June CL Tan

A great first book. Ahn and Altan head a cast of young people who are driven, but for different reason . Ahn wants to understand what happened to her family, Altan wants revenge and to regain what was stolen from him when his father was murdered. Their journeys to get answers and find a sense of peace and comfort force them together. That togetherness is often prickly and laced with mistrust, but there's also a growing romantic tension that develops so nicely. There's plenty of blood, and show more intense and tricky situations, not to mention magic, both good and evil as the story unfolds. This is a dandy story for teens who like intrigue, a dark fairy tale atmosphere and lots of action. Props to the author for a neat surprise at the end, one that will allow readers to imagine what it will bring to the protagonists when they discover it. show less

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 arcane magical abilities.

But they may have to pay a far deadlier price than either could have imagined.

This story is born from the confluence of culture and diaspora nostalgia. Much of it is driven by struggle with traditional beliefs show more in Chinese culture and Confucian tenets such as filial piety, honor, sacrificing for the greater good vs having a healthy sense of individualism as in AhN character. The story is also heavily influenced by tropes and elements found in wuxia (martial arts heroes) and xianxia (immortal heroes) the cultural mythology in Singapore.

As someone who was raised in a former colony, It will help readers to explore the genesis of what we call “history”: how it is be twisted by colonizers and former Victorian and how they rewritten to suit the purpose of oppressors and those in power. But at the core of this story is the concept of family and all its joys and burdens and expectations, and about finding one's place in the world and striking a balance between an individual sense of self, and the weight of familial legacy and obligation. Ahn find her father at start of journey but conquest to live up her dream starts from there onwards and revenge for lost too.

The story also deals with the discussion and repercussions of war, as we see many were lost and family got displaced. Story end with many cliffhanger hope to see the sequel soon. show less

Jade Fire Gold is a fast-paced, action-packed fantasy inspired by Chinese fantasy tropes from wuxia (martial arts) and xianxia (immortal hero stories), with a cool, slow-burn romance. Ahn is an orphan from a small, forsaken town, but born with a powerful forbidden magical powers. Altan is the lost heir of the Empire who seeks revenge against his family's killers, and who needs Ahn's powers to succeed. The two meet and find their goals are incompatible, yet they fall for each other. I show more thoroughly enjoyed the lush fantasy world, palace intrigue, and magical action. show less

This book was ok.
It started very good, but then I kinda lost interest halfway because it’s nothing I haven’t read before.
There’s a poor girl with a special kind of magic, and a presumed dead prince in disguise and the fall in love. I disliked the romance a lot. Why do these two find each other so special? They have nothing more going on than basic friendship.
As for the plot, there’s a myth about a sword, kingdoms at war and a few scheming politicans. I didn’t care about it to be show more honest, I mainly wanted Ahn to see her grandma again.

I will say that the Chinese influences were nice, so if you want a fantasy that isn’t set in some version of medieval Europe, this is it. show less