Hello Gemmies! I have an exciting book review to share with you today. Jade City by Fonda Lee is the first book in The Green Bone Saga and it is fantastic! I've had this series on my TBR list for a while. I recently joined a read along group and I'm so glad I did, because I needed help processing all of my feels! Jade City was so much more than I expected. It's brutal and brilliant. This epic fantasy is unique, fresh, and captivating...full of warring clans, twists, turns, treachery, action, heightened abilities granted from Jade, and morally grey characters. The world building is eloquent, lush, descriptive and full of rich culture. I found myself fully immersed, and ready to book a trip to Kekon. The plot was also well done, with so many layers that allowed for past events to connect to the present in a seamless and elegant way.
Jade City is also a well written character driven story with a range of strong female characters that I found to be dynamic and complex. This is where I really think the book shines. I genuinely cared about the characters on both sides of the conflict and their well being. I mentioned before all the characters were morally grey and it is true. No one is truly "good" or "bad" and you will keep questioning your clan loyalties and decisions made all the way until the end. There are a few main characters that I really loved...Emery Anden, Lan, Wen, and Ayt Mada (Don't fight me people...you have to respect her gangster)! Emery's character arc in particular was amazing. He was conflicted and vulnerable. He went through so many emotions leading up to a gut wrenching decision. I just wanted to give him a hug. All of these qualities are what I think made him so relatable. This is very much a story about perseverance, making hard decisions, and accepting yourself....flaws and all. There are also themes of family, revenge, love, grief, and betrayal.
I have pledged my loyalty to the No Peak Clan. I can't wait to continue reading the Clan's saga in Jade War. If you are a fan of territorial clan showdowns, politics, action, betrayal, heartbreak, and diverse feminist stories, then go read this book! Published by Orbit, Jade City is available for purchase from all major booksellers. I give Jade City 5 out of 5 gems. Happy Reading!
