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szuum's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Death, Grief, Violence, Infidelity, Murder, Child death, Death of parent, Torture, and Gun violence
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, Suicide, Sexual content, and Xenophobia
Minor: Homophobia, Rape, and Miscarriage
3arth2kaye's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Medical content, Body horror, Gore, Infidelity, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Religious bigotry and Sexism
Minor: Abortion, Animal death, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexual content
hanz's review
- 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
Graphic: Gun violence, Murder, Suicide, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Medical content, Medical trauma, Torture, Blood, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, and Violence
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Infidelity, and Pregnancy
Minor: Homophobia
thewordsdevourer's review
- 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? No
4.5
like its predecessors, jade legacy drips w/ swagger and filled w/ violence, strategem and emotional impact, feeling both intimate and epic w/ the focus on the kauls against the backdrop of greater outside forces. as always, lee pulls no-holds-barred in this book, cunningly plotting the story while also handling and balancing more story threads, characters, and settings than ever, where things can change dramatically w/ just a sentence (a masterful example of show-not-tell, rly). it's big in scope and ever more complex as many existing characters grow and new ones develop.
it's always an extreme experience being w/ the kauls; there are great triumphs but also terrible, heartbreaking losses (**** U WERE SO CLOSEEEE BARELY 30 PGS LEFT DAMMIT). we see them here w/ changing relationship dynamics, truth-searching, and growing into their own identities. reading this book, i feel aged right along them, filled w/ nostalgia, regret, and cautious optimism still.
the previously mentioned balancing act, however, is also my one main issue w/ the novel: the frequent timeskips can be confusing and sometimes seem unnecessary, and the existence of so many characters and story threads means many of them arent fully explored, w/ a few seemingly abandoned or forgotten halfway through. certain events/actions, for example, couldve happened in the same month or yr as the previous chapter, but somehow it just has to be like 2 or 4 yrs later, which i dont understand why.
the time gaps, while it might be necessary, also mean that there are - obviously - gaps in the story, but readers arent filled in on what happen during the interim yrs, and there def isnt enough time and space for lee to explain either even if she wanted to since it occurs so often; so now we're left w/ 2 chapters that happen like 5 yrs apart but it seems like not much has changed at all. moreover, some characters - like cam for example - initially expected to be more prominent over time are relegated to the background and their relations to the kauls arent mentioned much at all.
even so, it's undeniable that this is a tightly plotted gangster family saga brimming w/ tension, high stakes, violence, cunning, and emotional impact. it's been a rollercoaster of a (figuratively 25-yr) trip w/ the kauls, and the green bone saga is def one of the best series ive ever read.
Graphic: Infidelity, Racism, Cursing, Violence, Gun violence, Death, Murder, Kidnapping, and Torture
Moderate: Confinement, Death of parent, War, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Sexism, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, and Grief
Minor: Drug use, Suicide, Rape, Misogyny, and Miscarriage
doodeedoda's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Child death, Colonisation, Cursing, Death, Grief, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Blood, Classism, Confinement, Cultural appropriation, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Murder, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Suicide, Torture, Violence, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Dementia, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Gore
Minor: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Homophobia, and Abortion
talonsontypewriters's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Addiction, Grief, Violence, Torture, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Confinement, Gun violence, Death, Kidnapping, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Medical content
Moderate: Sexism, Racism, Xenophobia, Misogyny, Sexual content, Infidelity, Chronic illness, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Pregnancy, Gore, and Child death
Minor: Homophobia, Miscarriage, Abortion, Rape, Sexual assault, Ableism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Animal death, and Pedophilia
bookiecharm's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Torture, Infidelity, Violence, and Murder
Minor: Abortion, Animal death, Suicide, Ableism, and Blood
btrz7's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Racism, Sexual content, Xenophobia, Child death, Infidelity, Torture, Blood, Drug use, Death, Death of parent, Kidnapping, Gun violence, and Violence
Moderate: Suicide, Alcohol, and Homophobia
maria2001's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
Jade legacy & the Green bone Saga :
When I first picked this series up I expected it to be good, but I did not expect it to become one of my favorites. .The "supernatural" concept was pretty simple. Jade gives people who wear it enhanced powers (strength , perception, etc. etc. ).And Kekon (the main country) is inspired by mid 20th century Asia. Capeesh!! - The first book was a foundation and a really good one at that. It laid out the basics about the world and gave the outlines of the main characters and the clans.
