Gorgeous photo by @wickedly.bookish
It’s our final day in the world of Jade Fire Gold, and I think it’s going to be an ACTION-PACKED section.
Slow burn romances, deception, power. We’ve had it all!
Today, we’re reading from chapter 41 until the end.
Please be warned, the following section will include spoilers for Jade Fire Gold from chapter 41 to the end of the book. Please only read on if you have finished Jade Fire Gold!
-!SPOILERS!-
So, Ahn has summoned the dark sword. Ahn and Altan are back to playing the distrust game.
Ahn tells Altan she knows he never really trusted her and that he was right, since she ended up summoning the obsidian sword.
And yet, after everything, Altan tells himself he does trust Ahn. He knows Ahn, and Ahn is not the villain he initially thought her to be. He knows she has good intentions!
Until she offloaded the info that she tried to kill him. *ahem* awkward…
Altan has the chance to tell Ahn the truth, that the fact her Life Stealing abilities don’t work on him isn’t a fluke, but that he sought out a magical Phoenix who made it so. But again, he says nothing! And we know what’s coming…
If Altan is the only person unaffected by Ahn’s magic, Ahn needs to know that if she succumbs to the terrible magic of the dark sword, Altan will stop her, and I think we all know what the only way to stop her would be!
Altan’s thinking back to what the Phoenix said, about how his choice will be paid in blood, is this what the Phoenix meant? The prospect of losing Ahn? And yet, Altan makes the promise to stop Ahn, just like he made the deal with the Phoenix.
Can they not get a minute’s peace?! Nandah warships are here, and they’re not here for tea and biscuits!
Flying arrows, deadly black powder explosives. Drama!
But Ahn is the Life Stealer, and not only that, she has the dark sword, and she’s gonna use it!
I don’t know what I expected of the dark sword, but Ahn just summoned lightning and CLEAVED AN ENEMY SHIP IN TWO. What?!
Ahn is unstoppable. She’s no match for arrows and explosives. She is the master of the sword, not the other way around!
After destroying an army, no biggie, Ahn shares her decision to return to her father… what’s the plan here? Hold up Ahn, this doesn’t sound good!
Ahn is back at the palace, with a plan and an obsidian sword, and a lot of lies.
They come up with a story about how Ahn broken was out of jail by a Tiensai who tried to kill her and Leiye tracking and eventually cornering her. Will the Premier buy it?
Now Ahn’s father wants to SEE her wield the sword. Uh oh. Ahn does as she’s told and summons her magic whilst holding the sword, and…
Lightening! White fire! Ahn strikes down a tree and her father, the evil premier, the head of the Diyeh priesthood is left with a wicked gleam on his face.
This can’t end well.
And now Linxi has sent Altan an urgent message about Ama! What can this mean? What did we miss? Altan’s close enough to see Ahn’s lightning strike the tree, and he knows it’s her.
But wait… Altan’s found Ama, but it’s not Ama! So much is happening!
Now the Empress has Ahn. Something didn’t feel right about the Empress, was Altan right? Has she been evil all along?
She has Ahn trapped, she’s drugged her and taken away her magic. The Empress asks Ahn to kill her father so that the priests are no longer in charge of the throne and her son, Tai Shun can marry Ahn and they can rule together. That’s a lot to take in! Will Ahn say yes?
Unsurprisingly, Ahn said no, but the Empress has more to say! She has Linxi AND Altan. Linxi never sent Altan that message, it was the Empress! Not only that, the Empress is bringing major plot twists with her. There were never two swords – a light and dark sword – there was always only one! And Ahn has it! Ahn realises now that Altan is the true heir to the throne.
So much to take in! Now Tai Shun is breaking Altan – Jin – out of his cell. Can we trust Tai Shun? It was mentioned in the beginning that he was a suspect in the poisoning of his father and he IS the Empress’s son. Do we think he’s a good guy or a bad guy?
OH. Oh no! Tai Shun has dropped a bomb on Altan… Figuratively speaking… Altan had no idea that Zhao Yang, The Premier, Ahn’s father, is head of the Diyeh priests… and now he knows that, he knows that Ahn’s father is his family’s murderer, and Ahn stopped him from getting his vengeance when he had the chance to kill him! Will he forgive her? SHOULD HE?
Now Zhao Yang has Ahn, and he’s torturing Leiye to get the truth from her. To see if she was working with Leiye, who Zhao Yang now knows betrayed him!
And now AMA! This is brutal! Zhao Yang is using Ama as leverage to get Ahn to raise an army of the undead. Ama brought her up, raised her as her own. Surely Ahn will save her?
Tai Shun never wanted to be Emperor. It seems like he’s had his whole life planned for him by those around him, but he’s finally standing up to his mother and telling her the truth! He knows he’s not Gao Long’s birth son, and that his mother killed Altan’s father. Ahn must have made quite the impression on Tai Shun, because he’s willing to forgive his mother for all that she’s done, but warns her that if anything happens to Ahn, he won’t forgive her. But is it too late?
