Set against the glittering yet treacherous backdrop of early 20th‑century China, the novel tells the story of Anyu Zhang, a determined orphan from Harbin. After returning a priceless Fabergé egg to a stranger—Isaac Mandelburg, a fugitive former jeweler of the Russian imperial court—she embarks on a journey to Shanghai to become his apprentice and forge her own destiny through mastery of jewelry-making. From glamorous showrooms to gang-ruled streets and wartime Hong Kong, Anyu’s rise unfolds amid dangerous loyalties, war, artistry, and heartbreak.

In 1925 Harbin China, Anyu finds a Faberge egg which she returns to the owner Isaac Mandelburg. Grateful for her honesty he gives her his address and assures her that she is welcome to stay at his house should she ever visit Shanghai. Later orphaned Anyu takes up his offer and arrives at his jewellery shop. Anyu wants to master the craft of jewellery making and nothing will deter her from this ambition. Soon she discovers this dazzling world full of greed and secrets. Her path results in her entanglement with the cities treacherous underbelly. This is her journey as told by Randel.

Exquisitely told Randel captures Anyus trauma perfectly. I couldn’t help empathising with the main protagonist but also the whole Mandelburg family. Randel poignantly captures the Hebrews plight. Despite being a harrowing story, she tells it with sensitivity without compromising the premise in the telling. As the tapestry of Anyus life unfolds I moved seamlessly from Harbin China to events in Russia that had impacted the Mandelburg family. Randel weaves the tale with such verve that I was enraptured. The tragic events that befell Anyu moved me greatly.

I learned a lot about the Hebrews and their suffering and also the double standards of the British Empire towards the indigenous folk. Randel made her point subtly and they hit their mark with me. This is what I particularly loved about her writing. This subtlety pervades the entire book without glossing over hard truths. Moreover, despite the blurb I could not have guessed how Anyu and the Mandelburgs lives entwined, It was unexpected and added to the mystery.

It’s to Randels credit that I was totally immersed in the book. The tale was so riveting I couldn’t put it down. Sadly, this was an extremely long book, and I couldn’t keep my eyes open any longer or I would have finished it in one sitting. I’m not however complaining as I enjoyed every moment in the novel. I feel privileged to read a well written book. Kudos to Randel for her evocative creation and a big thank you from me.

The Master Jeweler
By Weina Dai Randel

This is the story of Anyu, the illegitimate daughter of a Chinese woman and a Manchurian warlord. Raised in poverty by her abandoned mother, Anyu has a chance encounter with a Russian man at the Harbin railroad station which will change the course of her life.

When Anyu's mother dies, Anyu, in desperation, follows Isaac Mandelburg (the Russian Jew) to Shanghai. Under Isaac's tutelage Anyu becomes a master jeweler.

But always in the background of Anyu's story is war. Throughout her life China, is repeatedly invaded by the Japanese. She is forced to flee several times. She is imprisoned and forced to make jewelry and fake Faberge eggs for her captors. She loses everything – including the two men that she loved. But always there is her art.

There is much history in this book. In the first half of the twentieth century, China was in a constant state of flux. The suffering of the Chinese people is well documented here. But the will to survive is strong as Anyu's story will attest.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC.

In 1920s Shanghai, 15-year-old Anyu Zhang discovers a priceless Fabergé egg and returns it to Isaac Mandelburg, a former master jeweler for Russia's imperial palace. He takes her under his wing, and Anyu becomes determined to master the craft of jewellery making. As she rises to fame in the treacherous world of Shanghai's jewellery scene, she faces violent gangsters, ruthless rivals, and obsessive collectors who threaten the people she loves. This epic story encapsulates love, friendship, and the pursuit of excellence in a glamorous yet perilous world.

Shanghai's jewellery scene in the 1920s and 1930s was a vibrant blend of traditional Chinese and modern Western influences. Artisans and designers drew inspiration from various cultures, creating intricate pieces that showcased technical skill and creativity.
- *Traditional Techniques*: Chinese jewellery making has a rich history, with techniques like filigree, inlaying, jade carving, and cloisonné being passed down through generations.
- *Western Influence*: Shanghai's exposure to Western cultures led to the incorporation of modern designs and techniques in jewellery making.
- *Symbolism*: Chinese jewellery often featured symbolic motifs like dragons, phoenixes, and flowers, representing good fortune, prosperity, and love.
Beneath the glamour, Shanghai's underworld was notorious for its complexity and violence, with gangsters, prostitution, and opium leading to corruption and fear.

