Series: Green Bone Saga by Fonda Lee ( "Jade City")

[Beth]

Here's the topic for Jade War, the second novel in Fonda Lee's Green Bone trilogy. The BR starts Sep 21, but feel free to post here anytime.

Please mark anything beyond first impressions with a spoiler tag and chapter number.

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This is not a standalone novel, and unfortunately it won't be very understandable to someone who hasn't read Jade City. I highly recommend it, it's great! :)

Jade City was a SFFBC selection in December 2018. Here are links to the group discussions:

First impressions | Full discussion

Enjoy!

[Beth]

Short, super early impression from the first couple of chapters:

A time gap between the books? Interesting. Lee's doing a good job both reminding me of events and characters from Jade City, and setting up new situations. I am easily falling back into this world, and looking forward to seeing more.

[Meredith]

I am going to join, though perhaps a bit late. I'm, um, over-booked this month.

[Trike]

Meredith wrote: "I am going to join, though perhaps a bit late. I'm, um, over-booked this month."

Bah-dum-bum! Meredith will be here all week, folks! Don’t forget to tip the waitstaff!

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

(The wait staff is the thing you brandish to get people to slow down during buddy reads)

[Jemppu]

It's like Live at the Apollo here tonight.

[Beth]

I know the feeling. I'm booked up through mid-November in both b&w and audio. Join whenever you're ready and have fun!

[Meredith]

Bah-dum-bum! Meredith will be here all week, folks! Don’t forget to tip the waitstaff!"

Try the veal!

[Trike]

GoGo’s been after me to start this.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B0RTsy2hU...

[Meredith]

Trike wrote: "GoGo’s been after me to start this.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B0RTsy2hU..."

Awww!! Good pup!

[Beth]

Ch. 7 introduces Maro, a new character to the story. He's sending up all kinds of flags as (view spoiler)[an innocent to "the life" who's doomed to die horribly, perhaps after a kidnap and torture sequence, because he's associated with Shae. (hide spoiler)] We'll see!

[Beth]

Closing in on 25% or so: It's going slowly (I'm only on p. 125 after a week!) and I'm feeling mildly bored. Scenes feel somewhat rote, like they're part of an elaborate plot setup phase, and don't have a lot of impact on me on a character level.

I felt somewhat bored in the first half of Jade City, too, and its second half blew me away, so I'll try to be patient and hope this one plays out the same way.

[Ruth]

Beth wrote: "Closing in on 25% or so: It's going slowly (I'm only on p. 125 after a week!) and I'm feeling mildly bored. Scenes feel somewhat rote, like they're part of an elaborate plot setup phase, and don't ..."

I’m now nearly three-quarters finished and tbh I have found it pretty slow going. I love the characters and the world and there have been some excellent scenes- but there have also been a few too many scenes of people sitting around explaining things to each other.

Hoping for a rip-roaring finale in the final quarter of the book!

[Beth]

Yeah, even in the first fourth I agree there have been maybe too many "people sitting around a table" scenes.

Thanks for the update, Ruth. I'm very curious what you'll think about the last parts of the book!

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

Jade War through Ch 29

(view spoiler)[ It feels incredibly similar to the build up of book 1. I was expecting to watch the pieces fall in this one, but something else is building. There are a lot of bits I like--Shae having to fight for credibility, Hilo having to learn diplomacy--but I'm really unsure about the need to kill Eyni and what Anden is doing. And now Shae's pregnant?? Feels a biiit soap opera-ish to me instead of wuxia. I also feel the writing is a bit more belabored in this one. I've lost the "feel" of the story I had in JC. Perhaps that's in part because it's not all about Kekon this time, but I do miss the intimacy of the crime family drama that the first book held. Hoping that, like with the first book, it turns around soon. (hide spoiler)]

[Beth]

(edited to add update for Ch. 21, to avoid double posting.)

Ch. 14: we've had a couple of time jumps in very recent chapters: a few months pass while Anden is (view spoiler)[in Espenia learning its language (hide spoiler)], and three months or so pass as Wen (view spoiler)[goes from second to third trimester (hide spoiler)]. Someone whose review I read said that this novel has an "eagle's eye view." imo the time jumps add to this effect.

I'll get to your comment before too long I hope, Allison!

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Ch. 21, (real spoiler!) (view spoiler)[death of Eyni (hide spoiler)]: whoa, I didn't see that coming. The first genuine surprise of the book, I think.

