560 pages
English language
Published Jan. 5, 2018 by Orbit.
"Stylish and action-packed, full of ambitious families and guilt-ridden loves, Jade City is an epic drama reminiscent of the best classic Hong Kong gangster films but set in a fantasy metropolis so gritty and well-imagined that you'll forget you're reading a book." -- Ken Liu, winner of the Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy Awards and author of The Grace of Kings and The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories FAMILY IS DUTY. MAGIC IS POWER. HONOR IS EVERYTHING. Jade is the lifeblood of the island of Kekon. It has been mined, traded, stolen, and killed for -- and for centuries, honorable Green Bone warriors like the Kaul family have used it to enhance their magical abilities and defend the island from foreign invasion. Now, the war is over and a new generation of Kauls vies for control of Kekon's bustling capital city. They care about nothing but protecting their own, cornering …
"Stylish and action-packed, full of ambitious families and guilt-ridden loves, Jade City is an epic drama reminiscent of the best classic Hong Kong gangster films but set in a fantasy metropolis so gritty and well-imagined that you'll forget you're reading a book." -- Ken Liu, winner of the Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy Awards and author of The Grace of Kings and The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories FAMILY IS DUTY. MAGIC IS POWER. HONOR IS EVERYTHING. Jade is the lifeblood of the island of Kekon. It has been mined, traded, stolen, and killed for -- and for centuries, honorable Green Bone warriors like the Kaul family have used it to enhance their magical abilities and defend the island from foreign invasion. Now, the war is over and a new generation of Kauls vies for control of Kekon's bustling capital city. They care about nothing but protecting their own, cornering the jade market, and defending the districts under their protection. Ancient tradition has little place in this rapidly changing nation. When a powerful new drug emerges that lets anyone -- even foreigners -- wield jade, the simmering tension between the Kauls and the rival Ayt family erupts into open violence. The outcome of this clan war will determine the fate of all Green Bones -- from their grandest patriarch to the lowliest motorcycle runner on the streets -- and of Kekon itself. JADE CITY begins an epic tale of family, honor, and those who live and die by the ancient laws of jade and blood"--
Couldn't get past the opening chapter which included the drugging of someone's drink in a restaurant and their follow-up assault in a bathroom. I don't care that the character was intended to be one of the bad guys. It didn't sit well with me.
Fascinating and ruthless, Jade City is a slow-burning, deftly-politicking fantasy which brings you 'round to meet new friends, then coyly remarks that none of them are safe; the best you can hope for is that when your darling dies you'll bury them with their Jade.
I love this book, I love the characters, the setting is great... If you've read very many of my reviews you probably know I love interpersonal politics and heists... and this has all of that, all the time. Lots of discussions, weighing of actions, politicking, and then blades. There's betrayal and subterfuge, a few heists, some capers and a very high body count. Seriously, like, a lot of people die by the end of this (and I suspect even more will die in the sequel, Jade War). For me the two biggest strengths in this book are the world-building and characterization. There are a lot …
Well consider me invested. Fonda Lee created such a fascinating mixture of fantasy and mob drama in Jade City. The story was so interesting and engaging all the way through. The short, concise chapters that focus on very specific story beats made this beefy book flow fairly well and while I felt that there could have been some editing down within the chapters, the additional details didn't pull too much from the action. By far my favorite part of this book was the excellent character writing. The way that Lee was able to construct such diverse characters in personality and voice while giving them all realistic character flaws and such human reactions to event was purely masterful. I came away from this book being in love with every character while also recognizing them as people filled with faults, charm, and passion. I'm so excited to continue, and finish the series …
Well consider me invested. Fonda Lee created such a fascinating mixture of fantasy and mob drama in Jade City. The story was so interesting and engaging all the way through. The short, concise chapters that focus on very specific story beats made this beefy book flow fairly well and while I felt that there could have been some editing down within the chapters, the additional details didn't pull too much from the action. By far my favorite part of this book was the excellent character writing. The way that Lee was able to construct such diverse characters in personality and voice while giving them all realistic character flaws and such human reactions to event was purely masterful. I came away from this book being in love with every character while also recognizing them as people filled with faults, charm, and passion. I'm so excited to continue, and finish the series this year.
Was it possible, Lan wondered, to be both a strong leader and a compassionate person, or were those two things opposing forces, pushing each other away?
The Green Bone Saga has been on my radar for some time and was anxious to read it, but also braced myself because my book preferences don't always align with what's popular. Jade City was a pleasant surprise in every way possible.
