Book Review: Jade City by Fonda Lee
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
Mogsy’s Rating: 5 of 5 stars
Genre: Fantasy
Series: Book 1 of The Green Bone Saga
Publisher: Orbit (November 7th 2017)
Length: 498 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
I’m really kicking myself for having taken so long to pick up and read Jade City. But perhaps it is also a blessing in disguise, because the second book is out now, and this was definitely a story that made me want to pick up the sequel right away to see what happens next. A completely absorbing and compulsive read, Fonda Lee’s adult fantasy debut held me spellbound in its grip from the beginning pages to the very end.
Imagine The Godfather in an Asian-inspired fantasy setting, and you have a good starting point for the premise behind this novel. We are transported to the city of Janloon, controlled by two rival families—the Kauls of the No Peak Clan and the Ayts of the Mountain Clan. Our main characters are Lan, Hilo, and Shae, three Kaul siblings who have been raised from birth to be loyal to their blood and name, knowing that one day the heavy burden of the territorial conflict will fall to them. But there’s more to the issue than simply who can own the most property or buy the most loyalty; there is also the jade trade to consider, and whoever controls that will have a huge advantage, because magical jade and its ability-enhancing qualities is what makes this world go round.
And really, the world-building in this novel is nothing short of incredible. For instance, just take a look at the vast body of lore and magic systems built around jade. For Green Bone families, like the Kauls, jade is more than a valuable commodity, it is a way of life. Its magical properties allow those who can harness its powers to gain special abilities, increasing their battle prowess and fortitude. There is also a time-honored code of ritual surrounding how a Green Bone warrior can obtain jade, including earning it through study, inheriting it through a family member, or seizing it from an enemy after killing them in battle. The more of these precious stones a warrior wears, the more powerful they become, though too much jade can also be dangerous, its overwhelming effects breaking even the strongest minds. Green Bones must receive special training to fight effectively with jade, as well as to recognize the early symptoms of its negative effects. These secrets are jealously guarded, and as a resource, jade is also strictly controlled by the nation of Kekon, forbidden for use by foreigners. There are even some who are completely immune to jade so that it is impossible for them harness its powers, and these individuals are labeled as unfortunate and unlucky (even though there are plenty of useful jobs these “stone-eyes” can obtain while being highly paid for). A street rat named Bero gives us a glimpse into the black market, showing just how desperate some people can become in their attempt to get their hands on some jade.
But when a new drug emerges, said to allow anyone to wield jade, tensions in the war between No Peak and the Mountain are elevated to dangerous levels. Kaul Lan, the eldest son who has assumed the mantle of the Pillar following the retirement of his grandfather and death of his father, must now prepare to lead his family through violent times ahead. His hot-headed brother Hilo, the clan’s Horn and top enforcer, is standing strong behind him, ready to bring the fight to the Mountain. However, their sister Shae, recently returned from her self-imposed exile, has remained adamant about not being involved the family business even though she would be perfect as the clan’s advisor or Weather Man, especially now that the current one is suspected to be corrupt.
The character connections here, particularly the ones related to family, are delightfully complex and steeped in subtlety and meaning. These relationships are never explicated stated; instead, Lee weaves a cleverly nuanced narrative that shows rather than tells us where all these interactions and associations might be headed: Lan might be too soft-hearted to do what is necessary, Hilo too impulsive to know what is best for No Peak clan, Shae’s hesitancy makes her all but MIA. And meanwhile, in the Kaul-owned academy for Green Bone warriors, their young cousin and adopted brother Anden who is getting ready to graduate and earn his first jade provides another perspective. Technically an outsider, Anden is nevertheless well-loved and cherished. It’s becoming increasingly likely that his class would be graduating into an all-out war, and the time to pledge alliances is now, though Anden isn’t sure how he feels about his family’s mobster politics or the way jade can utterly destroy a mind.
Jade City starts off slow, but in spite of that, the story was never uninteresting or tedious. The novel drew me in by degrees, fascinating me with layer upon layer of world-building before kicking it into high gear once the No Peak/Mountain war heats up. I loved the themes of family, honor and loyalty. It’s also interesting to me how different members of the Kauls viewed the ancient ways of jade and blood, and for some, that may prove to be their undoing in these modern times, where martial tradition has given way to commercialism and profit. Lee’s well-rounded characters feel genuine as they react realistically and sympathetically to the pressures placed upon them. The result is a vibrant mob family drama with plenty of intrigue and action, which overall I found both entertaining and emotionally engaging.
