AUDIOBOOK
About
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? Amber Chen is a Singaporean Chinese author of SFF and contemporary fiction. She spends much of her free time living within Chinese fantasy novels and dramas, and also drinks one too many cups of bubble tea. One of her webnovels, The Cutting Edge, has been adapted for television. She is also the author of Of Jade and Dragons. You can find her online at AmberCWrites.com and on TikTok, Instagram, and X @AmberWrites88. Chapter 1
Wouldn't it be nice to spend forever accompanied by the silence of the seas?
The thought floated through Aihui Ying's mind as she lounged inside her tiny vessel, a bubble-like capsule big enough for one, staring through the yun-mu glass window at the schools of fish swimming by.
Down here, there was no ruckus from playful children or irate market vendors, no whirring of airship propellers or horns from docking ships, not even the cry of a condor or the rushing of waves against the shore. Just peace. Silence.
She found herself yearning for such pockets of quiet these days, which was why she sped up work on her latest creation, affectionately nicknamed the Octopus. It was a submersible craft propelled by the mechanical undulations of bronze tentacles, fitted with a kaen-gas bag that functioned like a fish's swim bladder. From afar, it looked exactly like its namesake-a giant, golden octopus.
Ever since she helped old Eidu fix a retractable fishing net onto his rickety boat so he would no longer have to cast nets by hand, she had received daily visitors at her front door clamoring for assistance with trivial tasks, believing that engineering would be the solution to all their woes. For the most part Ying was happy to help, but the constant fuss that invaded her life also meant that she barely had space to think. Or to indulge in haw candy.
She took a large bite out of the candied fruit on its bamboo skewer, letting the sweet and sour flavors explode in her mouth.
"Mmm."
Best haw candy across the nine isles.
Unfortunately, such tranquility was destined to be short-lived.
Moments later, the very important guests that she had been waiting for showed up in a burst of whitish sea-foam, kicking up a cloud of bubbles with their graceful tails. A pod of bearded seals out on the hunt-not expecting that today, they would be the hunted.
Through the glass she saw someone waving at her from another Octopus
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? Amber Chen is a Singaporean Chinese author of SFF and contemporary fiction. She spends much of her free time living within Chinese fantasy novels and dramas, and also drinks one too many cups of bubble tea. One of her webnovels, The Cutting Edge, has been adapted for television. She is also the author of Of Jade and Dragons. You can find her online at AmberCWrites.com and on TikTok, Instagram, and X @AmberWrites88. Chapter 1
Wouldn't it be nice to spend forever accompanied by the silence of the seas?
The thought floated through Aihui Ying's mind as she lounged inside her tiny vessel, a bubble-like capsule big enough for one, staring through the yun-mu glass window at the schools of fish swimming by.
Down here, there was no ruckus from playful children or irate market vendors, no whirring of airship propellers or horns from docking ships, not even the cry of a condor or the rushing of waves against the shore. Just peace. Silence.
She found herself yearning for such pockets of quiet these days, which was why she sped up work on her latest creation, affectionately nicknamed the Octopus. It was a submersible craft propelled by the mechanical undulations of bronze tentacles, fitted with a kaen-gas bag that functioned like a fish's swim bladder. From afar, it looked exactly like its namesake-a giant, golden octopus.
Ever since she helped old Eidu fix a retractable fishing net onto his rickety boat so he would no longer have to cast nets by hand, she had received daily visitors at her front door clamoring for assistance with trivial tasks, believing that engineering would be the solution to all their woes. For the most part Ying was happy to help, but the constant fuss that invaded her life also meant that she barely had space to think. Or to indulge in haw candy.
She took a large bite out of the candied fruit on its bamboo skewer, letting the sweet and sour flavors explode in her mouth.
"Mmm."
Best haw candy across the nine isles.
Unfortunately, such tranquility was destined to be short-lived.
Moments later, the very important guests that she had been waiting for showed up in a burst of whitish sea-foam, kicking up a cloud of bubbles with their graceful tails. A pod of bearded seals out on the hunt-not expecting that today, they would be the hunted.
Through the glass she saw someone waving at her from another Octopus
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- SeriesOF JADE AND DRAGONS #2