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readcells's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-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? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Murder, and War
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
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
evaroy's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.5
Very overhyped.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Addiction, Drug abuse, and Drug use
kornwaiisms's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
5 stars for jade city !!!!!!!!! sorry im still recovering-
—i am obsessed with hilo. apologies. i know i should dislike him rn but i can't. he's a bitch and i want to beat him up but he's my bitch and i would do it in a sibling way. also, he's hot. i want him.i can take him. goodbye.
—shae is amazing i want more of her i want to see her thrive!!!! the potential!!!! she has so much to give!!
—lan i would do anything for you!!! I'm so sadhe died but also that writing choice was phenomenal lowkey. or highkey. I'm obsessed with it. what would have happened had he not died? would things be worse or not? (well, maybe worse in a different way, because hilo and shae running the clan will quite possibly be the end of it fr fjkdkdj )
—anden!!! he's such a specific type of character and he grew to become another type of character? it makes so much sense. i want to see what he does next asap.
—wen my beloved, she was incredible. i need more of her urgently. i loved the maik brothers too.
—drum roll,,,,, the sibling dynamics killed me. lan, hilo, shae, anden, all their separate combinations and all of them together (ouch) was literally everything i needed. im a sucker for complex sibling relationships and in this story?? im eating it up. that's it.
—bero was annoying. then he was despicable. but he has something, i can't deny it.
:'))))))) ✌️👍✍️ i loved this book!! on to the next!!! read it if you like asian big cities with enemy clans fighting with martial arts, knives, guns, magical stones, politics, COMPLEX SIBLING RELATIONSHIPS, little romance, fully fleshed characters, lots of intrigue and suspense <33
—i am obsessed with hilo. apologies. i know i should dislike him rn but i can't. he's a bitch and i want to beat him up but he's my bitch and i would do it in a sibling way. also, he's hot. i want him.
—shae is amazing i want more of her i want to see her thrive!!!! the potential!!!! she has so much to give!!
—lan i would do anything for you!!! I'm so sad
—anden!!! he's such a specific type of character and he grew to become another type of character? it makes so much sense. i want to see what he does next asap.
—wen my beloved, she was incredible. i need more of her urgently. i loved the maik brothers too.
—drum roll,,,,, the sibling dynamics killed me. lan, hilo, shae, anden, all their separate combinations and all of them together (ouch) was literally everything i needed. im a sucker for complex sibling relationships and in this story?? im eating it up. that's it.
—bero was annoying. then he was despicable. but he has something, i can't deny it.
:'))))))) ✌️👍✍️ i loved this book!! on to the next!!! read it if you like asian big cities with enemy clans fighting with martial arts, knives, guns, magical stones, politics, COMPLEX SIBLING RELATIONSHIPS, little romance, fully fleshed characters, lots of intrigue and suspense <33
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Violence, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
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.scythe_2006's review against another edition
challenging
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
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and War
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