Fonda Lee's Jade City: Book One of The Green Bone Saga

Amazon Customer: I'm enjoying it so far. Not the best thing I've read but this is no1 of 3 so I may have to come back and redo my words. The book at least has me reading the whole trilogy.

United Kingdom on Sep 07, 2023

Robin Snyder: Jade City if the first book in The Green Bones trilogy, whose last book is being released later this month. I think the best way to really explain this book is a kung-fu-ish mafia story. It is the family saga of the No-Peak clan, as the reigns have just been given to the next generation. They will all have to find their place in this world where the holders of jade wield power and magic. There is also danger on the horizon as a rival clan tries to destroy them and take over all of the No-Peak territory.

A friend of mine that I'd done a lot of reading with over the years loved this book when it first came out and just on her recommendation I bought it right away, but set it aside for other reads. It is a hefty book at over 550 pages, but it is such a good read those pages flew by as I got to know the important members of the No-Peak clan and the challenges that await them. Family is everything in this book. There is so much talk of duty and honor and the training required to hold an wield the mystical jade and the properties it gives the wielder. The history to the story is large and the traditions of the Green Bones really add to the martial arts or kung-fu feel of the...

United States on Nov 22, 2021

Becky Crook: I want to start off by saying this book is quite dense, not in a bad way, but there is a lot of information to take in so for people who like quick and easy reads this may not be the one for you. However, if you love seeing characters get built up, learning their backstories and seeing whether they shine or fall when faced with adversity. If you love intricate magic systems and cultures that jump off the page, then I can gurantee you will love this.

Jade City follows the Kaul family, the leaders of No Peak clan as they face adversity from The Mountain. Lan, the Pillar and leader of the clan is calm and levelheaded, much needed qualities in the Pillar. He knows his strength is not necessarily in battle, but when it comes to working politicians, and the general running of the clan there is no one better qualified. He is quiet and reserved, but when the safety of his family and clan are brought into question he will step up and do what is necessary to protect them.

Hilo, the Horn. He is the head of the Fingers and Fists, the fighters of No Peak. He is quick to anger and can certainly hold a grudge, but with Hilo family comes first always. He can’t stand for weakness...

United Kingdom on May 06, 2021

Jess Gofton: I’ve heard nothing but praise for this Asian-inspired fantasy novel, which I think can best be described as wuxia meets The Godfather, and that praise is well deserved. This book is so darn good. Weirdly it took me a few tries before I got into it, and buddy reading it with Dini certainly gave me the motivation to push through the opening scenes which aren’t boring at all, but for some reason kept stalling me, and I found that listening to the audiobook for this one when I went out walking really helped me get into this world—particularly when it came to some of the pronunciation!

Jade is mined on the island of Kekon, and can be used to enhance the magical abilities of those known as Green Bones. In Kekon’s capital city it’s not the politicians or the aristocracy who are in charge, but the gangs who rule the streets, patronise the businesses and line the politicians’ pockets with favours. The Kaul family is one such gang, ruled by the youngest Pillar—their name for a gang leader—it has ever known, because the previous Pillar, Kaul Sen, has been forced to pass power straight onto his grandchildren after his only son died in a war almost thirty years before....

United Kingdom on Apr 06, 2021

Klaus Viedenz: 18/25 (72%), 3.5 stars.
A predictable Urban Fantasy in a Hong Kongish setting that reveals what's gonna come right at the start by its choice of narrators. Technically well-written but without a soul.

People: HOW DARE YOU SAY THIS HAS NO SOUL GAAAAAH!
Me: I feel you, people, but please respect this unpopular opinion. I'm gonna give you my reasons, please wait till I'm done, you can scream at me later, okay?

So. A disclaimer to start this thing off: This is obviously only my own opinion. There's thousands of people who love this and I can see why you'd love this. However, it wasn't for me. I've made excessive research to find out why and I've come up with three reasons:

1) I'm not an Urban Fantasy reader. My thing is the gritty, bloody medieval setting and while this is bloody sometimes, it couldn't be more different from the types of worlds I enjoy - it's not Westeros or Abercrombia (is there a name for the First Law world? :D), it's simply Hong Kong. So my not being able to connect to this may just be a thing of taste.

2) Statistical evidence from last year has shown that I'm a completely character-driven reader. I'm willing to generously ignore...

Germany on Feb 02, 2021

Alexia: I’ve had my eye on Jade City for some time now and picked it up one day while browsing Twitter. There, I saw that Shealea from That Bookshelf Bitch has added it to a thread of books less than $2.99 on Kindle. With a deal like that, how can I resist? Well, as it turns out, it’s a good thing I didn’t because Jade City is one of the best books I’ve read all year.

Jade City is one of the best books I’ve read this year. That’s not an exaggeration. I’ve never watched The Godfather or any mafia film really, but the book still managed to convey that feeling. I haven’t watched any Hong Kong action films either but this must be how it’s like with some magic added. How would I describe Jade City? Think of a mafia-style family drama and set in a fantasy version of Hong Kong. Now add magic Jade. You get Jade City.

Jade City is set in the island of Kekon, specifically in its capital city of Janloon. Here, two clans fight for power and dominance after working together in a war to overthrow colonial rule. In this new, free Kekon, the Kekonese- the race of persons granted with the ability to use Jade- are organized into clans and are soon roped in into all-out clan...

United States on Mar 25, 2019

Christopher Meadows: ade City is the start of a new series by Fonda Lee. It feels like a blend of eighties kung-fu movies, gangster shows, and cunningly wrought, emotional family drama, blended together into one very appetising cocktail.

The world of Jade City is one with several layers. It’s set on an island which overthrew colonial rule a generation ago. There’s a legacy of occupation here, one where immediate family, clan and associates are all bound together strongly. The social strings which tie these groups together are forged in a legacy of struggle against an external oppressor. With that oppressor vanquished – or at least temporarily removed from the equation – the society is out of equilibrium. The text isn’t afraid to embrace the exploration of clan based societies after declaring independence, and it’s all the better for it. This is a land where the government is beholden to families, and those families drive the political agenda. If there are a few institutions not under familial control, they’re the exception. This is problematic, and the text addresses it to some degree - the melting pot of post-independence prosperity is on the boil, as a second generation comes...

United Kingdom on Mar 28, 2018