Critics' Opinion:
Readers' rating:
Published Oct 2021
464 pages
Genre: Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Speculative, Alt. History
Publication Information
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!
"The depiction of the impact of war, as shown by the Shi Empire's colonialism, power imbalances with neighboring civilizations, and effect on families and communities, is nuanced and balanced with discussions of strong leadership, national pride, and service...A magic-filled debut that will leave readers eager for more from this author." - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"[T]hrilling...Effective worldbuilding and vivid imagery suck the reader in to Tan's high-fantasy, Chinese folklore–inspired world written from two perspectives. A strong cast of supporting characters...rounds out a book rooted in themes of power and imperialism." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Epic in every sense of the word, Jade Fire Gold is a fantasy as beautiful as it is sweeping. June CL Tan's world sings with magic on each page, populated with characters readers will cheer and cry for in equal measure." - Roseanne A. Brown, New York Times bestselling author of A Song of Wraiths and Ruin
"A spectacularly crafted world. Jade Fire Gold breathes new air into old mythology, bringing an utterly fresh lens to a classic story. With gripping storytelling that depicts a perilous adventure, June CL Tan has brightened up YA fantasy." - Chloe Gong, New York Times bestselling author of These Violent Delights
This information about Jade Fire Gold was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
June CL Tan writes science fiction and fantasy inspired by her childhood in multicultural Singapore, where she was raised on a diet of classic books and wuxia movies, caffeine, and congee. When she is not writing, she can be found wandering the streets of New York City in search of everyday mysteries and miracles. Jade Fire Gold is her first novel.
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