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samlaena's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
kimminy_cricket's review
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.25
Overall, I liked the book. A girl goes on a quest to avenge her father and has a chance to meet her goal of joining the Engineers Guild at the same time.
I thought the ending of the book was quite strong and the last quarter of the book is where it really shines. I really liked the relationship between Ying and Ye-kan and the understanding that Ying developed of her father.
The world building is somewhat weak and parts of the plot don't stand up to scrutiny. I had a hard time reconciling the level of industry required for Ying and her father to conduct experiments on their island with them being nomadic herders. Ying's father's position as chieftain is a part of the romantic plot of the book, but otherwise does not make sense (why would you send your future chieftain to learn engineering?). I also wonder if all the airship engineers were part of the Engineers Guild, because if they're only taking 3 students a year and there were at least 20 senior airship engineers, most of those airship engineers must have found a different path to that career.
There are a few parts where the writing is confusing and I had to read a sentence several times to figure out what was being said.
Despite the complaints, I could see myself picking up the second book.
I thought the ending of the book was quite strong and the last quarter of the book is where it really shines. I really liked the relationship between Ying and Ye-kan and the understanding that Ying developed of her father.
The world building is somewhat weak and parts of the plot don't stand up to scrutiny. I had a hard time reconciling the level of industry required for Ying and her father to conduct experiments on their island with them being nomadic herders. Ying's father's position as chieftain is a part of the romantic plot of the book, but otherwise does not make sense (why would you send your future chieftain to learn engineering?). I also wonder if all the airship engineers were part of the Engineers Guild, because if they're only taking 3 students a year and there were at least 20 senior airship engineers, most of those airship engineers must have found a different path to that career.
There are a few parts where the writing is confusing and I had to read a sentence several times to figure out what was being said.
Despite the complaints, I could see myself picking up the second book.
elizajaquays's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Thank you to Viking Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy of Of Jade and Dragons!
I really enjoyed reading this, even if there were times I wanted to throttle Ying. Mostly every time she nearly got herself killed because she refused to follow her father's dying wish. I was expecting that my favorite relationship would be Ying and Ye-yang and, don't get me wrong, they're great, but I ended up loving her friendship with Ye-kan the most.
I cannot wait to see what happens in book 2!
If you're a fan of angsty teenage revenge plots, girls disguising themselves as boys because of societal misogyny, and explosions, then this book might interest you!
I really enjoyed reading this, even if there were times I wanted to throttle Ying. Mostly every time she nearly got herself killed because she refused to follow her father's dying wish. I was expecting that my favorite relationship would be Ying and Ye-yang and, don't get me wrong, they're great, but I ended up loving her friendship with Ye-kan the most.
I cannot wait to see what happens in book 2!
If you're a fan of angsty teenage revenge plots, girls disguising themselves as boys because of societal misogyny, and explosions, then this book might interest you!
cozyinthenook's review
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
lauramcsherry's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Of Jade and Dragons
3.25 ⭐️
I saw this on a few lists of upcoming fantasy novels and it sounded so promising!
Ying disguises as her brother and enters an engineering trial in order to figure out why her father was killed. Along the way she ends up falling for a prince who sees right through her disguise.
This had a lot of twists and turns and was pretty entertaining. While it probably could have done with some shortening, it was easy to follow. Not a ton of character development, and I honestly wanted more of the cool engineering parts.
Thanks to @netgalley for this eARC!
bamamelereads's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.25
So first of all, there are no dragons (ok there’s an automaton at the end but that doesn’t count). Second, this is really more silkpunk than standard fantasy (there’s no magic here).
I would say the setup here is closest to Spin the Dawn with “girl enters 3 stage competition disguised as boy, palace intrigues ensue with much danger, and gets close to boy, but can she trust him and his motives”.
The problem I had is that the middle really drags and the pacing is uneven. I’m not sold on Ye-Yang as the love interest either. There were some things he did, even early on, that made me uncomfortable. And the end really solidified those feelings.
