ARC Review: Jade Fire Gold by June C.L. Tan

“Filled with lovable characters and an interesting plot, this is a good fantasy read!”
~ Under the Covers

I started this book intrigued with the premise and thinking, this may be exactly what I need right now.

And it was! Discovering our world through the two different points of view of Ahn & Altan we get to see an empire, magic, an I-am-here-to-kill-you-but-may-end-up-falling-in-love-with-you-instead trope, slow burn romance and it’s an interesting take based on Chinese mythology and I really really enjoyed it. Our fellow magic people are being hunted down and killed, and where harboring a magic wielder is punishable by death by magician fire priests. Extremely dangerous, there are variables at work in this world that will throw our two MC together for a fight to save the world.

Ahn is a courageous woman yet in an extremely poor situation: orphaned at an early age and left in a small town, everything she is is thanks to the adoptive grandmother who decided to take a chance on a little girl she found in the street. With little to get by, she is a village girl with a small scar in her cheek. Not knowing who her parents are, her life will never be the same when destiny comes calling.

Altan is proud, vengeful, and full of rage. The ex-crown prince of the empire and wrongfully cast aside when his father, the ex-emperor, is murdered he is ready to take back what is rightfully his. The world believes he is dead. But he is comfortable in the shadows: it gives him more space to work out his plan.

Both stories start separately, and you know that they will come together at some point but there are so many variables and missed opportunities between them, that you are reading the first half going crazy thinking how it will all come together. The plot itself has many characters that may impact where the story ends and it really leaves you filled with anxiety. I just wanted everything to work out for our lovely Ahn.

The characters and the world make up most of the enjoyment of the book. It’s great fantasy! I would have probably rated it higher if the last 20% of the book had been a tad more interesting: there was a lot of build-up and I felt that the conclusion could have been managed better and with much more details. But apart from that feeling of being rushed, I really enjoyed this book!

And with THAT ending, I am left wondering when we will be able to dive back into this world again! I cannot wait to see what other adventures this world and June C.L. Tan has in store for us!

Filled with lovable characters and an interesting plot, this is a good fantasy read!