Name: sam's review of Jade Fire Gold by June CL Tan
Item: Jade Fire Gold
Rating: 5
Author: sam

June CL Tan

Jade Fire Gold

fc ♡

Christina M Masters

invisible string by taylor swift (bc duh)

he has to kill her but he falls in love with her instead OH THIS HITTTT thank you june cl tan for this

"in the end, she is both my salvation and damnation."

i love the historical fantasy of it all but most importantly I love how DOWN BAD altan was for ahn

, remembering all the other times i stared at her 

, thinking that if all i did for the rest of my life was to stare at her 

, it wouldn’t be so bad." OH HES A BUMBLING FOOL FOR HERRR

I also love the author’s storytelling where it was lyrical but not to the point where i’m confused.

oh this is definitely a slooooowww burn like it took a hot minute for the two mains to meet (around 40-50%) but it was worth it! like the anticipation of the two mains meeting as well as their relationship developing from strangers to hesitant allies to lovers

i know i'm talking a lot about the romance but the book is also a revenge story as well as anh's heroine story. two separate character journies but the book was able to seamlessly combine the two voices and povs

anyways spoilers incoming bc i'm gushing about altan and ahn!!!

[ the part where they got each other their comfort foods like altan got apples and ahn got mooncakes the chewy kind ugh they’re so precious

invisible string by taylor swift (bc duh)
fool for you by zayn

OH THIS WAS AMAZING he has to kill her but he falls in love with her instead OH THIS HITTTT thank you june cl tan for this

"in the end, she is both my salvation and damnation."

i love the historical fantasy of it all but most importantly I love how DOWN BAD altan was for ahn

"helplessly, i stare at her like a fool, remembering all the other times i stared at her like a fool, thinking that if all i did for the rest of my life was to stare at her like a fool, it wouldn’t be so bad." OH HES A BUMBLING FOOL FOR HERRR

I also love the author’s storytelling where it was lyrical but not to the point where i’m confused.

oh this is definitely a slooooowww burn like it took a hot minute for the two mains to meet (around 40-50%) but it was worth it! like the anticipation of the two mains meeting as well as their relationship developing from strangers to hesitant allies to lovers

i know i'm talking a lot about the romance but the book is also a revenge story as well as anh's heroine story. two separate character journies but the book was able to seamlessly combine the two voices and povs

anyways spoilers incoming bc i'm gushing about altan and ahn!!!
[ the part where they got each other their comfort foods like altan got apples and ahn got mooncakes the chewy kind ugh they’re so precious

arwen

Ellie M.

“Pages can be burned; words, erased. Scribes can be persuaded to write new tales, new books. A new past to suit the agenda of those in power. History is never written by its victims.”

Buckle up because I have found a new obsession! Finally took myself into fantastical ancient China and read about the little found family Ahn and Altan’s destinies wove together while committing treason. The pacing of this story was somehow incredibly slow yet also not lazy as the author wanted to show us how vast the world-building and magic system were. The reluctant allies-to-lovers slowburn romance is just the tip of the iceberg into Jade Fire Gold’s wild ride into court politics entangled in a web of lies and betrayal. I definitely enjoyed this at the cost of my sanity. Ladies, we literally got a man here who can kill with absolutely no hesitation but is pathetically moping because he made a girl cry. Uhm… more, please? He’s literally sulking for a woman who could kill him if he breathed wrong. 

THAT ending, though. WHAT WAS THAT? June personally hopes to write more of Altan and Ahn and my new favorite characters and she better do because I do not want to be left hanging like Leiye (for legal reasons, this is a joke AND not a spoiler). This supposed standalone genuinely has lots of potential to be a bigger series and I wish to be a part of it someday soon! And did I tell you that it has Queer Rep? What are you doing if you haven’t read this, tsk tsk.

ghost girl in satin

The good: the world-building was cool, I liked the idea of it. I also liked the concept of the book.
The less-good: Couldn't care less for the romance, didn't really like the characters, the execution was "lacking of something" and sometimes the writing style was clipped? 
It was an okay read. Nothing exceptional, but it's also a debut novel, so I'll keep my eye on the author because I'm sure her next books will be better.

