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| Image copied from Goodreads |
So, I was excited to learn that I'd been approved to receive a free eARC for a young adult silkpunk fantasy. I'd never read a silkpunk fantasy before and the premise sounded action-packed and romantic. I didn't realize it at the time, but the eARC was actually the second book in a duology series. Not wanting to read the second and final installment without having read the first, I immediately looked up the first book at my local library, hoping they'd have a copy. To my relief they did. Of Jade and Dragons by Amber Chen was a fast-paced thrill ride that was reminiscent of Mulan but set in a steampunk ancient fantasy world reminiscent of ancient China. That is where the silkpunk comes into play. It is set in a time much earlier than most steampunk novels, but in spite of the society being less industrialized, there is still steam powered technology present in that world. We're talking airships, steam-powered, horseless carriages, among other devices and marvels.
The story follows main character Aihui Ying who is an unconventional daughter. One who dreams of someday being an engineer like her father. When her father is murdered, Ying decides to travel to the Engineers Guild in her homeland's capital. Disguised as her brother, she is determined to discover who killed her father and why. She also hopes to become a master engineer by winning the apprentice trials held by the Engineers Guild where her father was trained. However, Ying almost loses her life before even arriving at the capital city when she accidentally stumbles into the assassin who killed her father. Saved by a mysterious prince, Ying is amazed when Ye-Yang, the fourth in line to the Antaran throne, agrees to help her get into the guild trials by sponsoring her. She is further surprised that he is willing to do so even knowing she is a girl and not Aihui Min, the younger brother Ying is pretending to be.
The push-pull between Ying and Ye-Yang in this novel is so romantic and tension filled. I was clutching my none existent pearls in so many of their scenes together, wondering would this be the moment they finally give in and kiss. I don't often get as swept up in the romance aspect of fantasy novels as I did when I was younger. But this one really got me in the feels. I also enjoyed the mystery of figuring out who killed Ying's father and why. There were some clues that I guessed right about early on. But I didn't see the full twist at the end coming at all, when Ying at last begins to understand the political machinations that have been in play from the beginning. It made me eager to read the next book in the series once I'd devoured this one. I think that if you are someone who enjoys a well-written young adult steampunk fantasy with complex romantic elements, you will thoroughly enjoy this book.
I am halfway through the second book that I was pleased to receive as an eARC from NetGalley, Penguin Young Readers Group and Amber Chen. My next blog post will be a review of it shortly after its release date, which is June 17th. So far, I am loving it as much as the first book though the tone and arc for the story are much different than Of Jade and Dragons. The blurb and the cover for book two, The Blood Phoenix, are both copied from NetGalley.
Two years after Ying leaves the Engineer’s Guild and the ghost of her father’s unjust death behind, life seems to regain a semblance of normalcy. But the winds of unrest continue to stir within the Nine Isles, and the aftermath of a horrific pirate attack by the mysterious Blood Phoenix fleet forces Ying back into the tense political world of the new High Commander, Ye-yang. And soon, Ying, Ye-yang and her former friends from the guild must work together to find a way to outsmart the cunning pirates who terrorize the straits—and the elusive mastermind who’s controlling them.
Meanwhile, Ying’s sister, Nian, now lives in the capital, awaiting the day she will finally marry the High Commander. While her relationship with Ye-yang remains distant, she finds company in her friendship with the fourteenth prince, Ye-kan, and discovers her unexpected affinity for governance and strategy. But the capital is more dangerous than she expects, and when a dark conspiracy arises, Nian and Ye-kan must unravel the mystery in time to prevent the High Command from collapsing from within.
New dangers arise at every moment, threatening to tear the Nine Isles apart. In order to sail through this storm, Ying and her loved ones must make difficult choices amidst terrible betrayals. With the world on the brink of destruction, will they find a way to defeat their enemies and survive? And will it be worth the cost?
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