Thank you to Lake Union Publishing for the free eARC and Brilliance Audio for the free ALC! All opinions are my own.

This historical fiction novel follows the main character, Anyu, from her childhood in Harbin, China and beyond, as circumstance forces her to forge her own path in the world. As the title suggests, she discovers her passion and talent for jewelry-making along the way. Her journey takes place against the backdrop of geopolitics in the 1930s and 1940s, as Japan pushes it way further and further into China.

I'd definitely recommend this to historical fiction lovers who may not have read much about this time period in this part of the world. I cared about Anyu and those close to her, and I was invested in her story. At times I found the historical exposition a little heavy handed and not as nicely woven into the story as in other parts of the book, but I still enjoyed reading it and learning about Anyu's world. There was also plenty of suspense and drama as the plot unfolded!

I listened to a pretty large portion of this on audio thanks to the fact that I had an ALC available too. It was narrated by Christine Lin, who did a great job!

While I enjoyed the premise of the story and learning about Shanghai’s history, I found myself very frustrated by the lack of clear motivation from the main characters. It was unclear to me what really motivated Anya to peruse being a jeweler and what caused Issac to train her. There were simple justifications, but the character development was lacking.

I also felt the dialogue was very stilted throughout. Overall I would recommend for the historical aspect, but the writing could be more refined.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced readers copy.

I really wanted to like this book, and while I warmed to Anju at the beginning ..... her manner etc waned considerably by halfway though so did not finish.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy

The Master Jeweler by Weina Dai Randel is a third person-POV historical set in China in the early twentieth century. Anyu is an orphan who doesn’t have many prospects for her future. When she finds a Faberge egg and returns it to its keeper, Isaac, she begins her journey towards becoming a master jeweler while the threat of the Japanese Occupation looms in the distance.

There are brief depictions of sexual assault that hint to not only how normalized it was in the world for young women to be touched without their consent but how young these girls were. There is also a scene that is, in my opinion, a depiction of sexual assault but is also used to show the messiness of Anyu’s inner feelings. Anyu was drunk at the time which means she cannot consent but she was also stinging from rejection and revenge was on her mind when she believes she consented. If we were to ask Anyu, I’m not entirely sure what label she would give that event and I think moments like this are complex because the POV character might not be able to give a clear cut answer even if we, the readers, can say it’s assault without a shadow of a doubt. I appreciate things like this because this is a very real experience that survivors of assault do go through.

Anyu has several love interests with no clear ‘love of her life.’ Issac and Confucious could both be the loves of her life but for very different reasons. Isaac is older than her by twenty-five years and she falls for him when she’s a teenager while Confucious is about her age. Of the two, I did appreciate her relationship with Isaac the most and that largely has to do with how responsible Isaac is with their feelings. I am not opposed to an age gap romance, I have known people who are in very happy relationships with people ten or more years older than them. It does happen. But Isaac is also Anyu’s mentor and he started teaching her when she was in her teens and he was already a father of two children older than her, which does make it more complicated when she confesses. If she’d been thirty, maybe things would have been different.

I really liked the threading in of the Faberge eggs as they are a personal point of interest for me and the mentions of blending Eastern and Western traditions within Anyu’s designs. There’s also several mentions of the history of Jewish people in Russia and the complex relationship that foreigners had in China at the time as they were coming out of the Opium War and World War I had just ended. There’s a lot of cool stuff going on in regards to jewelry and the art world at the time. It hit on a lot of interests for me and I really enjoyed all the worldbuilding and the details that went int it.

Content warning for depictions of sexual assault and mass murder

I would recommend this to fans of historical fiction set around the time of the Japanese Occupation and readers interested in jewelry

📕 Ⓑⓞⓞⓚ Ⓡⓔⓥⓘⓔⓦ 📕

Title: The Master Jeweler
Author: Weina Dai Randel
Publisher: Lake Union
Format: 📖
Review: 🌟🌟🌟💫
Pub Date: June 24, 2025

Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first Weina Day Randel book and I was very intrigued by the story of a historical fiction time period I don’t typically read. Anyu a 15 year old girl who discovers a Fabragè egg and returns it to her owner. He turns out to be a Russian Jewish Master jeweler who is on his way to Shanghai and tells her that she can always come there if she needs help. Anyu makes her way to Shanghai after escaping military conflict in her city of Harbin near Russias border. She makes her way to the man who’s egg she found and chases her dream to become a Master Jeweler after being mesmerized by the Fabragè egg.