This book has more of a feeling of a broad-gesture dynastic epic than the first one, between the earlier mentioned time jumps and all this focus on babies.

[Chris]

Just started it.

[Beth]

Hooray, another buddy! :) I look forward to seeing what you think of it as it goes along, Chris.

[Ruth]

Beth wrote: "(edited to add update for Ch. 21, to avoid double posting.)

Ch. 14: we've had a couple of time jumps in very recent chapters: a few months pass while Anden is [spoilers removed], and three months ..."

I found the Chapter 21 spoiler a genuinely shocking moment too.

[Beth]

Ch. 30: just read the scene where (view spoiler)[Shae has an abortion and Wen supports her decision. I had honestly expected her to keep on with the pregnancy and for there to be a complete suite of Kaul cousins, (hide spoiler)] so thumbs up for another diversion from my expectations. (view spoiler)[No possibility of a nanny or maybe a wet nurse for a woman of a nobility-equivalent status, though? This is not to say that Shae should have gone through with it, (hide spoiler)] just that those options aren't mentioned in the conversations surrounding this event.

This is evidently still a largely patriarchal society. Shae is a grown woman who needs to have (view spoiler)[a male relative's permission to have an abortion?? (hide spoiler)] Hilo gets the best of both worlds by being able to do his job as Pillar and also to have his children there to cosset but not have primary caregiving responsibility for (there's a side mention that (view spoiler)["adoptive son" Niko (hide spoiler)] has free run of the No Peak compound, including Hilo's offices).

[Meredith]

Finally getting to start this. Read the first 2 chapters and already feel immersed in the Kaul family and their world again. The first chapter really jumped right into a dramatic scene (view spoiler)[ and the grave-robbing was upsetting to me, since I was fond of Kaul Lan for all his faults and augh! bad people got his jade (hide spoiler)]. The first book also started with a good dramatic plunge into action, as I recall.

[Ruth]

I’m well into the final quarter of the book now and there are plenty of twists and turns.
Ch.46 - when (view spoiler)[ Shae kills Maro ... I think I may have squeaked out loud. I certainly had to stop listening for a minute and wipe my eyes! (hide spoiler)]

On a slightly less dramatic note, in Ch.48 it was good to see (view spoiler)[ Eiten again, doing his job and helping someone else in need (hide spoiler)]

Definitely worth sticking through the slower parts to get to the final act!

[Evi]

I didn't know there was a buddy read for Jade War!! I finished it like 2 weeks ago. Like Ruth said please stick through the slower parts, I can promise you that (like in the first book) the final act will emotionally wreck you.

[Beth]

It's good to know the pace picks up in the last fourth! Even here around the halfway point it's a little less exposition-heavy, but there's still a ways to go 'til the real turning point, I think.

[Beth]

Double post time!

Ch. 42-43: a couple of arcs come to a close, neither in what I'd 100% consider a satisfying way.

Ch 42: (view spoiler)[Shae and Maro break up for good. (hide spoiler)] Probably? This arc seemed to just roll along at the same moderately low tension level throughout, and in this chapter it kind of bumps into a wall and stops. Hmm. Or maybe we'll see more from that side character later, i.e. conflict regarding the refugee question?

Ch 43: (view spoiler)[Bero and Mudt have been the "love to hate them" characters throughout both books, and now that Mudt's been buried alive I'm kind of sad to see them go. Bero was a straightforward psychopath, and once he (presumably) died, I thought Mudt might have some time out from under his shadow. (hide spoiler)] But apparently not? I was expecting some body horror shenanigans with the drill, and am glad enough that that wasn't how it played out.

In other news, the third book has a cover and a cover blurb! Click through on the picture to read the blurb:



Take-aways from the blurb. (1) I see that they have gone out of their way to not name any characters. :D (2) It seems to reinforce the idea of this series being a dynasty story.

[Meredith]

I'm up to the end of Chapter 8, and enjoying re-meeting these characters and seeing what new things Lee is developing for them.

[Ruth]

Ch.53: (view spoiler)[ just as he was starting to hope that he and Corey could have a future together, Anden has to choose between his lover and loyalty to his family... and of course, this being a Green Bone clan, family loyalty wins every time. This book is breaking my heart! (hide spoiler)]

[Ruth]

Beth wrote: In other news, the third book has a cover and a cover blurb!

Jade Legacy (The Green Bone Saga, #3) by Fonda Lee

Take-aways from the blurb. (1) I see that they have gone out of their way to not name any characters. :D (2) It seems to reinforce the idea of this series being a dynasty story.



