Jade City by Fonda Lee – Review

Published: November 7, 2017

Publisher: Orbit Books

Genre: Fantasy

Series: The Green Bone Saga #1

Pages: 512 (Hardcover)

My Rating: 4.0/5.0

Synopsis:

FAMILY IS DUTY. MAGIC IS POWER. HONOR IS EVERYTHING.
Magical jade—mined, traded, stolen, and killed for—is the lifeblood of the island of Kekon. For centuries, honorable Green Bone warriors like the Kaul family have used it to enhance their 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.

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Jade City has really been permeating my social media pages lately – Orbit has their usual promos, but I’ve seen lots of other readers posting reviews, book hauls, etc. The synopsis and the statement that it was like The Godfather meets epic fantasy had me pretty pumped to read this one. My hopes were up and my expectations were high and it ended up being a really good book. Just not an amazing, can’t stop thinking about it book.

The story was such that I had no trouble reading 100+ pages at a time over the course of a week – filled with physical action, emotional drama, and a hefty dose of clan workings. Jade City primarily follows three Green Bones of the Kaul family who are leaders of the No Peak clan. Kaul Lan is the Pillar, or clan leader, and he’s intelligent and capable, though perhaps not violent enough to stand against the rival Mountain clan. Kaul Hilo is the Horn of the clan, enforcing law on the street, collecting tithe from the Lantern Men, and fighting back against territory encroachments. Kaul Shae has been estranged from her family for several years following the scandal of her relationship with a foreign military man and subsequent departure from the country to attend business school. At the start of Jade City, she has just returned to Kekon and hopes to make her own way in life without the influence of her prominent family. Shae and Hilo ended up being my favorite of all the characters as they were the most vibrant and interesting. Lan was admirable, though he lacked the flair of his younger brother Hilo and Shae’s interesting history.

The plot was well-executed and I thought the pacing was just right. Yeah, there was politicking and lots of unfamiliar terms but it wasn’t difficult to follow along with and this was interspersed with satisfying amounts of action and/or violence. This book basically details the beginnings of a serious gang war that will have potential world-wide impact, so this isn’t candy and sunshine. Fonda Lee threw in a few fantastic surprises with one in particular changing the course of the book.

Overall, I think Fonda Lee’s first foray into adult fantasy was solid and I hope the series continues to gain strength. The post-war Japan vibe was really awesome and I especially appreciated the history of Kekon and the Green Bones that was thrown in. Things like that give fantasy (or any genre) depth and body that make re-reads extra enjoyable. I’ll certainly be keeping my eye on Fonda Lee’s future releases!