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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
Ratings Breakdown:
Characters- 5⭐
Setting- 5⭐
Plot- 4⭐
Themes- 5⭐
Emotional Impact- 5⭐
Enjoyment- 5⭐
Overall- 5⭐
Wow this book was good. It felt like taking the politics of game of thrones and crossing it with the vibe of peaky blinders. The worldbuilding in this book is phenomenal and extremely vivid- I loved that it started and ended at the same place, the Twice Lucky. The characters are fascinating. They are competent and intelligent but also flawed in a way that makes them feel very real and human. It took me several chapters to get hooked but once I did this was so enjoyable. If you love politics and intriguing characters you will love this book.
Characters- 5⭐
Setting- 5⭐
Plot- 4⭐
Themes- 5⭐
Emotional Impact- 5⭐
Enjoyment- 5⭐
Overall- 5⭐
Wow this book was good. It felt like taking the politics of game of thrones and crossing it with the vibe of peaky blinders. The worldbuilding in this book is phenomenal and extremely vivid- I loved that it started and ended at the same place, the Twice Lucky. The characters are fascinating. They are competent and intelligent but also flawed in a way that makes them feel very real and human. It took me several chapters to get hooked but once I did this was so enjoyable. If you love politics and intriguing characters you will love this book.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
fast-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 can see why this book wins the accolades of the book tube community, as it is more technically competent than most of its modern peers and the core characters feel real.
The problems I have with this book are deeper, strategic problems, and they are why I DNFd at 45%.
First, this book would have been far better as a historical fiction novel. The magic system doesn’t do enough work to justify its inclusion. With the authors extensive martial arts background, she could have written the action scenes using those technical terms and the scenes would have been clearer and more descriptive that what we got. Jade as a symbol for national culture/power doesn’t work in the plot structure the author has provided. If you ditch the inadequately drawn magic system, then suddenly paragraphs of exposition are no longer necessary, and the reader gets to stop wondering if this book is really about Taiwan in the 1970s.
Second, the function of the Green Bones mafia is left vague to the point that the story begins to lose meaning. What do they offer society? Are they fully legitimized by the government? How can they run the KJA when they can’t even traffic jade themselves? What is the point of the police? Are Lantern Men afraid of the mafia? Who are the Green Bones protecting their Lantern Men from? Each other? And on and on. In some cases we are told vague answers to these questions, but rarely shown. Because questions like this are not addressed well, the decisions each character makes are basically inscrutable. The story would have benefited from an outsiders perspective beyond that of Bero, who is basically a drug addict and sociopath. Shae’s character offered an opportunity to provide exactly this kind of insight but the author took a much less effective tack.
Third, the Mountain clan and other vague outside threats like The Espenians are villainized but not characterized. What motivation does Gont have for treating No Peak like trash? Why did Ayt Mada feel it was necessary to kill numerous rivals for leadership of her clan so rapidly? What was Hilo actually doing in the Armpit that upset her? Are foreigners with SN1 a real threat to Janloon? What are relations like between Espenia and the Chancellor? So we’re reading a story in which No Peak are framed as protagonists, but given few reasons to feel that way. I haven’t mentioned the shady things that No Peak characters are doing.
We’re left with a character focused story that uses competent prose, but relies on exposition, is about nowhere in particular, has unclear action scenes, unsatisfying symbolism, and most damning in which the decision making process of the characters isn’t clear to the reader because the stakes and ethics are also not clear. I got the sense that the Kauls and perhaps the author felt this way themselves, and maybe that’s why Lan and Shae are frustratingly indecisive and impotent. I think readers need a little more showing to properly connect with these characters and their fantasy backdrop.
The problems I have with this book are deeper, strategic problems, and they are why I DNFd at 45%.
First, this book would have been far better as a historical fiction novel. The magic system doesn’t do enough work to justify its inclusion. With the authors extensive martial arts background, she could have written the action scenes using those technical terms and the scenes would have been clearer and more descriptive that what we got. Jade as a symbol for national culture/power doesn’t work in the plot structure the author has provided. If you ditch the inadequately drawn magic system, then suddenly paragraphs of exposition are no longer necessary, and the reader gets to stop wondering if this book is really about Taiwan in the 1970s.
Second, the function of the Green Bones mafia is left vague to the point that the story begins to lose meaning. What do they offer society? Are they fully legitimized by the government? How can they run the KJA when they can’t even traffic jade themselves? What is the point of the police? Are Lantern Men afraid of the mafia? Who are the Green Bones protecting their Lantern Men from? Each other? And on and on. In some cases we are told vague answers to these questions, but rarely shown. Because questions like this are not addressed well, the decisions each character makes are basically inscrutable. The story would have benefited from an outsiders perspective beyond that of Bero, who is basically a drug addict and sociopath. Shae’s character offered an opportunity to provide exactly this kind of insight but the author took a much less effective tack.
Third, the Mountain clan and other vague outside threats like The Espenians are villainized but not characterized. What motivation does Gont have for treating No Peak like trash? Why did Ayt Mada feel it was necessary to kill numerous rivals for leadership of her clan so rapidly? What was Hilo actually doing in the Armpit that upset her? Are foreigners with SN1 a real threat to Janloon? What are relations like between Espenia and the Chancellor? So we’re reading a story in which No Peak are framed as protagonists, but given few reasons to feel that way. I haven’t mentioned the shady things that No Peak characters are doing.
We’re left with a character focused story that uses competent prose, but relies on exposition, is about nowhere in particular, has unclear action scenes, unsatisfying symbolism, and most damning in which the decision making process of the characters isn’t clear to the reader because the stakes and ethics are also not clear. I got the sense that the Kauls and perhaps the author felt this way themselves, and maybe that’s why Lan and Shae are frustratingly indecisive and impotent. I think readers need a little more showing to properly connect with these characters and their fantasy backdrop.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Good story but slow and drawn out.
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
Had a hard time (and had to soft dnf it 😭😭) getting into it but once i was hooked it was a fucking breeze. I'm sorry i doubted Miss Lee.
No one is safe in a war between Green Bones, no one.
No one is safe in a war between Green Bones, no one.
emotional
mysterious
tense
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
fast-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
4.5
Cool magic system! Like sons of anarchy was Asian and had magic
Cool magic system! Like sons of anarchy was Asian and had magic
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
Yes
slow-paced