Reviews

Jade City by Fonda Lee

dufremde's review

adventurous emotional tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

the mafia family + jade magic + wushu action in an urban, Asia-inspired setting could have been corny as hell, but Fonda Lee seems grounded enough in her inspirations and chosen genre trappings to reach a sweet spot where all of these elements combine to form a robust and compelling saga about family and honor. the writing was vivid without being too precious, and it went by much quicker than expected for its pagecount. if there's one thing I love it's complicated family dynamics amidst large-scale power struggles, and this gave exactly that. I loved getting to know the Kaul siblings (blood and adoptive); they felt fully fleshed out, each with clear motivations, desires, and fears. Shae and Anden resonated with me the most (I suspect this is a popular take), and I'm looking forward to the next book, even though Libby is making me wait a stupid long time for it.

zeefox's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

unambiguous's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

halleycos's review against another edition

adventurous tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

straw_hat_kd's review

adventurous slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This was a slow burn intro to the Green Bone Saga. I liked the introduction to the world, but I wish there would have been more action. The action sc nes we get  were intense but with the tension building, I wish we would have gotten more. Not to say that this takes away from the book, just my personal opinion. Here we're introduced to the Kual siblings: Lan, Hilo, Shae and their adopted brother/cousin, (I'm still confused about this) Anden. They are the new generation of clan leaders (except for Anden who's still in training) of the Kaul clan. The Kaul clan is  1 of 2 major clans that control jade, a natural resource in the country that bestows individuals power. This book is all about the tension between the two clans and the impeding war. I think we are going to get a major jump in action in Jade War, because the way that this ended, a storm is on the horizon.

angelsinthesnow's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

karroll's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This book is great. The world is completely realized with well thought out politics, magic, religion, and geography. The characters are multidimensional and relatable. As the first book in the trilogy, it was able to balance setting up a much larger story while still feeling self contained enough to enjoy it as a standalone. 

baileys_books's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

dearreader_booktok's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

bizzels's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75