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adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Dementia, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
fast-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
Maybe I shouldn't find these characters loveable? The main POV characters are all members of the Kaul family, which is essentially a cartel that controls the most powerful resource in this fantasy world: jade. In accordance with their cultural values, the Kauls are all violent and extremely concerned with their own power and status. However, I think the narrative does an excellent job of justifying this within the universe. While the violent way of life may seem out of place with this modern fantasy setting, the world-building explains the Greenbone warrior way of viewing retribution, honour, and protection.
Basically, the Kaul family controls the No Peak clan, one of the two prominent clans in the city of Janloon, the capital of Kekon. The clans are basically cartels than manage the production and distribution of the magical resource of jade, which supplies those who can use it with superhuman abilities. Maintaining control over the clan, we see early on, is not an enviable position. The eldest Kaul sibling, Lan, is struggling after taking over from his legendary grandfather. The way the narrative presents Lan's struggles to live with dignity and honour while being constantly found wanting was incredibly compelling to me, and I felt so much empathy towards the difficulty Lan faces in the position. Matters are not helped by the fact that his younger sister, Shae, is eschewing the Greenbone way of life by refusing to wear any jade, in the process basically disrespecting their family tradition, and his younger brother and right-hand man, Hilo, is a hothead intent on escalating tensions with the only clan more powerful than the No Paek's: the Mountain clan. These conflicting agendas, alongside some suspicious changes to the status quo on the streets of Janloon, make for an incredibly tense and exciting read.
I also just think the world-building is absolutely masterful. Something I really appreciated was that Fonda Lee resists the urge to exposition-dump on every newly introduced aspect of the world, respecting the reader can understand what's going on even if some of the details aren't revealed until later on. She gives you the perfect amount to understand what's going on in each scene, without it ever hampering the action and flow of the narrative. For instance, early on someone wishes as a formality that the old Kaul Sen will live for 300 years. It's not until hundreds of pages later that you get the backstory that this saying originates with the religion of Kekon island (which, itself, is so well entangled with the resource of jade), as there is a mythological Greenbone warrior who lived for 300 years after discovering how to harness the power of jade. It's small things like this that work together to create a fantasy world that feels so vibrant and well-realized and holisitic that you can't help but be immersed in it.
Also, how refreshing to have a modern-ish Asian fantasy setting! Taking inspiration from various Asian metropolises (imo, particularly Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taipei/Taiwan), this universe is so distinctive and stylized.
And, like I said, I loved the characters, despite the fact that they aren't necessarily good guys. I already mentioned Lan, but Shae's somewhat renegade position made for a fascinating perspective on the benefits and drawbacks of jade usage. I appreciated her underlying conflicting feelings about what it means to be an independent woman in this male-dominated world. Hilo was volatile, but I fell in love anyways because of how whole-heartedly he does everything. He gives his all to those he loves, and expects the same in return. Anden, who I haven't mentioned yet, is their adoptive younger, mixed-race brother/cousin, whose imposter syndrome regarding being a member of the powerful Kaul family is so relable and honestly endearing. Overall, I just couldn't help but root for them.
Do yourself a favour and read this book.
Basically, the Kaul family controls the No Peak clan, one of the two prominent clans in the city of Janloon, the capital of Kekon. The clans are basically cartels than manage the production and distribution of the magical resource of jade, which supplies those who can use it with superhuman abilities. Maintaining control over the clan, we see early on, is not an enviable position. The eldest Kaul sibling, Lan, is struggling after taking over from his legendary grandfather. The way the narrative presents Lan's struggles to live with dignity and honour while being constantly found wanting was incredibly compelling to me, and I felt so much empathy towards the difficulty Lan faces in the position. Matters are not helped by the fact that his younger sister, Shae, is eschewing the Greenbone way of life by refusing to wear any jade, in the process basically disrespecting their family tradition, and his younger brother and right-hand man, Hilo, is a hothead intent on escalating tensions with the only clan more powerful than the No Paek's: the Mountain clan. These conflicting agendas, alongside some suspicious changes to the status quo on the streets of Janloon, make for an incredibly tense and exciting read.
I also just think the world-building is absolutely masterful. Something I really appreciated was that Fonda Lee resists the urge to exposition-dump on every newly introduced aspect of the world, respecting the reader can understand what's going on even if some of the details aren't revealed until later on. She gives you the perfect amount to understand what's going on in each scene, without it ever hampering the action and flow of the narrative. For instance, early on someone wishes as a formality that the old Kaul Sen will live for 300 years. It's not until hundreds of pages later that you get the backstory that this saying originates with the religion of Kekon island (which, itself, is so well entangled with the resource of jade), as there is a mythological Greenbone warrior who lived for 300 years after discovering how to harness the power of jade. It's small things like this that work together to create a fantasy world that feels so vibrant and well-realized and holisitic that you can't help but be immersed in it.
Also, how refreshing to have a modern-ish Asian fantasy setting! Taking inspiration from various Asian metropolises (imo, particularly Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taipei/Taiwan), this universe is so distinctive and stylized.
And, like I said, I loved the characters, despite the fact that they aren't necessarily good guys. I already mentioned Lan, but Shae's somewhat renegade position made for a fascinating perspective on the benefits and drawbacks of jade usage. I appreciated her underlying conflicting feelings about what it means to be an independent woman in this male-dominated world. Hilo was volatile, but I fell in love anyways because of how whole-heartedly he does everything. He gives his all to those he loves, and expects the same in return. Anden, who I haven't mentioned yet, is their adoptive younger, mixed-race brother/cousin, whose imposter syndrome regarding being a member of the powerful Kaul family is so relable and honestly endearing. Overall, I just couldn't help but root for them.
Do yourself a favour and read this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Violence
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Sexual harassment
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Dementia, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Drug use, Gore, Dementia
Minor: Ableism, Animal death, Child abuse, Cursing, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Alcohol, War
adventurous
dark
tense
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Body horror, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Grief, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
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!
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!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Gore, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicide, Kidnapping, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, War
adventurous
dark
funny
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Amazing start to the series!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Dementia, Grief, Death of parent, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Kidnapping
Minor: Homophobia, Pedophilia, Rape
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I honestly expected to like this more than I did. My interest went from 80% to 60% after my semi favorite character was abruptly killed off. It was action packed one moment and then boring the next. I would've liked to have read the POV of the Pillar of the Mountain clan, just to see what she was thinking and planning. But overall I couldn't seem to develop any deep attachments to any of the characters (besides Anden) and was relieved once the book was finally over. I can see why so many people enjoyed this book but I'm not intrigued enough to continue the series.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Murder
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
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
This book has a bit of a slow start, I won’t lie, but the character work and worldbuilding that’s established in the first 100 pages is an investment paid back in full with interest and gratuity—this is a story you feel like you are living in and a world that you could reach out and touch. It was a rollercoaster of highs and lows, twists and turns, and I can’t wait to see these characters and this setting in the next installment!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Dementia, Kidnapping, Stalking, Murder, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child abuse, Racism, Death of parent
dark
emotional
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Violence, Murder
Moderate: Drug use, Sexual content