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 … — 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
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I’m not sure what to call the subgenre this intense, brilliantly gripping fantasy falls under. Epic fantasy, at least to me, usually signifies world-changing events involving countries and cultures.
In Jade City, the history, cultural detail, and mythology are every bit as involving as those in big epic fantasies–everything centering around the mysterious properties of jade.
We do get brief and tantalizing glimpses of other cultures, but most of the focus is on the city of Janloon, main city of an island that a generation ago was occupied by enemies. Most of our POVs are descended from mountain warriors who fought a bitter resistance, and after the enemy departed, labored just as fiercely to bring the city into economic prosperity.
But the two main clans who had led the fight for freedom disagreed strongly over whether or not they ought to trade their mysterious jade out, or keep control of it. Jade gives certain people superpowers, but it has all kinds of dangerous side-effects. One must have a lifetime of training. And even then. . .
The bottom line is, Lee, a martial artist, constructed a world in which she could provide a reason for the aerial and super-strength and psychic powers of her favorite kung fu movies. Combined with her interest in mafia-style internal politics, and you get a very intense, often bloody, internal struggle between a variety of excellently developed characters. Jade City’s world is vivid and complicated, with a strong overlay of Asian cultural attitudes, gestures, styles, and foods. The characters are all as complex as the world, even the spear carriers.
Here’s the thing I realized while reading this book: when an author takes the time to bring those characters to life, in all their complexity, then it hurts more when their lives are threatened–and sometimes lost.
This is one of those books that you really should not start reading late at night, unless you are okay with pulling an all-nighter, because you cannot sleep until you know what happened, and then what happened, and then what happened . . .
Fonda Lee’s Asian-inspired urban fantasy is a perfect blend of The Godfather and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Excellent resource for writers wanting to improve upon their own worldbuilding skills. I know I’m taking notes! A great read for fans of “second world” fantasy.
I very much enjoyed the world-building and the way magic was woven into the tale. Great storytelling.
Shame on me for taking FOREVER to read this novel, because I could not get enough of it from the moment I started! Thanks again so much to Dini @ Dini Panda Reads for hyping me up for this novel, and helping to convince me to read it right away. I really can’t wait for these books to be made into a tv show or something because it would be freaking EPIC!
Some of the descriptions of Jade City compare it to “the best classic Hong Kong gangster films” and that is right on the dot. From the moment we enter this world, we can see that the clans are in charge of Kekon, even if they aren’t necessarily in the city’s political arena, or even government positions. There’s a reason for that, and even if a clan member isn’t in such a position, it doesn’t mean that they don’t have sway in making public decisions. I enjoyed that part a lot, and I hope that more of that gets explored in the next novel.
The interludes that Lee included in her novel gave us a little bit more of the mythical history behind Kekon and its people, why Jade was important for the clan members to have, what it meant to be a Green Bone. Getting a sneak peek into those ancient stories of times when the Gods were present and made themselves known was great background to have. It all tied in together with what kind of decisions the Kaul family made, even other minor Green Bones that we saw every once in a while. I felt like the Kekonese people were a proud people, doing the honorable thing to protect their home from foreign invasion and ensuring that Kekon survives. I so wish that Kekon was real, that I could visit it and be a tourist in this country and experience some of what goes on. I don’t think I’m equipped to deal with the gang violence when it happens, but then again I’m not a Green Bone.
As Lee has mentioned in the past, this story revolves around the Kaul family – she also mentioned that the whole saga would revolve around them so that’s something to keep in mind – the leaders of the No Peak clan in Kekon. Breaking down the different positions in the clans, we can get a good idea of what the hierarchy looks like. Bear with me, as I didn’t keep track of all of the positions, but I have a good gist of it.
We have the Pillar, which in essence is the main leader of the Clan. They are the head honcho, making decisions on both the fighting aspects and the political aspects of the clan and their doings within Kekon. This person has to be strategic in all ways. The right hand man to the Pillar would be the Horn. The Horn is responsible for all things battle related between the clans. They ensure that their properties are taken care of with ample security and will dish out any punishment to troublemakers. The Horn has Fists and Fingers that are his men on the ground. The Weather Man does a lot more of the books, political things, make sure that they still have a good relationship with the government and various business owners. I’m sure there’s so much more, and I know there are better ways to describe what they do, but I think this may be good for starters.
