Scan barcode
lunep's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Also because my last review was long but focused on what I didn't like, I want to give more depth to my positive reviews so I'm gonna make a couple positive comments about what stayed with me the most:
- This book made me absolutely adore Wen. She didn't have too much screen time in the first, and her character at the beggining was clouded by Shae's view of her, so I loved getting to see more of her this book, and what we saw of her. I loved how she was there for Shae when Shae went trough rough patches, and how both of them helped each other and truly became friends and sisters. I loved how she wasn't scared of doing whatever she could to help her clan, and how she knew what her strenghts were and played to them. She's just amazing
and I hope she gets better on book 3, I was seriously so scared at the end of the book when she, Anden, and Rohn Toro got attacked, I was literally screaming at my ipad - I also loved Anden's growth, he was already one of my favorite characters from book 1, and I felt so much for him at the end of it and at the beggining of this one, but I'm glad to see he grew onto himself more fully. He's my baby
Graphic: Violence, Misogyny, Alcohol, Murder, Sexual content, Racial slurs, Racism, Gore, Drug use, Cursing, Torture, Grief, Blood, Death, Pregnancy, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Medical content, Suicide, Homophobia, Drug abuse, Xenophobia, Animal cruelty, Abortion, and Rape
Minor: Ableism, Infidelity, Animal death, Child death, Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, Sexism, Pedophilia, Vomit, Cancer, and Excrement
sarah984's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: War, Xenophobia, Addiction, Drug use, Medical content, Misogyny, Police brutality, Racism, Torture, Abortion, Blood, Gore, Grief, Pregnancy, and Sexual content
Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Homophobia, Suicide, Ableism, Animal cruelty, Chronic illness, Classism, Colonisation, Excrement, Fatphobia, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Rape, Vomit, and Animal death
jakepasseri's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Violence, Racial slurs, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Hate crime, Gun violence, Blood, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gore, Grief, Suicide, Murder, War, Body horror, Death, and Death of parent
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Abortion, Child abuse, and Colonisation
Minor: Homophobia, Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Sexual content, and Self harm
ripxw's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Violence and Death
Moderate: Suicide and Drug abuse
Minor: Abortion and Racism
thewordsdevourer's review against another edition
- 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? No
4.75
lee delves even deeper into the world of her story by expanding its scope through looking beyond kekon and examining all the intricacies and complex interconnected politics + history of the world she's created. the worldbuilding is starkly vivid, each country and their relationships w/ one another so distinct, realistic, and infuriatingly and familiarly mirrors our world.
the kauls continue to go through a whole lotta shit; there's a lot of ups and downs here but they do their best. never have i ever seen such a strong, complex fictional family and felt so much for their plight. there are certain points in the novel that just made me stop and go, "bruh this shit rly just went there." what i also rly appreciate is how they arent perfect at all; sometimes one can see their decisions' terrible consequences from a mile away, though theyre understandable and even inevitable.
the politicking and scheming, as always, continue to be one of the best things abt this series. idk if it's bc of lee's corporate strategist background, but the diplomatic, furtive, subtle ways the characters talk and act are enjoyably interesting, all imbued w/ an undercurrent msg or tension. i feel smarter reading abt how the characters talk and think lol.
what i most enjoy abt this book, however, is the nuanced, complex exploration of its themes that are hugely relevant in the real world not just on a personal, individual level but also historically and politically, esp how infuriating yts are, how countries and ppl arent black-and-white, diasporas, and how national sentiment borne from traumatic history can get entangled in more immediate, complicated current int'l relations and priorities. lee explores them all w/ gusto and a deft hand, offering persuasive arguments for both sides yet never talking down to the reader. also, reading this in 2022 feels like the book prophesized a lottt of things.
my only major caveat w/ the novel is how a lot of the kauls' scheming amounts to too little - like, all that for nothing compared to the mountain? nevertheless, this is an engrossing, dark, violent, complex, thrilling, and emotionally brutal book, one of a few that can easily make me scream, spooked, tear up, and stressed, and whose sequel i cant wait to devour.
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Murder, Racism, and Violence
Moderate: Sexual content, Blood, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Xenophobia
Minor: Addiction, Drug use, Rape, Sexism, Suicide, and War
horizonous's review against another edition
- 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
3.25
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Death, Drug abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Murder, Xenophobia, and Sexism
Minor: Animal death, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Gore, Abortion, Addiction, Kidnapping, Self harm, Animal cruelty, Rape, and Homophobia
◦ Death = Brother, Grandparentdoodeedoda's review
- 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
Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, Sexual content, Murder, Violence, Xenophobia, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Misogyny, Suicide, Torture, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Racism, Rape, Sexism, Injury/Injury detail, War, Abortion, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, and Homophobia
Minor: Infidelity, Addiction, Alcohol, Cultural appropriation, Cursing, Vomit, Biphobia, and Blood
talonsontypewriters's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Death, Drug use, Violence, Xenophobia, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, War, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Murder, Torture, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, and Gun violence
Moderate: Alcohol, Colonisation, Misogyny, Abortion, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Ableism, Sexism, Suicide, and Kidnapping
Minor: Vomit, Cancer, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Excrement, Homophobia, Animal death, Alcoholism, Pedophilia, Infidelity, and Rape
thuto's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Xenophobia, Racial slurs, Suicide, Misogyny, Drug use, Death of parent, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Racism, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Sexual violence
rorikae's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The middle books in a series tend to not be as strong as the first or final installments but that is not true with 'Jade War.' Lee elevates the pieces that she introduced us to in 'Jade City' and the more time we spend with these characters, the further we get pulled into their lives. I won't touch on any specifics since this is the second book but I will say that we continue to follow the Kaul family and those involved with the different clans. There are high points and even more devastating low points.
I think the two parts of this story that are the strongest are the complex characters and the political machinations. Each of the characters are deeply flawed but Lee portrays them as so deeply human that it's hard not to care for them. I especially find Hilo a fascinating character. He may be my favorite character in the series but his flaws come out at many points of this book. There is a decision that he makes in this book that I absolutely did not agree with but Lee made me understand it and it didn't harm my care for him.
The twists and turns of this story are more dynamic and emotional than in the first book. I can't even begin to imagine what will happen in 'Jade Legacy' but I am sure that it will be a rollercoaster. I both cannot wait to pick up the final book and also want to put it off so that I always have more of these characters to return to.
Graphic: War, Addiction, Blood, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Torture, Violence, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Torture, Suicide, Sexual content, Pregnancy, Kidnapping, Homophobia, and Abortion