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adventurous
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
4 ⭐ CW: Violence, blood, death, self harm mention, suicide mention, sexual content, gun violence
Jade City by Fonda Lee is book one in the Green Bone Saga. This was a modern wuxia gangster story that was sort of like an Asian inspired The Godfather. Although, not my typical kind of read, I did enjoy it, despite the slower pace.
We follow four Green Bone siblings in the Kaul family in the No Peak clan in Kekon. Lan, the oldest and the Pillar of the clan is reasonable, savvy, and respected; Hilo, the second brother is the clan's Horn in charge of the military arm of things and is brash, charismatic, and quick to anger; Shae, the youngest sister who has just returned from foreign schooling and is struggling with her identity since trying to distance herself from clan business; and Anden, the young adopted half-Kekonese son attending an academy for aspiring Green Bones.
The No Peak clan has been living in a time of peace since the Many Nations war ended, but when the rival clan the Mountain starts trying to gain more power, No Peak must use their Jade and show their power. Each of the siblings wages their own inner battles along with the very real battles happening in the streets.
This book had some of the most excellent world-building and culture building I've ever read. In just under 500 pages, Lee has created an entire fleshed out culture, belief system, and magic system all focused on Kekon's natural resource: Jade. In this world Jade gives power to anyone holding it, increasing their speed, strength, perception, along with other supernatural abilities. Jade doesn't come without its cost, however. Green Bones must train for years before they can tolerate carrying Jade without succumbing to fever and going mad. The structure of the clans were so complex! They had such a rigid system around politeness and civility.
This was a great story about family, power, and business with a dash of fantasy. I'm not sure if I'll continue the series or not. I think I'll have to be in the right mood to read the next one. Glad I picked this up though!
Jade City by Fonda Lee is book one in the Green Bone Saga. This was a modern wuxia gangster story that was sort of like an Asian inspired The Godfather. Although, not my typical kind of read, I did enjoy it, despite the slower pace.
We follow four Green Bone siblings in the Kaul family in the No Peak clan in Kekon. Lan, the oldest and the Pillar of the clan is reasonable, savvy, and respected; Hilo, the second brother is the clan's Horn in charge of the military arm of things and is brash, charismatic, and quick to anger; Shae, the youngest sister who has just returned from foreign schooling and is struggling with her identity since trying to distance herself from clan business; and Anden, the young adopted half-Kekonese son attending an academy for aspiring Green Bones.
The No Peak clan has been living in a time of peace since the Many Nations war ended, but when the rival clan the Mountain starts trying to gain more power, No Peak must use their Jade and show their power. Each of the siblings wages their own inner battles along with the very real battles happening in the streets.
This book had some of the most excellent world-building and culture building I've ever read. In just under 500 pages, Lee has created an entire fleshed out culture, belief system, and magic system all focused on Kekon's natural resource: Jade. In this world Jade gives power to anyone holding it, increasing their speed, strength, perception, along with other supernatural abilities. Jade doesn't come without its cost, however. Green Bones must train for years before they can tolerate carrying Jade without succumbing to fever and going mad. The structure of the clans were so complex! They had such a rigid system around politeness and civility.
This was a great story about family, power, and business with a dash of fantasy. I'm not sure if I'll continue the series or not. I think I'll have to be in the right mood to read the next one. Glad I picked this up though!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Sexual content, Violence, Blood
Minor: Self harm, Suicide
adventurous
dark
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Murder
Moderate: Drug use, Gun violence, Sexual content, Dementia, Grief, War
Minor: Addiction, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Suicide, Colonisation
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I have mixed feelings. I enjoyed reading this and found enough things I liked to keep going, but it didn't quite meet the hype for me.
The plot, inspired by old-school kung fu and Chinese gangster movies, was fresh and interesting, but it didn't push the envelope or add anything new. There are high-stakes politics, with a couple of good twists at the end. The plot is fairly generic, with real-world elements changed to imaginative fantasy ones.
The world-building was well-done. I appreciated the author's focus on small details. The world follows a stereotypical Confucian blueprint of patriarchal values, filial piety, and honor. Since it's urban fantasy, there wasn't an overwhelming amount of new information to process, making it easy to grasp the setting and its culture. The focus on Kekon made the setting feel intimate and immersive, and the capital Janloon felt bustling and full of life. Again, it's urban fantasy, so don't expect sprawling Fellowship of the Ring adventures.
I liked the characters but wanted to see a bit more from them. Anden had the coolest characterization, with an interesting backstory that made his motivations feel complex. I would have liked more from the villain, who has an intriguing story. There is a serious lack of complexity when it comes to the female main characters, so I hope they are explored more in the next installments. I see potential in the characters and their relationships despite not fully connecting with them here.
