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emmas_reads_'s review against another edition
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
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: Drug use and Death
bladebailey's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
tense
medium-paced
- 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
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: War, Violence, and Death
Moderate: Drug use
Minor: Pedophilia
cbrigs99's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
It’s hard to believe this was Fonda Lee’s adult fantasy debut, because this was such a well-done and intricate story. This has been on my TBR for awhile - I’ve been waiting for just the right time to take the plunge into the series, and I’m so glad I did. It is a detailed urban fantasy in a society where possession of jade stones grants power and status to the wearers. The story focuses on two warring clans who are from high status families in what is essentially a mafia/gangster organization. I am astounded at how flawlessly Lee weaves a story with so many characters that ties together so effortlessly. Each character is infinitely complex, and this is a great study on developing morally gray characters. While each character takes part in brutal acts throughout the story, there are unexpected moments of tenderness and kindness. This was such an excellent start to the series and I can’t wait to continue with the sequel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Torture
Moderate: Drug use
chrisb913's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
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: Violence, Murder, War, and Death
Moderate: Drug use, Sexual content, and Addiction
Minor: Suicide, Homophobia, and Pedophilia
skillyillian's review against another edition
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: Sexual content, Death, War, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Blood, Dementia, Drug use, Gore, and Violence
cowboy_scorpio's review against another edition
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
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Addiction, and Drug use
pri_lakshmi's review against another edition
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? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Drug abuse, Drug use, Cursing, Grief, Death, Violence, Blood, and Gore
Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Sexism, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Medical trauma, Dementia, Stalking, Medical content, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Bullying, Xenophobia, Colonisation, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Homophobia, Rape, Racism, and Racial slurs
bobbyeight's review against another edition
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Violence, Sexual content, Gun violence, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder
Moderate: Animal death, Animal cruelty, and Sexual violence
lejones1785's review against another edition
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? It's complicated
1.25
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 and War
Moderate: Violence, War, Addiction, Blood, Murder, Bullying, Drug use, Gaslighting, Grief, and Death
widowrites's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- 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
4.5
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: Blood and Bullying
Moderate: Misogyny, Body horror, Addiction, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Death, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Dementia