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perfectcupoftea's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Gun violence, Mental illness, Racism, Self harm, Torture, Violence, Blood, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , War, and Injury/Injury detail
crybabybea's review against another edition
- 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
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.
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.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
sarah984'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
This book really just blew me away. It's a family saga, and a gangster novel, and a story about a formerly isolated nation forced to confront the wider world and figure out how to live alongside it. The world (especially the advantages and drawbacks of jade magic and how that is integrated) is fascinating, and all of the characters feel like real people. This book is long but not a single word feels wasted - everything that comes up even once matters.
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Animal death, Drug abuse, Gore, Xenophobia, Medical content, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Alcohol
Minor: Ableism, Bullying, Chronic illness, Confinement, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Mass/school shootings, War, and Classism
kinomatica's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Self harm, Suicide, Terminal illness, Violence, Medical content, Dementia, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Body horror, Bullying, Misogyny, Self harm, Sexism, Kidnapping, Abortion, Outing, Cultural appropriation, Abandonment, and Colonisation
Minor: Alcohol