Jade City by Fonda Lee

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.

Reviewed by thepunktheory on

3 of 5 stars

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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.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 7 May, 2019: Finished reading
  • 7 May, 2019: Reviewed