Fonda Lee

In this epic saga of magic and kungfu, four siblings battle rival clans for honor and power in an Asia-inspired fantasy metropolis. * World Fantasy Award for Best Novel, winner* Aurora Award for Best Novel, winner* Nebula Award for Best Novel, nominee* Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel, finalist 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 is the first novel in an epic trilogy about family, honor, and those who live and die by the ancient laws of blood and jade.

Jade City

Ayt Mada’s got some NERVE. but she’s a visionary, can you blame her?

praline

I see some of my younger self in you, Kaul Shae-jen. If I had known you would return to Kekon and wear jade again, Id have approached you much carlier. Let the two of us resolve this feud. Your brother is a dangerous, foolish man-child driven by pride and bloodlust; he would fight to the last man on principle alone. It's what he knows how to do.” Shae knew what was coming next. “Usurp him. End this senseless war. Ree Tura is near retirement, and I tire of him regardless. I would make you my Weather Man. Weather Man of a great clan; Weather Man of Kekon itself.”

Ayt's body remained motionless, but her head drew up in slow malevolence, neck lengthening like a rearing viper. Her aura burned with murderous intent. When she spoke, it was entirely without the practiced professionalism she'd shown earlier. It was like a sharp blade being drawn delicately across flesh. "How do you come up with such elaborate stories, Kaul Hiloshudon?”

She thought, Two strong-minded women in a man's world, if they do not quickly become allies, are destined to be incurable rivals. Going around Hilo was something Shae was accustomed to, but this, she knew, he would not forgive. 

I miss Lan so much and I needed more interactions between him and Hilo

Alina

Hilo was furious at his sister. He stormed into the main Kaul house and found her at the table in Lan’s study with Woon. Unlike him, she seemed to enjoy retreating in here, though he’d never seen her sit in Lan’s chair; he would’ve forbidden her from using the room if she’d done that.

So not true, it was your choice and it was a bad one

“I despise it when my hand is forced,” the Pillar said, adjusting one of the coils of jade on her arm. “Ayt Yugontin brought me, a girl that should have died, out of a war orphanage and trained me to be the strongest Green Bone in the Mountain clan. Yet when he grew old, he couldn’t bring himself to name me his heir. He feared a backlash from the inner circle of men in the clan who would fault him for naming a woman his successor. The Spear of Kekon, who was never afraid to die fighting the Shotarians—he was afraid to name an adopted daughter to rule his precious clan.

“The man I call my father, the one to whom I owe everything—he forced my hand. Before his body was cold, I had to kill his closest comrades—Green Bones I valued and respected—for the position that should have been mine without question.

It came as a result of going to piss alone.

It’s better to think about today when tomorrow might not happen.

In this World Fantasy Award-winning novel of magic and kungfu, four siblings battle rival clans for honor and power in an Asia-inspired fantasy metropolis. *Named one of TIME's Top 100 Fantasy Books Of All Time ​* World Fantasy Award for Best Novel, winner 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 -- and of Kekon itself. Praise for Jade City: "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, Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy Award-winning author "A beautifully realized setting, a great cast of characters, and dramatic action scenes. What a fun, gripping read!" --Ann Leckie, Hugo, Nebula, and Arthur C. Clarke Award-winning author "An instantly absorbing tale of blood, honor, family and magic, spiced with unexpectedly tender character beats." --NPR The Green Bone Saga Jade City Jade War Jade Legacy

Donna G

WINNER OF THE WORLD FANTASY AWARD 2018 '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 'Gripping!' ANN LECKIE, author of Ancillary Justice and The Raven Tower 'Lee's astute worldbuilding raises the stakes for her vivid and tautly-described action scenes' SCOTT LYNCH, author of The Lies of Locke Lamora *****Shortlisted for the Nebula Awards, the Locus Awards, the Aurora Awards, the Sunburst Awards and an Amazon.com Best Book of the Month***** TWO CRIME FAMILIES, ONE SOURCE OF POWER: JADE. Jade is the lifeblood of the city of Janloon - a stone that enhances a warrior's natural strength and speed. Jade is mined, traded, stolen and killed for, controlled by the ruthless No Peak and Mountain families. When a modern drug emerges that allows anyone - even foreigners - to wield jade, simmering tension between the two families erupts into open violence. The outcome of this clan war will determine the fate of all in the families, from their grandest patriarch to even the lowliest runner on the streets. Jade City is an epic tale of blood, family, honour, and of those who live and die by ancient laws in a changing world.

THE WORLD FANTASY AWARD WINNER

Natalie Sypeck 

Jade Hérail 

First half dragged so bad I almost gave up but then Lan died and things looked up!

Nala

Kiran Aftab

The plot got real spicy in the second half of the book

** spoiler alert **
           *Review is for my personal log*

3.75* I enjoyed the book - it just took me a long time to read it because school took up ALL my time. I really enjoy plot line and character-driven books, which this book definitely exhibited. Maybe it was just the wrong "reading" time for this book but personally, the plot got just a *bit* repetitive with the violence but damn did a certain someone's death hit me like a TRUCK. 

