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dark
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
There is something about family conflicts and politics in books that keeps me hooked! I enjoyed exploring the thought process of our POV characters, seeing their values and morals within the world that they live in. The overall feeling that this generation of the Kauls is not at its peak was effectively shadowed throughout the book as we read.
The women of this book, which we do not have a lot of, were some of my favorite parts of the story (Anden too). I hope we see more of Wen in the second book, especially since we established her role in this conflict towards the second half of the book.
The women of this book, which we do not have a lot of, were some of my favorite parts of the story (Anden too). I hope we see more of Wen in the second book, especially since we established her role in this conflict towards the second half of the book.
challenging
tense
fast-paced
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Una lectura increíble con personajes complicados y llenos de vida. Un poco lento el inicio, pero con una historia muy atrapante.
Trigger warnings if needed: Blood, death, murder, gore, violence, self-harm for one minor character (described as the Itches)
Summarizing such a complex and fascinating read is a feat. Reading the Amazon and Goodreads synopsis would be easier and spoiler-free, but I will do my best. Jade City is set in a world where jade confers excellent strength and power to those who can wield it, but not without risk of madness or the lethal formation of the Itches, which sounds as bad as you think itches that never go away are. A century or more before the novel takes place, the island nation of Kekon was freed from the control of the Shotarians. There are two major jade-wielding clans: The No Peak Clan and the Mountain Clan. They've formed a fragile alliance with complex political webs of favor and obligations. In the present day, the coalition wavers with the foreign powers, leaning heavily on both jade and the illegal trade of a drug called SN1 or Shine, which allows those not of Kekonese descent to wear jade. From how things are going with betrayals and death, the war of the past is making its way to the present. Nothing in the past stays in the past. It's very reminiscent of The Godfather.
This book is fantastic. It revolves around the Kaul family, the No Peak Clan syndicate family. The family has a hierarchy of family members and people who work for the family, which is highly reminiscent of how mafias are organized. There's the head of the family, called the Pillar. Next is the Weather Man, the Pillar's right-hand (wo)man, the Pillar's advisor and strategist. After the Weather Man is the Horn, which is the one mainly on the front lines, the enforcer. The Horn also has lieutenants called Fists, and they have subordinates called Fingers. The story is primarily about the power struggle between the Kaul family and the Ayt family, the crime syndicate family of the Mountain Clan, and the character development of the leading family members, Lan, Hilo, Shae, and Anden as they struggle to successfully fill the shoes of their grandfather, who had to step down before the novel started.
The story has unexpected wild turns that keep you both heavily invested and wanting more. The pace was fast, yet you got everything. It was intense, and every time I thought I knew the direction this book would take, it would spin into a new one that was even more entertaining than I had envisioned.
While I loved the world and magic system. It could've been better. The world-building was described in great detail, and I could picture it in my mind, but I picture just a generic place that only takes place in one spot of this generic place. I'm not faulting the author for making it in one place. It's part of the story, and that's fine. The magic felt underwhelming, and while it pushed the plot along in essential ways, other works are more innovative in their magic in an urban setting. This part is the weakest part of the novel, but it is all right. The use of jade as the cause of power is unique.
Characterizations of the Jade City are excellent. They are all in-depth and go through significant developments and growth. All these characters are flawed and fighting against those flaws. Well, at least it was from the main cast. I say this because I hate Bero with a passion. I don't know how he's written; I hate him as if I were in that world and would experience him. After reading all 3 books in the Green Bone Saga, one could write an analysis of him and how he is a foil to the characters based on loyalty and family.
I loved the prose of this novel. The descriptions are very well done, though, and gave me a clear picture of the events unfolding. The action sequences, as well, were very done and definitely achieved the tension that kept me on the edge of my seat for large portions of this book. I couldn't stop reading because I wanted to see what would happen next.
Overall, the characters and story were so well done! They keep you wanting more, and the chapters are short enough not to be cumbersome but long enough to keep you going and reading more than you want. If you are into urban fantasy and love the mafia-esque vibe with in-depth characters you want to root for, this book is for you. It's 4.5 out of 5 stars, and I can't wait to continue with the Jade War!
Summarizing such a complex and fascinating read is a feat. Reading the Amazon and Goodreads synopsis would be easier and spoiler-free, but I will do my best. Jade City is set in a world where jade confers excellent strength and power to those who can wield it, but not without risk of madness or the lethal formation of the Itches, which sounds as bad as you think itches that never go away are. A century or more before the novel takes place, the island nation of Kekon was freed from the control of the Shotarians. There are two major jade-wielding clans: The No Peak Clan and the Mountain Clan. They've formed a fragile alliance with complex political webs of favor and obligations. In the present day, the coalition wavers with the foreign powers, leaning heavily on both jade and the illegal trade of a drug called SN1 or Shine, which allows those not of Kekonese descent to wear jade. From how things are going with betrayals and death, the war of the past is making its way to the present. Nothing in the past stays in the past. It's very reminiscent of The Godfather.
This book is fantastic. It revolves around the Kaul family, the No Peak Clan syndicate family. The family has a hierarchy of family members and people who work for the family, which is highly reminiscent of how mafias are organized. There's the head of the family, called the Pillar. Next is the Weather Man, the Pillar's right-hand (wo)man, the Pillar's advisor and strategist. After the Weather Man is the Horn, which is the one mainly on the front lines, the enforcer. The Horn also has lieutenants called Fists, and they have subordinates called Fingers. The story is primarily about the power struggle between the Kaul family and the Ayt family, the crime syndicate family of the Mountain Clan, and the character development of the leading family members, Lan, Hilo, Shae, and Anden as they struggle to successfully fill the shoes of their grandfather, who had to step down before the novel started.
The story has unexpected wild turns that keep you both heavily invested and wanting more. The pace was fast, yet you got everything. It was intense, and every time I thought I knew the direction this book would take, it would spin into a new one that was even more entertaining than I had envisioned.
While I loved the world and magic system. It could've been better. The world-building was described in great detail, and I could picture it in my mind, but I picture just a generic place that only takes place in one spot of this generic place. I'm not faulting the author for making it in one place. It's part of the story, and that's fine. The magic felt underwhelming, and while it pushed the plot along in essential ways, other works are more innovative in their magic in an urban setting. This part is the weakest part of the novel, but it is all right. The use of jade as the cause of power is unique.
Characterizations of the Jade City are excellent. They are all in-depth and go through significant developments and growth. All these characters are flawed and fighting against those flaws. Well, at least it was from the main cast. I say this because I hate Bero with a passion. I don't know how he's written; I hate him as if I were in that world and would experience him. After reading all 3 books in the Green Bone Saga, one could write an analysis of him and how he is a foil to the characters based on loyalty and family.
I loved the prose of this novel. The descriptions are very well done, though, and gave me a clear picture of the events unfolding. The action sequences, as well, were very done and definitely achieved the tension that kept me on the edge of my seat for large portions of this book. I couldn't stop reading because I wanted to see what would happen next.
Overall, the characters and story were so well done! They keep you wanting more, and the chapters are short enough not to be cumbersome but long enough to keep you going and reading more than you want. If you are into urban fantasy and love the mafia-esque vibe with in-depth characters you want to root for, this book is for you. It's 4.5 out of 5 stars, and I can't wait to continue with the Jade War!
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
tense
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes