Reviews tagging 'Torture'

Jade War by Fonda Lee

36 reviews

matoyak's review against another edition

dark tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

A significant drop in quality from book one. The author's not great at writing romance, and this one really focuses on that a lot. The politics are interesting, and the family drama stays mostly good. Characterization is lacking, and important stuff is brushed over very quickly during timeskips off-screen. I have heard good things of book 3, so here's hoping the series recovers.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Murder, Violence, Xenophobia, and Torture

bubbly_lara's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• 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

This was as good as Jade City. We follow the Kaul family even further in their efforts to secure No Peak's position in Kekon and are given much more POVs and insights than in the first book. Anden is now living abroad in Port Massy, Republic of Espenia, and we follow him and his endeavour to make a home for himself far away from the Green Bone culture, family and expectations he grew up in. There's so much happening at the same time while tensions are high and the stakes are as high as they can get. I cannot wait to see how the story concludes in Jade Legacy.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, War, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Alcohol, Racial slurs, Violence, Blood, Cursing, Drug abuse, Grief, Racism, Sexism, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Abortion, Stalking, Pregnancy, and Vomit

Minor: Rape and Sexual assault

helterskelliter'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

4.5

“‘Out of small resentments, spring great wars.’” (292)

What an INTENSE book!

This story picks up not too after the events of the first book. Once petty disputes amongst Green Bone clans have escalated into bloody battles in the streets and beyond Kekon’s borders between powerful—and vengeful—players.

Every time I believe the heat can’t possibly be ratcheted up any higher, this story turns the dial further and further. I was white-knuckling this book until the very last page.

Lee certainly has turned cruelty into an art form in this series, revenge a brush she wields deftly and with calculating skill. 

I am utterly obsessed with the island of Kekon and what becomes of the as honorable as brutal Green Bone clans who call it home.

I cannot recommend this series enough! It is the perfect choice for readers who enjoy high drama, high fantasy stories or gangster tales that remind one of the best aspects of The Godfather~

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Violence, and Torture

Minor: Abortion

lisafer's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, War, Blood, Death, Hate crime, Racism, Torture, Xenophobia, Gore, Gun violence, and Physical abuse

leanne_miron's review

adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Violence, Death, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Biphobia, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Sexism, Torture, Abortion, Death of parent, and Gore

Minor: Homophobia, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Pregnancy

bearystarry's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

I think this was the perfect sequel to the first book.

Even though my favourite character died halfway through the first book

these characters are some of my favourites in everything I've ever read. Even when you're frustrated by them you love them. Shae's arc was Heartbreaking. I'm terrified (in the best way, if that's possible) to read the final book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Addiction, Gun violence, Drug abuse, Violence, Drug use, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Xenophobia, Sexual content, Colonisation, Blood, Alcohol, Murder, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, Abortion, Death of parent, Cursing, Excrement, Death, and Classism

Moderate: Sexual violence, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Self harm, Rape, Pedophilia, Cancer, Adult/minor relationship, Terminal illness, and War

takarakei'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

When I first started this series I really knew nothing going in except kung-fu inspired jade magic and mafioso type families (based on a talk I saw Fonda at). About halfway through this second book in the series I realized that (at least so far) these books are really a mastery of political intrigue and strategy. Honestly, now I am marveling at how much Fonda must have researched and understood about the way power-struggles often work in relation to a global chess board. The continued character development (especially of Hilo) throughout the course of this book is fantastically done. I am SO intrigued (and a bit scared for my own well being) to see how the final third book will pan out.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Racism, Death, and Murder

Moderate: War, Misogyny, Sexual content, Xenophobia, Drug use, Grief, Torture, Abortion, Animal cruelty, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Pedophilia, Rape, Slavery, and Police brutality

Rape (off page, in non descriptive detail) Animal cruelty - like book 1 a lot of derogatory language involving animals, cock-fighting (not extremely explicit) and 'testing' magic on mice.

cardanrry's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Violence, Blood, Body horror, Death, Grief, Gun violence, Misogyny, Xenophobia, War, and Torture

Moderate: Homophobia, Rape, Sexual content, Abortion, and Addiction

jessiereads98's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

• 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

4.75

While this one doesn’t hit quite as hard for me as Jade City did, it’s close. If I could give this like a 4.85 or 4.90 it would be more accurate. Fonda Lee continues and expands her masterful world building here by interweaving international cultures and politics with that of Kekon. The crafting of politics and international relations here is truly an impressive feat. Unfortunately with the new politics, settings, and characters we end up losing some time with Kekon and the Kauls. The time jumping around and pacing in this book just felt messier and more inconsistent to me than the first book. The pacing doesn’t seem to pick up to where it was in the first book until the last 150-200 pages when the separate threads laid out throughout the story start to come together. Overall a strong follow up to Jade City but does seem to suffer somewhat from the second book syndrome of largely setting things up for the third book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Drug use, Violence, Xenophobia, Addiction, and Death

Moderate: Blood, Racism, Torture, Gore, and Gun violence

Minor: Confinement, Rape, Grief, Misogyny, Abortion, Colonisation, Cursing, Medical content, Sexism, Sexual content, Alcohol, Classism, Fire/Fire injury, Homophobia, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, and War

adhdru'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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Racism, Torture, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, War, Sexism, Violence, Death, Addiction, Gun violence, Drug use, and Sexual content