JUST REALISED IT TOOK ME A MONTH TO READ THIS *sigh*

ploral

WOW,,,the world building is overwhelming in a positive way, almost had a headache bc there's so much happening but keeps me engaged, and the ending wtf don't tell me??? 😦💀

soot

4.5 ⭐️ 

cue the screaming- AAAAAAAAA

sarah

a really solid start to a series, this book definitely sets up everything well for expansion in future novels. however, it felt a little too exposition-dumpy to me at times, but in turn, i can see how fleshed out the characters and the interpersonal politics have been set up.

sani

The Horn placed his hands on her shoulders, and pulled her close, and laid his cheek against hers. "Heaven help me, Shae," he whispered into her ear. "I'm going to kill them all.”

i did NOT expect this book to be a whirlwind rollercoaster of emotions. in no way that i can ever do justice to the accurate review of Jade City because this was everything. as someone who has thought that fantasy is over for her, i was clearly proved wrong.

the world building is rich and it would take a little bit time to get into it. (i was so confused initially) ALSO, i loved how it was a character driven fantasy, the focus was on enhancing the character development and i am all for it. my favourite characters so far are Hilo (he's so fine, i need him), Shae and Anden. 

it took me almost a month to read it and i should be embarrassed but the constant tug between squealing over Hilo and sobbing over the book ought to be a reasonable excuse. 

cannot wait to read the next books. “The clan is my blood, and the Pillar is its master. On my honor, my life, and my jade.” is etched in my brain now.

ghost girl in satin

I do not appreciate books portraying marital rape as something sexy.

aiden

Marz 

I'm scared to give this five stars but woah! this is the first fantasy book in awhile I was able to completely immerse myself in.  The concept is so unique and interesting and despite never reading a mafia book before I loved this. I think Hilo is my problematic fave. I think Fonda lee is also insanely talented for this storyline I'm excited to start the next installment already.

Luke Harkness

You know when you know you're going to five star a book even when you're only halfway through...

... yeah well that was this book. This isn't a book about a "chosen one" or about a grand world-devastating event, it's about two clans fighting for superiority and family feuds. The magic-system is fantastic and used in just the right amount. I thoroughly look forward to the sequel!

Maria

will write a proper review once i gather all my thoughts but like i need compensation for the emotional damage this caused

akynn 

kayla 

DNFed at 65%

This was way too slow for me. The characters didn't feel fleshed out, I didn't care for any of them, the women were wrote as some kind of separate species (didn't pass the Bechdel test either, not a surprise there) and the MMC was quite literally just a brat. I didn't want to DNF this as it's been loved by so many, but I truly couldn't get myself to read another page. The 'heart-wrenching' moments had absolutely no impact on me either, so I wasn't interested in the plot or characters themselves and I didn't even feel emotionally impacted. Bleh!

Cody Degen

** spoiler alert **
           5- I think

Also kinda confused why Anden jumping into the fight to save Hilo wasn’t a violation of aisho, seems like it should be?

nina 

“He would’ve been proud of you, Anden,” she said matter-of-factly. “He was always proud of you.” 

I’m increasing my rating to   4.5 stars   because that is what the kaul family deserves <3

This is one of those where it is not the novel, it is me. The book has great and very interesting world-building and it is very, very dense in terms of plot. If you are a reader who is seeking thrills, it would be perfect for you.

But for me, personally, I also need to feel investment in the characters in order to truly have my heart racing through the intense scenes. "Jade City" leaves little space to build up its characters which ends up making it a drudge to get through. It is commendable that the characters are very distinct - I could easily draw you up a character sheet for each one of the members of the main cast. But the characters still remain somewhat static throughout the novel, depreciating the value of the work put into coming up with them in the first place.

Surprisingly, the result of the combination of the dense plot and the lack of character depth is that the novel just feels too long.

This is one of those where it is not the novel, it is me. The book has great and very interesting world-building and it is very, very dense in terms of plot. If you are a reader who is seeking thrills, it would be perfect for you.

But for me, personally, I also need to feel investment in the characters in order to truly have my heart racing through the intense scenes. "Jade City" leaves little space to build up its characters which ends up making it a drudge to get through. It is commendable that the characters are very distinct - I could easily draw you up a character sheet for each one of the members of the main cast. But the characters still remain somewhat static throughout the novel, depreciating the value of the work put into coming up with them in the first place.

Surprisingly, the result of the combination of the dense plot and the lack of character depth is that the novel just feels too long.

Solid book, but not life-changing or particularly inventive. Despite being a mafia style storyline, it’s quite an easy and cozy read. 

The world building is a bit complex but the relationships and plot are simple. 

Syrina Akbari

Solid book, but not life-changing or particularly inventive. Despite being a mafia style storyline, it’s quite an easy and cozy read. 

The world building is a bit complex but the relationships and plot are simple. 

Tiago Fernandes

This is not the type of book I normally read. However, it has become one of my favorites. A unique magic system centered around a world where two clans are sitting at the top. It is a mafia and politics forward book with tons of action. The book was so well written. It didn’t spend chapters and chapters trying to world build. Instead it weaved in the world building while giving us thrill and suspense. Almost all the characters are very likable. I’m looking forward to continuing the green bone saga.

One of the best books I've read in a long time. Can't wait to start the second.

Jade Waistnidge

Adeline

Teeeeeesha

Set in a parallel world where Jade gives you power, the No peak clan is warring with The Mountain clan. Filled with danger, death, family dynamics and intense politics about a Jaded world.

i cant decide if i want to rate this 4.5 stars or 5 .. 4.75?? 

i love the characters, the world, the plot. the way fonda lee writes fantasy is so different from anything i’ve read before. there’s so much focus on the mundane & exploring everything in lots of detail (which is my favourite thing). the only thing that i didn’t like is some of the dialogue feels a little unrealistic, but everything else is perfect & i’m excited for the rest of the trilogy <3 

i cant decide if i want to rate this 4.5 stars or 5 .. 4.75?? 

i love the characters, the world, the plot. the way fonda lee writes fantasy is so different from anything i’ve read before. there’s so much focus on the mundane & exploring everything in lots of detail (which is my favourite thing). the only thing that i didn’t like is some of the dialogue feels a little unrealistic, but everything else is perfect & i’m excited for the rest of the trilogy <3 

Jade City

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