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A review by bookish_sabrina
Jade City by Fonda Lee
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-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
Without knowing it, I've been waiting for a book like this since I read the Song of Ice and Fire Books in 2012-2014. Those books have left a political fantasy craving that I haven't quite satisfied since I reaad those books. That is, until I read Jade City.
I was hooked from the start - a couple of ignorant gangster wannabees trying to pull off a daring heist, and failing miserably. That small action of two nobodies is the catalyst for a city-wide conflict between two clans. Even though things seem at peace, events like the failed heist that should only create ripples end up creating tidal waves, exposing how thinly veiled and vulnerable that peace is. We follow many different characters across this conflict as they all try to do what is right. However, nobody in this book is acting just for themselves. Whether they want it or not, any member of the Kaul family knows that every decision they make could change their place in the family organization, as well as the family's place in the city. High stakes run throughout the book. Every event is necessary, every chapter, no matter how short, propels the plot forward in an important way. This book does not abuse violence, nor does it make concessions on character development in favor of plot alone. In this novel, one does not operate without the other. It couldn't have been easy to write a book that so delicately balances plot and character while keeping the politics juicy, the stakes sky-high with mounting global implications, and the characters interesting, believable, and sympathetic.
I was hooked from the start - a couple of ignorant gangster wannabees trying to pull off a daring heist, and failing miserably. That small action of two nobodies is the catalyst for a city-wide conflict between two clans. Even though things seem at peace, events like the failed heist that should only create ripples end up creating tidal waves, exposing how thinly veiled and vulnerable that peace is. We follow many different characters across this conflict as they all try to do what is right. However, nobody in this book is acting just for themselves. Whether they want it or not, any member of the Kaul family knows that every decision they make could change their place in the family organization, as well as the family's place in the city. High stakes run throughout the book. Every event is necessary, every chapter, no matter how short, propels the plot forward in an important way. This book does not abuse violence, nor does it make concessions on character development in favor of plot alone. In this novel, one does not operate without the other. It couldn't have been easy to write a book that so delicately balances plot and character while keeping the politics juicy, the stakes sky-high with mounting global implications, and the characters interesting, believable, and sympathetic.