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A review by umeboshhhi
Jade City by Fonda Lee
2.0
The first half of this book was difficult to get through, and it wasn’t easy pinpointing exactly why until I got to the second half. The nomenclature system, the combat system and the definitions of series-specific terminology came in bursts, and ill-timed ones at that. Lee seems to just insert terms and never defines them, and whether they’re meant to be intuitive or not isn’t clear until you’ve reached past the 60% mark of the book and suddenly there are finally detailed descriptions of how you were meant to visualise and understand these terms. Frankly, it was infuriating to see Green Bone weaponry described in detail for the first time in the last couple of chapters of the book instead of taking advantage of the one character that is being formed academically as a Green Bone and putting all the introductory lore there.
I feel it is because the story is told using third person omniscient narration that it feels so difficult to become immersed in the world of the Kauls. Every time the story takes you out, coming back feels more and more like a chore and the mysteries weaved into the story are no longer as interesting as they were upon first introduction.
If the narrative had been split into parts where we explored the minds, intentions and raw feelings of a chosen group of characters (for example, if the book had been split into parts narrated from the perspectives of Bero, Shae, Anden, Lan and Hilo) maybe their eventual actions would have felt more impactful. Instead the entire story feels distant and therefore inconsequential.
I understand I’m part of the minority when it comes to my opinion of this book, although I do recognise that credit must be given where credit is due. The use of jade as a means to channel ethno-racially tied magic is a brilliant idea, and Lee does a good job of defining the importance of a united community.
But it is probably because of the way Lee has used unity, family and blood that this plot felt so insipid: there is no individuality to the decisions made by a vast majority of the characters, and because of the way it is written, you never feel like you truly know or understand any of them. Their ambitions are tied to their personal greed, sure, but so often passages end with “for the clan” that it feels like it purposely means to permeate the idea of oneness and not the importance of independent thought/actions. One of the only two characters who do end up choosing themselves over the clan ends up eating their words in the end, which is still on-brand for Green Bones but disappointing for anyone looking forward to a character that goes against a broken, corrupt, outdated system and actually sticks to their guns. As for the other one, well, it’ll be some time before I come back for the second and third instalments of the series to find out.
Clans behave as one whole body, and the members make up its parts. It can move and function without some parts, while others are pivotal to its survival. If that seems like an enticing idea to be explored in novel form, then the Green Bone saga is probably for you. Otherwise, I’d skip this.
I feel it is because the story is told using third person omniscient narration that it feels so difficult to become immersed in the world of the Kauls. Every time the story takes you out, coming back feels more and more like a chore and the mysteries weaved into the story are no longer as interesting as they were upon first introduction.
If the narrative had been split into parts where we explored the minds, intentions and raw feelings of a chosen group of characters (for example, if the book had been split into parts narrated from the perspectives of Bero, Shae, Anden, Lan and Hilo) maybe their eventual actions would have felt more impactful. Instead the entire story feels distant and therefore inconsequential.
I understand I’m part of the minority when it comes to my opinion of this book, although I do recognise that credit must be given where credit is due. The use of jade as a means to channel ethno-racially tied magic is a brilliant idea, and Lee does a good job of defining the importance of a united community.
But it is probably because of the way Lee has used unity, family and blood that this plot felt so insipid: there is no individuality to the decisions made by a vast majority of the characters, and because of the way it is written, you never feel like you truly know or understand any of them. Their ambitions are tied to their personal greed, sure, but so often passages end with “for the clan” that it feels like it purposely means to permeate the idea of oneness and not the importance of independent thought/actions. One of the only two characters who do end up choosing themselves over the clan ends up eating their words in the end, which is still on-brand for Green Bones but disappointing for anyone looking forward to a character that goes against a broken, corrupt, outdated system and actually sticks to their guns. As for the other one, well, it’ll be some time before I come back for the second and third instalments of the series to find out.
Clans behave as one whole body, and the members make up its parts. It can move and function without some parts, while others are pivotal to its survival. If that seems like an enticing idea to be explored in novel form, then the Green Bone saga is probably for you. Otherwise, I’d skip this.