I ended up loving this even though it started off a little slow for me. Around 20-50% I felt like the pace hit a bit of a lull, but I’m glad I stuck with it! It definitely started to pick up and I cannot wait for the next one after that ending!

I really enjoyed all of the characters in this book and that doesn’t happen often. Usually there’s a character who does something that annoys me or another character who just isn’t written out well. That is not the case for any of these characters and a lot of what kept my interest, even in the lull, was because of them. You’ve got a couple of great main characters and a good amount of side characters who all bring something unique to the table.

There’s a lot of fantasy in this book, but it’s not overwhelming at all. I found the world easy to understand, but also different from my typical reads. The mystery in the book kept me guessing too. I wouldn’t say I was shocked by the reveal, but even so there were parts of the reveal that did surprise me.

I cannot wait to read the next book and will definitely be keeping an eye on Amber’s future works as well!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for the ARC.

I was so excited when I got approved for this book and rushed to start it! I always look the books inspired by stories we already know and love. In, Of Jade and Dragons there are so many things to love. The main character, Ying, is driven to fulfill her dreams of becoming an engineer, and from the first page down to the last this book is very well written. The plot is fast and there's never a dull moment, the world is described beautifully and draws the reader in wanting more. All the characters are well-rounded, relatable, and I hope further readers fall in love with them like I did. This is such an awesome debut from Amber Chen and I can't wait for the next book!

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Publishing for giving me the privilege of receiving this ARC!

I am so grateful to have received this arc from netgalley.

I really enjoyed this story. I will always read anything that resembles a Mulan like story. Ying is amazing she is so strong and determined. Her beliefs never wavered and I love that about her. The story with the steam punk elements was so different and I really enjoyed them.

The ending breaks my heart but I'm so proud of Ying for sticking to her morals and beliefs. Ye-yang is gonna have to gorvel really hard to get her back. I hope he can find himself again and not fall into the same trap as his father. Overall I really enjoyed this read!

My only critique is that the pacing in the middle was a little off.

Thanks to Penguin Teen for giving me an ARC on NetGalley!
This was such an amazing book! I finished it in two days, and I literally stayed up late on a Sunday just to read it. A Sunday! A school night!
The ending destroyed me.. but the book was just so good! I’m just choosing to never acknowledge that ending 🤩
That’s it for today! Bye!

A steampunk YA Asian fantasy, this is inventive and will should appeal to the many romantasy readers out there these days, though I think it will mostly attract YA readers. The writing is nice and light.

adored this with all my heart!!! the rep made my heart melt and the fantasy aspect was SO well done, i applaud the author. stunning. definitely would recommend!

tl;dr
Secrets upon secrets power a fast-moving plot and some fanciful world building.

Thoughts
Ooh, this one's twisty. Ying dreams of joining the Engineer's Guild, a goal rather hampered by the fact that it's a boys only situation. When her father is murdered, seemingly in connection with the Guild, she disguises herself as a boy and joins to find his killer. But her deception is far from the only one. We've got political machinations, assassins, secret machines of war, and other hidden identities, all wrapped up in a power grab for the future of the kingdom. The plot moves from one twist to the next at a speedy pace that kept me turning pages, but never felt like it was overdoing it with the drama. Ying is a great lead - determined, capable, but also incredibly conflicted, especially as more secrets come to light and the reality of war unfolds. There's also a romance woven into this for fans who like it with... complications. World building is a bit steampunk and a lot of Chinese lore woven together in an original world that sparks the imagination, and by that I mean there's a mechanical dragon that flies and it's awesome.

Unfortunately I found the book difficult to read due to how the book is presented. Even with reading a little bit of the book, I found that this book was not for me.

First, I'd like to thank NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group for providing me with a copy of this lovely book. I rarely ever give a book five out of five stars, but this is so beautifully written that I had to give it a perfect score. I love the worldbuilding, the well-fleshed characters, and the mystique of the guild. Amber Chen, well done! I very much look forward to reading more of your work! I can't wait to get my hands on a physical copy for my personal library!