Like I said, I can’t believe I waited so long to read this novel, which has become a new favorite. But at least now I have its sequel Jade War in hand, and I’m looking forward to reading it soon!
The BiblioSanctum 
Glad to hear you like this book so much. I am reading the series this year, and everyone I have talke dot about it loves it.
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Nice! I hope you’ll enjoy it. I look forward to tackling the second book soon.
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Yes!! So happy you loved this one too, Mogsy! It’s one of my favorite ongoing series, the second book is even better! Prepare to be mindblown! 😀
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Sweet! I can’t wait!
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Glad you liked this so much! It didn’t leave such a great impression on me, I’m sad to say, but I’ll be looking forward to your review of the sequel 🙂
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Aw, sorry to hear you didn’t like it as much! But yeah, hopefully I can get to book 2 soon 🙂
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Great review, Mogsy! 🙂 I signed up for a blog tour of this book. Sadly, I wasn’t chosen. Nevertheless, good to know, it made such a deep impression on you.
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It was pretty awesome, I can’t believe I waited so long to get to it. Definitely worth reading if you get a chance 🙂
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Great review! I’m planning on picking up this series this year!
(www.evelynreads.com)
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Fantastic! Can’t wait to hear your thoughts for when you do 🙂
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Wow 5/5! High praise. I grabbed this one for my Kindle when it was 1.99 once and now I’m glad I did. However, I think it fell into Kindle oblivion. Need to “dig” it out it seems.
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Definitely worth it. I’m glad I dug it up from the bottom of my tbr 🙂
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I’m excited to see this review! My goal is to get caught up on this series too. I meant to read Jade City last year but just couldn’t do it. Can’t wait!
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I almost didn’t make it! But I managed to squeeze it into the last few days of 2019, lol!
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I read an ARC of Jade City right before it came out and it’s been one of my all-time faves ever since. The character development is some of the absolute best ever, I was more emotionally invested in each of them than in any other book I’ve read.
I was particularly sympathetic to Gont Asch. Even tho he was one of the ‘bad guys’ of Mountain clan, he was far from the typical one dimensional villain. Just his initial interaction with Anden added so much depth to the character. I had tears when I read the battle scene toward the end between Gont Asch and Hilo. Tears!
Jade City is just incredibly well written all the way around! I loved it and I’m glad to see that you did as well.
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I agree 100% with you comment! You said everything about the characters that I feel as well. They were just so well written, the connection I felt isn’t something I find in a lot of books. Like you said, even the villains were so amazingly crafted!
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Yay, you liked it! The character work in this series is phenomenal. And the world-building, it just feels like this is a real place with HISTORY. Glad you had a chance to check it out!
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Agreed on the characters. They were definitely the highlight of this, and you know how I am “Characters First” 😀
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This one seems under-hyped compared to how positive the couple of reviews I’ve seen for it are. Definitely have it on my TBR and thinking I might have to move it up the list…
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Now that I’ve read it, I agree it deserves wayyyyy more attention. Glad that most of the reviews I’ve been seeing are positive though, hopefully the series will catch on with more people as time goes on!
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Sometimes you have some good surprises with books you keep for a long time. THis one looks really good!
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Exactly! I love it when that happens, and it’s a reminder to never give up on the backlist 🙂
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Sounds like I really should get to this one myself!
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It’s fantastic! I hope you get a chance to check it out!
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Well this does sounds brilliant!
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It was! I bet it would be incredible in audio too 🙂
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I have been meaning to read Jade City since forever it feels like, I’ve had it in my audible queue for over a year! I think 2020 will be the year. Great review!
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I hope you get to read it in 2020. I have a feeling you’ll really like it 🙂
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Oh I grabbed this when it was a Kindle deal a few months back and I’m glad I did, it really sounds amazing! 😀
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I loved it! I hope you get to try it 🙂
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I’ve also been meaning to read this book for a long time. Perhaps 2020 will be the secret charm.
Lynn 😀
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Here’s hoping! I’m glad I got to squeeze it into my reading schedule before 2019 was over, lol!
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I’m so happy to see such an enthusiastic review of one of the best books I read in 2018!
The world-building is indeed amazing, and so vivid that it’s not hard to see, with the mind’s eye, what the author describes. While I’m a bit behind in my reading schedule, I hope to be able to get into Jade War soon, because I can’t wait to see what happens next… 🙂
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Yes, I remember your review and now I’m so happy to be aboard the “I love Jade City” train 😀 I hope to get to Jade War soon as well. Thank goodness we should have plenty of time though, because I don’t think the third book is due out til 2021.
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