envee

** spoiler alert **
           i feel like the book's plot was cramped into something that would've better fit into two or three books. some of the plotlines just felt terribly rushed (and ngl a bit cliché); for example the insta-love between the protagonists or ahn finding out who her father is. i just feel like ahn and altan had zero chemistry till about half-way through the book, they didn't even share that many meaningful interactions but his feelings for her get hintet on pretty early in the story - idk it was just a bit too rushed in my opinion.
nevertheless, i LOVED the setting and cultural aspects integrated into the book - it was actually what peaked my interest in the first place. i just wished some things would've been elaborated on more and would've given more time to unfold.

4.5/5

how am i gonna moving on from that ending? actual rtc

nina 

3 stars because the world was really nice. 

———

 “Do you have an interest in politicking?”
“No, I’m just a peasant girl who got lucky.” I pat my stomach. “And I’m only here for the food.”

Kelsey Munson

I’m so torn on this one. Started off great, couldn’t put it down, and then it lost me around the halfway mark completely. It had bits and pieces that encouraged me to power through, but there were many instances where I felt very okay with the idea of DNF-ing.

 Additionally the romance aspect of the book didn’t make a ton of sense to me and felt unnecessary. The pacing was weird and didn’t feel fleshed out enough for me to have a firm belief in any of it. 

Great concept for the storyline with an (unfortunately) disappointing execution.

Teeeeeesha

Fast paced and inspired by chinese Mythology. However, felt like side characters could have been a little more developed. How is this a stand alone? Ends beautifully and terribly.

Girls of Paper and Fire meets A Song of Wraiths and Ruin in June CL Tan’s stunning debut, where ferocious action, shadowy intrigue, rich magic, and a captivating slow-burn romance collide. In an empire on the brink of war . . . Ahn is no one, with no past and no family. Altan is a lost heir, his future stolen away as a child. When they meet, Altan sees in Ahn a path to reclaiming the throne. Ahn sees a way to finally unlock her past and understand her lethal magical abilities. But they may have to pay a far deadlier price than either could have imagined. A stunning homage to the Xianxia novel with dangerous magic, fast-paced action, and a delightful romance, Jade Fire Gold isn’t one to miss! “An addictive story that is impossible to put down." —Swati Teerdhala, author of The Tiger at Midnight series "Adventure at its finest. A beautifully rendered story that honors the great wuxia epics.” —Joan He, author of Descendant of the Crane and The Ones We're Meant to Find “An epic adventure!” —Elizabeth Lim, New York Times bestselling author of Spin the Dawn and So This Is Love “Epic in every sense of the word, beautiful as it is sweeping." —Roseanne A. Brown, New York Times bestselling author of A Song of Wraiths and Ruin

Aishling

Jade fire gold is a story that takes much inspiration from wuxia and xianxia, as explained by the author. These are Chinese genres inspired by martial arts and Chinese mythology, along with many Chinese traditions all set in ancient China. I think this is a good way to go about describing the kind of content you would find in this book. 

This story is about Ahn and Altan, two people with secrets who end up finding each other and forming a tentative alliance. Ahn has powers that she must hide to keep herself alive, and Altan is on a quest for vengeance and it turns out Ahn might be the one person who can help him. 

I have to admit that unfortunately I did not like this much very much. I found the characters to be very bland and there wasn’t much about them that I found memorable. While the imagery and mythology in the book was interesting, I just felt no real motivation to keep on reading.

The romance was very poorly paced. The characters went from reluctant allies to being “in love” with each other without any sort of real moments of connection. 

Theres an established sapphic side couple who I really liked, there isn’t always a lot of sapphic rep in books and they were very cute. There’s also a budding mlm relationship that was also very sweet.

Overall this book wasn’t for me, but I think young readers new to YA and interested in Chinese mythology might find more luck with this than I did.

dija

reading this book felt like a chore. 