Interesting the lack of named characters... I wonder if there’s going to be a time skip before the 3rd book, and we’ll see some of the characters who are currently children taking centre stage?

[Ruth]

Ruth wrote: Interesting the lack of named characters... I wonder if there’s going to be a time skip before the 3rd book, and we’ll see some of the characters who are currently children taking centre stage?

Replying to my own comment because, after reading Ch.58 (where we find out that (view spoiler)[ Hilo's son is a stone-eye, and see a bit more of his relationship with his cousin (hide spoiler)]) I think we are having a set-up for future dynastic drama.

[Beth]

Ruth wrote: "Interesting the lack of named characters... I wonder if there’s going to be a time skip before the 3rd book, and we’ll see some of the characters who are currently children taking centre stage?"

The title of the book points in that direction, too.

I'm getting very close to responding to some of your posts about the last quarter of the book, Ruth! Currently on Ch. 46.

[Ruth]

Finished! Listened to the last 10% (about 2 and a half hours) today and oh my god it was nail-biting! The final quarter of the book certainly makes up for the slow patches earlier on.
Looking forward to hearing others’ final thoughts...

[Beth]

Ruth wrote: "Ch.46 - when [spoilers removed]"

I had a similar response to this chapter. I was (view spoiler)[expecting Maro to die pretty much from when he was introduced--a man who is dating a power player in the clan, but not under their protection? Sorry, friend, you're doomed. But the circumstances behind his death were a lot different (and much better) than my imagination had come up with. This is as close as the book has gotten to making me cry. (hide spoiler)] That was a great scene! (view spoiler)[The feeling of inevitability and sorrow as Shae does what she must. (hide spoiler)]

"On a slightly less dramatic note, in Ch.48 it was good to see [spoilers r..."

I couldn't believe (view spoiler)[Bero was still alive. That kid has nine lives!! (hide spoiler)]

Also: the speculation in my post for Chapters 42 and 43 was totally off. Oops! :D

[Beth]

Ruth wrote: "Ch.53: [spoilers removed]"

I'm not sure what to feel about this one. Anden's role seems muddy: is he (view spoiler)[a Luckbringer-type asset or more of a Fist? The clans separate those roles for a reason, depending on the strengths of any given clan member. A's been strongly in the Luckbringer camp for a while, getting educated at the college level and then working at the trade office, not to mention he's been off the jade for quite some time. And now he's arranging an assassination? (hide spoiler)] The point of that chapter is what Ruth said, but unfortunately some of the impact was lost on me.

[Beth]

Finished! I was pleased with how Anden's part of the story ended. Initially I thought (view spoiler)[he was going to just fall right back in with the clan, which wouldn't be very satisfactory. "He ended up following in the family business, just as Hilo wanted him to. The End." But he is going his own way, as a doctor. Cool. Maybe not an obvious position for him to go through more drama in Jade Legacy, (hide spoiler)] but Lee's surprised me more than once. :) I'm looking forward to the next one... next year sometime, I assume?

[Chris]

Finished it a few days ago.

(view spoiler)[The pacing was terrible. Too much exposition and routine. The last 20% improved a little.

I loved the most dramatic scenes, like Shae's duel and the assassination of Zapunyo. Either we should have gotten more of those, or the mundane stuff should have been condensed.

Hilo's murder of Eyni should have been explored more. It was monstrous. Hilo shrugged it off, and Shae merely prayed to the gods. (hide spoiler)]

[Beth]

Completely agreed, Chris.

(view spoiler)[Too much exposition! The first half of Jade City was slow, and the last half was a thrilling roller coaster, but the excitement level of this one was, on average, pretty low. Even the last 20% had a pace-killing strategy meeting or two.

Also agreed though, that the more dramatic scenes were excellent. My absolute favorite part of the book was Shae's last scene with Maro, and she had a couple of other great scenes, too, like her "clean blade" duel with Ayt Mada. More of these, and fewer scenes with people sitting around a table talking, would have improved this book a lot. (hide spoiler)]

[Ruth]

Chris wrote: "Finished it a few days ago.

The pacing was terrible. Too much exposition and routine. The last 20% improved a little.

I loved the most dramatic scenes.

Definitely agree with you here - the dramatic scenes were great, but there was too much filler in between.

I too was disappointed that we didn’t see more repercussions from (view spoiler)[ Hilo’s Murder of Eyni (hide spoiler)] but I wonder if Lee is deliberately holding this back for Jade Legacy?