The Kaul family has been broken for a while, since the youngest sister Shae left Kekon for Espenia a few years ago. By the time this novel gets going, she comes back. So while all of the Kauls are back on Kekon, she doesn’t want anything to do with Clan business. No Peak is being led by Lan and Hilo, Shae’s older brothers and the Pillar and Horn, respectively. Despite some minor skirmishes between No Peak and the Mountain Clan, things have been okay… until Shae finds out that there’s some dirty dealings involving the island’s Jade supply and things start to go to war. Jade is crucial to Green Bones since that is where they draw their power and strength. Not all people are able to wear Jade without getting sick, or even dying because of the exposure. It’s considered an honor to be a Green Bone, and for this Jade to be given away to foreigners who have no concept of its importance is almost blasphemous.
“Heaven help me, Shae,” he whispered into her ear. “I’m going to kill them all.”
page 280
This book is full of violence, betrayal, and the importance of family. The Kaul family is one that I will literally kill for to see them win this battle, after everything that they have gone through, and everything that can happen after the events of this novel. They need to work together if they are going to come out of this with their clan intact, and they need to start learning about one another again. They need to learn to trust one another again, and I think that could be one of the hardest parts for them. Lee once referred to Jade City as a “wuxia gangster saga”, and that’s exactly the vibe I get. I could imagine watching this on TV, being immersed in the culture of Kekon and seeing up close how the Kauls will need to handle this new development. The magic with the Jade combined with the intricacies of mob mentality and movement blended in perfectly. This is definitely not one of those books where all the heroes make it out alive, and death is prominent in this novel. Violent, gory killings that would only make sense in a story like this.
I don’t really know if I even wrote a review, if that makes sense. It seems more of a broken up summary of what I remember and what drew me into the story, but long story short: this has been one of my favorite adult fantasy novels I’ve read in a very long time. I need more of Fonda Lee, and I need more of the Green Bone Saga world.
Fonda Lee has built a world that is as gritty as it is fantastical. It’s easy to see why this book was optioned for a movie. Fast-paced action and twists that I didn’t see coming. Highly recommended!
Such cool and original ideas, a great read.
I loved everything about this book.
Highly recommend Jade City to fantasy readers, even if you don’t typically go in for a more modern setting. If you like interesting characters, a vibrant world, and a highly original magic system, read this book.
Puzo’s The Godfather meets Martial Arts with a heavy dose of fantasy
Action-packed! A book I could not put down! Wow! Looking forward to the next instalment.
Punches and family drama! Feels like a slick ’90s Hong Kong gangster film. I loved it and hope Lee does not kill any more of my faves in the next book.
I really enjoyed Fonda Lee’s World Fantasy Award winning novel. Kung Fu godfather.
This one’s a little outside my usual.
I mean it’s wuxia.
Wuxia is awesome.
But the secondary world in which it’s set is modern with (it seemed to me) about 1970s era tech. So cars and TVs, but no computers. Because it’s a secondary world, it’s not quite urban fantasy, but close.
Anyway, the basic premise is that on the island of Kekon certain people can have a genetic ability to train and use bioreactive jade that gives them classic wuxia powers. It’s also massively dangerous, addictive, and can cause insanity and death if you wear too much or don’t have the right training.
Kekon was occupied by another country for a long time, and these jade warriors called Green Bones came and fought a guerrilla war for freedom and won. The Green Bones then broke apart into several clans which operate a lot like triads except they’re legal and support the government in exchange for tribute.
And two of these clans are about to go to a bloody war.
So it’s a wuxia gangster story. Seriously.
I enjoyed the read. The writing was gritty and real enough to keep me engaged, with characters who also felt both distinct and uniquely flawed.
I know I’ve found a great book when I both don’t want it to end and I can’t stop reading it. And the bonus is when I start looking for what else the author has written. This has all been true with Jade City. A great read.
I was first sold on this book as “the Godfather meets superpowered martial arts” and this does not disappoint! There are some amazing fight scenes included, as well as a great character-drive story about a feud between two warring clans. For me, the side characters really made this book, bringing the world to life. Very much looking forward to the next one!
Audiobook
This was an interesting story about the Kaul family that runs the No Peak Clan and their rival the Mountain Clan together they control Janloon. In a time of peace, a new drug comes to light and the tensions between clans spill over. In between what is happening around them you get a peek into what it means to have honor and loyalty towards a family. So much action was going on that it left me spellbound. I really loved this story and cannot wait to read what happens next.