Jade City (The Green Bone Saga Book 1)

Jade City, the killer opener to the Green Bone Saga, throws you into Janloon, a vibrant city with Hong Kong roots, where streets are run with martial arts flair, the blend of cultures is what makes this world so beautiful and unique. The story follows the Kaul family, leaders of the No Peak Clan, as they clash with the rival Mountain Clan over magical jade that gives Green Bone warriors superhuman abilities. Tensions escalate with the rise of an illegal drug enabling non-jade users to wield its power, shaking up the city’s balance. Often compared to The Godfather, Jade City is more like a yakuza epic with a fantasy spin, as Lee crafts a world of family loyalty, betrayal, and power struggles that keeps you hooked from page one. The characters are Jade City’s heart, each with their own drive. Kaul Lan, the Pillar, stays calm under the weight of leadership, while Hilo, my favorite, is a fiery Horn with swagger and fierce loyalty, commanding No Peak’s fighters. Shae, the youngest Kaul, returns from abroad and wrestles with her clan role, her sharp smarts shining as the Weather Man. Anden Emery, a mixed-race teen, faces identity struggles, his courage and heart making him stand out. Ayt Mada, the Mountain Clan’s ruthless Pillar, fuels the war with cunning plans, backed by her fearsome Horn, Gont Asch, a brute who dominates the streets. The Maik siblings, Wen, Kehn, and Tar, add grit and depth, while Bero, a scrappy jade thief, stirs up the wild, messy side of Janloon’s streets. The mix of love, tension, and duty, set against Ayt Mada’s schemes, gives the clan conflict serious emotional punch. Lee’s writing is vivid and punchy, bringing Janloon’s culture to life without overwhelming you. She balances intense action with thoughtful moments, making street fights and family pressures feel real. The world-building is awesome, with details like Kekon’s gods, clan rules, and the stigma around stone-eyes and Abukei people adding layers to the jade-driven society. Mythology interludes offer a cool, poetic break from the story’s intensity, tying the conflict to a bigger picture. “Expectations are a funny thing,” Wen said. “When you’re born with them, you resent them, fight against them. When you’ve never been given any, you feel the lack of them your whole life.” As a martial arts film enthusiast, I couldn’t help but imagine a new Jade City screen adaptation, after Peacock decided to cancel their version before it could even happen. Woo Do-hwan, with his electric energy and fight skills from The King: Eternal Monarch, would nail Hilo, owning every scene. Jessica Henwick, blending brains and toughness from Iron Fist, is perfect for Shae, capturing her smarts and jade-fueled moves. Ludi Lin, with his grounded depth from Mortal Kombat, would shine as Lan, balancing leadership and doubts. Ryan Potter, tapping his Titans heart, would bring Anden’s mixed-race struggles and loyalty to life. Dallas Liu, with his scrappy edge from Shang-Chi, would kill it as Bero, stirring up Janloon’s messy streets. Gong Li, fierceness from Memoirs of a Geisha, would dominate as Ayt Mada, driving the Mountain Clan’s war, with Ma Dong-seok’s massive presence from The Roundup making Gont Asch a beast. This cast is rooted in East Asian heritage, which helps amplify the novel’s themes of family, loyalty, and power, bringing Janloon to the screen in style. You can thank me later for this perfect casting (takes a bow) While the Jade City excels in its pacing and tension, the audiobook narration by Andrew Kishino, though strong overall, struggles to differentiate female voices from male ones. This didn’t necessarily kill the immersion for me since he nailed the action and drama of the story, but it was a slight hiccup. I’m also not fan of sex scenes in books and generally find them unnecessary, though I understand why it’s there for the characters, it’s just one of those “skip to the next page” things for me. These minor quibbles didn’t take away from Lee’s storytelling, which kept me hooked with its seamless blend of action, intrigue, and emotional stakes. Jade City is a stellar urban fantasy, weaving crime drama and epic fantasy into a story you can’t put down. Lee’s take on power, family, and identity, against the Mountain Clan’s ruthless plans, hits deep, and I’m stoked to dive back into Janloon for the sequels. The audiobook’s voice mix-up and skippable sex scenes didn’t slow me down—the vivid world, gripping characters, and relentless action make this a must-read. I now understand why Petrik Leo loves this series so much, and I’m saddened I took so long to read it, so if you love tight family bonds or jade-charged battles, Jade City is going to win you over ten-fold.

Jade City is about the Green Bone warriors of the Island of Kekon. Jade gives special powers to those who are sensitive to it, both in the Mountain Clan and the No Peak clan. It is mostly about the conflict between these two clans. It is also about the No Peak character's journey with themselves throughout the conflict with the Mountain. I picked this book up because I had heard good things about it and I love adult fantasy, so I wanted to check it out myself. My expectations were to have a lot of action in the book and to have it be a page-turner. Unfortunately, I did not find it to be the page-turner I hoped it to be. I did not dislike the book but I was expecting a lot more action throughout it but the action only really started getting good at the end. I liked the book, it wasn't bad. It just didn't meet the expectations I had for it. It took me a bit to finish because I found it to be quite slow at times. I did enjoy the writing. It was easy to follow and understand. Though there were a few big words that I had to look up, I didn't have any issue with the writing itself. Everything and all the characters were easy to imagine. There were also lots of twists that I did not expect. As I mentioned before, I found the pace of the writing to be a little slow at times but this was a high fantasy so some of that is to be expected, as set up and explanation is needed. In a weird way, it kind of reminds me of The Wheel of Time series. Nothing felt rushed and everything felt important to the story, so I can't complain about that. Again, I didn't dislike the book, I liked it for what it was. I just expected a little more action and fewer politics between clans. There were various POVs in this book, so there was more than one main character to move the story along. Jade City had great representation with all of the characters involved. Each character goes through their own specific journey as a person and they don't always go the route you would expect them to. I would have to say that my favorite characters were Shae, Hilo, and Anden. Each with their own internal struggle but strong people in their own ways. Hilo was my favorite kind of trope; a bad boy with a good heart. I loved Shae and her struggle to decided if she wanted be part of the clan or not. With Anden, the choice he made in the end was not what I expected. Overall, I have no issues with the characters. I enjoyed the world building. I enjoyed the unique take on magic and magical powers through the use of Jade. Jade City is moslty set in the city of Janloon. The Island of Kekon and the world around it is well built and explained throughout the story. Nothing in the world building felt out of place or didn't make sense. It was carefully thought out and I have no complaints about it.

Hooks you right from the start! Fonda Lee is amazing writer and this is one of the best trilogies I’ve ever read.

If you like fantasy books, gangs and gansters, badass characters, and a compelling story, this is for you. It is essentially a gang war story based in Hong Kong with fantasy elements. I typically read more regular fantasy books like The Wheel of Time, Stormlight Archives, Malice, etc. This being an urban fantasy was a very different reading experience, but I assure you that Fonda Lee leaves no stone unturned. The story is phenomenal, the characters are great, this book is just a heartwrenching rollercoaster ride. I have also read the sequel Jade War, and it was my favourite book I read in 2020. Jade Legacy, the finale to this trilogy is now my most anticipated book for 2021. Highly recommended. Hilo Stan forever.

Chyba najlepiej wygląda ze wszystkich książek, które kupiłam na Amazon. Rogi lekko pozaginane. Paczka źle spakowana.

Webs of intrigue and power cast over a city that feels real, but where you expected a seedy underbelly, you find a stone hard magical warriors.

Book was delivered in good condition