The choice to use jade as a magic amplifier is a unique idea that fits well with the old-school kung fu themes. I liked that the magic had drawbacks and didn't feel overwhelmingly powerful. The idea of the magic being akin to an addiction that harms the body over time, while not being the adds depth to the story. The addition ofa street drug that counters the aftereffects of jade is interesting and makes it feel like we are watching the world progress. The magic system was definitely the best part of this book. It was easy to understand, fit well with the setting and premise, and wasn't overpowered.
The writing itself was okay. I liked the author's tendency toward simplicity, but explaining actions and emotions overtly rather than letting them unfold naturally was distracting. There were some hard-hitting lines but nothing that wowed me. The POV switching was well done and added a cinematic quality to the book that made the experience satisfying. It never felt confusing or unnecessary and didn't take away from the pacing.
Overall, pretty solid as the first in a trilogy. I expect the first book in a fantasy series to be a bit slower and less in-depth than the following books, and Jade City does its job well: setting up the world and characters, introducing action, and leaving things up in the air to make you want to continue the series.
The plot, inspired by old-school kung fu and Chinese gangster movies, was fresh and interesting, but it didn't push the envelope or add anything new. There are high-stakes politics, with a couple of good twists at the end. The plot is fairly generic, with real-world elements changed to imaginative fantasy ones.
The world-building was well-done. I appreciated the author's focus on small details. The world follows a stereotypical Confucian blueprint of patriarchal values, filial piety, and honor. Since it's urban fantasy, there wasn't an overwhelming amount of new information to process, making it easy to grasp the setting and its culture. The focus on Kekon made the setting feel intimate and immersive, and the capital Janloon felt bustling and full of life. Again, it's urban fantasy, so don't expect sprawling Fellowship of the Ring adventures.
I liked the characters but wanted to see a bit more from them. Anden had the coolest characterization, with an interesting backstory that made his motivations feel complex. I would have liked more from the villain, who has an intriguing story. There is a serious lack of complexity when it comes to the female main characters, so I hope they are explored more in the next installments. I see potential in the characters and their relationships despite not fully connecting with them here.
The choice to use jade as a magic amplifier is a unique idea that fits well with the old-school kung fu themes. I liked that the magic had drawbacks and didn't feel overwhelmingly powerful. The idea of the magic being akin to an addiction that harms the body over time, while not being the adds depth to the story. The addition of
The writing itself was okay. I liked the author's tendency toward simplicity, but explaining actions and emotions overtly rather than letting them unfold naturally was distracting. There were some hard-hitting lines but nothing that wowed me. The POV switching was well done and added a cinematic quality to the book that made the experience satisfying. It never felt confusing or unnecessary and didn't take away from the pacing.
Overall, pretty solid as the first in a trilogy. I expect the first book in a fantasy series to be a bit slower and less in-depth than the following books, and Jade City does its job well: setting up the world and characters, introducing action, and leaving things up in the air to make you want to continue the series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Self harm, Sexism, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Dementia, Grief, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Alcohol, War
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Torture, Mass/school shootings
The plot heavily revolves around a street drug that is similar to amphetamines. The drug and its usage are described in detail, including the use of needles and the characters' feelings after usage. The magic system itself behaves like an addiction, if characters use too much jade or use jade for too long it causes a mental sickness that drives them to things like dementia or suicide. A minor character is shown in a flashback committing self-harm and suicide. A minor character is revealed to be pedophilic with a past of abusing children and there are no repercussions. Heavy usage of violence and guns, with a scene involving a planned mass shooting.
challenging
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, War
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Racism, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
dark
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
I don't read a ton of adult fantasy; however, Jade City is such an interesting start to a fantasy series. It's not a favorite by any means, but I am very invested in what will happen next. Fonda Lee is phenomenal at world building. Every detail from the smallest to the biggest creates an atmosphere that is impossible not to be trapped in for a long time after putting the book down.
I liked getting glimpses at all three of the siblings, because they're all so different but trapped in this mafia like environment. Each of their personalities were distinct. Even the lesser(?) members of the Kaul and Ayt families were intriguing. Lee really captured the mafia/mob at each turn from the violent attacks to the political upheaval. I'm excited to find out what happens next for both families.
