Reviews tagging 'Cultural appropriation'

Jade War by Fonda Lee

4 reviews

reddeddy's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense slow-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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whatdoiknowjr's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I love this series so far. If you have ever wondered what political intrigue would look like in an alternate world that is very much like our modern world, but where a handful of powerful clans control a substance that gives them superhuman powers related to their study and practice of martial arts, well, here you are!

Some aspects of this story play with the friction between the past, and the families that run society even when that command of society circumvents laws and local rulers, but at the same time, it also intersects with outside nations trying to force their way into the trade of a powerful resource and what needs to be done to resist or adapt to that outside pressure.

No character it this story escapes making hard moral decisions. There are assassinations, duels, criminal empires, and military contacts to deal with. But even some of the worst perpetrators are so human that it's hard to dislike them. I was extremely invested in everyone, even when I was looking at what they had just done and realizing what kind of repercussions have to be down the line for them.

Even the alienation between family members is well handled. Family members have strained relationships, but so far, there are very few times when that means that they cut each other off entirely, and you want them to repair their relationships even though you don't want them to get wrapped up in some of the worst of the family business. 

In between all of these, there are twists and turns, bullets, martial arts, and superpowers. Enough to keep things exciting and action-oriented, but not enough to overshadow the actual characters and the results of their decisions. 


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doodeedoda's review against another edition

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challenging dark 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

4.75


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stonebm's review against another edition

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adventurous dark 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

4.25


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