A review by heyleigh05
Jade War by Fonda Lee

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

 

I really think Fonda Lee is trying to destroy me. She had me so tense at times and other times I was ready to fight her. This all may sound aggressive but trust me, these feelings are good! I enjoyed Jade War so much! I think I like it more than book one. In this book Fonda Lee expands the world-building to an international scale. We see how Kekon fits into the global landscape and learn about other countries in this world. The world-building is not only expanded geographically, but also socially. Fonda Lee has more interludes in the book that expand the religious and cultural beliefs of Kekon. I just love how she grounds the history and culture of the country and she really brings it life. I really believe in the world that Fonda Lee has created. I also liked how Fonda Lee addressed xenophobia and imperialism in this book. It felt realistic. Fonda Lee also addressed how foreign world powers will exploit the natural resources of other (developing) countries. Kekon is a huge target because of its jade. 

Fonda Lee also adds more dimension to the characters. We see new sides of them and learn how far they are willing to go to achieve the goals they want. Jade War focuses on the Kaul family after the clan war, but the Mountain clan is always a constant threat and even though they have a truce they will never be at peace. The Kaul family also encounters new foreign allies and enemies. They have to negotiate and battle foreign and domestic adversaries. Our main characters are also challenged in new ways even Hilo. 

Now I’m still very bitter about Lan’s death but luckily, I still have Shae and Wen really grew on me in this book. Shae has always been my girl, but she really made me her ride or die this book. Shae’s mettle was really tested in this book and I was so nervous for her but she didn’t disappoint! As for Wen, I just really admired her fierce loyalty and she can even be kind of cutthroat when it comes to protecting the clan and Hilo, in particular. I will always have beef with Fonda Lee for what she did to Lan, but she redeemed herself a little in Jade War. That’s not to say that our favorite characters escaped unscathed this book. Fonda Lee really tried it and she had me tense so many times in this book. Nobody is safe and that’s what makes me nervous for book three. Several times I said that if anything happened to Shae then Fonda Lee and I would just have to fight. (Spoiler: Shae lives to see book three so thank you for small blessings!) I also appreciated seeing a different side of Hilo in this book. I always knew that he was loyal and passionate, but we still see a sensitive side to him this time around. 

As far as plot, the plot in Jade War isn’t as concrete as book one. There are actually several different plot points in this book in a Game of Thrones kind of way. I would say Jade War is more plot driven rather than character driven but Fonda Lee does further develop them. I will say however, that I would like to see Jade Legacy be more character-driven and I want it to focus more on the characters’ growth. As you can probably tell I really look forward to book three, Jade Legacy! I even think that I’m going to pre-order it and I’m considering just buying the whole series! I just know that Fonda Lee is going to wreck me in book three and while I’m ready I’m also not ready.