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A review by abooknomad
Jade War by Fonda Lee
adventurous
emotional
tense
slow-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
5.0
Fonda Lee, take my jade.
My mind will only be able to fully absorb and process the intricacy of this storyline, the way every piece was arranged and perfectly fell in place, and how carefully the tapestry of character arcs, political plotting, and interpersonal rivalry was so artfully interwoven and brought to fruition on a reread.
This was a slow-paced sequel. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t wish that certain plotlines had developed faster or that certain POVs (read: Bero’s) took less space in the story but having finished this book it’s astonishing how every conversation, every scene of political manoeuvring, every character moment matters. THE. ATTENTION. TO. DETAIL. OF IT ALL. I WANT TO WEEP. Fonda Lee is not only a great storyteller, but she’s also a crafty worldbuilder – she takes real-world diplomacy, political scheming, and societal and economic concerns and adapts them to the rules of her world in the most delicious of ways.
I love the Kauls, all of them, despite their vices and at times complicated relationships with each other. Maybe that’s why I cried twice. I love how the No Peak clan embodies the tensions of a society stuck to the past by its traditions, but whose survival and future depend on it adapting and opening up to other ways of doing – and given that I finished this book on the day of Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral I’m drawing a lot of parallels.
I’m equally excited and terrified of reading the third and final book in the series. I’m not ready to say goodbye to this family and world.
The clan is my blood, and the Pillar is its master.
My mind will only be able to fully absorb and process the intricacy of this storyline, the way every piece was arranged and perfectly fell in place, and how carefully the tapestry of character arcs, political plotting, and interpersonal rivalry was so artfully interwoven and brought to fruition on a reread.
This was a slow-paced sequel. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t wish that certain plotlines had developed faster or that certain POVs (read: Bero’s) took less space in the story but having finished this book it’s astonishing how every conversation, every scene of political manoeuvring, every character moment matters. THE. ATTENTION. TO. DETAIL. OF IT ALL. I WANT TO WEEP. Fonda Lee is not only a great storyteller, but she’s also a crafty worldbuilder – she takes real-world diplomacy, political scheming, and societal and economic concerns and adapts them to the rules of her world in the most delicious of ways.
I love the Kauls, all of them, despite their vices and at times complicated relationships with each other. Maybe that’s why I cried twice. I love how the No Peak clan embodies the tensions of a society stuck to the past by its traditions, but whose survival and future depend on it adapting and opening up to other ways of doing – and given that I finished this book on the day of Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral I’m drawing a lot of parallels.
I’m equally excited and terrified of reading the third and final book in the series. I’m not ready to say goodbye to this family and world.
The clan is my blood, and the Pillar is its master.