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mads_reads_books's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Ableism, Drug use, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Violence, Dementia, Kidnapping, Mass/school shootings, Suicide attempt, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Addiction, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Outing, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
pri_lakshmi's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Violence, Blood, Grief, and War
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Dementia, Medical trauma, Stalking, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Bullying, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Xenophobia, and Colonisation
widowrites's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Bullying and Blood
Moderate: Addiction, Body horror, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Dementia
trizk's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Addiction and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Misogyny and Sexual content
loudmouthbooklover's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Self harm, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, War, and Classism
lonelylooper's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Racism, Self harm, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Mental illness
Minor: Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexual assault, and Suicide
praaliine's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Drug use and Dementia
Minor: Sexual content and Torture
rnbhargava's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Bullying, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racism, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, Dementia, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Domestic abuse, Sexism, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Alcohol
This is the first part of a fantasy tinged saga about a crime family. All the violence and tropes of mafia stories are present here. Certain things are also essentially superpowers. That said, it’s also very gritty with hard hitting violence. There’s mental illness, there’s drug addiction, there’s deteriorating health of the elderly old leader. There’s suggestions that one character is a sex offender and pervert. There’s essentially ableism surrounding certain figures born to Jade user families but can’t use Jade abilities, ableism suggestions. There’s vilification and racism toward certain outside nations albeit because they’re also colonizing forces. Also, certain characters’ relationships with foreign nationals are heavily talked about with racist suggestion. The connection between drug addiction and potential suicide is a major theme in the story because it’s framed within the context of jade ability performance enhancement drug usage. There’s a lot of heavy themes to suggest while reading through this mafia family novel.bubbly_lara's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Cursing, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Child abuse, Drug abuse, Dementia, Kidnapping, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Rape, and Sexual content
mikarala's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Basically, the Kaul family controls the No Peak clan, one of the two prominent clans in the city of Janloon, the capital of Kekon. The clans are basically cartels than manage the production and distribution of the magical resource of jade, which supplies those who can use it with superhuman abilities. Maintaining control over the clan, we see early on, is not an enviable position. The eldest Kaul sibling, Lan, is struggling after taking over from his legendary grandfather. The way the narrative presents Lan's struggles to live with dignity and honour while being constantly found wanting was incredibly compelling to me, and I felt so much empathy towards the difficulty Lan faces in the position. Matters are not helped by the fact that his younger sister, Shae, is eschewing the Greenbone way of life by refusing to wear any jade, in the process basically disrespecting their family tradition, and his younger brother and right-hand man, Hilo, is a hothead intent on escalating tensions with the only clan more powerful than the No Paek's: the Mountain clan. These conflicting agendas, alongside some suspicious changes to the status quo on the streets of Janloon, make for an incredibly tense and exciting read.
I also just think the world-building is absolutely masterful. Something I really appreciated was that Fonda Lee resists the urge to exposition-dump on every newly introduced aspect of the world, respecting the reader can understand what's going on even if some of the details aren't revealed until later on. She gives you the perfect amount to understand what's going on in each scene, without it ever hampering the action and flow of the narrative. For instance, early on someone wishes as a formality that the old Kaul Sen will live for 300 years. It's not until hundreds of pages later that you get the backstory that this saying originates with the religion of Kekon island (which, itself, is so well entangled with the resource of jade), as there is a mythological Greenbone warrior who lived for 300 years after discovering how to harness the power of jade. It's small things like this that work together to create a fantasy world that feels so vibrant and well-realized and holisitic that you can't help but be immersed in it.
Also, how refreshing to have a modern-ish Asian fantasy setting! Taking inspiration from various Asian metropolises (imo, particularly Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taipei/Taiwan), this universe is so distinctive and stylized.
And, like I said, I loved the characters, despite the fact that they aren't necessarily good guys. I already mentioned Lan, but Shae's somewhat renegade position made for a fascinating perspective on the benefits and drawbacks of jade usage. I appreciated her underlying conflicting feelings about what it means to be an independent woman in this male-dominated world. Hilo was volatile, but I fell in love anyways because of how whole-heartedly he does everything. He gives his all to those he loves, and expects the same in return. Anden, who I haven't mentioned yet, is their adoptive younger, mixed-race brother/cousin, whose imposter syndrome regarding being a member of the powerful Kaul family is so relable and honestly endearing. Overall, I just couldn't help but root for them.
Do yourself a favour and read this book.
Graphic: Gore and Violence
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Sexual harassment