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fedoratheexplora's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Violence, Blood, Murder, Abandonment, and War
Moderate: Gun violence, Sexual content, Torture, and Injury/Injury detail
iono's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-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? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Violence, Xenophobia, and Murder
Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, War, and Classism
Minor: Body horror, Cursing, Homophobia, Rape, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
evaroy's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.5
Very overhyped.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Addiction, Drug abuse, and Drug use
kornwaiisms's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
5 stars for jade city !!!!!!!!! sorry im still recovering-
—i am obsessed with hilo. apologies. i know i should dislike him rn but i can't. he's a bitch and i want to beat him up but he's my bitch and i would do it in a sibling way. also, he's hot. i want him.i can take him. goodbye.
—shae is amazing i want more of her i want to see her thrive!!!! the potential!!!! she has so much to give!!
—lan i would do anything for you!!! I'm so sadhe died but also that writing choice was phenomenal lowkey. or highkey. I'm obsessed with it. what would have happened had he not died? would things be worse or not? (well, maybe worse in a different way, because hilo and shae running the clan will quite possibly be the end of it fr fjkdkdj )
—anden!!! he's such a specific type of character and he grew to become another type of character? it makes so much sense. i want to see what he does next asap.
—wen my beloved, she was incredible. i need more of her urgently. i loved the maik brothers too.
—drum roll,,,,, the sibling dynamics killed me. lan, hilo, shae, anden, all their separate combinations and all of them together (ouch) was literally everything i needed. im a sucker for complex sibling relationships and in this story?? im eating it up. that's it.
—bero was annoying. then he was despicable. but he has something, i can't deny it.
:'))))))) ✌️👍✍️ i loved this book!! on to the next!!! read it if you like asian big cities with enemy clans fighting with martial arts, knives, guns, magical stones, politics, COMPLEX SIBLING RELATIONSHIPS, little romance, fully fleshed characters, lots of intrigue and suspense <33
—i am obsessed with hilo. apologies. i know i should dislike him rn but i can't. he's a bitch and i want to beat him up but he's my bitch and i would do it in a sibling way. also, he's hot. i want him.
—shae is amazing i want more of her i want to see her thrive!!!! the potential!!!! she has so much to give!!
—lan i would do anything for you!!! I'm so sad
—anden!!! he's such a specific type of character and he grew to become another type of character? it makes so much sense. i want to see what he does next asap.
—wen my beloved, she was incredible. i need more of her urgently. i loved the maik brothers too.
—drum roll,,,,, the sibling dynamics killed me. lan, hilo, shae, anden, all their separate combinations and all of them together (ouch) was literally everything i needed. im a sucker for complex sibling relationships and in this story?? im eating it up. that's it.
—bero was annoying. then he was despicable. but he has something, i can't deny it.
:'))))))) ✌️👍✍️ i loved this book!! on to the next!!! read it if you like asian big cities with enemy clans fighting with martial arts, knives, guns, magical stones, politics, COMPLEX SIBLING RELATIONSHIPS, little romance, fully fleshed characters, lots of intrigue and suspense <33
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Violence, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
nightaviations's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? No
2.5
if i was interested in the characters and invested in their wellbeing i would have been able to care about the clan war. unfortunately, the characters i thought i would love did not get much time to shine. also the fatphobic descriptions sprinkled in there made me so uncomfortable.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Misogyny, Violence, and Murder
sophiesometimesreads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
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
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Turns out I'm a big fan of political intrigue because this was so interesting to me, despite a lot of it being rooted in the politics of the world and clan interactions.
It was slower paced at the start than some fantasies but I loved getting to know the characters, which are arguably the strongest part of this book, as well as the world and magic system. As the book progresses, we get more action, but the core of this book is rooted in the politics of the world, so this may not be for everyone but it was for me.
A deep and complex world, a fleshed-out magic system and an interesting and real cast of characters. I cannot wait to dive into the rest of this series!
It was slower paced at the start than some fantasies but I loved getting to know the characters, which are arguably the strongest part of this book, as well as the world and magic system. As the book progresses, we get more action, but the core of this book is rooted in the politics of the world, so this may not be for everyone but it was for me.
A deep and complex world, a fleshed-out magic system and an interesting and real cast of characters. I cannot wait to dive into the rest of this series!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, and Death of parent
Minor: Pedophilia
crybabybea's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I have mixed feelings. I enjoyed reading this and found enough things I liked to keep going, but it didn't quite meet the hype for me.
The plot, inspired by old-school kung fu and Chinese gangster movies, was fresh and interesting, but it didn't push the envelope or add anything new. There are high-stakes politics, with a couple of good twists at the end. The plot is fairly generic, with real-world elements changed to imaginative fantasy ones.
The world-building was well-done. I appreciated the author's focus on small details. The world follows a stereotypical Confucian blueprint of patriarchal values, filial piety, and honor. Since it's urban fantasy, there wasn't an overwhelming amount of new information to process, making it easy to grasp the setting and its culture. The focus on Kekon made the setting feel intimate and immersive, and the capital Janloon felt bustling and full of life. Again, it's urban fantasy, so don't expect sprawling Fellowship of the Ring adventures.
