Growing up, Amber Chen was an avid sci-fi/fantasy reader. Tamora Pierce’s Song of the Lioness series is still one of her all-time favorites, and she sees echoes of its heroine Alanna’s journey in Of Jade and Dragons (Viking), her first YA novel.
Like Alanna, Aihui Ying has dreams that are usually reserved for boys. She yearns to be an engineer like her father. After he is murdered in an attempt to steal his journal of engineering secrets, she too must disguise herself as a boy in order to enter the prestigious Engineers Guild of which he was a member. Here she encounters Aogiya Ye-yang, the eighth prince of the High Command, who becomes an unlikely ally. As enemies thwart her at every turn, Ying attempts to solve her father’s murder, unravel the journal's secrets, and protect her homeland. Described by the publisher as silkpunk—a subgenre of sci-fi/fantasy inspired by ancient Asian history—Of Jade and Dragons blends genres including historical romance, thriller, and fantasy.
While the book is Chen’s first traditionally published novel, she previously published several web novels on Wattpad, including The Cutting Edge, a contemporary new adult story about celebrity hairstylists. The book was adapted into a miniseries for television in 2021 in Chen’s home country of Singapore. It’s not surprising that her work has such a cinematic quality. In addition to earning both undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Cambridge, Chen studied screenwriting at Singapore Media Academy. She says that screenwriting skills and habits are transferable to novels, “especially for YA writing,” which requires fast pacing, adding that “the elements of good storytelling are the same.”
One of Chen’s favorite pastimes, she says, is “speculating on the times of historical figures, imagining what their lives might have been like, and filling in those gaps in historical records.” Of Jade and Dragons was inspired by figures from the late Ming to early Qing dynasty, especially the first Qing emperor, Huang Taiji, and the woman he is said to have loved most, Harjol, which means jade in Manchu. She became the emperor’s primary consort, and her story has been explored in several formats on television in China and Hong Kong.
Chen began writing the book during the pandemic. “I rushed this draft a bit because I was trying to make the deadline for Pitch Wars,” she says, adding that it was finished and submitted in roughly four months, securing her a place in the contest. Kat Dunn and Daphne Tonge (owner of the Illumicrate subscription box) served as mentors and helped Chen develop the manuscript. After a few changes in representation, she landed with Laura Crockett at Triada US. Kelsey Murphy at Viking is her editor in the U.S., and Lowri Ribbons and Awo Ibrahim at Penguin Teen are her U.K. editors. The striking cover, designed by Lily Kim Qian and Ellice Lee, featuring art by Kelly Chong, “will probably be responsible for 90% of my sales,” Chen jokes.
She is currently editing the second book in the duology, expected out next year, and says she has been encouraged and moved by the response to Of Jade and Dragons so far, including a blurb by bestselling author Xiran Jay Zhao and positive trade reviews. “It’s very exciting to see my book being tagged on social media, particularly by teenagers,” Chen says. She was delighted by a review by a 13-year-old podcaster, who devoted an entire episode to the book. “That will go down as one of the most memorable things that happened on my journey with this book.” —
Joanne O’Sullivan is a journalist, author, and editor in Asheville, N.C.