I liked getting glimpses at all three of the siblings, because they're all so different but trapped in this mafia like environment. Each of their personalities were distinct. Even the lesser(?) members of the Kaul and Ayt families were intriguing. Lee really captured the mafia/mob at each turn from the violent attacks to the political upheaval. I'm excited to find out what happens next for both families.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Murder
Moderate: Addiction, Drug use, Sexual content
Minor: Homophobia, Pedophilia, Suicide
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Drug use, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Violence, Dementia, Kidnapping, Mass/school shootings, Suicide attempt, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , War, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Addiction, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Outing, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
this was good, but it didnt grab me or suck me in. will continue the series but if book 2 flops then idk if ill finish it
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, War
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
this book has pacing issues, it feels simultaneously short and long, and that didn’t work for me. the time passage in this book was supposedly over months, but it felt like everything was happening on successive days which made the pacing of the novel fucked in my head.
i don’t care about any character except anden, and lan when he was alive. i’m not a fan of hilo and shae feels like she has some internalized misogyny to work through even though she’s a woman with power. like this quote?
“Two strong-minded women in a man’s world, if they do not wuickly become allies, are destined to be incurable rivals.” (pg 373)
misogyny coded, i’m sorry. i also felt like doru was made a pedophile solely to make him unlikable, i don’t feel there was any reason otherwise to make him so. it felt kind of out of place and unnecessary.
there was some infodumping, but i thought the way it was worked into the story was clever so i didn’t mind it. there was also some weird indigenous stereotyping that came out of nowhere about the Abukei being drunks, gamblers, and whatever “whor[ing] away their earnings” is as a noun?? not needed. come on.
this book honestly reminds me of that one pride and prejudice review that goes like:
“just a bunch of people going to each other’s houses”
the action scenes were a lot more prevelant than some low reviews made it out to be, but i still felt like this book tried too hard to be political. but fonda lee is so good at writing action scenes, i really enjoyed them!!
i don’t care about any character except anden, and lan when he was alive. i’m not a fan of hilo and shae feels like she has some internalized misogyny to work through even though she’s a woman with power. like this quote?
“Two strong-minded women in a man’s world, if they do not wuickly become allies, are destined to be incurable rivals.” (pg 373)
misogyny coded, i’m sorry. i also felt like doru was made a pedophile solely to make him unlikable, i don’t feel there was any reason otherwise to make him so. it felt kind of out of place and unnecessary.
there was some infodumping, but i thought the way it was worked into the story was clever so i didn’t mind it. there was also some weird indigenous stereotyping that came out of nowhere about the Abukei being drunks, gamblers, and whatever “whor[ing] away their earnings” is as a noun?? not needed. come on.
this book honestly reminds me of that one pride and prejudice review that goes like:
“just a bunch of people going to each other’s houses”
the action scenes were a lot more prevelant than some low reviews made it out to be, but i still felt like this book tried too hard to be political. but fonda lee is so good at writing action scenes, i really enjoyed them!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Death, Drug use
adventurous
challenging
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
In the sleek, urban heart of Kekon, two rival clans war using magically enhanced abilities in order to defend their territories, amass coveted Jade stones, and secure honor and power for their families and followers. The Kaul family, who heads up the No Peak clan, must fight to preserve their foothold in Janloon and beyond.
When everyone praises Jade City as a masterclass in epic fantasy, they certainly aren't kidding. Fonda Lee expertly weaves Janloon, Kekon, and the Kaul family into such exquisite detail that Jade City reads more like a historic nonfiction than pure fantasy. Every word has purpose, every constructed piece of culture, economy, organized crime system, city structure, family dynamics, characters you meet for a single sentence to the main characters of the entire book, and especially the combat sequences fly off of the page and into your mind like a field guide meeting an old kungfu flick. The incredibly flawed characters grapple with family life, their own magic, and mortality as the city escalates into open warfare between the No Peak and Mountain clans. I cannot wait to follow Hilo, Shae, Anden and the rest of Kekon in the next book, Jade War.
When everyone praises Jade City as a masterclass in epic fantasy, they certainly aren't kidding. Fonda Lee expertly weaves Janloon, Kekon, and the Kaul family into such exquisite detail that Jade City reads more like a historic nonfiction than pure fantasy. Every word has purpose, every constructed piece of culture, economy, organized crime system, city structure, family dynamics, characters you meet for a single sentence to the main characters of the entire book, and especially the combat sequences fly off of the page and into your mind like a field guide meeting an old kungfu flick. The incredibly flawed characters grapple with family life, their own magic, and mortality as the city escalates into open warfare between the No Peak and Mountain clans. I cannot wait to follow Hilo, Shae, Anden and the rest of Kekon in the next book, Jade War.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, War
Moderate: Drug use
Minor: Pedophilia