Definitely too derivative and bloated to be a book (with a forgettable title that sounds like all the rest) to get sucked into for the first of what will be at least a duology, so I was half-heartedly reading.

The plot is basic but the world tries to be intricate. A girl's father is assassinated. He's part of a high-end guild that she wants to be a part of. After his murder, she's going to disguise herself as a boy to infiltrate and discover the secrets. Oh and there's a romance with a steampunk setting.

Excellent world-building, but a little too descriptive for my taste (I have aphantasia, so it does nothing for me). If I could see all of them in my “mind’s eye” or in illustrations or a movie, I’m sure I would greatly appreciate them.

I absolutely loved the political intricacies and everything to do with the Guild and the trails. I wish there was more focus on the trails and the engineering, even though I’m not an engineer by any means.

The slow-burn romance was enjoyable and I was definitely shipping the MCs despite their star-crossed paths.

The plot twists and ending were a little predictable, but the cliffhanger is intriguing enough that I’m actively looking forward to the sequel!

I ended up DNF'ing this book at around 40% in. Unfortuntely, I just did not enjoy the author's writing style, and I thought that the beginning was too slow for me. Things did start picking up a bit, but I lost interest in the book. I can definitely see how people would enjoy this book, as the premise is very interesting, and the worldbuilding seemed interesting as well, it just wasn't for me.

Well, I finally got around to this book I've been staring at and debating reading, wondering if it would ruin me emotionally. And well, parts of this book did ruin me emotionally. The heartbreak I felt towards the end of this book was surreal and I'm very excited to pick up book two.
I loved the world building, my only quarrel with it was we needed more, parts of it lacked. I needed more knowledge about everything then what we were given, but maybe my questions will answered in book two.
Our main characters are wonderful, and I'm excited to see who they develop into in the next book. Our main character Ying is strong and stubborn and just wants to know what happened to her father, and who killed him and I love watching her unravel the mystery.
Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Group for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Of Jade and Dragons is one of those books that I have an enjoyable time while reading, but that I shouldn’t think too deeply about. Because the plot doesn’t always make complete sense. Like the romance coming out of nowhere, and then not really having any real impact on the story except for a near the end plot twist. In contrast I was heavily engaged in Aihui’s journey to join the Engineer Guild and following her father’s steps. The relationship with the other engineer hopefuls was fun to read about, and the revenge plot was the true driving force of the book.

Despite being almost 500 pages long, it was surprisingly fast and easy to read. It’s not too heavy or deep, while still having a sense of purpose and some stakes to keep the story going.

Thank you NetGalley and Viking books for the ARC of Of Jade and Dragons by Amber Chen. This is a great YA novel that has a strong talented main character. There was a strong revenge theme that ended up interfering with the romance plot. I thought the romance was really PG 13 and appropriate for middle schoolers. I also liked how she was so creative and good at engineering as well as always being there to help out her friends. It shows the flaws in a patriarchal society and how her main character is able to challenge and undermine those rules. The way it ended though made it seem like there may be a second book and I am really hoping there is going to be another book! Like it wasn't totally a cliff-hanger...but like it's leaving the door open to another book.

i think this book was wayyyy too complicated for me </3 i wanted to get into it but just couldn’t; i barely got to the end… sigh

Of Jade and Dragons was hard to put down. From the first pages, I was enchanted by the detailed and original world-building. With the Engineers Guild as a setting, many fantastical inventions and descriptions of intricate machinery create a unique narrative. The plot is fascinating, with many secrets, intrigues and twists. Apart from the murder mystery, we also have power struggles between the many heirs of the High Commander and their supporters.

There are some brilliant characters in this book who I will miss until the second book comes out. Ying is intelligent, independent and determined to prove her engineering skills. Ye-yang is one of the many sons stuck within the conventions and trying to prove his worth. His younger brother Ye-kan is one of my favourite characters, as he joined the guild examinations in secret and proceeded to be a menace. I’ve seen this novel compared to Mulan, but I think the only connection is the close relationship between Ying and her father and dressing up as a boy.

You will never be prepared for the way this book ends! It sets up for book 2 to be so so incredible. In Of Jade and Dragons it sets up the idea of Aihui pretending to be her brother so that she can become an engineer like her father. While she struggles at first, when it comes to STEM and intelligence aspects she proves her worth and finds her footing among the rest.

The sexism in this world is a main theme throughout and Aihui is consistently fighting to prove her worth while concealing her true identity knowing if she’s caught any chance of her becoming who she wants to be is over.

I enjoyed the romance and I thought the chemistry was there. There’s an aspect to what happens at the end that made me love the relationship dynamic all the more, but it would be a huge spoiler and so I won’t explain it at all. I loved how much he values her as a woman and sees her as an equal especially in a society that has very strict views on a woman’s place in the world.

All in all, I had a great time reading this and I have a feeling that reading the sequel is where it’ll get even more dramatic and I will be eating up every word. It’s a solid first entry with an ending that left me on the edge of my seat begging for more!

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House for a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

*Steampunk meets fantasy lore setting
*Mystery Murder with tests and trials
*Rebellious FMC x Mulan vibes
*Slow burn romance to lovers then enemies

This one took me a little bit to get into, about 15-20% of the novel. But once I was invested, it was an enchanting steampunk meets fantasy novel with Mulan-esque vibes of our main FMC disguising as a man to enter into the Engineering Guild.