Back to Ahn, and her father hands her the sword and tells her to raise the army.
But wait, Tang Wei and The Lotus Sect are here!
As a fight breaks out, Ama is caught in the crossfire and an arrow surges toward her… UNTIL it’s intercepted by an arrow! Altan come to save the day?
Yes! Here he is!
But he’s too late, with a sword to her throat, Zhao Yang knows he’s lost his leverage and can’t make Ahn his puppet. Altan, ever the hero, launches arrows at Zhao Yang, but he yanks Ahn over the wall with him! And yet suddenly, Zhao Yang is the only one falling, Ahn is safe.
The magic of the sword shows Ahn Yuan Long, Altan’s grandfather, the man responsible for the blight on their land, and it turns out that he wasn’t as evil as Altan thought.
Ahn sees Yuan Long beg the sword to free him, trying to make things better but in doing so he binds his dark magic to the sword and destroys the land.
And now Ahn makes the decision that the sacrifice of another Life Stealer will balance everything out. Oh no!
Ahn tells Altan this is the only way and Altan can do nothing but watch as Ahn stabs herself with the sword.
But it worked, in the wake of her death, the obsidian sword turns white jade once more.
HOLD UP… Ahn’s death has led her to the Phoenix? Her sacrifice has earned her a wish! Be selfless and wish yourself back to life… I know I would!
She didn’t wish to be brought back to life, only that everyone she cares about is safe, and yet, and YET, here she is! Life Stealer, Ahn, and she’s alive!
One month later, and it seems all has been set back to rights! Altan – Jin – is Emperor, Ahn is alive, Ama is safe. Ahn is heading to Xinzhu to try and learn about her mother (and see Li Guo along the way!).
I have to admit I’m heartbroken that Altan professed his love to Ahn and she didn’t say it back (I’m a hopeless romantic!) but Ahn is right, she needs time, they both do.
We leave Ahn and Altan, kissing in a flurry of conjured up snow, with the knowledge that somewhere down the line, they’ll be ok!
Until, that is, the queen sends a note to a mysterious woman, telling her to return to Beishou because, drumroll, that mysterious woman’s brother is now Emperor…
WHAT. AN. ENDING! My head is reeeeeeeeling! I’m not ok!
Thank you all so much for joining me in this readalong! I hope you’ve enjoyed it as much as I have, and be sure to share your photos on Instagram to enter the readalong giveaway and to celebrate reaching the end!
We’ll be back soon with a readalong for our next book, so be sure to look out for more.
In the meantime, have a wonderful weekend!
Love,
Shannon
This was my first Fairyloot readalong and book. I really enjoyed the story line. Even though it didn’t end how we were all hoping it was great
Thanks so much for joining in! ?
I’m dying! That was the perfect setup for another book! I even reached out to the author to be sure. She said it hasn’t been picked up for a second book… How do we let the publisher know we want more? I mean, I’ve already emailed them to beg. I wonder if there’s something that can be done on a larger scale. I can’t be the only one who wants more!? 🙂 Thanks for this!!
yes definitely! also what about the epilogue who was that supposed to be? seemed like Altans sister to me and that shes actually alive! or who is it otherwise?
OMG what a ending! and all I want is to know more! I need more!!!
I loved it all! Since the beginning, i loved the characters, the environment, the story itself, I loved everything! ???
Can’t wait for the next book! (please tell me there will be a next book!)
See you in the next readalong! love you guys ❤️
this book is so good! I hate to see the many 3 star reviews on Goodreads because to me this was a 5 star read. I really love the dual POV and the slow burn romance. I actually really enjoyed the fact that the romance was more on the back burner and we got more story/plot. As much as I love a good romance, this didn’t need it though I enjoyed what we did get. I liked how Tan fleshed out the secondary characters and honestly they felt more like main characters. Such a great read 🙂
Oh my goodness!!! That ending had me at the edge of my seat!
I just had a feeling it would be his sister and bam! Absolutely the perfect setup for another book! I can’t wait for the next readalong!! Thank you for using my photo ☺️♥️
I cannot wait for the next book. I cannot believe Jin’s sister is alive. Omg wow. Twisty
This ending was definitely a whirlwind of emotions. It is set up well for a second book, but also it is wrapped up nicely with just enough mystery. Ahn’s motives seemed to stay mostly the same with slight changes. She will still do anything for Ama which is great. I’m glad she didn’t throw Ama to the wind once she realized she had feelings for Altan. I loved that everyone pretty much stayed true to their character laid out in the beginning.
That ending was so a setup for another book!! They mentioned Altans twin sister sooo much that I knew she wasn’t really dead. That was some serious slow burn though, we only got 1 kiss!!
