explored more as it held great potential, but wasn't given the chance to shine. The last few pages though really left me shocked and excited for the sequel.