Scan barcode
A review by heyleigh05
Jade City by Fonda Lee
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
The beginning started off slow-paced but as the plot thickens the. The story picks up.
I really enjoyed the characters in this book. They were interesting and compelling and distinct. Each character was unique and had a distinct character profile. My favorite characters are Lan and Shae but I empathized with most of the main characters. Lan, the oldest Kaul sibling, feels the brunt of responsibility for maintaining and managing the clan. He battles living up to his family’s legacy while also trying to curate a distinct legacy for himself. He worries about how others will respect and remember him and I felt this really helped to humanize him. Hilo, the second Kaul sibling, is impulsive, hot-headed, and rash. He’s fiercely loyal to the family and the clan almost to a fault. Hilo is extremely passionate in everything he does and that’s what makes him endearing but that’s also his character flaw. He puts his duties for the clan above all else and he holds other to the same standard. Shae, the youngest Kaul sibling, tries to shirk her responsibilities to the clan. She is trying to escape her family’s legacy and she doesn’t want anything to do with it. She strives to be independent and self-sufficient. Shae is tenacious, ambitious, and stubborn. All the siblings are so different from each other and they’re contending with how to forge their identities in relation to the clan. They each have a different outlook on clan allegiance and Kekon’s social organization in general. Jade City is character-driven and they each have to navigate the expectations that are placed on them and they each handle those expectations differently.
The drama in the story was also compelling. The characters’ behaviors were unpredictable so I was always caught of guard by something they did or what would happen in the story. There is one moment in particular that has left me bitter and I have a serious bone to pick with Fonda Lee. I still haven’t recovered from it. Fonda Lee has some making up to do.
I also loved the world-building in this book. It was so thorough and immersive. I liked that from the beginning the book had maps of Kekon, the country, and Janloon, the city. This crucial in any fantasy to have firm understanding of the world and the landscape. Fonda Lee was also really thorough in describing the social organization of city. There’s clear distinctions in class and clans, and jade/non-jade wearing people. I also really liked the cultural and religious traditions woven throughout the story. This added depth to story and it made the world even more realistic because every society has a cultural and religious practices. I felt so of the care that Fonda Lee put into constructing Thai society and its cultural/religious practices and values. It brought the world to life.
All probably have more to say later but for now this is what I can think of from the top of my head. I just really enjoyed this story and it’s characters and I was intrigued to know what would happen next. I’m giving this book 4.5 stars because I enjoyed it a lot but it’s not quite 5 stars because the beginning was kind of slow and there are chapters told from the POV of minor characters and sometimes they would take out of the story a little. I didn’t skip over them though bc those chapters are relevant to the plot. For those who are into fantasy I would definitely recommend this book!
I really enjoyed the characters in this book. They were interesting and compelling and distinct. Each character was unique and had a distinct character profile. My favorite characters are Lan and Shae but I empathized with most of the main characters. Lan, the oldest Kaul sibling, feels the brunt of responsibility for maintaining and managing the clan. He battles living up to his family’s legacy while also trying to curate a distinct legacy for himself. He worries about how others will respect and remember him and I felt this really helped to humanize him. Hilo, the second Kaul sibling, is impulsive, hot-headed, and rash. He’s fiercely loyal to the family and the clan almost to a fault. Hilo is extremely passionate in everything he does and that’s what makes him endearing but that’s also his character flaw. He puts his duties for the clan above all else and he holds other to the same standard. Shae, the youngest Kaul sibling, tries to shirk her responsibilities to the clan. She is trying to escape her family’s legacy and she doesn’t want anything to do with it. She strives to be independent and self-sufficient. Shae is tenacious, ambitious, and stubborn. All the siblings are so different from each other and they’re contending with how to forge their identities in relation to the clan. They each have a different outlook on clan allegiance and Kekon’s social organization in general. Jade City is character-driven and they each have to navigate the expectations that are placed on them and they each handle those expectations differently.
The drama in the story was also compelling. The characters’ behaviors were unpredictable so I was always caught of guard by something they did or what would happen in the story. There is one moment in particular that has left me bitter and I have a serious bone to pick with Fonda Lee. I still haven’t recovered from it. Fonda Lee has some making up to do.
I also loved the world-building in this book. It was so thorough and immersive. I liked that from the beginning the book had maps of Kekon, the country, and Janloon, the city. This crucial in any fantasy to have firm understanding of the world and the landscape. Fonda Lee was also really thorough in describing the social organization of city. There’s clear distinctions in class and clans, and jade/non-jade wearing people. I also really liked the cultural and religious traditions woven throughout the story. This added depth to story and it made the world even more realistic because every society has a cultural and religious practices. I felt so of the care that Fonda Lee put into constructing Thai society and its cultural/religious practices and values. It brought the world to life.
All probably have more to say later but for now this is what I can think of from the top of my head. I just really enjoyed this story and it’s characters and I was intrigued to know what would happen next. I’m giving this book 4.5 stars because I enjoyed it a lot but it’s not quite 5 stars because the beginning was kind of slow and there are chapters told from the POV of minor characters and sometimes they would take out of the story a little. I didn’t skip over them though bc those chapters are relevant to the plot. For those who are into fantasy I would definitely recommend this book!