.I gave the first book 4 stars just because of how good it was structured , but I have to admit I was underwhelmed.I wanted to be attached to the characters more, I wanted it to be more than just a clever book with well crafted political tactics and savvy characters. Enter Book 2 (Jade War) :) .
this one was anxiety-inducing in the best way.I've never had my heart palpitate this much over a book before, but as soon as I started this one ( I was in a reading slump btw ) I could not put it down..Every thing that was planted in B1 blooms and unfolds in B2. from the world to the stakes, and of course the most beautiful of all the characters <3 .The Kaul family has cemented their place in my heart and I'll keep them there for a while (especially Shae and Anden uwu , I love the rest but yes I have favourites ) ..I already have a full review on B2 so I'll move on to B3(Jade Legacy )
Jade Legacy :
"look at where you are , look at where you started . The fact that you're alive is miracle . Just stay alive, that would be enough " this line from Hamilton kept playing in my head as I read this book :') ..I haven't mentioned that all of the titles have been perfectly fitting so far , you get exactly what you're told on the cover. therefore, B3 is heavily inspired by the theme of what we want to leave behind for the next generation and how we will raise them based on our experiences and how will the next generation react and grow to the world we built for them, as well as the outside world..I'd say the first 40% of this book were basically dealing with all the consequences that B2 left us with and the other 60% is to wrap up everything because Fonda Lee wasn't going to leave ANY plot point loose . She really said "I'm going to create a perfect story" and DID IT !!..Now when I say the last 60% was tying loose ends I'm not by any means down playing it's intensity . Although it's not the anxiety roller-coaster that B2 was , B3 was a tear fiesta :') .The new generation comes bearing their own baggage and things to prove to the world and it was one of the most realistic depictions of how we try to make our parents proud while trying to be our own selves. I cannot fully describe the complicated and intense personal and familial dynamics in this book in just a few sentences , I can only say *chef's kiss*..
This book also is the one where the politics-savvy shines through the most. we are dealing with things in Kekon (the main country) ,while trying to deflect foreign threats and all that jazz. "I realized there are only two types of people in the world. It's not Green Bones and non-Green Bones . It's those who have power and those who don't […] If the clans stop defending the meaning of jade , then others will take that power from us. They'll amplify all the worst parts and leave non of the good."
.With that quote I seal this review but I'm in no way done talking about this trilogy ,This deserves it's own podcast or long YouTube video . But for now let's leave it as it is :).
Graphic: Blood, Cursing, Death, Grief, and Violence
Moderate: Infidelity, Kidnapping, and Torture
genny's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
I hope I'm not alone in actually liking Bero in this book. 😆 He's a great narrative tool, honestly, always getting embroiled in clan business one way or another but never truly belonging anywhere. His life was so pathetic and lonely, I couldn't help but feel sorry for him. Sue me!
One more thing: obviously the story is centered on No Peak, but I wish we got to know the clanless "rebels" as more than disillusioned troublemakers. I understand it may have been beyond the scope of the book, but it would've been so interesting to delve deeper into their experiences, legitimate concerns, hopes for a future where the masses don't bow to the powerful, etc... I love the Kauls as a reader, but if I were a citizen in Kekon, I suspect I would have sympathized with the clanless. Can the system truly be reformed enough to justify its existence? I wish we had that conversation.
Graphic: Blood, Death, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Sexual content, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Drug use and Suicide