Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

翡翠城市 by Fonda Lee

50 reviews

ellenelly's review against another edition

adventurous emotional 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

honestly, the best fantasy book i have read in a long while. (probably will be one of the best fantasy trilogies i've ever read)

at first i was a little scared to start a new fantasy series but i am so glad i got through the fear and started it! i was instantly hooked. it’s an asian inspired urban fantasy, so of course, i was going to enjoy the book. 

the magic system is so unique, and the world building is phenomenal! it didn’t feel info-dumpy at all, and the lore was so interesting to read about. learning about kekon, its culture, and its people felt so natural; all the information was so easily digestible. the characters were fleshed out so well and i found myself loving them so easily (except, you know,,, for the select few - but that’s understandable, iykyk).i love the dynamic of the kaul siblings and just hilo in general (also lan,,, ily <3333). no matter how minor the character, fonda lee finds a way for you to just kNOW the character; that’s how well she writes everyone. and don’t get me started on the prose; oh the prose!!! wonderfully written; the writing grips you when it wants to, makes you feel things, and connects you to the story in ways you cannot even imagine a book can do. 

gangs, war, drugs, family, honor , a pinch of romance (if you blink, you’ll miss it - but its still endearing), great characters, great plot, great world building, well written, well paced, likE WHAT MORE CAN YOU WANT FROM A FANTASTIC BOOK 

ok i’m going to read the next books now, bye 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Death, War, Drug use, Murder, and Violence

Minor: Dementia and Death of parent

jessiereads98's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

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

5.0

An absolute masterpiece. Fonda Lee has crafted amazing characters in an incredible world. Truly the world building here is masterful. She weaves the narratives of characters together flawlessly, revealing important details or moments at the exact right time. The action scenes grab you and pull you to the edge of your seat. I can not wait to read the rest of this trilogy. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, and Violence

Moderate: Dementia, Addiction, Drug use, and Gore

Minor: Physical abuse, Ableism, Kidnapping, Medical content, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, Cursing, Gun violence, Alcohol, Grief, Racism, Sexism, War, Animal death, Child abuse, Death of parent, Drug abuse, and Panic attacks/disorders

birdielemon's review against another edition

challenging dark 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? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Violence, Death, and War

Moderate: Grief and Blood

Minor: Drug use and Death of parent

maregred's review against another edition

adventurous 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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Gun violence, War, Sexual content, Dementia, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Blood, Alcohol, Animal death, Addiction, Grief, Drug abuse, and Drug use

Minor: Sexism, Homophobia, Racism, and Xenophobia

szuum's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional slow-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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Gun violence, Grief, Violence, Addiction, Murder, and Death

Moderate: Sexism, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Dementia, and Animal death

Minor: Homophobia, Death of parent, Pedophilia, and Suicide

ripxw's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Murder, and Death

Moderate: Drug abuse, Self harm, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Suicide

Minor: Sexual content and Death of parent

serena_hien's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Drug abuse, and Murder

Moderate: Misogyny and War

Minor: Rape, Pedophilia, Death of parent, and Suicide

lainiereads's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional tense slow-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Blood, Drug abuse, Grief, Violence, and War

Moderate: Torture, Sexism, Death of parent, and Xenophobia

theespressoedition's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark tense slow-paced

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

4.5

The most important thing that I need to convey in this review is that while this is a slow book, it is really incredible to read. Typically, I would quickly lose interest in a book that primarily focuses on political intrigue. Not the case with Jade City. Despite each chapter taking somewhere around 30 minutes to read, I was still so hooked by what was taking place that I didn’t want to put it down. I was constantly thinking about it when I wasn't reading it, wondering what would happen next. So, if the size of the book or the intense content is frightening to you, I say give it a try anyway. You might be pleasantly surprised like I was!

There is a lot to follow in this book and I worried about losing track of the many characters or their importance to the story. Sometimes, there are full chapters that are told from the perspective of a side character. Initially, I was confused by this. Why would there be a heavy focus on such random, seemingly unimportant people? But I'm glad I didn't give up on trying to understand what was happening. Every single chapter makes a difference. Every single character furthers the story, no matter how small their role is.

I'm currently under the assumption that the only reason I don't fully understand the jade magic is because this was only the first book and it's meant to come into play later on. However, I would have liked just a little more explanation of that and even the way the shine drug affected those who used it. There were moments that helped me understand bits and pieces, but certain deaths left me reeling because I had no clue what the true cause was.

The political intrigue was what, shockingly, kept my attention the most. I was fascinated by the gang war and what was happening on either side to induce further violence and panic. The ranks of the Green Bones was also really interesting to me and the almost "heirarchy" within each group was equally intriguing. I even enjoyed the chapters with the lore behind the Green Bones and why certain people fell into certain roles - even down to how they approached death or destruction.

While I definitely believe this is the kind of book to read only when you're in the mood for a "thinker," I highly recommend it. I greatly look forward to seeing what comes next!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Torture, Addiction, Blood, Drug abuse, Alcohol, Cursing, Death, Murder, Physical abuse, Violence, Death of parent, and Gun violence

Moderate: Racial slurs, Gore, Sexual assault, Sexual content, War, Grief, Kidnapping, Suicide, and Fire/Fire injury

thewrongalice's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Death, and War

Moderate: Gun violence, Death of parent, Torture, Forced institutionalization, and Kidnapping