Reviews with content warning for Self harm - Ciudad de Jade

4 ⭐ CW: Violence, blood, death, self harm mention, suicide mention, sexual content, gun violence

Jade City by Fonda Lee is book one in the Green Bone Saga. This was a modern wuxia gangster story that was sort of like an Asian inspired The Godfather. Although, not my typical kind of read, I did enjoy it, despite the slower pace.

We follow four Green Bone siblings in the Kaul family in the No Peak clan in Kekon. Lan, the oldest and the Pillar of the clan is reasonable, savvy, and respected; Hilo, the second brother is the clan's Horn in charge of the military arm of things and is brash, charismatic, and quick to anger; Shae, the youngest sister who has just returned from foreign schooling and is struggling with her identity since trying to distance herself from clan business; and Anden, the young adopted half-Kekonese son attending an academy for aspiring Green Bones.

The No Peak clan has been living in a time of peace since the Many Nations war ended, but when the rival clan the Mountain starts trying to gain more power, No Peak must use their Jade and show their power. Each of the siblings wages their own inner battles along with the very real battles happening in the streets.

This book had some of the most excellent world-building and culture building I've ever read. In just under 500 pages, Lee has created an entire fleshed out culture, belief system, and magic system all focused on Kekon's natural resource: Jade. In this world Jade gives power to anyone holding it, increasing their speed, strength, perception, along with other supernatural abilities. Jade doesn't come without its cost, however. Green Bones must train for years before they can tolerate carrying Jade without succumbing to fever and going mad. The structure of the clans were so complex! They had such a rigid system around politeness and civility.

This was a great story about family, power, and business with a dash of fantasy. I'm not sure if I'll continue the series or not. I think I'll have to be in the right mood to read the next one. Glad I picked this up though!

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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 of

a 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.

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