This was not at all what I was expecting for this book. For the majority of the book, I could not tell if everything was going to actually resolve for this to be a true resolution, and I don't really think it did.

I did really enjoy the actual plot itself - it was all very political and really interesting. I like Ying growing as a character not only as an engineer, but also in her relationships with those around her. Having a perspective from Nian also did help make the world feel larger that it would have with just Ying's perspective.

With all that being said, I wasn't the hugest fan of how other things progressed in this. For one, Ye-Yang's character was so stagnant to me for the whole book, with the exception of the last chapter (and that's kinda a stretch). His character felt very flat, especially compared to the two fmcs who were having so much development.

The ending also did not feel like a true conclusion in my opinion. Everything still felt extremely open-ended, which doesn't feel right considering there doesn't seem to be anything else coming out of this world from this author (at least not as of right now). Overall, I think this was a kind of disappointing conclusion, but worth reading if you enjoyed book one.

Thank you to Viking and Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book!

I really enjoyed Of Jade and Dragons so I was excited to read the ARC of its sequel, but I didn’t enjoy this one as much. I think I was expecting more action throughout the book rather than just toward the last like 40%. I also have a difficult time pronouncing some of the words so I think I would’ve enjoyed it more if I had the audio along with the ebook like I did with the first book in this duology. All of that to say that the story over all was good. I enjoyed the pirate aspect and the family that the Blood Phoenix built for themselves. I would’ve loved to have even more of them and hope that Ying and Ye-Yang end up with them. I also really enjoyed getting Nina’s perspective and learning more about her in this book.

"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.

Having been thoroughly captivated by Of Jade and Dragons, I eagerly anticipated diving into the second installment of Amber Chen's duology, The Blood Phoenix. While the novel continues the compelling narrative, I found the unfolding events to be somewhat chaotic and occasionally difficult to follow.

The story resumes two years after the conclusion of Of Jade and Dragons. Ying has distanced herself from Fei, the Engineer's Guild, Ye-yang, and her former companions, seeking a tranquil existence that unfortunately remains elusive. In this story is the introduction of a new perspective: that of Nian, Ying's sister, who is now betrothed to Ye-yang. The book intricately weaves together the journeys of both Ying and Nian as they navigate the shifting political landscape. Contrary to some opinions, I found Nian's point of view to be a significant strength of the novel. Her perspective felt crucial for both plot progression and the nuanced development of several characters. In fact, I found myself more invested in Nian's storyline than Ying's at times. We are also introduced to new characters, the pirates of the Blood Phoenix, while we get more development of older characters from book one.

Overall, I would rate The Blood Phoenix a solid 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Thank you Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group | Viking Books for Young Readers for the opportunity in exchange for an honest review.

This review has been posted across multiple socials.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for providing a free e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, I'm going to have to DNF the second book at 66%. I found Of Jade and Dragons to be an ok resd, but figured I would give the second book a chance to see if the story/writing improved. It seems these books are just not for me. The plot was kind of all over the place and didn't really connect well to the first book, making it a little confusing at times. The pirate ship aspect of it though, while an interesting thought, just kind of seemed thrown in for the sake of it. I just couldn't become invested in it and found my mind wandering constantly.

The characters also were not developed enough in the first book, and once they did start to in this one, I just couldn't find myself to care. The relationship between Ya-yang and Yin was also just too back and forth, making it to where you just wanted to grab them and say figure it out! I couldn't get behind the idea. Give the series a try as you may like it, but it did not live up to what I hoped it would.

Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group and NetGalley for an eARC!


It's been two years since Of Jade and Dragons with Aihui Ying swearing off returning to Fei and the Guild... and to Ye-yang. After a disaster involving pirates of the Blood Phoenix, Ying is drawn back to everything she left in order to protect those she holds dear.

I found the storylines in the sequel to be too many-threaded - there were strong starts to a few different plots occurring concurrently but unable to all be tied together neatly by the end. I enjoyed learning more of the personal growth of several of the characters from the first book but wished more depth was placed on the relationships and their involvement in the different plot threads. By the last 20% of the book, everything feels a bit rushed with major events happening in quick succession with little room to breathe. I was hoping more exploration of certain areas would be visited but we're ever only hinted at during the story.

Overall, I enjoyed it but feel it lacks the same punch of the first book in the duology.

What I Liked:
- more exploration of characters' growth
- more Engineer's Guild mechanisms and objects
- split storylines of main characters dealing with separate but important events

What I Wish Was Better:
- more exploration of other locales that are prominent to the plot
- more time spent building up to the last 20% so it is not as rushed

The Blood Phoenix is the continuation from Of Jade and Dragons. Small recap of Book 1: Ying (FMC) disguises herself as a male to attend and become part of the engineer's guild, historically male-only. Of course she develops a relationship with Ye-yang, the eighth in line for emperor. At the end of the book 1, her journey takes a dark turn as the truth comes to light.