Speaking of the end, it was really a gut-punch. We’re clearly set up for an angsty second book, and I’m really curious as to where Ying goes from here.
All that being said, the engineering portion was pretty cool, and I liked the friendship Ying and Ye-kan developed.
“I was your sword. But you were never mine.”
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the preview. All opinions are my own.
I would say the setup here is closest to Spin the Dawn with “girl enters 3 stage competition disguised as boy, palace intrigues ensue with much danger, and gets close to boy, but can she trust him and his motives”.
The problem I had is that the middle really drags and the pacing is uneven. I’m not sold on Ye-Yang as the love interest either. There were some things he did, even early on, that made me uncomfortable. And the end really solidified those feelings.
Speaking of the end, it was really a gut-punch. We’re clearly set up for an angsty second book, and I’m really curious as to where Ying goes from here.
All that being said, the engineering portion was pretty cool, and I liked the friendship Ying and Ye-kan developed.
“I was your sword. But you were never mine.”
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the preview. All opinions are my own.
mirahgonzalez's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A Mulan-esque story set at an engineering school was all it took to sell me on this book. I love a good STEM heroine and it was nice to get something a little different that concentrated on the weapons manufacture and engineering side of a war rather than a typical warrior training montage type of book. I do think the characters could have been developed more, I didn’t connect quite as much with them as I wanted to. But overall I enjoyed the read and will follow the series.
Thanks to Penguin and NetGalley for the ARC!
allivenger's review
adventurous
funny
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
alimac713's review
adventurous
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
"A lamp can light up the darkness around you, but a story lights up the darkness within."
A disclaimer: There are no real dragons.
Eighteen-year-old Aihui Ying is living a relatively sedentary life when her brilliant engineer father is murdered during a workshop break-in. Desperate to learn the truth behind the murder, Aihui disguises herself as a boy and enrolls in the nation's notoriously difficult Engineering Guild in order to uncover the secret behind her father's past and what led to his death. Along the way she befriends two princes and uses her father's lessons to get through school, solve the case, and stay alive.
I'd never heard of silk punk but was drawn to this for the Mulan comparison, and it didn't disappoint. The first few pages were hard for me to get into, I think more due to the way the ARC formatted on my Kindle than anything to do with the story itself, but once I got going I read straight through to the end. The setting/set-up wasn't particularly unique, but the execution made the book fun to read nonetheless (after all, if you market the book with a Mulan comparison, you need to deliver). The trials at the Engineering Guild were interesting, and Aihui's unique answers also underscored the idea that engineering is both a science and an art. I could see the Chinese culture and influence throughout the book, and it really left me with some food for thought on today's world. No spoilers, but I also really appreciated that author didn't go with the easy, Disney-ending and instead let the characters be who they were and the chips fall where they may.
Thank you NetGalley, Penguin Group, and Viking Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
A disclaimer: There are no real dragons.
Eighteen-year-old Aihui Ying is living a relatively sedentary life when her brilliant engineer father is murdered during a workshop break-in. Desperate to learn the truth behind the murder, Aihui disguises herself as a boy and enrolls in the nation's notoriously difficult Engineering Guild in order to uncover the secret behind her father's past and what led to his death. Along the way she befriends two princes and uses her father's lessons to get through school, solve the case, and stay alive.
I'd never heard of silk punk but was drawn to this for the Mulan comparison, and it didn't disappoint. The first few pages were hard for me to get into, I think more due to the way the ARC formatted on my Kindle than anything to do with the story itself, but once I got going I read straight through to the end. The setting/set-up wasn't particularly unique, but the execution made the book fun to read nonetheless (after all, if you market the book with a Mulan comparison, you need to deliver). The trials at the Engineering Guild were interesting, and Aihui's unique answers also underscored the idea that engineering is both a science and an art. I could see the Chinese culture and influence throughout the book, and it really left me with some food for thought on today's world. No spoilers, but I also really appreciated that author didn't go with the easy, Disney-ending and instead let the characters be who they were and the chips fall where they may.
Thank you NetGalley, Penguin Group, and Viking Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.