The House of Fabergé was a renowned Russian jewellery firm that created iconic, intricate eggs.
- *The Imperial Fabergé eggs*, e.g. Fabergé Pearl Egg, are highly prized for their craftsmanship and historical significance.
- *Women Workmasters*: Alma Pihl was a talented jewellery designer who worked for Fabergé, creating pieces like a pendant featuring frost flowers made of platinum silver and diamonds.
Master Jewellers are exceptional craftsmen, detail oriented, and knowledgeable.

Yoshiko Kawashima, a Qing dynasty princess, lived a complex life as a spy for the Japanese Kwantung Army and Manchukuo during the Second Sino-Japanese War. She lived like a man.She was executed as a traitor by the Chinese in 1948.

Not really a review, as I gave up after four chapters. I must admit that I am an impatient reader.

Beautiful cover, intriguing title, interesting blurb & setting, and neat writing. It, in fact, reminded me of a book (from the very same publishing house) that I loved. However I could not connect with the storytelling and the characters. The dialogues were not very engaging.

Thank you for the copy. Sorry it didn't work for me.

This historical fiction novel takes the reader on a journey throughout Shanghai in the 1920s and 1930s when a Russian refugee family takes in Anyu it takes her on a journey of finding her abilities to become a master jeweler but that leads her to some dark and sinister characters leading to the upheavle of the Japanese army invading China at the brink of WWII. An amazing journey for the reader and an epic coming-of-age adventure.

Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for access to this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

A historical fiction that takes readers from Harbin, China, in 1925 to Shanghai to Hong Kong in the 1950s. Anyu Zhang, our female protagonist, comes to the aid of Issac Mandelburg, a fugitive and master jeweller, one winter night. In thanks, Isaac gives Anyu his address in Shanghai and offers her hospitality should she ever visit the city. As fate would have it, Anyu soon finds herself an orphan when her mother dies. So she heads to Shanghai. While Issac's family members are unsure of the outsider, Anyu begins working in their jewelry shop. This will set her on a path of dazzling jewelry, lifelong friendships, and even love.


Weina Dai Randel is a fantastic author. If you are a lover of historical fiction, then you need to add her books to your ever-growing TBR. This is my third read of one of her titles( The Last Rose of Shanghai and Night Angels being the other two), and once I start reading them, I cannot stop. The Master Jeweler had all the elements that would also make an interesting movie. Anyu is a flawed character- she speaks without thinking and is persistent, much to the annoyance of the other characters. But she loves deeply and makes mistakes, and sometimes this costs her a lot of happiness. Sometimes my reaction was to groan and say " Oh, Anyu," but it's her story, and I had to let her live it.

Don't forget to add Weina Dai Randel to your reading list!





#TheMasterJeweler #NetGalley
Publication Date 24/06/25
Goodreads Review 01/08/25

a gripping read with a unique story set in 1920s-30s china.
the master jeweler follows anyu, a poor young girl who has a tough childhood, but everything changes after she returns a mysterious item dropped in the snow. this simple act of kindness leads to a new life for her in shanghai. iit’s a powerful tale of love, loss, resilience, and transformation.

An exciting page-turner, with a really unusual storyline. Set in China in the 1920s – 30s, we follow the life of a penniless young Chinese girl Anyu, and her initially challenging and tragic childhood, which takes an unexpected turn after picking up an unusual item dropped in the snow at a station and returning it to its owner.
This good deed forges a change in her fortunes and leads her to a new life in Shanghai. This delightful tale teaches us much of the history of China at the time, with rise of opposition from the Japanese army. More than this, we learn about the trade of silversmithing and training to be a master jeweller, and fashion trends of the time, and the fierce competition between rival jewellers of different nationalities.
It is a tale of exile, of love and loss, of generosity and the strength to keep going. It is highly exciting and very well told.

Thanks to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for the arc

OMG! One of my fave books of the year!

Historical fiction is far from my fave genre, but this one has enough background to feel transported immediately to China after WWI, but without delving too deep into geopolitical affairs.