[Meredith]

Making a push to finish this after setting it aside and being distracted by a number of other books over several weeks.

I'm through chapter 47 and I think I've read all the relevant comments. (view spoiler)[I shed a few tears at Maro's death and have found some of the other events, like Shae's duel, to go in unexpected directions. I also agree with other commenters that while there have been several exciting and dramatic moments, they are separated by too much not-so-exciting material. (hide spoiler)]

[Beth]

Even though I could see Meredith's spoilered event coming pretty much from the beginning when (view spoiler)[we saw the two of them dating (hide spoiler)], the conclusion of that arc was really affecting. One of the better scenes in the book imo.

Agreed, Ruth. It seems rather unbelievable that they could (view spoiler)[get away with a double murder (they killed off her partner, too, right? it's been a few weeks) and a kidnapping (hide spoiler)] without any real consequences, or any that weren't in their favor.

[Bonnie]

Beth wrote: "Ch. 21, (real spoiler!): whoa, I didn't see that coming. The first genuine surprise of the book, I think"
😳
Me neither, that was a a surprise.

Agree with you and others, this book is slower so far.

I had hoped to find out more about Doru (the former Weather Man)'s history and why he betrayed the No Peak Clan. Now (view spoiler)[he is executed and dead though so I guess I will not! (hide spoiler)]
It is interesting that Shae can pretty much tell the truth about that to her professor boyfriend.

It looks like the story is going to widen to include other countries and world wars as current events, not just backdrop via the history of the Kekon. I hope it is done well.

[Beth]

Bonnie wrote: "It looks like the story is going to widen to include other countries and world wars as current events, not just backdrop via the history of the Kekon. I hope it is done well."

You're on the right track here, Bonnie. It's a good idea to come into this book not expecting a reprise of Jade City.

[Bonnie]

Beth wrote: "Here's the topic for Jade War, the second novel in Fonda Lee's Green Bone trilogy. The BR starts Sep 21, but feel free to post here anytime.

We could convert this to a Series thread, Beth, and have it added to the Series discussion lists.

I'm going to keep going and read Jade Legacy

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

mod notice has been achieved, say the word and it shall be done! once I'm finished with my current project, I might be tempted to join in for legacy too :)

[Bonnie]

I agree with with others' assessment... Outside the last 15% it dragged some. The gangster crew situation in Espenia didn't interest me much.
I still like overall world, and the character touches. Shae's relationship with Maro; Bero's relationship with Mudt (the Jade thieves); Mr. Eiten (the one (view spoiler)[whose arms were cut off and at first he was suicidal, but overcame it and took over family hoji business (hide spoiler)]).

Often when reading SF/F I wish for more realism in culture and economics... in this book I regretted getting my wish! With so many analogs to our world's countries and geopolitical challengee I would pause reading to think, ~now what place has a problem like this, Somalia? Philippines? Ireland in the 1920s? Mexico/U.S. border? Then start thinking about refugees or migrants or smuggling, To the point where I thought geez, maybe I should just read some Nonfiction
😏

P.S. Also a lot of the women putting on makeup and massaging sore feet.

[Beth]

Allison wrote: "mod notice has been achieved, say the word and it shall be done! once I'm finished with my current project, I might be tempted to join in for legacy too :)"

The word! ;) but seriously, I'm not 100% sure of the template for the thread title, especially since the first book is a SFFBC selection, so please go ahead.

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

you got it!

[Bonnie]

Jade Legacy chapter 3:

...he’d put on some weight and adopted a few Espenian affectations; he was wearing an athletic shirt under his suit jacket and drinking from an oversized travel mug full of nutmeg spiced coffee

It's 🎃 time!

[Anna]

I'll add this series BR to all the places it needs to be added to!

[Bonnie]

Jade Legacy
Chapter 13, No Secrets

I figured that Hilo would (view spoiler)[lie to Niko about his mother and stepfather, say that they happened to die in the fire. He told the truth though - Hilo & black ops team killed them. (hide spoiler)]
Pillar Power!

[Bonnie]

Jade Legacy
Chapter 14

...he found his brother-in-law sitting quietly on the sofa, elbows on knees, his hands laced over the back of his lowered head, as if he were folding himself into the brace position for an airplane crash.

Airplane crash safety, the new security cameras... jarring to me. That much modernity doesn't naturally mesh with my mental image of Jade magic/wuxia world