Lee has introduced plenty of complex layers and intrigue in this story that it's not all magic and fighting. There is a clan war that is fought in the streets but also subtly by influencing other nations, controlling politicians or influencing supply and demand to achieve clan goals. A victor won't be named on one aspect alone and it will be fun to see the story play out.
The biggest pleasure in the book was the characters. The family dynamics were very …
Was it possible, Lan wondered, to be both a strong leader and a compassionate person, or were those two things opposing forces, pushing each other away?
The Green Bone Saga has been on my radar for some time and was anxious to read it, but also braced myself because my book preferences don't always align with what's popular. Jade City was a pleasant surprise in every way possible.
Lee has introduced plenty of complex layers and intrigue in this story that it's not all magic and fighting. There is a clan war that is fought in the streets but also subtly by influencing other nations, controlling politicians or influencing supply and demand to achieve clan goals. A victor won't be named on one aspect alone and it will be fun to see the story play out.
The biggest pleasure in the book was the characters. The family dynamics were very enjoyable and I liked how the characters weren't flat but also not wildly unpredictable in their behaviours too. The stakes are real and I like having concern for a character and uncertain if or how they will survive a situation. There are conversations that happen between characters and not all are explicitly written out either so there was a fun element of reading and finding out what the strategy is.
Happy to be reading a story where I find the hype justified and will gladly carry on with the series.
I almost didn't give this 5 stars, but then I looked back through my recent books and it beat every 4-star book out. The combination of complex, flawed, motivated characters, interesting politics, and the aspect of jade all made this book and the sequel some of my favorites in a long time.
Also, it struck me as almost strange that I liked every different viewpoint, that never happens, there's always one or more characters that I really don't care about. Well, these books broke that rule, and I was never unhappy to switch to another character
In the island of Kekon, bioenergetic jade confers extraordinary fighting powers on those who are trained and able to control it - and can destroy those who aren't. Two rivals, the No Peak and Mountain clans, whose founders were once close friends, now fight over the neighbourhoods and battle for control of the jade supply. As dangerous drug SN1 ("shine") allows even the non genetically gifted to use jade powers, foreign nations pay more and more attention to the small island nation and the battle between the clans turns to open warfare. The book centers on the Kaul family leading No Peak clan, and mainly follows Lan, Hilo, and Shae as they fight for the success of the clan their grandfather founded.
The setting is very much an urban fantasy in Asian gangster movie style; if you enjoy movies like Kung Fu Hustle and kung fu movies, you'll likely enjoy …
In the island of Kekon, bioenergetic jade confers extraordinary fighting powers on those who are trained and able to control it - and can destroy those who aren't. Two rivals, the No Peak and Mountain clans, whose founders were once close friends, now fight over the neighbourhoods and battle for control of the jade supply. As dangerous drug SN1 ("shine") allows even the non genetically gifted to use jade powers, foreign nations pay more and more attention to the small island nation and the battle between the clans turns to open warfare. The book centers on the Kaul family leading No Peak clan, and mainly follows Lan, Hilo, and Shae as they fight for the success of the clan their grandfather founded.
The setting is very much an urban fantasy in Asian gangster movie style; if you enjoy movies like Kung Fu Hustle and kung fu movies, you'll likely enjoy this book a lot. It's the first of a trilogy; the second book is also published but the third isn't due out till 2021.
I particularly appreciated the character building; all of them are interesting and have depth and nuances, and in particular the female characters manage to be strong and interesting while still navigating the clearly sexist framework of the society they find themselves in, and finding different ways to deal with it.
In the interview at the end of this book, Fonda Lee says:
I had a vision of what Jade City would be: a heady blend of gangster epic, family saga, and martial arts fantasy. An oft-quoted piece of writing advice is to write the book you can’t find but want to read. That was this book.
Well, her vision was dead-on. This book is a fantastic combination of those story elements, and I'm excited to see where the series goes next!
There's a clear "Godfather in the East" feel, but it's never that simple or derivative. It's more like Godfather in the East but also with some Dune and Mistborn flavor thrown in to sweeten the pot. A damn fine story.
In the interview at the end of this book, Fonda Lee says:
I had a vision of what Jade City would be: a heady blend of gangster epic, family saga, and martial arts fantasy. An oft-quoted piece of writing advice is to write the book you can’t find but want to read. That was this book.
4,5/5
Great adult fantasy about a mafia-like family, martial arts & gangsters, street combats & politics^^