Personally, I love a rebellious, head strong and fearless FMC who takes things head on - so Ying was definitely a fun character to follow along.The friends, and frenemies, we got along the way were also hilarious to read interacting with her and the witty banter and comebacks brought lightness to tense situations. The characters each have their own distinct personalities, insecurities and personal struggles, and each voice was intuitive to follow. I thoroughly enjoyed Ying’s own character arc (along with another character but it feels like a spoiler to mention him!) of going into the guild feeling inadequate and behind her peers to having her brilliance and unorthodox thinking shine through.

The romance in this story is apparent, though certainly not the main focus of the story, it does weave itself somewhat into the main plot. However, I did enjoy how Ying had her own ambitions that did not solely rely on her love interest and that this was more of a subplot. I am curious how that will settle and if we will remain with the first love interest or if there will be another!

I enjoy the world that’s been created, the gritty steampunk and the artful steampunk contrast in a way that creates a vivid and intriguing world. There is much in this world that glitters and is beautiful but veils the parts that are power hungry and dangerous - this gives more depth to the story and the world than I expected. It lends heavily to the atmosphere and the strong thread of who can you trust in the story. The story has some aspects that were easily predicted, but also a couple twists that I didn’t see coming. I enjoyed this ARC enough that I am wanting to read the second in the trilogy and see where our hero lands and how the story unfolds.

Overall this is an enjoyable young adult novel with threads of romance, political turmoil, a strong and smart FMC in the throes of trials and imminent war while concealing herself.

Overall, I enjoyed reading "Of Jade and Dragons". I wish the story focused more on showing us the main character's engineering abilities, instead of jus telling us. As well, classes are mostly glossed over. Six months pass, but most of the time is skipped over. I did really enjoy the story, I just wish that it was more in depth. The level of detail is a little low for YA; I would say this book would be more suited to someone who was 13 or 14. However, I do look forward to reading the sequel.

Many thanks to Penguin Younger Readers Group, author Amber Chen, and Netgalley for providing me the eARC in exchange for my honest review. This title was published on June 18, 2024.

5 STARS

Brief Summary: Ying witnesses the murder of her beloved father. The only clues Ying has are her father’s notebook of engineering plans and the jade dragon pendant left behind by the assassin. When no one else will take action, Ying sets off on her own to the capital, where she disguises herself as a boy and enters the Engineers Guild competition to become an intern. She makes friends and even a love interest, but who can she really trust with her life and her secrets?

Of Jade and Dragons is truly the best YA sci-fantasy books I’ve read in recent memory.

Amber Chen takes known YA and sci-fantasy story elements and tropes but manages to weave her story together organically and intelligently.
-> Ying, as the female protagonist, is self-assured, strong, and vibrant, without being bratty, hotheaded, or combative. She’s moral without coming off as over-the-top self-righteous.
-> The deadly competition plot trope felt fresh because it’s not battle royale bare-knuckled killing, nor is it America Ninja Warrior obstacles of endurance. Chen walks us through challenges of intellect that still manage to offer vivid imagery and high (lethal) stakes.
-> The teen romance is sweet but not sickeningly, as it takes place amidst treacherous circumstances, secrets, and dangerous agenda-driven adults.

I could not be more excited to continue the series and keep an eye out for anything this author, Amber Chen, writes!

**Initial Reaction**: 9

**Characters:** 10

**Setting:** 9

**Plot:** 8

**Pace:** 8

**Style:** 10

**Ending:** 7

**Enjoyment:** 9

70 / 16 = 4.375

Rounded Rating = 4.5

While I was gifted an ebook arc, I ultimately read this via audiobook and really loved it.

There's the right mix of action, adventure, and a badass woman who knows what she wants and is willing to do anything to make that happen (and find the people responsible for her father's death).

I really wanted to love Of Jade and Dragons—the worldbuilding and steampunk elements were cool, and the premise had a lot of promise. But the pacing dragged in places, and I struggled to connect with the characters. It wasn’t a bad read, just didn’t fully click for me.

Unfortunately I could not get into this book. I do feel it would be a good read for the right reader, but that just wasn’t me.

Current rating: 4 stars

I loved the steampunk world this book was set in! It was so fun to read about the various contraptions and I can't wait to see more!
Ying was a flawed protagonist, which I liked. I was impressed by her quick thinking, though some of her actions weren't always the best. I was rooting for her throughout!
The romance was fine. I didn't care much for it, but I'm still interested in knowing what will happen between them in the sequel. The friendships were quite nice, though, and the other side characters were interesting to read about.

This was a compelling and exciting novel. It started with a bang and continued holding the tension and mystery through the entire story. The ending was well-suited to the characters and I'm excited to see what happens in the sequel.

dnf at 25%

i gave this book a fair chance to pull me in but i just couldn't get myself to enjoy it. the characters felt shallow and i wasn't able to connect with them.

thank you to netgalley and penguin young readers group for providing me with an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I came here because the "dragons" on the title, and ... I got tricked.

But, okay, the book was fine tho. The steampunk genre mixed with Chinese folktales retelling, okay, I got the idea.
The problem was, the writing. I understand that Amber want to told us how was the situation this story took a place. But she was failed to make it simple and fun. The writing was so much telling. And that was not good for this kind of fantasy.

However, I kinda feel this book is an okay for me.