Had so much fun reading this beautiful fantasy! I had problems with the pacing but otherwise really good.

I found this extremely enjoyable for a debut. A YA fantasy that has you really sucked in. I was interested in all the characters.

I love reading about things through different lenses and this was great for this.

Will definitely be one to reread

June C.L. Tan's debut novel, Jade Fire Gold, throws you headfirst into a world teetering on the brink of war. Ahn, a young woman shrouded in mystery, possesses powerful magic she struggles to control. Altan, a displaced prince yearning to reclaim his throne, sees Ahn as the key to his destiny. Their paths collide, sparking a captivating premise that evokes a fantasy version of "What if Katara were the dark Avatar & Zuko was hunting her down?" (think Avatar: The Last Airbender).

The novel starts strong. Tan expertly introduces compelling character motivations and lays a solid foundation for the world inspired by Chinese myths and folklore. The initial pacing is comfortable, allowing readers to sink into the vibrant descriptions of settings and locations. The side characters, like Tang Wei, Tai Shun, and Leiye, add depth and intrigue with their unique personalities and relationships to the protagonists.

However, the initial promise sputters as the story progresses. The pacing stumbles, leading to repetitive internal monologues from Ahn and Altan that dampen the excitement. The central romance, which could have thrived on the "enemies to allies" dynamic, fizzles out due to a lack of tension and emotional connection. Additionally, the political intrigue surrounding the war feels underdeveloped, leaving a sense of missed opportunities.

Despite these shortcomings, Jade Fire Gold offers an enjoyable escape for readers seeking a simple YA fantasy adventure. The worldbuilding is intriguing, and the side characters provide a spark. The ending, though a bit rushed, leaves room for interpretation, making it unclear if this is a standalone or the first in a series.

Overall, Jade Fire Gold is a promising debut with a captivating premise. While the execution falters in some areas, particularly pacing and emotional depth, the foundation is strong. This is a good read for those seeking a light introduction to xianxia fantasy with a touch of mystery. However, those looking for a more complex plot and a deeply emotional journey might find themselves wanting more.

Jade Fire Gold is an enjoyable fantasy book.

That sentence sums it up for me. It’s not one I’d rave about and beg everyone to go and read. But if you enjoy fantasy, especially coming-of-age style stories with a not-quite-enemies-to-not-quite-lovers trope, a hidden prince, a tricky destiny, and some fun characters, then it’s a good way to spend a few afternoons.

There’re a few reasons why it wasn’t more for me. The first half of the book was slow. The pacing didn’t really pick up even when the tension did. To be honest, I also found one of the main characters hard to like at the beginning. While Ahn does redeem herself and becomes a good protagonist, she only looks out for herself to start with and it makes it hard to like her. Between that and the speed, it was hard for me to fully engage.

That does improve. You get to know more about Ahn, why she’s like that, and her backstory gradually pieces together. At the same time, she lets down her guard and begins to allow people in. It’s as Ahn starts to care that we see her full potential and she becomes a character you root for.

Altan is a favourite from the start. There’s something about a displaced prince who wants to right the wrongs while figuring out how to survive in a world that wants him dead that gets to me every time. Despite his history, you sense he’s more open: his friendships appear deeper and more truthful than Ahn’s. His story contains more of a moral dilemma for him as head and heart start to battle, and he’s a loveable character from the beginning.

The side-kicks are also likeable, although it would’ve been nice to get to know them better as there is depth there.

The plot doesn’t have any true surprises in store – if you’re a fan of the genre, chances are that you will have a sense of what is coming. I got a lot of Leigh Bardugo feelings from it – there were aspects of the plot that felt very similar to Shadow and Bone.

As mentioned, not the strongest, most unique book out there. But it’s an enjoyable read that easily passes some time. The ending seems to set up for a second instalment and I wouldn’t mind seeing how the story unfolds for these characters.

this was a really anticipated release for me (let's forget the fact this came out forever ago... whoops. blame uni) and it lived up to my expectations in some ways and disappointed me in others.

The good: I actually really enjoyed the world-building and the individual characters. While I feel some aspects could have been explained in more depth (still confused about how the priests who hate magic... have magic), I love how unapologetically Xianxia this book is. I am quite familiar with the genre and therefore really appreciated the pinyin used instead of awkward translations, and for those less familiar, the glossary at the end of the book is a great help. I've seen quite a lot of complaints about the pacing, but for the most part, it was very much ok with me!

The less good: the thing that stands out the most to me as something that I didn't enjoy in this book is the lack of development in the relationships – the romance especially, but also some of the friendships. Altan and Yang Wei's friendship gets a lot of screentime (page time?) so to me, it was the most developed, and the most enjoyable. Apart from that? I'm quite confused as to why there's anything else going on at all. The romance felt added on top of the story instead of incorporated into the plot; all the sudden, we were getting a character teasing at every turn that the main love interests are in love with each other... when it has barely been mentioned in either of their POVs, and I felt there was Something also going on with another character. It tried to pass as an "in love but oblivious" moment, but I just felt like it wasn't there, and then when it was, it didn't feel convincing.

I would definitely still recommend a read, especially if you've read other Xianxia books and enjoy the genre... or are curious to get started (and you 100% should!). Despite my complaints, it was a very fun book, and I really enjoyed reading it :)

PS. LGBTQ relationships were very cute! Wish they got more attention.

This book unfortunately was not for me, but for other fantasy readers, this has an enthralling premise and in the right hands, will be loved.

4 stars from me!

A dual POV fantasy is already winning top marks from me but Tan did great with Jon with establishing the motivations for both characters and their train of thought when it came to decision making. For a fantasy book, it’s very easy to follow on the world building and the side characters bolstered the likeability across the cast and introduces the found family trope readers know and love when it comes to fantasy books.

