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A review by laurenj1398
Jade City by Fonda Lee
challenging
dark
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
I went into this Asian mafia urban fantasy novel with not much knowledge of the story - I had heard some good reviews on TikTok and wanted to support an Asian author. I spent a lot of this book feeling very neutral towards the characters, not super invested in their stories. The big plot twist/turning point of the story didn’t really make me feel any type of way. But at some point between then and the end I really became invested in the story! By the end of the book I found myself looking forward to finding out what happens next for the Kaul family.
I will say that the writing is great and it never felt like a slog to read, even when I wasn’t the most interested. I did like how the story followed the perspectives of various characters throughout. I wonder if in the next two books we’ll see the perspective of someone from the Mountain clan!
The world building took some time and effort, but by the second half of the book I understood the societal hierarchy, the politics of Kekon, and the Jade magic/power system very well.
I look forward to reading the rest of the trilogy!
I will say that the writing is great and it never felt like a slog to read, even when I wasn’t the most interested. I did like how the story followed the perspectives of various characters throughout. I wonder if in the next two books we’ll see the perspective of someone from the Mountain clan!
The world building took some time and effort, but by the second half of the book I understood the societal hierarchy, the politics of Kekon, and the Jade magic/power system very well.
I look forward to reading the rest of the trilogy!