I had no expectations for it and yet i was still let down.

tina

update: the longer i think about this book the more i realize that the aspects i disliked greatly outweigh the parts i did like and as much as i had a great time reading this, it honestly does not make me want to pick up the next book.

Thank you to HarperCollins/HarperTeen for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book was very engaging-- without having the need to solely rely on the romance, and fast-paced, although there were quite a few slower parts, but it was never a lackluster read. The prose wasn't really something remarkable imo, but it was straightforward and simple which makes the world, the lore, and the magic very easy to comprehend. I really loved the characters and I was surprised by how attached I was to them already halfway through the book. Their interactions and dialogues were amusing to read about. However, I do wish that we spent more time with some of the other side characters to make their actions and decisions more impactful towards the readers. It's very easy to fall in love with the characters though, so I don't think this will really be a problem for most readers. 

 All things considered, there were also things I didn't particularly like. Firstly, the climax was very weak. It ended so quickly thus reading that whole part was very underwhelming. I'm used to action scenes that consist of 5 or so pages so the lack of details and the use of time-jumps for the climax scene in this book was very disappointing, if not the most disappointing part about this book. In addition, I wish the magic system was expounded more. All I really understood was that there are five elements but there was never a clear system that was established. Lastly, I noticed that there were also lots of telling and not showing throughout the book when it comes to key information the mcs discovered and I was just not a fan of that. I would prefer that they discovered those things themselves instead of the information being handed to them on a silver platter by the other characters.

Megan Lowe

I loved this book! It was a little more YA than I thought it was going to be, but I think it’s because I’ve been reading more adult-y Asian themed fantasies this month.
I absolutely loved Linxi, Tang Wei, and Shun. They’re incredible. Tang Wei had so many great lines that you can’t help but love her. I also loved the diverse relationships featured in the book.
Having said all this, I did find the pacing a little bit weird. Because you need a firm foundation there’s a lot that needs to be built first. So in that vein, Altan and Anh don’t really get together until halfway through the book. You don’t entirely mind though.
I did find that some of the book was rushed, especially the end.
That was the I to draw back though. I loved the twists and turns and I can’t wait for the second book!

keith

4.5 stars tbh and i hate giving out mf half stars but the last few chapters made me so mad and so sad i’m like

Lia Yuliana

Update 25/09/2021

Find my reviews on :  An Ode to Fiction
Official Release Date : 12th October 2021
Buy the book :
 Amazon |  Book Depository

2/5 ⭐️

ARC provided by the publisher Harper Teen through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review as part of blog tour organized by TBR and Beyond Tours


  
    The heart is not a weakness.
  


Jade Fire Gold is a well done Chinese fantasy epic, brimming with potential, and an ambitious debut that is ready to breakthrough the young adult genre.

First and foremost I would like to thank TBR and Beyond Tours for choosing me as one of the many amazing book bloggers for Jade Fire Gold tour from October 11th to October 17th. Thank you as well to the author and publisher Harper Teen for providing an ARC (Advance Readers Copy) as part of this blog tour.


  
    You will find it difficult to treasure that which is most precious to you.
  


Last year nearing the end of the year there were a lot of announcements of books that are anticipated to release in 2021. Many of these books are Asian inspired fantasy with their own unique blurbs and synopsis’. One of them that caught my eye is Jade Fire Gold by June C. L. Tan. Marketed as a book inspired by Chinese mythology with elements from wuxia and xianxia novels set in an Asiatic landscape of Avatar : The Last Airbender—reading this pitch I am immediately hooked by the prospects of a reading a story that encapsulates all these elements. The tweet from June pitching this book about Katara being the dark avatar and Zuko hunting her down further pushes my intrigue towards this book. Then 2021 rolls by with the cover reveal it sealed the deal for me. The US cover art is done by Guweiz, lettering by Catherine Lee, and designed by Catherine Lee & Jenna Stempel-Lobell.