We are taken on a 20 year journey through Shanghai, to Hong Kong, with the backdrop of WWII and how racially divided both these locations are, while also being attacked by the Japanese.

If you are looking for a historical fiction book that will transport you to China, and is a quick read, I highly recommend this book for you!

Likes
💍Anyu’s stubbornness and her determination to become a master jeweler

💍The discussions on how jewelry is not only made but what was happening during the 20’s-40’s with jewelry making.

💍Learning about different parts of Asia and how WWII was perceived during this time period in these locations.

❓QOTD: if you like historical fiction/ what is your favorite historical fiction backdrop/location/time-period

#ARCreview#bookreview #fiction#historicalfiction#booksaboutjewlery

The Master Jeweler by Weina Dai Randel is a moving and well-written historical novel. It follows Anyu, a Chinese orphan who finds a Fabergé egg and meets a Russian jeweler, changing her life forever. She moves to Shanghai, learns the jewelry trade, and fights to succeed, even as she faces heartbreak, betrayal, and war.

Anyu is a strong and determined character who never gives up, no matter how hard life gets. I loved learning about jewelry making and the history of Shanghai, though parts of the story, especially the ending, felt a bit rushed.

Overall, it’s a powerful read about survival and finding your place in a changing world. Four stars from me.

I received a free advance copy of this book from NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing. This review is my honest opinion.

Well worth four stars, but a pretty dreary read for me. I did enjoy the story and characters in this well written book, but it was a hard one. Anyu, the main character, well deserved good things to happen to her, but when they did, they were consistently followed by horrible happenings. She always pulled herself together and went on, but how much can one person take? In her case, as much as she was given! I did learn a lot about Shanghai and jewelry making to name a few.

Another amazing book from Weina Dai Randel. She brought Shanghai in the 1920s to life for me and I really felt for the main character Anyu. What an engrossing story, full of sadness but also resilience in the world of jewelry making and one orphan's determination to make it as a master jeweler. Look forward to more books from this author!

I flew through this book which is always a good sign. Anyu, a Chinese orphan, is taken in by some emigre Russian Jews in Shanghai after she helps retrieve a faberge egg. We see Anyu fight to be taken on as a jeweller, learn the trade and receive success along the way (as well as some serious heartbreak and betrayal). In the background to begin with, the Japanese start to become more prominent, particularly after the entrance of the Princess then later in Hong Kong when they take over the island. If I have a criticism, it is that the ending feels a little rushed compared to the rest of the novel. A fascinating read. Recommended. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

What you truly treasure in life speaks volumes of who you really are.

The bitter cold of Harbin, China in 1925 sets the stage for an abrupt meeting of Anyu Zhang. She's but fifteen years old and living with her mother who tries to scavenge for scraps. It's their lot in life ever since Anyu's birth right has been denied by her father.

Anyu has been sketching the area near the train station when her eyes come across something shiny in the snow. She grabs it and deposits it into her pocket. That's when she observes a man being pursued. Anyu follows him and later learns his story. He's Isaac Mandelbrg, a master jeweler who worked for the Russian imperial palace. That shiny object is a Faberge egg. Anyu returns the egg to the distraught man. He tells Anyu to visit him in his shop if she is ever in Shanghai. His words will forever change who Anyu is and who Anyu will become.

Weina Dai Randel creates a showcase of historical happenings in 1925 and extending into the 1940's. Randel's research into this era along with the craft of jewelry making is remarkable. Her characters are richly hewn and completely indepth. We'll follow Anyu from being a young naive teenager to becoming an admired and sought after master jeweler. The arc of life is notched with Anyu's own faulty decisions while trying to survive on the streets of Shanghai where crime visits on a daily basis and the Japanese are infiltrating Chinese daily life. Street gangsters threaten and secret societies are in jeopardy. Anyu vows that she will survive.

The Master Jeweler is quite the read. Randel masterfully tells the story of the very complicated Anyu. Anyu initiates her own life choices, and at the same time, is at the receiving end of decisions made by others. Randel stitches threads of the changing times with war with Japan on the horizon. The cruelties are brutal and the realities are sharp-ended.

My only concern was in regard to the ending chapters that seemed to speed by in a nano second. The weight of this novel was more focused prior to this. The historical Japanese invasion deserved more depth than was given. In the scheme of things. It was so impactful in regard to Anyu. There is also a fringe charaacter who reappears in such an unlikely manner. But, hey, the bulk of the novel is superb.......and that is its sparkling gem.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Lake Union Publishing and to the talented Weina Dai Randel for the opportunity.