I liked the characters but wanted to see a bit more from them. Anden had the coolest characterization, with an interesting backstory that made his motivations feel complex. I would have liked more from the villain, who has an intriguing story. There is a serious lack of complexity when it comes to the female main characters, so I hope they are explored more in the next installments. I see potential in the characters and their relationships despite not fully connecting with them here.
The choice to use jade as a magic amplifier is a unique idea that fits well with the old-school kung fu themes. I liked that the magic had drawbacks and didn't feel overwhelmingly powerful. The idea of the magic being akin to an addiction that harms the body over time, while not being the adds depth to the story. The addition ofa street drug that counters the aftereffects of jade is interesting and makes it feel like we are watching the world progress. The magic system was definitely the best part of this book. It was easy to understand, fit well with the setting and premise, and wasn't overpowered.
The writing itself was okay. I liked the author's tendency toward simplicity, but explaining actions and emotions overtly rather than letting them unfold naturally was distracting. There were some hard-hitting lines but nothing that wowed me. The POV switching was well done and added a cinematic quality to the book that made the experience satisfying. It never felt confusing or unnecessary and didn't take away from the pacing.
Overall, pretty solid as the first in a trilogy. I expect the first book in a fantasy series to be a bit slower and less in-depth than the following books, and Jade City does its job well: setting up the world and characters, introducing action, and leaving things up in the air to make you want to continue the series.
The plot, inspired by old-school kung fu and Chinese gangster movies, was fresh and interesting, but it didn't push the envelope or add anything new. There are high-stakes politics, with a couple of good twists at the end. The plot is fairly generic, with real-world elements changed to imaginative fantasy ones.
The world-building was well-done. I appreciated the author's focus on small details. The world follows a stereotypical Confucian blueprint of patriarchal values, filial piety, and honor. Since it's urban fantasy, there wasn't an overwhelming amount of new information to process, making it easy to grasp the setting and its culture. The focus on Kekon made the setting feel intimate and immersive, and the capital Janloon felt bustling and full of life. Again, it's urban fantasy, so don't expect sprawling Fellowship of the Ring adventures.
I liked the characters but wanted to see a bit more from them. Anden had the coolest characterization, with an interesting backstory that made his motivations feel complex. I would have liked more from the villain, who has an intriguing story. There is a serious lack of complexity when it comes to the female main characters, so I hope they are explored more in the next installments. I see potential in the characters and their relationships despite not fully connecting with them here.
The choice to use jade as a magic amplifier is a unique idea that fits well with the old-school kung fu themes. I liked that the magic had drawbacks and didn't feel overwhelmingly powerful. The idea of the magic being akin to an addiction that harms the body over time, while not being the adds depth to the story. The addition of
The writing itself was okay. I liked the author's tendency toward simplicity, but explaining actions and emotions overtly rather than letting them unfold naturally was distracting. There were some hard-hitting lines but nothing that wowed me. The POV switching was well done and added a cinematic quality to the book that made the experience satisfying. It never felt confusing or unnecessary and didn't take away from the pacing.
Overall, pretty solid as the first in a trilogy. I expect the first book in a fantasy series to be a bit slower and less in-depth than the following books, and Jade City does its job well: setting up the world and characters, introducing action, and leaving things up in the air to make you want to continue the series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Self harm, Sexism, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Dementia, Grief, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Alcohol, and War
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Torture, and Mass/school shootings
The plot heavily revolves around a street drug that is similar to amphetamines. The drug and its usage are described in detail, including the use of needles and the characters' feelings after usage. The magic system itself behaves like an addiction, if characters use too much jade or use jade for too long it causes a mental sickness that drives them to things like dementia or suicide. A minor character is shown in a flashback committing self-harm and suicide. A minor character is revealed to be pedophilic with a past of abusing children and there are no repercussions. Heavy usage of violence and guns, with a scene involving a planned mass shooting.minxtte's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Racism, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
unsuccessfulbookclub's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I enjoyed this modern fantasy take on gangster warfare. Lee has built an interesting post-war Asian world complete with territory disputes, magic and foreign powers interfering. Layers and layers of betrayal and plot twists. The audiobook is excellent, too!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Suicide, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail
dani794's review against another edition
4.5
"Family was duty. Blood was destiny. And jade was the key to it all."
The world building in this was fun, I felt like I could really imagine the world that's so dedicated to jade! It does feel a little slow to start with but it transitions to action very nicely.
The range of characters is nice, they all felt different and you can understand why each character thinks the way they do. It can be hard to track all the characters so having a list in front of you is a good idea lmao. I like there was a lean into the emotions of war but I wish I felt more connected/emotional. I did like it though, it was a nice start.
I particularly like Bero's thought processwhen he "killed" Lan and received no recognition for it.
I've heard it just gets better in the next few books so I'm excited to contnue!
The world building in this was fun, I felt like I could really imagine the world that's so dedicated to jade! It does feel a little slow to start with but it transitions to action very nicely.
The range of characters is nice, they all felt different and you can understand why each character thinks the way they do. It can be hard to track all the characters so having a list in front of you is a good idea lmao. I like there was a lean into the emotions of war but I wish I felt more connected/emotional. I did like it though, it was a nice start.
I particularly like Bero's thought process
I've heard it just gets better in the next few books so I'm excited to contnue!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Sexual content, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, and War