Jade Fire Gold is a Chinese mythology inspired young adult fantasy standalone by debut author June C. L. Tan. The story follows two perspectives : Anh and Altan. Living within a desert, Anh struggles to take care of her grandmother, scraping by with the little money and medicine she has. Adding to that Anh has a secret—a secret that would cost her life as conjuring magic is forbidden in the empire. In Anh’s case she has dark magic inside her and that only she has. With this magic many are after her looking to take advantage of Anh’s power that is prophesized to hold the answer that could save the empire. Altan is the crown prince of the empire that was thought to be long gone that has come back to avenge his family and take back what is rightfully his.


  
    You cannot escape your fate. The gods have chosen you for a reason.
  


The world of Jade Fire Gold is highly inspired by the vast Asiatic setting of Avatar : The Last Airbender from the dessert where Anh lives, the spiritual realm that’s guarded by the soul beast, the nautical travels, etc. There are also many wuxia or xianxia elements present within the world from Altan having a master or teacher that guides him, abilities that stem from cultivation, the martial arts sects and clans, etc. Seeing all these elements come together in the world building of this story is unique and refreshing. The magic system is an elemental based meaning it is connected to the five natural elements (fire, water, earth, metal, and wind) that can be mastered through cultivation. The people that are gifted with the abilities that has potential to wield the elements are the Tiensai. Only a few Tiensai are able to cultivate and master an element or maybe more than one element if they’re the lucky few that are born with the this ability. Any reader can easily grasp the magic system as it is straight forward and isn’t too complex to understand.

June’s writing is accessible and descriptive making the story all the much more immersive. The story is fast paced with good plot progression resulting in the transitions from one perspective to the next to be well synchronized and it flowed nicely. Jade Fire Gold is an easy read that isn’t just a story that follows one plot line but also many plot lines. The reveals are done marvelously as I didn’t expect the turn of events that happened during the ending. I flew through this book and with every page I enjoyed my time reading it. It is a light read filled with fantastical elements that I can easily immerse myself into without much thought. The themes that arises within the story about identity and one’s will to shape their own destiny without the pressure of other people is inspiring to read. The story of Anh and Altan that are filled with staggering parallels about both wanting to do the right thing and break free from their confines of their own expectations to take full reign of their life were conveyed beautifully within the story.

Though there are a few gripes I have about the writing that are entirely subjective to me. The writing wasn’t well balanced enough in terms of consistency and balance between the world building, plot, and characters. It all felt disconnected in some parts so the story lacked the cohesion that could elevate the story further and bring a sense of harmony to all the components. Truthfully before going into Jade Fire Gold I had to set my expectations because of the many reviews I’ve seen my friends gave for this book. In my case I think Jade Fire Gold falls in the category of books that isn’t in my age range. There are many young adult books that can still be read by people of my age but some don’t and this book falls in the latter category.


  
    You may have been chosen in some way, but you can still choose your own path.
  


As a reviewer the one thing I always tend to decide whether a book worked me or not is the characters. Though I liked certain elements that are presented within the story the characters didn’t fully grip me as I thought they would. There are many crucial and emotional moments that has potential to push the characters beyond their limits but these moments aren’t realized to their full potential. All of the characters has a good base to be noteworthy with their own distinct personalities, back stories, motivations, and potential for development. But once they are given the chance to go through the development the execution fell flat as most of their obstacles are easily resolved. I’ve watched wuxia and xianxia dramas before, I understand that some of the resolutions are only convenient for plot progression but they make it up with their well fleshed out believable characters. It tends to happen a lot in the story that resulted in me not forming any attachments to any of the characters. Two out of the three romance plot lines are established off page making it hard for me to believe the connection shared between these characters. The one relationship that is established on page though full of potential it was a case of insta-love. I liked the representation in the story of a queer romance and the unique cast of characters but it lacked that emotional depth I sought for in the relationship dynamics between them.


  
    Wishing is pointless. Praying is for fools. I am the only one who can control my fate.
  