The characters were so compelling and well characterized. Although those who were the "bad" ones sometimes felt a little bit too cartoonish, everyone had a role to play in the story, and within a few pages, you could understand and connect with them immediately. Anyu's arc is so well done, we follow her for decades and you undertand her motives, even when she's making a mistake, which tells you how good her character is. She might have a gift for crafting jewerly, but her resilience is her best quality.

I couldn't put this book down because of how addictive it was! It's very fastpaced, with lots of turns and moments where you hold your breath, waiting and fearing what would happen next. It's very telling how much research the author did, and I appreciate that all the information (like the process of jewelry crafting, historical facts, and physical descriptions) was just enough, and not excessive.

The found-family aspect and overall message made me so happy (which is why some scenes hurt so badly)

Lastly, the ending is perfection!!! and I'll be thinking about it for a long time :')

I really enjoyed this story, Weina Dai Randel is a new author for me and I shall now be looking out for what else she has written.

This is the story of Anyu, orphaned in early 20th century China. Travelling from the harsh winters of Harbin to Shanghai, Anyu crafts a new life for herself as a jeweler. The details of the jewellery – including the exquisite Faberge eggs – is fascinating, but the thrill and pace of the story as it gets mysterious and dangerous adds for some great excitement.

I struggled so much with this book that it put me into a reading slump. There were several times when I wanted to shelve it as DNF, but I persisted.

The book's cover may look impressive, but the actual content isn't. The book started off well but then soon lost all focus. The main character Anyu was dislikable - she lacked emotional depth and I really didn't care for her at all. I did appreciate the historical background and the details when it came to the description of jewellery but that was about it.

The writing and the plot were all over the show. There were many time lapses and just too many things happened; half the time, Anyu seemed to be playing detective.

I really enjoyed this book! The historical fiction was rich and well-written, and the story pulled me in. Anyu started off super annoying, but I loved her character development through the second half of the book.
I wasn't a fan of the age-gap romances, and all the deaths were disappointing, but they did make the story more emotional and intense. Overall, a great, dramatic book with strong writing and a satisfying ending.
Thank you to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing, and Weina Dai Randel for an ARC of this book!

This book was a book. The author created an interesting story and cast of characters but the execution didn't do it for me. Stilted dialogue, and lack of descriptive language made it difficult for me to get through. However this author wrote a book, which is really hard, so overall it was just ok.

With beautiful prose, detailed historical research, and a fascinating look at intersectional history, The Master Jeweler is an excellent literary historical fiction novel that sparkles like a Fabregé egg. It’s been *so* long since I’ve read a good historical fiction novel, and this book hit all the right notes.

The first thing that stood out to me was how vividly Randel is able to portray the historical setting without it becoming too heavy-handed or preachy. I loved the subtle way the geopolitics were conveyed and how the landscapes, from wintery Harbin to bustling Shanghai to frenetic Hong Kong, were developed as if they themselves were characters. While those who aren’t familiar with the political landscape of Nationalist China may struggle to fully untangle the complex web of international politics that played out in Shanghai in the 1920s and 1930s, I think Randel does an excellent job with providing just enough context to keep the reader informed. I especially loved seeing the exploration of intersectional history and solidarity between stateless Russian Jews and ethnic Chinese—this is something that is rarely discussed even in academia.

The prose is also stunning. Randel really did her research on the jewelry-making process, and I loved the dazzling visual descriptions of all of the jewelry. Like the setting, the jewelry also seems to be its own character—instead of being reduced to an object that furthers Anyu’s character growth, the jewelry is a powerful symbol that invites meditations on greed, craftsmanship, and the commodification of art for status. I really appreciated how Randel refused to shy away from exploring the commodification of art and its role in perpetuating racial and socioeconomic division.

I don’t want to spoil too much of the actual plot because the characters truly surprised me at times, but I will say that the found family in this book is just *chefs kiss*. In particular, Esther and Anyu’s relationship was so heartwarming and a fantastic example of softer and more subtle female bonding. I also loved seeing how the Mandelburgs adopted Anyu as one of their own, though I wish there was a bit more exploration of how racism affected their unusual family arrangement.