The Blood Phoenix picks up the story of Ying about two years after she departed from the Engineer's Guild. Though Ying is trying to find some peace and solitary, the island she tries to settle on is attacked by infamous pirates. In another part of the empire, her sister Nian who is the betrothed to Ye-yang, trains with the 14th price. Somehow, these four characters' plot lines intersect: Ying is reunited with the Engineer's guild, her betrothed sister, the 14th prince, and the 8th prince who has awaited Ying's return despite his betrothal to someone else. Together and separately, they play their part in keeping the empire from falling apart amidst political intrigue and figuring out their messy romantic relationships.

It's unfortunate that book 2 didn't hold up as much as book 1 did for me. The twists and turns didn't seem as shocking, as the plot lines and character development seemed to be very predictable. That's not to say I didn't enjoy this book and conclusion of the story. If you did love Of Jade and Dragons, you should read The Blood Phoenix to follow adventurous story of Ying and where the tides brings her. 3.5 rounded up to 4 for GR.

Thank you Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group | Viking Books for Young Readers for the opportunity in exchange for an honest review.

Will be posting to socials.

I absolutely love Of Jade and Dragons, and this sequel (it is a duology) was just as great! There is a lot of tension arising in the Nine Islands, as well as insight into close and personal relationships. I loved the balance of the two aspects in this book. The world building and adventures were by far amazing components that made this book so fabulous. Also, pirates! I will say there were a few things I felt were left unattended at the end, but overall, this was a fantastic, enjoyable read!

I was so excited to get back to Ying's story! I really enjoyed the pirate aspect and getting to see more engineering. I was a little disappointed to find out that this is only a duology, especially since the ending was a little unsatisfying. I'm really hoping we get more in this world!

2.5

We begin 2 years after the first book in the series begins. The first book was good and left things open ended which one would expect in a duology. I loved the idea of this series, the asian steam punk Jules Verne aspect. I think I saw someone call it silk-punk. There are a lot of interesting things happening in this book but what really bothered me was the lack of character development. The characters just seemed lifeless to me which cause me to get bored at times and loose interest. This story had a lot of potential but it just did not come through for me.

Thank you Netgalley for an e-arc of this beauty in exchange of a review.
I have to confess, I asked for the arc before reading Of Jade and Dragons.
But it was the best Idea I've ever had because once I finished the first book of this Duology, I was craving for more!!!

And I wasn't disappointed at all by this sequel!!!!
I felt completely immersed in the story and absolutely loved having Nian pov in this book.
I couldn't stop reading and putting my kindle down to work was the hardest thing I had to do.

I think the only sad thing about this book is that we won't get a book 3 (and I need one very much).

**Firstly, thank you Penguin Teen, Viking, NetGalley, & Ms. Amber Chen for providing me with a free ARC copy; here is my honest review.**


Unfortunately, I’m going to have this book six stars out of five, again.

Of Jade & Dragons was my first 6 star book since the Cruel Prince, which I read back in 2019. A Mulan, high-stakes, silk punk fantasy? Yes yes yes. I gobbled that novel up.

I’m harrowed to say that The Blood Phoenix lived up to everything I remembered and more. While the first novel follows Ying on her Mulan-like adventure into the competitive Engineering Guild, to solve her father’s murder, this one explores her close personal relationships with family, friends, and the broody Prince Ye-Yang, of course. The quiet tension of intimacy and secrets was starkly contrast to the plot—a high stakes, political-driven warfare between the Nine Isles and a league of Pirates threatening desolation.

I knew from chapter 2 this book was going to have me in chokehold. Ms. Chen’s mastery of imagery and world building is on par with the greats—very comparable to Ms. Leigh Bardugo in my opinion. If you are a fantasy fanatic, this duet is for you. I would quote certain passages for example, but I read an ARC and don’t want to spoil the sheer richness of her descriptions.

Regarding the plot: I’ll be the first to admit I was weary, because my love for the first book may have been influenced from my Mulan-obssession. I am happy to report that even without that trope/backbone, this book was equally, if not more, enjoyable to me. The pacing and feel was very similar to a Ranger’s Apprentice book, where we get to see Ying in an “adventure” arc, rather than the “school” arc we saw her in before.

I found myself disinterested by a particular character of the storyline, and had a few grievances with the ending.

But what truly, and utterly broke me was reading the acknowledgments to find out this is only a duology. I do hope Ms. Chen reconsiders a third book, as I fear it will be a long, long time before I feel this invested in a fantasy book again. Ye-Yang and Ying will have my heart for a while.

6/5⭐️ plot
6/5⭐️ prose
6/5⭐️ world building
6/5⭐️ engineering inventions
6/5⭐️ Ye-Kan


thanks,

maeve.

