Jade City (Green Bone Saga, #1)

by Fonda Lee

"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.

• ISBN10: 0316440868
• ISBN13: 9780316440868
• Publish Date: 7 November 2017
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Orbit
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 512
• Language: English

Reviews

[Ashley]

Really disappointed I didn't enjoy this more. I thought it was going to be a slam dunk for me.

There wasn't a lot (if anything?) I found objectively wrong with this book, I think it just wasn't a great stylistic fit or something. I liked many of the characters on paper, but wasn't as invested in any of them as I could have been. I liked the story on paper, but it didn't draw me in as much as it should have. 

The book occasionally had long, detailed descriptions going into backstory or religion or things like that, which didn't interest me all that much. I found myself skimming those bits.

For whatever reason, this was just missing some X-factor that would have made me love the characters and story more than I did.

[mayavswords]

Yeah anyways I’m so happy I read this book I can’t wait till read the next one and continue talking my family’s ears off about this (extensive review later probably)

[thepunktheory]

Full review on my blog!

I really wanted to like this book. The premise got me really excited but I had a hard time getting into the story.
I don't even know why! The idea is quite unique and due to the Asian vibes, it is really different from any other book I've read so far.
The worldbuilding is interesting enough and I liked the whole Jade thing. I took me some time, however, to fully understand how the system is supposed to work and to tell all the people apart.
About 2/3 into the novel I really started to get sucked into the plot and appreciated the story more. As the story follows different members of the Kaul family I had, naturally, some favorites. That also means there are some characters I liked less and I had to try hard to not just skip those chapters.

[Beth C.]

Review to come on vampirebookclub.net