Of Jade and Dragons

By: Amber Chen

Narrated by: Jen Zhao

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?

Critic reviews

“A richly detailed and wildly imaginative book with some of the coolest retro-future tech envisioned on-page and an engineer heroine with the smarts to wield it! The steampunk C-drama of my dreams.”—Xiran Jay Zhao, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Iron Widow

"Drawing on inspiration from Qing dynasty China to craft complex worldbuilding, debut author Chen employs vivid and sensory language to cleverly set the stage for Ying’s quest for answers—and revenge—in this gripping silkpunk fantasy that thrills from start to finish."—Publishers Weekly

"[An] absorbing, deftly written story . . . A fascinating world with twists that will keep readers enthralled."—Kirkus Reviews

"An excellent starting point for new YA readers."—Booklist

“A twisting adventure filled with wild devices, rebellions against the natural order of things, and the battle between creation and destruction.”—Chris Kluwe, Lightspeed Magazine

First book like this I've read

I really enjoyed reading a book with culture I have never dived into. It grew and grew on me and was a very easy read. book 2 to come?? I loved it 5/5

Very enjoyable storytelling

Loved this book! Trying to get more into historical fiction and this was done so well. I really think the narrator did a wonderful job. onto book 2!

Noooo!!!

Why? Why did it end like this!!! I need a second book!!! The plot twist and the painful love.

Fantastic world and rich characters!

This book continuously took me by surprise, just when I thought “oh this is obvious” I was proved wrong. The world building and character development was beautiful and the story was unique and fascinating.