Final thoughts, Jade Fire Gold is a solid young adult debut that has potential to introduce readers into a new sub-genre of fantasy that is inspired by Chinese mythology with it’s wuxia and xianxia elements. It is a good debut that I will recommend to anyone that is looking for a light fast paced read with attractive characterization and fantastical martial arts sequences. Jade Fire Gold’s themes of identity and shaping one’s fate will truly pull you into this world of soul beasts, magic swords, and elemental magic. Luckily for you all the book just released on October 12th 2021 so be sure to pick up a copy!

The quotes in this review were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.

Livia

Wow at this point I'm inclined to believe in Asian-inspired fantasy supremacy! This one is another excellent entry to the list, and I love the characters so very much. The plot was slightly all over the place but it's also action-packed and the characters more than made up for it. I love Anh and Altan, angsty Tai Shun, feisty Tang Wei whom I love with all my heart, even brooding Leiye deserved the best. Do I wish I get more from this world? Absolutely I would be open to any spin-off or sequel ahahaha I'll take what I can get

Merve A. 

3.5 stars

i enjoyed the story and the characters, but i think jade fire gold suffers from being a standalone. some events happened too quickly while others took too long, and it could've done without the romance between ahn and altan in my opinion. at times, some of the side characters shined more than the main characters for me, but it was still an enjoyable story and i was invested in the course it took. also what was with that epilogue, now i need to know more but i guess this is it.

Rae LeGrand

June Cl Tan

Blayke 

𝑯𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚 𝒊𝒔 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒏 𝒃𝒚 𝒊𝒕𝒔 𝒗𝒊𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒔

𝐸𝑁/𝐹𝑅

3.5/5

| WARNING: I am no longer the targeted audience of the YA books.| 

Well, we’re not going to dwell on this review because I really think Jade Fire Gold is a good YA Fantasy book and I’m not the good person to praise it as It deserves. 
Asian mythology, magical powers inspired by Avatar the Last Airbender, a group of people who may turn family found, a prophecy with magical creature and a slow-burn acquaintance to lovers? 
Girl boss main character and tortured should save my kingdom or sacrifice my destiny for her eyes boy? LGTB representation? 
Everything in this book makes it a future young adult bestseller in my opinion, but my opinion is the one from a 23-year-old adult who is pretty done with these tropes but also doesn’t want to ruin your fun. 
Sets in an Asian world where an Empire is on the brink of war while sands are covering lands a little more day by day. 
On one side we have Ahn, a young girl with no family left but with powers, she can’t control.
On the other side, we have Altan, the lost heir to the throne, ready to do anything to reclaim his place and to save his people. But when they finally meet, they may be either the end or the beginning of the other. 

Jade Fire Gold is a particularly good YA fantasy and even if I am no longer the targeted audience, I found it to be well-written and intriguing, addressing important subjects that I wish younger people may read about more often. 
The cast of characters is charming and inclusive, and I must say I especially liked Tang Wei who was so funny in face of the whole situation going on. The magic aspect was interesting and easy to understand at the same time, adapted to the story.
I didn’t like the romance, even if slow burn, because I’m a cold heart bitch but nobody is to blame for this except myself. 

The writing is simple yet beautiful, accessible yet well-crafted and I do think if you want to start somewhere with English, Jade Fire Gold may be an intelligent choice.
Honourable mention for the acknowledgements where the author thanked BTS and Kim Namjoon.

------ 𝐹𝑅 ----

| Attention: Je ne suis plus le public visé par les livres YA.| 

Eh bien, nous n’allons pas nous attarder sur cette revue parce que je pense vraiment que Jade Fire Gold est un bon livre de YA Fantasy et je ne suis pas la bonne personne pour le vendre comme il le mérite. 
Mythologie asiatique, pouvoirs magiques inspirés par Avatar le dernier maître de l’air, un groupe de personnes qui peut se transformer en famille, une prophétie avec des créatures magiques et une romance slow-burn ?
Un personnage principal girlboss et un mec torturé « devrais-je sauver mon royaume ou sacrifier mon destin pour ses yeux » ? Bonne représentation LGTB? 
Se déroulant dans un monde aux allures asiatiques, où un Empire est aux portes de la guerre alors que le sable couvre jour après jour ses terres. 
D’un côté nous avons Ahn, une jeune femme sans famille mais avec des pouvoirs qu’elle ne sait contrôler. 
D’un autre côté nous avons Altan, l’héritier disparu du trône, prêt à tout pour récupérer sa place et sauver son peuple. Mais quand ils se rencontrent enfin, ils pourraient être la fin ou le commencement de l’autre. 