This was honestly just so fun! The vibe was 100% giving Mulan meets like… avatar the last airbender? And weirdly.. she’s the man? But.. make it fantasy haha
I love a more political fantasy with a SUBplot romance so genuinely this was right up my alley.

Honestly just such a good debut novel and excited to see what happens next after that little cliffhanger!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

This was a wonderful representation of the tough choices we face in life. I absolutely love all the engineering marvels and the STEM emphasis throughout the book. The airships, gliders, and fighting fans gave me strong AtLA vibes, and I am here for it.

Ying, while frustrating at first, became the lovable protagonist I crave. She is flawed and stubborn but grows so much!

I can’t say that any of the plot points or tropes were completely original or groundbreaking. But those included are classic for a reason and we’re executed well. There were parts of the story that felt slow and parts that felt rushed, but apart from the pacing, I loved everything about this story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eArc copy of this book to read. I definitely recommend it to those who love YA fantasy.

CW: I literally cannot believe that this is my CW for this review, but CW for discussions of body types. (I'm not going into any particular detail because it's just not necessary, but talking about the book's approach to these themes. CW is just to be on the cautious side because! of course people who want to read a book about an engineer scheming in the heart of the Jade Empire are not anticipating running into that! Completely fairly!)

The pacing here is odd, seemingly based around romantic plot points with the love interest. There are several characters we do not end up knowing very much about, despite their introduction to the story. As is frequently my complaint with similar books (particularly ones in the YA-ish category), I don't understand why it is Ying cannot think generally or conceptually -- she is upset about her father's death, and completely stops wondering about anything after that feeling. She has no grander sense of injustice/oppression, she has no real *opinions*. I was not clear on the political relationships between the territories until the very end of the book. To this end, there is one particular plot point (if you've read, maybe you'll know which I mean) that is so astonishing, and has the potential to alter the balance of power, that is forgotten about in mere paragraphs. In general, just a lot of odd story decisions where it seems broader development of themes/characters/places cast aside in favor of telling the central love story, which is (in my opinion) not always convincing. It lacks tension since you already know more or less who is going to end up with who.

One last thing: every character in this book, literally every single one, is described by their body type. There is one character in particular who receives such a startlingly mean introduction that maybe on this reason alone, I don't think the book is suited for a YA audience. Aside from being repetitive and boring, the author seems to be using body type as a signifier for character traits. I really did not like this element of the book and was astonished to see just how many characters were described in this way. Of course, I'm not saying that it never makes sense to describe what someone looks like -- but the way the book is structured positions these descriptions as introductions, wherein body type somehow always plays a factor.

I understand this is a YA book, but if it is, I don't know why more attention wasn't paid to the language used to describe peoples' bodies. For the next one, this will hopefully not be as prominent.

Thank you to Penguin and Netgalley for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was a really solid debut novel!

A Steam Punk-y Mulan-style story bursting with fun, loveable characters and imaginative engineering. Every time I thought "eh, the story is probably going to be pretty straightforward from here on out", I was wrong! I was delightfully surprised by the way this tale was weaved, the way the mystery resolves, and Ying's relationships with the various characters in this novel. I am already looking forward to the next installment in this series.

I will say, it does feel like Ying overcomes all of her obstacles with relative ease, but I think there was a reason for that, I'm curious to see if this will change in the sequel (and curious to know others thoughts on it!). The writing was good, but a little too explain-y at times. I do understand this is a YA novel but I do believe in young readers being able to put two and two together when things start lining up plot-wise.

Overall though, I was surprised with how often I wanted to return back to this story, I would recommend to those who liked Iron Widow and Tamora Pierce novels!

Thanks to Netgalley for the eARC.

This book was perfection, from the start till the end.
Ying was written very well, she was smart, she was not annoying, she wasn't those female characters that are "bad-asses"( I hate bad ass sword wielding female characters).
I also loved every character, I liked the relationships they had and how they argued sometimes.
Ye-Kan was my favorite, I he was a good friend , and and sweet. ( can't wait to see what happens with him in the next book)
Ye-yang and and Ying relationship...I'm scared for them.
Great writing, great story, great characters.
Also if you like C-dramas or K-drama I would recommend this book!

