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jg34's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
I have never heard anyone say a bad word about this series so I went in with high expectations. I was certainly impressed by the complex world the author created, but I fear I’m more of a character girlie than a plot girlie. I sort of feel neutral about everyone, which did make a certain death easier to handle tbh but I’d like to learn more! Gimme more emotions, more back story, more internal conflict!!
That being said the story was great, not as mind-blowing as I thought it would be but definitely a respectable 4/5 ⭐️ and I will be continuing on with the series!
That being said the story was great, not as mind-blowing as I thought it would be but definitely a respectable 4/5 ⭐️ and I will be continuing on with the series!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Violence, and War
Moderate: Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Sexual content
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
strawberrybooks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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? No
4.75
I listened to the audiobook and was absolutely enraptured by this rich world. The author does an absolutely amazing job creating thrilling clan politics that have you considering the different perspectives of the characters and how their current circumstances have led them to making their choices. Each character is amazingly fleshed out.
The only reason I’m knocking it down a star is sometimes felt like I was listening to a history textbook happening in real time, and just needed a liiiiitle more personalization. But I think that’s more personal taste.
The only reason I’m knocking it down a star is sometimes felt like I was listening to a history textbook happening in real time, and just needed a liiiiitle more personalization. But I think that’s more personal taste.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Violence
Minor: Addiction, Drug use, Gun violence, Blood, Murder, and Alcohol
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
josiah17's review against another edition
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Well, glad to be done with this. Unfortunately, I believe Jade City to be pretty overhyped. I was never captivated by this clan rivalry narrative, nor did I care for any of the characters besides Shae and sometimes Anden. Fonda Lee's writing often felt distant and stilted to me, preventing any real sense of connection into the perspectives of the characters and true depth to what makes them tick. And I simply didn't enjoy to read about many of them. Hilo was an arrogant and shortsighted idiot who annoyed me to death. I understand that's intentional and there's surely an arc he goes through. But It's one thing where an author can write unlikeable characters like Hilo and still make you care and attached to them (Joe Abercrombie being the best example of this). Sadly that's just not the case here.
I do admit the urban setting grew on me over time after it initially felt quite odd and out of place even though I knew this was the setting ahead of time. I also feel the magic system could become more interesting with how fundamental jade is to the economy and political landscape, even though I did feel let down by how vaguely the different enhancements are described and explored.
Ultimately, I'm just left feeling absolutely nothing at the end of the book. Very unlikely that I'll give Jade War a chance, but who knows. My completionist brain is a curse sometimes.
I do admit the urban setting grew on me over time after it initially felt quite odd and out of place even though I knew this was the setting ahead of time. I also feel the magic system could become more interesting with how fundamental jade is to the economy and political landscape, even though I did feel let down by how vaguely the different enhancements are described and explored.
Ultimately, I'm just left feeling absolutely nothing at the end of the book. Very unlikely that I'll give Jade War a chance, but who knows. My completionist brain is a curse sometimes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore and Blood
Moderate: Body horror and Sexual content
queer_bookwyrm's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
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!
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!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Sexual content, Violence, and Blood
Minor: Self harm and Suicide
persephonefoxx's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Drug use, Gun violence, Sexual content, Dementia, Grief, and War
Minor: Addiction, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Suicide, and Colonisation
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
jennireadsmaybe's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
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
I don't read a ton of adult fantasy; however, Jade City is such an interesting start to a fantasy series. It's not a favorite by any means, but I am very invested in what will happen next. Fonda Lee is phenomenal at world building. Every detail from the smallest to the biggest creates an atmosphere that is impossible not to be trapped in for a long time after putting the book down.
I liked getting glimpses at all three of the siblings, because they're all so different but trapped in this mafia like environment. Each of their personalities were distinct. Even the lesser(?) members of the Kaul and Ayt families were intriguing. Lee really captured the mafia/mob at each turn from the violent attacks to the political upheaval. I'm excited to find out what happens next for both families.
I liked getting glimpses at all three of the siblings, because they're all so different but trapped in this mafia like environment. Each of their personalities were distinct. Even the lesser(?) members of the Kaul and Ayt families were intriguing. Lee really captured the mafia/mob at each turn from the violent attacks to the political upheaval. I'm excited to find out what happens next for both families.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Addiction, Drug use, and Sexual content
Minor: Homophobia, Pedophilia, and Suicide