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adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-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
Fonda Lee knocked it out of the park with this first book of the series. We follow the Kaul family who are the leaders of the No Peak clan in Janloon. Lee does a fantastic job mixing western mafia movie styles with asian inspired Yakuza gangs, a whole lot of martial arts, and a magic system that is incredibly unique and intriguing. The book follows the 3 siblings of the Kaul family, their "cousin" Anden, and the most hated character ever of Bero (read it to find out) as they try to survive life in Janloon as events surrounding them push everything head first into a gang war with the Mountain clan. The character development was splendid. The magic system was so well thought out and the world building was chef's kiss. This is a definite recommend for anyone that is a fan of the godfather series and I cannot wait for more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Murder, War
Moderate: Addiction, Drug use, Sexual content
Minor: Homophobia, Pedophilia, Suicide
It's.. I'm so bored. It reads like Stephen King. Could partially be bc the narrator is a man, but I'm just? I don't care for the gang/mafia angle as much as I thought I would? I've heard SO many good things about this, it's highly rated, but I just can't get into it. I got 26% in and just didn't care about any of the characters. It's a mix between a complex mafia/family history and a literal history textbook and I'm just not vibing with it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Drug use, Gore, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Dementia, Kidnapping, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
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:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, War
"Family was duty. Blood was destiny. And jade was the key to it all."
The world building in this was fun, I felt like I could really imagine the world that's so dedicated to jade! It does feel a little slow to start with but it transitions to action very nicely.
The range of characters is nice, they all felt different and you can understand why each character thinks the way they do. It can be hard to track all the characters so having a list in front of you is a good idea lmao. I like there was a lean into the emotions of war but I wish I felt more connected/emotional. I did like it though, it was a nice start.
I particularly like Bero's thought processwhen he "killed" Lan and received no recognition for it.
I've heard it just gets better in the next few books so I'm excited to contnue!
The world building in this was fun, I felt like I could really imagine the world that's so dedicated to jade! It does feel a little slow to start with but it transitions to action very nicely.
The range of characters is nice, they all felt different and you can understand why each character thinks the way they do. It can be hard to track all the characters so having a list in front of you is a good idea lmao. I like there was a lean into the emotions of war but I wish I felt more connected/emotional. I did like it though, it was a nice start.
I particularly like Bero's thought process
I've heard it just gets better in the next few books so I'm excited to contnue!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Sexual content, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, War
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Violence, Blood, Grief, War
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Dementia, Medical trauma, Stalking, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Bullying, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Xenophobia, Colonisation
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I had a tough time with this book, and I was really looking forward to reading it. It seemed like a lot of space in the story is just filler. Jade this, jade that, jade is worth ruining a city for. The characters are so smart, the characters have inner turmoil, on and on without much real substance. The main scenes in the book are over in a matter of moments, so there wasn't really any payoff for the filler material. It felt like this book was just for world and character building, so maybe the second book has more story?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, War
Moderate: Addiction, Bullying, Death, Drug use, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, War
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: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body horror
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
I really enjoyed this book. The family draws you in despite their flaws. The plot is tense and keeps you on the edge of your seat. The only reason it didn’t get five stars is that there are chunks of story that felt unnecessary. It made the book feel long when otherwise it might not have.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Blood
Moderate: Addiction, Body horror, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Dementia
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Violence, Murder
dark
informative
tense
slow-paced
This is the first book in a long time that managed to make me feel the way I felt reading fantasy as a child. It has this feel of absoulte immersion into another world to it, while still satisfying the storytelling quality I look for now as an adult.
The worldbuilding is insane - at first it seems very straightforward, but throughout the story the author effortlessly weaves in more and more details that make you realise how deep it actually goes, and how every part of it is inextricably intertwined with the characters and the story at large.
All the characters are three-dimensional, morally grey and very human, and it is so interesting to follow their thoughts and actions. Every action always has far-reaching consequences, nothing exists in a vacuum.
Bonus points are the fight scenes, which are remarkably realistic both regarding what happens, and how the characters feel during.
The worldbuilding is insane - at first it seems very straightforward, but throughout the story the author effortlessly weaves in more and more details that make you realise how deep it actually goes, and how every part of it is inextricably intertwined with the characters and the story at large.
All the characters are three-dimensional, morally grey and very human, and it is so interesting to follow their thoughts and actions. Every action always has far-reaching consequences, nothing exists in a vacuum.
Bonus points are the fight scenes, which are remarkably realistic both regarding what happens, and how the characters feel during.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Suicide attempt
Moderate: Death, Drug abuse, Pedophilia, Sexism, Sexual content, Xenophobia, Murder