Jade City

When I heard about Jade City, the things people told me about were great fight scenes and cool magic systems. I picked it up because I love these things. Instead what I got was an intensely character focused family drama with organized crime (kind of) as a backdrop. Plus some cool fight scenes, of course.

Elevator Pitch:
Janloon is a city that, after a long war for sovereignty, owes its freedom to two clans: Mountain and No Peak. This book follows the newest generation of the Kaul family, who rule No Peak Clan. Lan is in the process of taking over leadership from his grandfather, the war hero who is overly involved. Hilo is a firebrand whos penchant to start fights must be reigned in now that he’s in a position of authority. And Shae is back in Janloon hoping to live a life free of the influence of her family. And then there’s Anden, adopted and still a student, but a prodigy of great proportions. A gang war with Mountain Clan is brewing, and No Peak may not be situated win the fight.

What Worked for Me
In this series, Fonda Lee shows that she’s up there with the best of the best when it comes to characterization. The four siblings each are complex and nuanced individuals, whom are a product of their society. The actions they take are often not the ones we agree with. Sometimes they are a product of stress, but more often the author presents us with a culture whose values differ greatly from our own, and inform the actions the characters take. This is not a story where ‘liking’ a character means agreeing with their actions, but character’s differing views on their culture, and how those beliefs are challenged, form the thematic core of the story. In particular, I found Shae’s journey to be powerful, as she’s torn between the push and pull of freedom and duty, family and independence, and how her choices have ripple effects for the rest of No Peak Clan.

Janloon as a city, similarly, is vividly imagined. It’s a 1920s style world, with guns being just as much of a threat as the swords and daggers of the clan’s warriors. There are some infodumps about Janloon’s history, which won’t please those who prefer a more immersive style. However, I found myself lost in the sights and smells of the city, with the book threading the needle of enough description to create scenery, without so much that it slowed down the book.

Finally there are the fight scenes. They aren’t as common as you’d expect for a story that bills itself in the martial arts tradition. But when fights do happen, they are excellently choreographed, highly consequential, and utterly unpredictable. They almost always serve as something more than just fun action to resolve a conflict, instead oftentimes corresponding to elements of characterization that Fonda Lee has been working on.

What Didn’t Work for Me
Selfishly, I wish that Anden’s storyline had been more prominent. His character is as interesting as all the others, but as a gay man he resonated with me at a deeper level, especially considering the homophobia of Janloon.

In Conclusion: A family drama aggressively focused on characterization, with a gang war as a backdrop providing external tension and forcing change.

• Characters – 5
• Worldbuilding – 4
• Craft – 5
• Themes – 4
• Enjoyment – 5