Of Jade and Dragons

March 18, 2024
Deemed beautiful but “too odd,” 18-year-old Aihui Ying shirks her responsibilities as her family’s eldest daughter and instead dreams of becoming a world-class engineer like her father. Following his murder and armed with only his journal and a black jade pendant dropped by the assailant, Ying makes her way to the renowned, male-dominated Engineers Guild, the place where her father achieved great success—and where he stored his secrets. With help from an unlikely source—Aogiya Ye-yang, the eighth prince of the High Command—and using her younger brother’s identity as an alias, Ying gains a spot in the guild’s apprenticeship trial. Throughout the ordeal, Ying contends with guild masters who held contempt for her father, mechanical beasts on the prowl, and the killer, still at large, who seeks her father’s journal. A growing attraction toward the prince complicates things further, especially as he has an agenda of his own. Drawing on inspiration from Qing dynasty China to craft complex worldbuilding, debut author Chen employs vivid and sensory language to cleverly set the stage for Ying’s quest for answers—and revenge—in this gripping silkpunk fantasy that thrills from start to finish. Ages 12–up. Agent: Laura Crockett, Triada US.