ARC/ALC Book Review: The Blood Phoenix (Fall of the Dragon #2) by Amber Chen

June 23, 2025June 2, 2025 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: YA Fantasy + Romance
Length: 464 pages
Author: Amber Chen
Publisher: Viking Books
Release Date: June 17th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

The sequel to Of Jade and Dragons, a thrilling and epic silkpunk fantasy inspired by the legendary Qing dynasty. Perfect for fans of Elizabeth Lim and Xiran Jay Zhao.

Two years after Ying leaves the Engineer’s Guild and the ghost of her father’s unjust death behind, life seems to regain a semblance of normalcy. But the winds of unrest continue to stir within the Nine Isles, and the aftermath of a horrific pirate attack by the mysterious Blood Phoenix fleet forces Ying back into the tense political world of the new High Commander, Ye-yang. And soon, Ying, Ye-yang and her former friends from the guild must work together to find a way to outsmart the cunning pirates who terrorise the straits—and the elusive mastermind who’s controlling them.

Meanwhile, Ying’s sister, Nian, now lives in the capital, awaiting the day she will finally marry the High Commander. While her relationship with Ye-yang remains distant, she finds company in her friendship with the fourteenth prince, Ye-kan, and discovers her unexpected affinity for governance and strategy. But the capital is more dangerous than she expects, and when a dark conspiracy arises, Nian and Ye-kan must unravel the mystery in time to prevent the High Command from collapsing from within.

New dangers arise at every moment, threatening to tear the Nine Isles apart. In order to sail through this storm, Ying and her loved ones must make difficult choices amidst terrible betrayals. With the world on the brink of destruction, will they find a way to defeat their enemies and survive? And will it be worth the cost?

Thank you to Penguin Teen and Colored Pages Book Tours for the gifted copy and PRH Audio for the gifted audiobook.

I THOUGHT THIS WAS A GOOD SEQUEL.

I’m not going to lie, the early reviews for this one had made me nervous because I loved Of Jade and Dragons so I’ve been trying to do everything to get my hands on book two, and for me? It was not a disappointment (do I wish I could give it five stars, sure, but I am not mad that I read it).

ANYWAYS. I loved seeing all of the STEM aspects and the guilds and how everything works together in this world. It’s brutal and full of failings, but the rise of many of these characters, especially the FMC was fantastic.

It had an ending that I can see people being somewhat frustrated with but I have read multiple books like this before and prefer to live in the fantasy of it all so I think it fits where the author was trying to lead us. AND it helped create a better sense for why there was a second POV added that wasn’t the MMC (it’s Ying’s sister, Nian, if you’re curious).

I think these characters had to go through some hard things and make some hard decisions. Was every decision the best choice? Probably not but that’s from the viewpoint of a reader. I liked that it was complicated, the struggle felt real.

The middle of this book side quested hard. A little too hard. I had an issue from the pacing of that, but otherwise, I liked the action and politicking and not quite knowing who was behind it all. I really enjoy Amber Chen’s writing style and story telling so I will absolutely be back for her next book.

Overall audience notes:

YA Fantasy + Romance
Language: mild
Romance: kisses
Violence: moderate

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ARC Book Review: The Beasts We Bury (The Broken Citadel #1) by D.L. Taylor

February 4, 2025January 10, 2025 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: YA Fantasy Romance
Length: 368 pages
Author: D.L. Taylor
Publisher: Henry Holt
Release Date: February 4th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Deceit and betrayal abound in this dark YA romantasy about an heir to the throne who can summon an army of animals and a thief who plans to manipulate her to pull off a once-in-a-lifetime heist.

Will he steal her heart… or her chance at the throne?

Daughter and heir to the throne, Mancella Cliff yearns for a life without bloodshed. But as a child, she emerged from the Broken Citadel with the power to summon animals—only after killing them with her bare hands. Her magic is a constant reminder of the horrors her father, the ruler of the realm, has forced upon her to strengthen their power.

Silver is a charming thief struggling to survive in a world torn apart by Mancella’s father’s reign. When a mysterious benefactor recruits him for the heist of a lifetime, a chance to rob the castle, Silver relishes the opportunity for a real future—and revenge. But he’ll have to manipulate Mance and earn her trust to pull it off.

As the deception and carnage mount, Mance must find a way to save her realm without becoming the ruthless monster she’s been bred to be. And when Silver discovers that his actions are fueling the violence that Mance wants to prevent, he’ll have to choose between his ambition and the girl he’s falling for.

Thank you to Colored Pages Book Tours and Henry Holt for the gifted copy and Macmillan Audio for the gifted audiobook.

SOLID READ.

I really liked this (and the audiobook was great too!). NOW, it is dark. Please check the content warnings for the magic system. While unique and something I haven’t read before, it’s on the heavier side.

I did love how much of a sunshine character Silver was. He balanced out the book and brought the little bit of optimism that the story needed to make things feel like they could keep going. The romance was a bit quick for me, it grew on me too though.

The complicated politics are intriguing and I am definitely invested in reading the next book. Betrayals and trauma and good twists kept me on my toes and the stakes felt high and intense.

Overall audience notes:

YA Dark Fantasy
Language: mild
Romance: closed door
Violence: high
Content Warnings: animal sacrifice/cruelty (as a means to the magic system), mental and physical abuse

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ARC Book Review: The Last Dragon of the East by Katrina Kwan

October 6, 2024October 3, 2024 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 320 pages
Author: Katrina Kwan
Publisher: S&S / Saga Press
Release Date: October 8th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Inspired by Chinese myths of ancient dragon gods and threads of fate, Katrina Kwan’s dazzling fantasy debut is an adventure perfect for fans of Sue Lynn Tan and Hannah Whitten.

At the spry young age of twenty-five, Sai has led a quiet life, keeping the family teahouse up and running—even if that means ignoring the past-due notices—and taking care of his ailing mother. But he has a not-so-secret gift that he’s parlayed into a side career: he was born with the ability see the red threads of fate between soulmates, which lends itself nicely to matchmaking. Sai has thus far been content not to follow his own thread, the only one he’s ever seen that’s gray and fraying.

But Sai’s ordinary existence is about to be turned upside-down by a pair of shining dragon scales. When his mother’s doctor sells them to him, claiming them as a miracle cure, Sai is pretty sure he’s being scammed. When the medicine actually works—and the terrifying, ruthless emperor catches wind—Sai is thrust into the search for a dragon long thought extinct that will lead him into the throes of a brewing war and deep into foreign lands, facing down challenges both magical and mortal on an unexpected adventure. And for the very first time, as his own thread of fate begins to move, he may be able to solve the mystery of his Fated One on the other end of the line.

Thank you to S&S / Saga Press and Colored Pages Book Tours for the gifted copy and Simon Audio for the audiobook.

A GREAT STANDALONE.

I know many are often on a quest for a romantasy standalone and I gotta say this was a great one! For a 300 page book it was substantially packed with good world building, dragons, and an endearingly romantic story too.

I loved that this was from Sai’s point of view. I feel romance book aren’t often written solely from the male main character and I enjoyed his journey a lot. There’s a fairytale-esque writing quality to it and I also listened to the audiobook and loved that format too.

There’s some intense action, some hidden identity and a love story that transcends time and place. I adored the very sweet and tender moments between the main characters and would absolutely love to read this author’s next story.

Overall audience notes: