Scan barcode
goodreads's reviews
129 reviews
Jade City by Fonda Lee
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-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
a full, more coherent, and more grammatically correct review of Jade City will soon be up on my blog, Sophie and Their Stories!
Reading Jade City, I was reminded of the interview in the back on (of all books) Cinder by Marissa Meyer: Meyer wanted to make a novel about an East-meets-West fusion through her retelling of Cinderella in a city called “New Beijing.” If you follow me online, you know that I’m not the biggest fan of Cinder, and that I was skeptical about books that claimed to be an “East-meets-West fusion.”
Then I read Jade City.
Dude.
This is how you craft an East-meets-West fusion. This is how you write a book. 😤 Fonda Lee’s adult fantasy debut will influence my writing style and reading choices from here on out.
*Heath Ledger’s Joker voice* You ever read a book that changed you?
ABSOLUTELY MENTAL. I’M MELTING. I’VE BEEN OBLITERATED. I LOVE JADE CITY.
I was raised on Hong Kong action flicks and Asian high-fantasy alike. My mom is a Jackie Chan and Donnie Yen stan, and she always made sure that us kids watched every new release from Hong Kong’s action cinema. Heck, we had an Ip Man marathon just last week. Moreover, my mom always made sure we had a healthy dose of wuxia in our systems. I grew up watching dazzling fight scenes and world-shattering plots. Even today, my family keeps up with the infamously long Chinese historical fantasy dramas on every streaming service.
Jade City is the grown-up, spine-splitting, action-packed, heart-wrenching, freaking impeccable culmination of all the great media of my childhood. Lee describes Jade City as a “wuxia gangster saga.” Never before has a three-line pitch hit the mark so impeccably. I’ve said this once, and I’ll say it again: if a book makes me emit guttural noises while reading it, then it’s a dang good book.
The city of Janloon (and the island of Kekon as a whole — I’m telling you, islands make the best settings for stories) was the perfect setting for such a high-octane plot. With each description, I could hear the hum of the metropolis; see the light reflecting off the skyscrapers; catch the scent of Hilo’s favorite food, crispy squid balls. I’d probably perish from the pressure, but I want to be a Green Bone, capable of wielding jade and channeling magic.
A world is nothing without its characters. Few books with such expansive casts make me feel so close to each character. Lee is a master of getting into a character’s head — their psyche. Bero is the cousin you shake your head at but still love (or at least worry about) at the end of the day. Wen should be my girlfriend. 😋
Anden is a scene-stealer and probably my favorite character in the novel. This warrants him having his own paragraph. Maybe it’s because, like Anden Emery, I’m teetering between age eighteen and up, high school and what comes after — also, I will mention, he’s casually queer, and in way thatks a part of who he is, and not the central focus of his emotional arc, so yay!) but I felt particularly connected with him. (To an extent. Y’all who have read the book from start to finish, you know the cutting-off point.) The change from his first appearance to his last is something to behold.
But the Kaul siblings. THE KAUL SIBLINGS. They are the lifeblood of their clan, No Peak (a name which I shouted almost every time I came across it in the book), and the triad of the beating hearts that make Jade City what it is. I’ll go more in-depth about them on my forthcoming blog review!
TL;DR: Magnum opus.
I still have to read the sequel, though.
Reading Jade City, I was reminded of the interview in the back on (of all books) Cinder by Marissa Meyer: Meyer wanted to make a novel about an East-meets-West fusion through her retelling of Cinderella in a city called “New Beijing.” If you follow me online, you know that I’m not the biggest fan of Cinder, and that I was skeptical about books that claimed to be an “East-meets-West fusion.”
Then I read Jade City.
Dude.
This is how you craft an East-meets-West fusion. This is how you write a book. 😤 Fonda Lee’s adult fantasy debut will influence my writing style and reading choices from here on out.
*Heath Ledger’s Joker voice* You ever read a book that changed you?
ABSOLUTELY MENTAL. I’M MELTING. I’VE BEEN OBLITERATED. I LOVE JADE CITY.
I was raised on Hong Kong action flicks and Asian high-fantasy alike. My mom is a Jackie Chan and Donnie Yen stan, and she always made sure that us kids watched every new release from Hong Kong’s action cinema. Heck, we had an Ip Man marathon just last week. Moreover, my mom always made sure we had a healthy dose of wuxia in our systems. I grew up watching dazzling fight scenes and world-shattering plots. Even today, my family keeps up with the infamously long Chinese historical fantasy dramas on every streaming service.
Jade City is the grown-up, spine-splitting, action-packed, heart-wrenching, freaking impeccable culmination of all the great media of my childhood. Lee describes Jade City as a “wuxia gangster saga.” Never before has a three-line pitch hit the mark so impeccably. I’ve said this once, and I’ll say it again: if a book makes me emit guttural noises while reading it, then it’s a dang good book.
The city of Janloon (and the island of Kekon as a whole — I’m telling you, islands make the best settings for stories) was the perfect setting for such a high-octane plot. With each description, I could hear the hum of the metropolis; see the light reflecting off the skyscrapers; catch the scent of Hilo’s favorite food, crispy squid balls. I’d probably perish from the pressure, but I want to be a Green Bone, capable of wielding jade and channeling magic.
A world is nothing without its characters. Few books with such expansive casts make me feel so close to each character. Lee is a master of getting into a character’s head — their psyche. Bero is the cousin you shake your head at but still love (or at least worry about) at the end of the day. Wen should be my girlfriend. 😋
Anden is a scene-stealer and probably my favorite character in the novel. This warrants him having his own paragraph. Maybe it’s because, like Anden Emery, I’m teetering between age eighteen and up, high school and what comes after — also, I will mention, he’s casually queer, and in way thatks a part of who he is, and not the central focus of his emotional arc, so yay!) but I felt particularly connected with him. (To an extent. Y’all who have read the book from start to finish, you know the cutting-off point.) The change from his first appearance to his last is something to behold.
But the Kaul siblings. THE KAUL SIBLINGS. They are the lifeblood of their clan, No Peak (a name which I shouted almost every time I came across it in the book), and the triad of the beating hearts that make Jade City what it is. I’ll go more in-depth about them on my forthcoming blog review!
TL;DR: Magnum opus.
I still have to read the sequel, though.
A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin
5.0
The best book in the series. Every detail that has come before bursts into a mighty, relentless flame. And now I’m on fire.
Space Opera by Catherynne M. Valente
5.0
This book made me feel like dancing, bro. Decibel Jones breaks the sound barrier. Mira Wonderful Star will forever be the drummer of my heart.
There Are More Beautiful Things Than Beyoncé by Morgan Parker
5.0
I was moved by Parker’s introspective insights into the practices of feminism, the effects of pop culture, and the stigmas on mental illness. Slaps. Would recommend. This is the type of poetry I should be analyzing in class.
China Rich Girlfriend by Kevin Kwan
4.0
I read this book before reading Crazy Rich Asians and before watching the film (because the waiting list for Crazy Rich Asians at my local library was hella long my dude). It was absolutely compelling nonetheless — it stood on its own two book-ly feet, and I didn't need to be familiar with its predecessor to enjoy it. Stan Kitty Pong.