All in all, a good start to the fantasy series and will be looking forward to the next book!

Inspired by Chinese mythology, the worldbuilding is intriguing, the writing style is easy to follow, and the dynamic between Ahn and Altan is well-written. My issue mainly stemmed on the pacing, the first 1/3 of the book wag good but it started to get a bit choppy as the story progresses and I felt like the romance was underdeveloped and rushed.

The books starts off very promising — a girl who has no past, a boy who is seeking justice for himself and his family, with Chinese mythology interweaved in the story. Unfortunately the booking quickly falls into the stereotypical elements of the average YA fantasy book and I couldn’t care less about the romance, the plot twists (which very pretty obvious) or the relationships built in the story because of the sloppy writing and pacing. It was overall an enjoyable book though and I was curious to see if I was right with my predictions.

I'm embarrassed that this took me so long to read, but I finally finished it. This book was pitched as ATLA but if Katara was a dark avatar and Zuko was the one looking for her. I could see elements of that throughout the story, but as a die-hard Zutara shipper, there just wasn't enough.

I know this is YA, and perhaps it was the fault of the audiobook narrators, but this felt very juvenile. Some of the dialogue and the inner monologues just felt very young. Younger readers would defnitely enjoy this, but unfirtunately it wasn't to my taste.

This book captured my heart immediately with its lush descriptions, gorgeous worldbuilding, and driven cast. Both POV characters felt equally compelling to me, which is such a rare feat that I was honestly impressed. The pacing of both the main plot and romantic subplot never felt off, with credibility added by frequent short time skips, and the latter is suited perfectly to fans of the Zutara dynamic. Anyone who liked Avatar: the Last Airbender would like this book, though I wished at times its political intrigue and the relationships between nations were as fleshed out as its comp title. Overall, a fast-paced, high-stakes, and all around enjoyable read.

Jade Fire Gold is such a beautifully written fantasy. The world-building is outstanding. The story is well written with an enchanting storyline and well-developed characters that engage from start to finish. The world is atmospheric and feels real with vivid descriptions and rich imagery. I cannot get enough. Highly recommended. Be sure to check out Jade Fire Gold today.

Please note that this book is not for me - I have read the book, However I had to DNF and because i do not like to give negative reviews I will not review this book fully - there is no specific reason for not liking this book. I found it a struggle to read and did not enjoy trying to force myself to read this book.

Apologies for any inconvenience caused and thank you for the opportunity to read this book

Ahn has few memories of her past, and no family except for the kind elderly woman who took Ahn in and raised Ahn as if she were her own granddaughter.
Altan is the true heir to the throne, his life destroyed when his father, the Emperor, was murdered. Now, Altan seeks revenge and will do whatever it takes to regain the throne.
When Ahn and Altan cross paths, Ahn learns that she has a magic that could save her people or destroy everything.
Will Altan retake the throne?
Can Ahn learn to control her abilities and use them for good?

Going into this book, I have to admit that I wasn't expecting to love it or be blown away, as YA fantasies have been a bit samey for me recently. However, while it was the case that this didn't exceed my quite low expectations, there were elements that I did like.
Ahn and Altan were both likeable and relatable at times, but there were side characters that stood out to me more.
The setting was interesting, as was the lore/mythology and the concept of the expanding desert.
The plot was enjoyable overall, but also quite average as I wasn't gripped or overly invested in what happened, and nothing particularly shocked me. I was actually a little confused at the beginning, but that was partly my fault as I had misunderstood/presumed something that wasn't in the plot.
I felt that the book didn't need to be as long as it was, as it did drag a little.
The writing style was easy to follow.
I'm disappointed that I didn't enjoy this more, but I wasn't expecting it to be a new favourite.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read.

It’s very unclear if this is a standalone until really the very, very end. I suppose as it’s a debut it may not be but there’s one loose thread at the end so maybe there will be a sequel.

Because it reads mainly as a standalone some aspects feel a little quickly paced, more so than I’d like. The romance was hmmm interesting. I like that the entire supporting cast is pretty much queer too.

I don’t think the magic limits were ever explained and I was confused by the fact that people with magic are hunted down but the priests have magic? So that made no sense to me.

Gorgeous hardback with an equally stunning epic story inside. I loved Ahn and Altan, his epic quest, her journey for family and belonging, all the double crossing and political machinations.
I can't wait to read more by June!

What a stunning cover! The story started well but unfortunately started to slow quickly and I wasn’t able to finish. I’ll probably not come back to it. Writing was great, just too slow paced for me.

This book starts of good and finishes good, i dont think there was ever a part where i was disappointed with what i was reading. The prologue really sets the scene for what the books is going to be like. I found the way the two main characters meet, it didnt feel forced and they had good chemistry from the moment they meet each other. I wish it had explained the magic a bit for as i thought it was interesting, it would have been nice to meet characters with the other powers like metal. There were parts of the book that reminded me a lot of shadow and bone, with the main character being taken to the palace to be used as a weapon and getting a servant that treats her well, etc. The romance was slowburn which i enjoyed, it wasnt fully focused on and that worked really well with the plot line. There was some wholesome friends which i loved, i cant wait to see them all again in the next book.

Thank you for my earc of this book. I got to about 12% and whilst I enjoyed it I didn’t really feel an urge to carry on and didn’t feel sucked into the story so I didn’t finish it. I may try again at some point and update my review if so!

3 Stars!

I have to say this started very promising and I had high hopes for this, I don't know if it's a personal preference at the moment (it probably is), I just think there was quite a bit of build up but I don't think it went anywhere and some things felt under developed.