Of Jade and Dragons

Books | Young Adult Fiction / People & Places / Asia

Amber Chen

Mulan meets Iron Widow in this thrilling silkpunk fantasy about a girl who must disguise herself as a boy and enter the famed and dangerous Engineer’s Guild trials to unravel the mystery of her father’s murder. 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?

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More Details:

Author

Amber Chen

Pages

480

Publisher

Penguin

Published Date

2024-06-18

ISBN

0593622758 9780593622759

Community ReviewsSee all

"「 ✦ 3.75 ✦ 」 ⟡ arc review ⟡ ⋆.˚“If he chooses you, he will lose everything.” While it’s classified as a fantasy there is close to no magical elements (aka no real dragons) and is more sci-fi in my opinion. However, the story and setting is still quite unique and fantastical. The murder mystery was interesting and I did have a little inkling about who was involved but it still came as a surprise and utter betrayal. ⋆.˚“It’s only a matter of time, Ying.” I’m still stuck here by the way. The romance was the main thing keeping me interested. Like Yeyang the man that you are 😮‍💨. When he wasn’t there I was low key bored. He’s such a simp. But also men ☕️. If you love pretty princes that internally struggle with what they think is right vs what they need to do, you’ll love him. As much as I’m rooting for them to be endgame, I totally understand why Ying took a step back and was like that’s not really the life I want to live. I even did cry a bit during the “third act breakup” that happened, like sick to my stomach. Love all the friendships Ying has, especially with Yekan who was an annoying little twerp in the beginning but became one of her closest friends. ⋆.˚“I was your sword, but you were never mine.”Why must you leave me with this heartbreak Amber Chen While I was a little disappointed with the ending that made my heart ache (because it didn’t really go how I expected), it’s clearly set up for the sequel. Which I’m not sure if I’ll be reading or not. ⋆.˚“If I want to conquer the world, will you stand by my side?” um immediately yes Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this 🏯"