wolfed's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
- 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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Violence, Injury/injury detail, Death, Cursing, Gun violence, and Drug use
Moderate: Addiction, Bullying, Racism, Sexual content, War, Xenophobia, Colonisation, Dementia, Blood, and Murder
Minor: Racial slurs
just_one_more_paige's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- 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? No
4.0
This book burst onto the scene when it was first published and sounded so good. But I just wasn't able to get around to reading it right away. And then the second book was published and I figured at that point, I'd just wait and let this series be a binge read when all three were out (which, yes, was already almost a year ago, but I'm working on it!). Anyways, the time seems to finally have arrived. And I think I made the right choice, because after speeding through this first installation, I am feeling like this trilogy is the perfect candidate for a binge read situation.
The island nation of Kekon is controlled by two syndicates, Mountain Clan and No Peak Clan, who control the supply of a rare and magical jade that is only found in Kekon. These "Green Bone" clans train warriors skilled in wielding jade and using the almost superhuman abilities it provides wearers. Years ago, the Green Bones were all united in driving out a colonizing force from Kekon, but since then, their split has led to a country of warring loyalties among the non-jaded ruling parties and the common tribute-paying business people alike. The No Peak clan is led by the Kaul family who, despite some simmering internal discontent, band together when the tension between Mountain and No Peak results in the beginning of a clan war that destabilizes Kekon and threatens the future of both Green Bones and the country as a whole.
Well, as I already said, this first installation of the Green Bone Saga was infinitely binge-worthy. You drop right into the excitement and drama from the very beginning and it continues at a nonstop pace from there. Lee does an excellent job of balancing character background with plot development and I was honestly just swept away every time I picked up this book. For such a thick tome, it took me a surprisingly short time to read becasue it was just that immersive and page-turning. One of the biggest praises of this novel that I remember reading was that the world-building was exquisite. And I completely agree. It has that perfect mix of being grounded in the "real" world, whether historical or contemporary, to be compellingly familiar (post-colonial feels abound), but with magical additions and slightly altered names/stories that are make it different enough to be an escape (like Chakraborty's Daevabad trilogy, Kuang's Poppy War series, and Pike's Lost Queen books). It felt super real - very impressive.
To go into a bit more detail about why this was just a super awesome and fun read, I first want to mention the syndicate/gang vibes. This is like, traditional Godfather-style "the actual power on the streets and in the country" type stuff. The Mountain and No Peak clans have intergenerational disputes and power struggles and they play out in graphic and fully dimensional detail. There are spectacular fight scenes, enhanced by the powers that jade-bearing gives the warriors, in addition to blood-thirtsy tactics, lots of scheming and maneuvering, betrayal and unexpected decisions, and the nuanced familial and brotherhood dynamics of clan life alongside and in contrast with the strict regulations of jade-wearing and rules of battle/conflict. It was fascinating and perfectly complex. There is also, as I mentioned, a bit of actual social observation made (as all good fantasy does), in regards to classism, addiction and anti-colonialism, that adds some depth but, at least for now, is not overly central or explored. The one thing I do wish is that I had a slightly better grasp of how the jade-based magic worked. Like, I understand the more of it you have, the more power you get. And, somehow, it seems to enhance basic human abilities, like making one stronger/faster. But there were a few other uses, mostly the way it was used against Lan towards the beginning, and then the way Anden uses it towards the end, that I felt were a bit vague. It's a baseline part of the world-building, so I do wish I'd gotten a better grasp of it here towards the beginning of the saga, but I am holding hope for more explanation to come the further into the series I get.
The Kaul family that takes the central place, character-wise, was so well written. Kaul Lan, the oldest and politically-minded brother who feels he has a lot of legacy to live up to in his new role at the head of the clan (but is eminently up to the task). Kaul Hilo, the hot-headed and combat-minded brother, who leads the enforcement arm of the clan. Shea, their sister who, while favored growing up by their grandfather (and "retired" clan leader) for her shrewdness capability, is a bit on the outs from the rest of the family after studying abroad and forgoeign wearing her jade for the past few years. And Anden, the Kaul's adopted brother, who is about to graduate from Academy with quite a bit of jade-wielding promise and a deep sense of indebtedness to the family for taking him in. These four primary voices interact with each other and the rest of the supporting cast and plot with fully dimensional, and very human (with the flaws as clear as their strengths) characterization. The side characters were just as fantastically written, like grandfather Kaul's advisor Doru, Hilo's girlfriend Wen, and the leaders of the Mountain clan, and I'm looking forward to getting more of them (for good and bad) in the rest of the series.
I was so entertained by this book. This is the reason the fantasy is one of my favorite/comfort genres - the mix of entertainment and escapism it provides when done well is unmatched. I disappeared into the Green Bone world every time I picked this novel up and that's everything I hope for in a book like this. What a rock solid start to a martial-arts, gang-wars inspired urban fantasy series. I can't wait to read the next!
“Was it possible […] to be both a strong leader and a compassionate person, or were those two things opposing forces, pushing each other away?”
“Mutual survival was the basis of brotherhood and loyalty, even of love.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Violence, War, Gun violence, Grief, and Injury/injury detail
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Addiction, Colonisation, Drug use, and Xenophobia
Minor: Kidnapping
talonsontypewriters's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Drug use, Murder, Violence, Gun violence, Death, Injury/injury detail, and War
Moderate: Alcohol, Vomit, Racism, Misogyny, Sexism, Kidnapping, Self harm, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Medical content, Dementia, Torture, Sexual content, Xenophobia, Child abuse, Grief, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Ableism, Suicide, Infidelity, Homophobia, Rape, and Colonisation
kinomatica's review against another edition
adventurous
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Gun violence, Dementia, Medical trauma, Murder, Car accident, Classism, Grief, Chronic illness, Death, Injury/injury detail, Mass/school shootings, Medical content, Self harm, Death of parent, Suicide, Terminal illness, and Violence
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, Self harm, Abandonment, Abortion, Kidnapping, Outing, Body horror, Bullying, Colonisation, and Cultural appropriation
Minor: Alcohol
chalkletters's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
As 'fantasy kung-fu film' was not immediately a selling point for me, Jade City is a book I wouldn't have read were it not for book club. Despite that, the opening chapter made me reconsider my position. I love heists and stories with lots of betrayal, and Jade City seemed to promise both. The prose was easy to read, too, which hasn't always been the case with book club books. Even so, I did find sometimes find my attention slipping from passages primarily concerned with world-building or backstory.
The characters were sympathetic and interesting — I particularly enjoyed Anden and Wen, though I wondered if Anden's LGBTQ+ identity was a bit tacked-on. It added a little to his subplot, but it felt like a wasted opportunity to explore it in more depth. Perhaps that's just a casualty of Jade City being definitely an ensemble piece, rather than focused tightly on any one character.
Plot-wise, for me, Jade City was a little lacklustre. I found myself questioning who wanted what, and whether I particularly cared whether or not they got it. This was most apparent in Lan's and Hilo's plots. Hilo wanted revenge, obviously, but for something I knew he didn't have all the facts about, which made it somewhat difficult to care. On this score, Shae’s plot was more compelling.
I enjoyed some of the small details — especially the way Fonda Lee handled luck, making it into a supposed force in her world made certain instances of narrative convenience much more interesting. Overall, Jade City was a good foundation, but it left me wanting something a bit deeper.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
Minor: Blood, Colonisation, Dementia, Gun violence, Murder, and Violence
More...