An enjoyable YA Fantasy, that’s rich in detail and inspired by Chinese Mythology—it even has a Phoenix!
“Her destiny. His revenge.”
June CL Tan’s magical debut follows Ahn (a peasant girl with no family and no recollection of her past) and Altan (the Empire’s lost Prince,who seeks revenge for the family and throne that was stolen from him.)
When they meet, Altan only sees Ahn as a means to an end—reclaiming his throne. But with Altan,Ahn sees a way to finally unlock her past and learn to control (and understand) her lethal magical abilities.
They’ve survived all these years by trusting no one. Now,to save their kingdom they’ll have no choice but to trust in each other...
Full of shadowy political intrigue, action packed fight scenes and a detailed magic system;fans of YA High Fantasy are in for a treat! I found it a every enjoyable read, though I did find the pace was a little slow at times. The enemies to lovers romance was really well written, I thought Ahn and Altan definitely had a lot of chemistry and the slowburn, tension filled scenes between them were great.
The lgbtq representation was also really good and I loved Linxi and Tang Wei as a couple. The vividly detailed descriptions were really great and the Chinese mythology that’s woven throughout was really interesting, I especially loved the Shadow Puppet scene that depicts the legend of Chang’e, the Moon Goddess (which sounded so beautiful and yet so sad.)
I’d definitely recommend to fans of High Fantasy, and mythology inspired stories. If your looking for a book with magic, shadowy villains, vengeful Princes and a cryptically wise mythical Phoenix cameo—then this is the book for you.
Also a huge thank you to Hodder&Stoughton and NetGalley for the digital ARC.
Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5
Jade Fire Gold By June CL Tan is Out Now
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