I read this was a stand alone at this point and the second book hasn’t been picked up yet. Someone please tell me how I petition for there to be another book??
definitely! she was mentioned far too much and the epilogue paved the way for a next book so well but im hearing that there wont be one?
I honestly loved the ending, though i am embarrassed to admit it took me quite some time to figure out the ending, but I just gotta say that I was right in my prediction, even though it was a bit obvious that dear old sister was not dead since there was never mention of her body. I am concerned about her being evil though. I hate when the siblings become evil and start battling against each other. But I also understand how it could make the plot more intriguing.
Overall this book was fun, not the greatest, but it was very fast paced and got me out of my small reading slump, though some part of me wished for more. More info on Lin Guo, more depth to the relationships and characters. It just didn’t feel enough. Like I was barely affected at the end where Ahn killed herself when I probably should have. Anyone else? ?
The end! I finished a day late because I had my booster on Thursday and it absolutely took me out on Friday evening ? worth it though!
Anyway, honestly… I didn’t love the ending. I think I would have liked it more but I felt pretty rushed through it which kind of brings me to my number one issue with the book as a whole- the story, characters, setting and all we’re GREAT but I found the pacing really whack after about the first third (I think I commented in my first post that I thought it was good at the start, but it totally lost momentum for me). But particularly in the last 150-ish pages I got completely confused by the transitions between scenes, and kept feeling like I’d been pulled somewhere new with no idea how I got there.
I did adore the epilogue – so much that if there’s ever a follow up I’d definitely want to read it! Especially if it featured more Tai Shun who was in the book the least but I totally loved the most ❤ what a sweetheart.
Overall, my feeling is that June CL Tan is a strong writer but could do with a better editor for future books! Rating 2.5/5 stars.
By the way, big thank you Shannon for hosting this!!!
I finished a bit late, but enjoyed this last section. I felt it was an enjoyable read and a very solid debut. It was perhaps a little less epic than I was hoping – but I think I would’ve needed the events of this book over two books for the detail I was hoping for…
I would definitely read book two if a second book came out…. I did also enjoy Ahn not falling weeping into Altan’s arms and professing her love. After a moment of disappointment I was like this is more realistic… Even if her dad was a dirtbag Altan did just kill him…
Thanks for hosting the readalong. It really makes sure I read the books in a decent time from getting them 🙂
Wow that was a lot! I love Ahn sacrificing herself and then getting a wish and then being somehow okay. This world is so rich, I feel like there’s still so much more to explore and so much more story to tell in future books!
Please tell me there is a sequel planned?!?
So much happened in this, I really enjoyed it. Thanks for the readalong!
What an enjoyable read! This is the first time I’ve started a readalong and stuck with it, and I’m so glad I did! (Usually I forget to put my thoughts here.) I really hope we get a second book, it’s set up perfectly!
I absolutely loved this book. The story is captivating and the characters are so lovable. I had a feeling that the sword was one and the same and I was right. I’m really hoping for a sequel because this has so much potential.
AHHHH! I absolutely adored this book. I wasn’t sure if I would like it just based on the introduction but man, I was wrong. I knew that Ahn would step up to the plate and do what needed to be done to save everyone but I didn’t think that it would mean she would SACRIFICE herself!! I thought that she and Altan would have to duke it out or something but I was very happy to see that she was alive and (mostly) well at the end. Tai Shun and Altan making up and being a family again was great. I loved that Tai Shun stuck up for Altan when it came to his mother. That can be so hard, but he was loyal to Altan until the end. I so hope that there will be a second book. I want to know why Altan’s sister never came looking for him? Maybe she thought he was dead as well? Who knows!
There was definitely tomuch going on here! I need time to process all that.
So glad everything worked out, but first it was to sasy to convince the queen secont the fight scene was to short third Ahn didn’t say ” I love you too” back to Altan (I need a romantic happy end) fourth there are no news of Tai shun and Leiye fifth which queen wrote the letter? Our queen? The queen in jail? And lastly WHERE did Altand sister pop up from? And whats she gona do?
And most important: why is Ahn alive?
So many questions. I want answers. Where is book 2?
It was a great fairyread! Thanks for the readalong
Finished the book, and then forgot to come back here and post. ?♀️
Anyway, what an ending! What a slow burn!
This book overall felt very YA, but not in a bad way, really. Just fairly predictable. And I KNEW the sister would come back! It seems like maybe she’ll be the antagonist in the next book? That ending felt very much like the set-up for a second book, but, before the epilouge, it did feel like it could be a standalone. I don’t know.
But it was so eventful and a unique sort of action-packed last section!
Oh my god, what an ending! I thought this was a standalone but the way the book ended just screams that there should be a sequel. It wasn’t the ending i hoped it was but all in all i enjoyed it.
Thank you for hosting this readalong ?