Thr blurb was amazing so I immediately wanted to read it. The plot was really great and there weren’t any issues with the pace of the book which I really liked. All the characters are likeable and stay truthful to their believes and morals. I really enjoyed this book

honestly, i originally requested and read this book because i saw it was set in china, and i was excited to learn more and maybe even feel nostalgic
but once i started reading, i was surprised by how much i enjoyed the plot, characters, and writing (as sad as that sounds)
however, i feel like i kind of started getting a little bit confused when i got further in the book
but overall, solid 4 stars!
i would definitely try another book by weina dai randel!

I was reeled in from the beginning, despite the writing, thinking this would be a story of Harbin's Jewish community. Instead it was a semi-charmed story of an orphan, Anyu, who rises to the rank of Master Jeweler in a few years and her tragedies. The novel's depiction of race/religion and setting is all rather lazy- after the first bit of the novel, there's little, if any indication of what language is being spoken, Jewish rites/customs, Chinese/Shanghai culture, etc. Even with the intrusion of World War 2, the novel could take place almost anywhere.

Read this in a day. It's the character driven nature of this story that kept me reading despite some rushed sections. It's very engaging from the start and the way two of the main characters are introduced is really charming and beautifully fateful.

It's a story about belonging, ambition, resilience, love. The dark night of the soul is absolutely brutal here even I was surprised and I read a lot of horror! The backdrop behind different stages in Anyu's life Harbin, Shanghai, Hong Kong, islands are really interesting and richly described. The architecture is explained in detail perhaps to balance out the extremely detailed (and fascinating!) descriptions of the jewellery making, and it works! I found all of it really absorbing.

Anyu is a really interesting character and her relationship with Isaac and Esther in particular is really moving and really well told. I would have liked to understand the attraction to Isaac more, it was out of the blue for me.

Bringing in some legend and secret societies, around the fascinating details of metal work and gemstones adds fantastic mystery and depth to this story. Everything just means a little more than it would have.

I think the last quarter of the story is a little rushed and required a lot of explaining regarding the politics of the time and this detracted from the heart of the narrative I think but the character plot points still held over all. The years jump quickly and sometimes it still read like it was in mid draft form - not the story but the writing of it. The first three quarters of this story are generally excellent.

This book was an absolute delight to read. From start to finish I was hooked.

The way this book is structured and reads feels very similar to Memoirs of a Geisha.
It's centered on Anyu's journey through her life as a jewler, the struggles she faces, the love and passion she finds in her craft and ultimately about finding herself and who she wants to be.

As much as the story focuses on her success as a jewler, it also heavily centres around the concept of family, love, grief and hardship.
However, although I found the story to be well paced, it also felt rushed and I was left wanting more at times. With long time skips throughout the book, there were times where I felt I missed information or I wished there was further time spent building on the characters and Anyu's relationships. I loved reading the scenes where we learn about anyu's growth as a jewler and I would have liked more of that. It would have been great to give more space in the book to Anyu actually making pieces.

The book felt short at times and there were a few moments where it felt like as a reader there was information we weren't given that made some story beats feel confusing, but generally the story overall was well done and I felt satisfied at the end.

Overall, this was a beautiful story and left me in tears at the end (happy ones mind you). To the author, thank you for crafting such a beautiful story. I really loved reading Anyu's story.

What a gripping tale the author created! An impressive historical fiction story about Anyu, an orphan from Harbin, China who was befriended by Isaac as he was trying to escape an assassin. He took her into his family and his jewelry business. The story takes place between 1925 and 1945 in Harbin, Shanghai, and Hong Kong. There are so many twists and turns in this story, but simply Anyu wanted to become a master jeweler and she let nothing stop her from achieving her goals. I loved the descriptions of the beautiful jewelry pieces that Anyu and Isaac created as well as the descriptions and history of the Faberge Eggs from Russia. I enjoyed the secrecy of the Guild that provided some protection and gemstones for members. The history of this era in China with Nationalists and the Japanese is interesting because the western world was obsessed with Germany and the War in Europe and I knew very little about what was happening in China at this time.
The author notes let the reader know that the main characters were fictional, which made me a little disappointed, but the story is based on real historical events and the villain that goes up against Anyu is based on a real person. Regardless, the story was propelling and I finished it in 3 days because I had to find out how Anyu's story played out.
If you are looking for a fast paced historical fiction with a strong, smart, fearless protagonist, I definitely recommend this one. 4 1/2 stars.

