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.