Of Jade and Dragons - Review

I received the physical copy via Viking Books for Young Readers. All reviews are my own.

I've been watching the beauty of Of Jade and Dragons by Amber Chen make its rounds all over social media. From the gorgeous covers to the sheer excitement for another Fantasy story involving dragons, OJAD has been on my radar. So when Color Pages Book Tours gave me the opportunity to review both books in the Fall of the Dragon series, I had to sign up! Today we'll be reviewing OJAD.

"Eighteen-year-old Aihui Ying dreams of becoming a world-class engineer like her father, but after his sudden murder, her life falls apart. Left with only a journal of her father’s engineering secrets and a jade pendant snatched from the assassin, a heartbroken Ying follows the trail to the capital and the prestigious Engineers Guild—a place that harbors her father’s hidden past—determined to discover why anyone would threaten a man who ultimately chose a quiet life over fame and fortune.

Disguised as her brother, Ying manages to infiltrate the guild’s male-only apprenticeship trial with the help of an unlikely ally—Aogiya Ye-yang, the taciturn eighth prince of the High Command. With her father’s renown placing a target firmly on her back, Ying must stay one step ahead of her fellow competitors, the jealous guild masters, and the killer still hunting for her father’s journal. Complicating everything is her increasingly tangled relationship with the prince, who may have mysterious plans of his own.

The secrets concealed within the guild can be as deadly as the weapons they build—and with her life and the future of her homeland at stake, Ying doesn’t know who to trust. Can she avenge her father even if it means going against everything he stood for, or will she be next in the mastermind’s line of fire?"

Despite the challenges I've faced with physical and digital reading this year, I found a unique way to experience this title through audio. Jen Zhao, a fresh voice in my literary journey, narrates the 12-hour and 4-minute tale. Her engaging tone and the distinct inflections she used for each character made the story come alive, as if it were crafted specifically for each listener. I'm looking forward to more of her work in the future!

What piqued my interest in this story was that the book was described as Mulan meets Iron Widow. Now we all know how classic Mulan is, and for those that have not read Xiran Jay Zhao's Iron Widow, the story is female rage with a 'why choose when I can have it all' prose. With that being said, I'd say OJAD was a watered-down version of both stories. I get where they were trying to go: a girl who is racked with revenge and determination to bring back honor to her father, herself, and her providence must go through the struggles of gruelling basic training in gender secret, while trying to quell the anger and rage of the unfairness of what life dealt her. But the writing overall didn't capture the maturity as the other two heavy hitters did.

OJAD is far from disappointment. The story unfolds beautifully as you delve deeper. I loved the characters, especially Aihui Yinga and her bratty sidekick Ye-kan. Aihui's unwavering determination to uncover the truth about her father's murder while also striving to excel in a male-dominated engineering competition is truly inspiring. It is a pure underdog story that will have you rooting for Aihui every step of the way.

Overall, I rated this book 3.5 stars. My only gripe with the story was that it read young. While the characters are 18, it felt like everyone was much younger. I think the story would have been better modeled as a middle grade going into a young adult. However, this didn't detract from the enjoyment of the book. We were left off with an open cliffhanger, and I am eagerly looking forward to the sequel, The Blood Phoenix, to see where the story takes us next!

Of Jade and Dragons is available now!

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