A Cultural Reset: Of Jade and Dragons

Of Jade and Dragons by Amber Chen

This review article is authored by YZ.

HAPPY PUBLICATION DAY!!

📌 𝑶𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝑽𝒆𝒓𝒅𝒊𝒄𝒕: A WordWanderlust’s ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Read

Read this if you enjoy: 

✨SILKPUNK//Steampunk

✨ Asian-Inspired Historical Fantasy

✨Chinese Dramas

✨Cool Machines and tech stuff like METAL freaking dragons?

✨Singaporean Literature 

📚 𝑻𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔: If I could give it 8 stars, I would. Amber Chen’s debut novel, Jade and Dragons, was nothing short of a show-stopping, page-turning, seat-gripping Asian-inspired fantasy. Also, OJAD is written by a SINGAPOREAN. All I can say is MAJULAH SINGAPURA indeed (literally nothing makes me prouder to see Singaporean authors absolutely devouring the literary sphere!)

Basically, this novel ticked all of my boxes that make an epic Asian fantasy. I am in love with Aihui Ying. She’s your classic headstrong, reckless female main character, but she’s not senseless. Most importantly, she has a personality—her character has depth, and she’s not overtly one-dimensional. Readers are brought on a journey of growth as we see Ying mature before our eyes. Although less explored, her male counterpart, Ye Yang, also made an interesting character with conflicting motivations. Though I saw the twist from miles away, given that I am a fan of Chinese Drama (and this novel reads a lot like one), I thought he had his moments. I am excited to learn more about him in the sequel and see what the second novel brings for Ying x Ye-Yang. The side characters also played a significant role. If there were a Best Supporting Male Character award, it would be Ye-Kan. GOD, was he insufferable initially, but OHHHH MY HEART HURTS FOR HIM. I would protect him at all costs!! While I liked the small changes in some SCs like An-Xi, I would love to see more of their development and evolution in the sequel, especially in the context of war! I would love to see how the effects of war change these individuals.

The plot starts with an action-packed scene, quickly setting the premise for the rest of the book. Overall, the book kept a very steady pace. Each chapter was necessary, and there were no filler scenes. I love that we were brought on this Mulan-esque journey with Ying as she attempts to secure her place at the Engineers Guild. The plot though simple as it followed conventional structure and tropes, was well-executed. Simple yet effective—it made for such a pleasant and straightforward reading experience where you’re not caught second-guessing, constantly turning back the pages to re-read because you’re lost in convoluted motivations and messy relationships (yes, this is shade towards a particular AIF that I read before OJAD).

The world-building was nicely done. I saw the Nine Isles and Fei come to life and honestly, I need to visit soon. This book does not have a magical system, but the descriptions of the advanced technological machines were done so well. I also learned that the characters and some machines were inspired by actual Qing Chinese historical figures/manuscripts. I am impressed by how seamless and realistically unrealistic everything felt. It makes even a historian like myself question if the Qing dynasty was secretly this advanced. This novel is a good mix of Historical Fiction x Fantasy x Sci-Fi (SteamPunk?). ONE SMALL THING! It would be such a nice touch if there were maps of the territories and more importantly, I feel that including DESIGNS or sketches of the machines/tech would really elevate the reading experience further!

As the first book to what I am PRAYING would be a series, OJAD sets an excellent precedent for future events and developments. While the main story ends with a slight cliffhanger, the short epilogue nicely sums up the events of OJAD while laying out what readers could expect for the second instalment. This way, you’re left interested and wanting more without feeling that you’ve been cheated of a resolution for OJAD itself.  

OJAD is finally out in the world and I AM O B S S E S S E D! With OJAD as my FIRST read of 2024, it has set such a high bar for future reads that I am honestly kind of worried. Or could this be a sign that 2024 will be a year of slayful reads? I guess we will find out. 

If you haven’t bothered to read my full review, here’s a quick TLDR: “And this, my friends, THIS is how you write an Asian Inspired Fantasy. Ate and left NO crumbs”.

OJAD OUT NOW!! WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR??????

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Happy Reading! 

Love, 

WordWanderlust