Spoiler/Warning:

Not giving a lot of details, but a graphic warning about some violence that occurs to the family that caught me off guard. It makes sense to the story, but if that is a trigger for you, beware.
#TheMasterJeweler #NetGalley
Thank you Net Galley for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

4.5 stars. Another masterpiece by Weina Dai Randel, an author that is a must read for me. This one takes us to Shanghai in the early 20th century where Anyu escapes after becoming an orphan at the age of 16. She hopes to meet up with a man she met months ago when she found a Faberge egg and returned it to him. With nowhere else to to she boards a train to find him again hoping he will take her in. What follows is Anyu's story, one where she begs to be trained as a jeweler and it involves gang protection, murder, deception and mayhem as Anyu must face the realities of living as a Chinese girl with a Jewish family learning this trade.

I love the Chinese folklore throughout this story, images filled with meaning and translated into jewelry and pieces with memories to live on forever. The vivid descriptions of the jewelry and the meanings behind their creation added immensely to this book.

The only reason this isn't a 5-star for me is that the last quarter of the book flew by in the years and I wished it would have been a second book instead. After going through every detail of Anyu to all of a sudden have years past with huge changes and not describe it was disappointing to me because I would have loved a second book. It keep me wanting more.

Thank you NetGalley, Weina Dai Randel, and Lake Union Publishing for an e-ARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

Thank you NetGalley, Weina Dai Randel, and Lake Union Publishing for an ARC copy of this wonderful novel!

What a luminous, powerful novel! I was absolutely swept away by The Master Jeweler, a richly detailed and beautifully written story about a woman’s rise in a world dominated by men. As my current reading obsession if historical fiction highlight the impact of women in the world, (thank you Lisa See for starting me down the path) this was the perfect addition to my growing list.

Set between 20th-century China and Paris, the book follows Anyu, a brilliant and determined jeweler whose artistry is matched only by her resilience. Weina Dai Randel brings this world to life with incredible detail—from the sparkle of gemstones to complex emotional terrain. Anyu journey is one of quiet strength, ambition, and sacrifice, and I was rooting for her every step of the way.

Randel’s writing is lyrical, immersive, and filled with heart. The historical detail is spot-on but never overwhelms the story, which remains deeply character-driven. I especially loved how themes of gender, artistry, and identity were woven through her personal and professional evolution.

If you love historical fiction with strong female leads, cross-cultural depth, and gorgeous prose, don’t miss this book. It’s a true gem.

I thoroughly enjoyed this historical fiction novel. We meet Anyu, born in 1909 at the time when she is 15 and just became an orphan. She runs into Isaac Mandelburg and that chance encounter brings her to Shanghai. The books bops around from the 1920-1950.
The Mandelburgs have a small jewelry shop that support their family, and Anyu learns to be a jeweler.
I’ve read many historical fiction books set in Shanghai, but hadn’t heard about Jews in that time. It is a beautiful slice of life in a tumultuous time in Shanghai.
Anyu is at times naive, but has a lot of tenacity. She is a great protagonist.
I flew through this eARC and would definitely read more books by Dai Randel.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

At the beginning, I was rather drawn in by The Master Jeweler, especially by its fascinating exploration of jewelry-making. The author's descriptions of the jewelry were vivid and beautifully written, and I also appreciated many of the more poetic lines scattered throughout, such as "A woman's greatest asset, her proudest wealth, was not to be known but to be loved," and, "Maybe freedom was knowing she had made mistakes in the past but she could do right in the future; freedom was to live the life she wanted, to love the man the way she needed to, and to create the jewelry the way she envisioned."

However, I found myself increasingly confused about the direction of the plot and the book's overall purpose. It wasn't clear whether this was meant to be a historical novel examining the tensions between Russia, Japan, and China; a coming-of-age journey in which Anyu rises to prominence as an renowned master jeweler and gains entry to a secret guild; or a family drama that explores the complicated relationships between Anyu and the Mandelburgs. The story seemed to attempt all of these at once, and the abrupt shifts in tone and disjointed plot left me feeling frustrated and disoriented.

Even if the central focus was meant to be Anyu’s journey as a jeweler, her sudden and rapid mastery of the skill felt unearned. Similarly, her romantic feelings toward Isaac Mandelburg, the man who agrees to train her, irked me. While I understand that she's young and emotionally impulsive, it was hard to believe that she would so easily abandon her career as a master jeweler simply because Isaac said he woudln't marry her.

Unfortunately, many of the plot points and character motivations felt dubious at best. I had hoped for something with the same emotional depth and narrative cohesion as Homeseeking, but this story ultimately fell short for me.