Jade Fire Gold est un YA fantasy particulièrement bon et même si je ne suis plus l’audience visée, je l’ai trouvé bien écrit et intriguant, parlant de sujets importants que je souhaite voir adressé plus souvent pour une audience plus jeune. Les personnages étaient charmants et le casting inclusif, et je dois dire que j’ai particulièrement aimé Tang Wei que j’ai trouvé très drôle au vu de l’entière situation. La magie était intéressante et facile à comprendre, adaptée à l’histoire. 
Je n’ai pas aimé la romance, même si elle était lente, car je suis une connasse au cœur de glace mais ça personne n’est à blâmer sauf moi-même. 
Tout dans ce livre en fait un futur best-seller young adult à mon avis, mais mon avis est celui d’une adulte de 23 ans qui en a assez avec ces tropes, mais qui ne veut pas gâcher votre plaisir. 

L’écriture est simple mais belle, accessible et bien conçue et je pense que si vous voulez commencer quelque part avec l’anglais, Jade Fire Gold peut être un choix intelligent.
Et une mention spéciale pour les remerciements de l’autrice, dans laquelle elle remercie BTS et Kim Namjoon.

marie

i loved the plot but i think it lacked something. probably because it was fast paced and i saw no chemistry between altan and ahn. was actually more curious of the other characters and of tai shun x altan and altan leiye friendship backstory.

3.5

Elizabeth Bentler

Wow! The last 30% of the book I wasn’t ready. The action and slow burn enemies to lovers trope. I feel in love with the great side characters who are amazing. Look up all the great character art. This book is great for young adult lover. Would highly recommend everyone read.

Charlotte Jones

This took me longer to finish than I’m willing to admit, based on the pace. BUT THEN IT KICKED UP A GEAR and I was hooked. I loved the characters and the plot was very interesting.

Amira BEN

It's a weak 3 stars for me.
If took me way too long to finish it which shows how much I haven't been invested in the story. Yet, I like the idea behind the story but imo the execution is a bit weak. The first have is too slow, too repetitive it made me loose some interest. 
The characterization is a bit superficial. We get a glimpse of each character feelings, personality. I felt like only their goals (or lack of goals) defined them.
I liked the writing style though.
The romance was frustrating. The lack of communication was frustrating haha. Well, that's more like my personnal experience.
Anyway starting 2022 with a 3 stara review yay

You know when your expectations are so high but you are only met with disappointment and it feels like being doused with cold water ? Yeah this book felt exactly like that. Like I don’t even have a quote to open this review with, which makes my point even more concrete. 

The fact is the story was amazing. The plot was unique in it’s own way (and yes the Chinese folklore and myths weren’t lost on me). But the execution was so poor that I was this close to dropping it. 

Everything was so rushed that I was getting whiplash because I wasn’t even able to process something before the scene was already moving on to the next. I couldn’t empathize with the characters. But ofc if I had to choose my favorite character, it has to be Leiye because he was just a tortured soul (see what I did there). 
The storyline was jumbled. And the girl protagonist had me scratching my head. Like someone JUST mentioned that this one dude likes to play the flute and when you see someone playing a flute you can’t tell it’s him ??? And don’t even get me started on the ending, it was so vague plus weird (for the lack of a better term). And oh god the epilogue… What was the point of all of Altan’s misery and suffering then ??

I guess having to complete the whole story in a single book did mean it was going to be a fast paced book but seriously what was this…

Christina M Masters &
Jade Fire Gold by June CL Tan

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