This was great! I loved Ying, even though she was a bit too reckless and headstrong. And the other characters were great, especially Ye-Kan. I loved the world and the engineering with the airships and clockwork things and mechanical beasts. And I always am up for a good contest - even though it wasn't the sole focus of the book, it played a big part. There's also a Mulan-esque plot where she needs to disguise herself as a boy, a mysterious prince, and a bit of a murder mystery. It was a great time!