Of Jade and Dragons

March 18, 2024
Deemed beautiful but “too odd,” 18-year-old Aihui Ying shirks her responsibilities as her family’s eldest daughter and instead dreams of becoming a world-class engineer like her father. Following his murder and armed with only his journal and a black jade pendant dropped by the assailant, Ying makes her way to the renowned, male-dominated Engineers Guild, the place where her father achieved great success—and where he stored his secrets. With help from an unlikely source—Aogiya Ye-yang, the eighth prince of the High Command—and using her younger brother’s identity as an alias, Ying gains a spot in the guild’s apprenticeship trial. Throughout the ordeal, Ying contends with guild masters who held contempt for her father, mechanical beasts on the prowl, and the killer, still at large, who seeks her father’s journal. A growing attraction toward the prince complicates things further, especially as he has an agenda of his own. 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. Ages 12–up. Agent: Laura Crockett, Triada US.

May 1, 2024
Wanting to follow in her father's footsteps as an engineer, a girl disguises herself as a boy and travels to the city in this Chinese-inspired silkpunk fantasy. Aihui Ying's world is shattered when she witnesses the murder of her father. Although the elite Engineers Guild only accepts boys, she longs to become an engineer's apprentice. Ying seizes the opportunity to leave her small village and head to Fei, capital of the Antaran territories. There, she'll attempt to enter the guild's annual trial and find A-ma's killer. Although A-ma's dying wish was for Ying to burn his journal without reading it, she takes it with her to Fei. Along the way, she makes an ally in Aogiya Ye-yang, son of the High Commander, who helps her secure a spot in the guild's test. Ye-yang promises to keep her identity as a girl a secret, and an attraction grows between them. Ying also forges a solid friendship with another trial candidate with something to hide. As Ying and her new friend work through the various challenges the guild poses, the narrative hints at political upheaval stemming from the High Commander's desire to overcome their enemy, the Great Jade Empire and its Qirin royal family. Ye-yang's personal ambitions also increasingly strain his blossoming relationship with Ying. As secrets unravel and conflict erupts in this absorbing, deftly written story, Ying must question her own motivations. A fascinating world with twists that will keep readers enthralled. (Fantasy. 12-18)

COPYRIGHT(2024) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

May 1, 2024
Grades 7-12 Aihui Ying jumps off of cliffs and turns fans into weapons in idyllic Huarin with the support of her loving father, until he is murdered by a scarred man searching for a secret journal. Disguising herself as her brother and setting off to the bustling city of Fei to avenge her father, Ying finds herself sponsored by Aogiya Ye-yang, one of the four favored princes of the Isles, in the trials to earn an apprenticeship in the Engineering Guild. As the trials do not permit female entrants, Ying faces the expected challenges in maintaining her disguise; although, aside from a few events that helpfully nudge the plot along, she succeeds without undue effort. Each on-page interaction between Ying and Ye-yang results in their inevitable romance progressing, but their mutual interest is a plot point rather than a subplot itself. Similarly, the small group of boys who befriend Ying exist largely to progress the plot rather than as distinct characters. Straightforward and linear with steady pacing, this is an excellent starting point for new YA readers.

COPYRIGHT(2024) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

July 1, 2024

Gr 7 Up-Ying catches a masked man raiding her father's workshop; he flees without what he was looking for but leaves her father bleeding out on the floor. The thief was looking for a hidden book, which her father tells her to burn without reading before he passes. Ying is clever and kind, but she's not particularly obedient: she reads the book. Disguised as her brother, Ying ends up on a journey to the capital, where she might learn more about her father's secret past in the Engineering Guild and have the chance to avenge his murder. Luck and quick problem-solving skills get Ying sponsored by a prince of High Command, Aogiya Ye-yang, to compete in trials for an apprenticeship in the Engineering Guild. Their romance feels inevitable rather than earned, but is strictly a subplot inside a larger, escalating mystery and Ye-yang's political ambitions. The dearth of magical elements makes the novel fall closer to the science fiction side of silkpunk, with well-articulated worldbuilding inspired by the Qing Dynasty helping to advance the plot and stakes. Ying makes friends with other apprenticeship candidates, and their conveniently useful skillsets mean she is able to easily navigate moments of conflict. Despite this ease in the plot, Chen's vivid writing will keep readers turning pages. Characters are coded as many Chinese ethnicities. VERDICT The basic but well-crafted plot makes this a good entry into YA fantasy. Recommended for larger collections where fantasy is popular.-Emmy Neal

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