Review by thecriticalreader - Jade City

thecriticalreader 's review for:

Jade City by Fonda Lee

4.75

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Jade City by Fonda Lee is an addictive gangster urban fantasy with a unique world and fascinating characters.

Gosh, I wish the Warrior Cats series were this good.

Jade City is billed as “The Godfather with magic and kung fu, set in an Asia-inspired fantasy metropolis” and I think that’s an accurate description. To be clear, the plot is not the same as The Godfather, but the book borrows the urban, feuding gangster Clan setup of The Godfather and adapts it to an urban fantasy world that roughly equates to post-World War II Hong Kong. In this world, a select group of people can use jade to give themselves superpowers. The use of jade for these individuals is not risk free; it can be addictive and dangerous to those who wield too much without proper tolerance or training. The city of Janloon is ruled by two rival Clans of Greenbone Warriors people who wield Jade for militant strength. The book follows the Kaul family, rulers of one Clan, as they navigate succession challenges and the increasing threat of their rival Clan.

I think part of what makes mafia/gangster stories so compelling is that they allow the reader to indulge of stories of bloodlust and crime without feeling too guilty. These fictional mafia gangsters are bloodthirsty criminals, but at least they’re competent and have a strict moral code—that’s more than can be said about many powerful people in the real world. Once you get over the fact that there’s going to be a lot of murder and backstabbing, Jade City becomes an addictive read. Sure, the prose isn’t fancy, and there aren’t really any deep reflections on the inherent violence, patriarchy, and racism of this world (Lee’s storyline seems to neither condemn nor condones these elements, merely adding them to bolster the world’s realism), but it’s a hell of a story. Lee skillfully blends the mafia story, real-world history, and a simple but clever magic system to create an engaging setting. There’s plenty of delicious political intrigue. At its heart, well-written and well-realized characters drive the narrative. I can’t say that I was rooting for the main characters due to their murderously vindictive natures, but I was on the edge of my seat the entire time and completely invested in the story. I’m looking forward to continuing with Jade War.

Content Warnings