I absolutely loved the premise of this story! Unfortunately I could not get connected to the protagonist. The way the story opened felt very jarring and almost impossible to connect to.

Thank you PenguinTeen for approving my e-ARC!

Of Jade and Dragons by Amber Chen is a captivating fantasy tale filled with action, mystery, and intricate world-building.

The story follows a main female character who navigates a world of danger and intrigue, disguised as a boy while unraveling the mystery of her father's murder.

One of the highlights of this book is its vibrant Mulan aspect, which adds depth to the protagonist's journey as she balances her dual identity and quest for justice. Chen's skillful world-building creates a rich and immersive setting, though at times, the abundance of information felt overwhelming to me.

However, as the story progresses, readers will find themselves drawn deeper into the intricacies of the world, gaining a newfound appreciation for its depth and complexity. If you're a fan of action-packed fantasy with elements of war, romance, and mystery, this book is sure to delight.

I'm grateful to NetGalley for providing the opportunity to delve into this enthralling tale. While I ultimately settled on a four-star rating due to the initial information overload, I found myself thoroughly engrossed in the story, eagerly awaiting the next installment. Reminiscent of 'Iron Widow,' this YA fantasy leaves readers on the edge of their seats with a tantalizing cliffhanger that leaves them yearning for more.

This was a fantastic, fun, and smart adventure story. While some of the tropes--a young woman passing as a man, the prince passing as a pauper--are common, they're given unexpectedly interesting treatments here with well-developed characters who have motives, means, and desires that keep pushing them into new territory. The Chinese-influenced/silkpunk culture presented here is fascinating and rich, expertly crafted and very well thought out--it's clear that the novel and its inner workings have been built from the ground up so that when each element or idea engages, it makes complete sense and is believable. I'll warn you, though: the end is painful, but I'm optimistic for a sequel.

This book was definitely…something. But in a good way! It wasn’t like anything I’ve ever read before and I’m so glad I got the opportunity to get a digital review copy of it from NetGalley.

From the moment I started this book I knew I would love it. Amber Chen is a master at her craft and I can’t believe this is her debut traditionally published novel. She was able to create such a unique world with its own silkpunk vibe and I love it.

The characters are engaging and fleshed out (specifically Ying, Ye-yang, and Ye-kan [my personal favorite]). The world is full and bursting with color and creativity and I just want more! Thank you Amber Chen for writing this.

However, the reason I rate it 4 stars is because some parts seemed to drag. At some points it seemed like nothing was happening, but luckily I wasn’t stuck in those situations very long because before too long some big situation involving jade or dragons or angsty love would follow it up.

Overall, a great read and I’m glad I took the time to get into it. Definitely going to buy a copy when it’s released in June!

Ying disguises herself as a man and infiltrates a prestigious engineering academy in order to find the assassin who murdered her father. But as she completes the trials set out for her, she begins to discover how much she doesn't know ...

This book is engaging and gripping, with brilliant characters and a fast plot. I really enjoyed it and would be intrigued to see where else a sequel could take us!

Thank you to the publisher for providing a review copy

I am always down for a book about an underdog trying to rise through the ranks within a school, but I was especially intrigued with this one since it resembled aspects of Mulan. Aihui Ying has always dreamed to be like her father, a master engineer trained at the prestigious Engineer’s Guild, but she never thought investigating her father’s tragic murder would be the path to make her dreams come true. Ying must disguise herself as her brother to enter the Guild’s apprenticeship trial with hopes of rising to the top and finding some answers about her father’s death and his short-lived success within the Guild. My favorite part of the book was how Amber Chen beautifully infused snippets of Ying’s memories of her father throughout the book as she was grieving his death - you continue to learn more about their relationship as the book goes on and it felt like her father was with her throughout her time at the Guild. I can’t wait to read more about Ying’s story - especially after a cliffhanger in last chapters!