The only thing that didn’t quite sit right with me after further reflecting on the book was the flatness of some of the side characters, but I’m willing to excuse that because the book is singularly funneled through the main character, Anyu. I really grew attached to Anyu and deeply emphasized with both her personal plight and her unwavering love for her artwork, so it didn’t bother me too much that many of the side characters seemed to lack some depth and that their actions were only explored via their impact on Anyu. The romance is the main thing that suffers because of this singular focus on Anyu—it felt a bit forced and definitely a little icky if you were to view it objectively instead of subjectively through its impact on Anyu. I especially struggled with how Randel portrayed the romance (?) between Anyu and Isaac due to the age gap. I think there’s an appropriate commentary on how the lines between mentorship, paternal, and romantic love were blurred between them, but the short scene about Anyu having “daddy issues” (quoted because this is literally said in the book lol) was frustratingly played off as a moment of brevity rather than an interrogation of the impact of war and orphanage on Anyu’s psyche. I wish that moment was explored further, perhaps also through a racial lens to better flesh out how racism and white supremacism affected ethnic Chinese women in high society Shanghai. Too often, this book seems to glaze over the racial violence and politics that dominated Nationalist Shanghai, so I would have appreciated a more in-depth look at that. Unfortunately, this seems to be the trappings of the book’s genre(s)—upmarket book club/women’s fiction, especially of the historical variety, is geared towards an overwhelmingly white female readership. As a Chinese-American woman whose own family history and identity is inexorably tied up in anti-Chinese racism, Orientalism, and the Yellow Peril, I was left a tad unsatisfied by the unexplored impacts of race, gender, and class on Anyu’s story.

Objectively, I’d rate this book four stars just because the plot only really works because of Anyu’s agency, but I loved Anyu so much that my rating is caught between 4 stars (on merit/craft) and 5 stars (for emotional impact). The plot was twisty and intriguing, and I loved the sheer amount of detail and research that Randel poured in this book, but I unfortunately can’t give the book 5 stars due to the somewhat flimsy characterization of the supporting cast and the unexplored/ambiguous critique of race and class in Nationalist Shanghai. Still, The Master Jeweler is an excellent work of literary historical fiction that stands out in a market dominated by repetitive and often derivative WWII novels.

4.5/5 stars (rounded up to 5!)
Thank you to Lake Union Publishing for the e-ARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a solid read. Interesting sorry about a female jeweler during complicated historical times. A little doe at the start but then they packing picked up and it was an enjoyable read.

Atmospheric and lyrical, I was pulled in from the very first page and could not stop reading. Anyu's journey was a vivid experience, and this is a book I'll be reading over and over again!

This novel had me at Imperial Faberge Egg. Love the all the details, especially as it related to jewelry making and historical Shanghai. Bonus, the author included a secret society. Brava!

absolutely devoured this book — it’s historical fiction with grit, heart, and just the right amount of glitter. anyu’s journey from the icy chinese border to the chaos and glamour of 1920s shanghai pulled me in from page one. she’s fierce, determined, and wildly talented, carving out her place as a jeweler while danger and betrayal close in from every side. between gangsters, secret societies, and a fabergé egg with serious plot-power, this story delivers tension, emotion, and beauty in every chapter. perfect if you love character-driven stories with high stakes and rich historical texture.

15 year old Anyu, living under harsh circumstances with her mother, but never has to work or learn a bit about social customs, nor to fend for herself. Nonetheless her mother taught her languages, maths, drawing and morals. Thus, when she finds a Fabergé egg, she gives it back and in exchange the jeweler gives her a handkerchief with the adress of the shop he'll be staying in Shanghai and the promise to take care of her.
As her mother dies, she embarks on the journey to Shanghai where she doesn't even try to help sell jewelry. Instead she is the "chosen one" that becomes a Master Jeweler in only 3 years and is the only one to think about fusing Chinese symbolism with western jewelry making.

Anyo came off like "the chosen orphan with the magical abilitys, but uttlery dumb", there were beautiful descriptions of the settings, but the plot was all in shambles.. Parts that could have helped to give the characters depth were glazed over, instead we got heroics that were plain stupid, no emotional growth and no real gratitude to those who cared for her. The other characters were stereotypical and the tropes used not well integrated. I struggled to go on reading after roundabout 30%. There was no emotional connection to Anyu other than eyerolls.
All in all this book did feel like the author wanted to push in a lot and center it around Anyu, but lacked the background descriptions and depths. The shallowness makes it a read I would, if I would be forced to, recommend for age 14-16 with trigger warnings for violence, forced abortion and war violence.

My thanks to Brilliance Publishing via NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ARC.
These are my own thoughts and while I did not enjoy reading this book, others might..