[besides this review I have also posted several tiktoks on this book. thank you again for letting me arc read.]

So compared to the first book in the series - this one had a much slower pace. The plot felt dragged out and I found myself pretty bored at times. Chen's writing has improved, but much of the book still leans more toward telling rather than showing what was happening. The characters still felt pretty flat and not much development. The love triangle between Ye-Yang, Nian, and Ying was unnecessary and didn't feel like it did much other than to just add more to the plot. The ending was disappointing—it felt rushed and incomplete. I also disagreed with certain plot choices, like Anxi’s death and Chang-en being made a traitor, as they felt unnecessary. Overall 3/5.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguins for an eARC of The Blood Phoenix! This book is the follow-up to the first book, Of Jade and Dragons. I loved the world-building but I was left wanting more. The ending was really up to interpretation and that’s always hit or miss for me, and unfortunately, this time it was a miss. However, I loved the concept and I felt that the book was really well written.

Thank you to Amber Chen, PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group, and NetGalley for giving me an eARC of The Blood Phoenix in exchange for my honest review.

The Blood Phoenix is the second book in Amber Chen's Fall of the Dragons duology. This book takes place two years after the end of Of Jade and Dragons. This book follows both Ying and her sister Nian as they navigate the current political climate. I have seen reviews saying that they did not enjoy Nian's POV, but I have to agree, I thought her POV was outstanding and essential to the plot and the character development on several characters. I also enjoyed Ying's POV, but it was different, though in a way that I still enjoyed. I really liked watching both Ying and Nian throughout this book. I appreciated that while Ying grew, she still stuck to her guns and her beliefs that she held, which made it feel more realistic. Plot wise, I also truly enjoyed this book. It kept me on my toes and felt like a good sequel to Fall of the Dragons

I will say that I have seen a lot of mixed opinions on the ending so I wanted to give my thoughts on that. I actually appreciated the ending and liked that I was able to come to my own conclusions. I will say this is something that I do not normally appreciate, but it worked in this situation. It did remind me of another duology ending, but this ending still felt unique. While I do hope there is another book or duology maybe following the fallout of this book thought Nian's POV, which would give clarity to this ending, but even if there is not, I would be happy. I think this book ended in a way that was both satisfying and left room for more stories in this world if Chen choose. I will say that if there is more books in this world, I will pick it up instantly because I love the concept and feel as though there are more stories that could be told. Either way this was a great ending to a great duology.

I loved the story, the world building and meeting the different characters. I felt completely immersed in the story and couldn't stop reading it.

The Blood Phoenix was one of my most anticipated reads after reading Of Jade and Dragons, and it did not disappoint. It's a harrowing tale of forgiveness, revenge, and romance as Ying must decide if she can forgive Ye-Yang for his treachery and work together to prevent the kingdom from going to war. I devoured every second of this book and couldn't put it down.

I was very excited to see this available as an ARC so I welcomed the excuse to reread Of Jade and Dragons first and get reacquainted with Chen's silkpunk setting. Overall I'd say this is a very welcome sequel to the first book, particularly with the 2-year timeskip to give us more of a mature Ying to follow!

While the pacing feels a bit slow at the start of this one, it definitely begins to pick up over time and I particularly enjoyed the last third of the book the most, so I felt that it was worth holding out for. it Having multiple POVs was also a welcome edition and gave us some more exposure to to different moving parts of the plot/setting, which I can never complain about.

The ending of this one is probably going to be the most divisive thing, but personally I really liked the ambiguity of it! Whether or not any future books in this setting are ever released it gives the reader's imagination some space to play which is a choice I wholly support.

This was an excellent conclusion to the Duology and I was super excited to be approved for an ARC read so soon after finishing the first book.
This book takes place 2 years after the events of the first book and focuses more on how to handle the refugee and lack of food situation and the pirates that are causing the situation. Yins chapters are more focused on the pirate situation and how to stop them whereas Nians chapters are more political based and what goes on behind the scenes.
It's good to keep in mind that the main characters are loosely based on real life people. So as the ending is left open ended where you don't know what happened to two of the main characters definitively we can sort of guess what happened to them based on their real life counterparts. Maybe the author will revisit this world again and we'll get complete closure on some storylines or maybe not. Either way I was happy with ending and am happy to draw my own conclusions.

Thank you to NetGalley and to PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group | Viking Books for Young Readers

2.75 🌟 I had high hopes for this sequel, but it completely missed the mark for me. The pacing felt disjointed, with too many time jumps that drained the tension from the story. Nian’s POV didn’t add much, and the romance, something I was really looking forward to, felt like an afterthought. The ending was especially frustrating, leaving things feeling unfinished despite this being the final book. I loved the first one, but this was a letdown :(