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Jade City (The Green Bone Saga, #1)

Fonda Lee

Start date: November 1, 2025

Finish date: November 30, 2025

Discussion: Book of the Month

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What Members Thought

Apr 11, 2018 Navi rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, first-of-series, kindle, urban-fantasy, 500-pages-plus

This is a fast paced, action gangster drama set in a neo-Asian metropolis. We follow the Kaul family who control parts of Janloon, a fictional city of Kekon. On the surface, they seem like your average mafia family but what makes them unique is jade. Jade is a magical gem that allows certain individuals to harness and enhance their magical abilities. Even though this is fantasy, the magical elements are quite subtle. Surprisingly, this worked really well as a nice back drop to everything else th This is a fast paced, action gangster drama set in a neo-Asian metropolis. We follow the Kaul family who control parts of Janloon, a fictional city of Kekon. On the surface, they seem like your average mafia family but what makes them unique is jade. Jade is a magical gem that allows certain individuals to harness and enhance their magical abilities. Even though this is fantasy, the magical elements are quite subtle. Surprisingly, this worked really well as a nice back drop to everything else that was unfolding. The world-building is perfection!

The story is told from multiple perspectives and Fonda does an incredible job fleshing out the different characters. Each one has an unique voice that I connected to on an empathetic level. My favourite character was Hilo, the younger of the two Kaul brothers. This is probably because of my unhealthy obsession for antiheroes. Even though these characters commit obscene acts of violence, you cannot help rooting for them! This is another reason why I loved the writing style.

The action scenes are flawlessly envisioned. MMA is an incredible sport to watch because of the blend between art and science. Yes, there is technique involved. However, the way you move and manipulate your body in a way that looks effortless is where your creativity comes into play. You can see how Fonda’s passion for MMA shines through in the text. The reason I liked the fight scenes so much is that they reminded me of my favourite TV show, Daredevil. Actually, there are a few other similarities as well – the Yakuza, subtle fantastical elements, great character development.

Throughout the book, we see a running commentary on the struggles of coming to terms with a mixed-race identity, addiction, mental illness, familial obligations vs individual desires, the corruption of power, nature vs. nurture, feminism and sexuality. I think that Fonda handled these topics wonderfully.

I cannot wait for the next book in the series. In the meantime. I am excited to pick up Fonda’s earlier works!

I recommend Jade City to anyone who:

- Is looking to get into fantasy but feels intimidated by extensive world building. It is a great choice for beginners to the genre.
- Is an action movie aficionado
- Loves rooting for the bad guy
- Is in the mood for a dark, gritty, fast paced story but does not want that to outshine character development
- Loves Daredevil as much as I do! ...more

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