Book Summary and Reviews of Jade City (The Green Bone Saga, 1) by Fonda Lee

Jade City (The Green Bone Saga, 1) by Fonda Lee

Jade City (The Green Bone Saga, 1)

by Fonda Lee

  • Readers' Rating (2):
  • Published:
  • Nov 2017, 512 pages
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About this book

Book Summary

In this World Fantasy Award-winning novel of magic and kungfu, four siblings battle rival clans for honor and power in an Asia-inspired fantasy metropolis.

Jade is the lifeblood of the island of Kekon. It has been mined, traded, stolen, and killed for—and for centuries, honorable Green Bone warriors like the Kaul family have used it to enhance their magical abilities and defend the island from foreign invasion.

Now, the war is over and a new generation of Kauls vies for control of Kekon's bustling capital city. They care about nothing but protecting their own, cornering the jade market, and defending the districts under their protection. Ancient tradition has little place in this rapidly changing nation.

When a powerful new drug emerges that lets anyone—even foreigners—wield jade, the simmering tension between the Kauls and the rival Ayt family erupts into open violence. The outcome of this clan war will determine the fate of all Green Bones—and of Kekon itself.

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Reviews

Media Reviews

"Lee draws on her Chinese heritage, passion for gangster stories, and strong writing to launch a Godfather-inspired fantasy series that mixes bold martial-arts action and vivid worldbuilding. The result is terrific." ―Library Journal (starred review)

"As this ambitious and complex story unfolds, Lee (Exo) skillfully juggles a huge cast. Her action scenes are flashy, brutal, and cinematic, while the family dynamics hold their own weight and significance. This is an engaging blend of crime drama and Asian martial arts film tropes.... an intense, satisfying experience." ―Publishers Weekly

"An intriguing confluence of history, culture, and biology.... It'll be interesting to see what course Lee charts next." ―Kirkus Reviews

"Well-formed characters and impeccable world building." ―Booklist

This information about Jade City (The Green Bone Saga, 1) was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

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Author Information

Fonda Lee

Fonda Lee is the author of the epic fantasy Green Bone Saga, consisting of Jade City, Jade War, and Jade Legacy. Her other work includes the science fiction novels Zeroboxer and Exo, and the fantasy novella, Untethered Sky. Lee is a winner of the World Fantasy Award, the Locus Award, the Aurora Award, as well as a multiple finalist for the Hugo Award and the Nebula Award. The Green Bone Saga has been translated into multiple languages and named to Time Magazine's Top 100 Fantasy Books of All Time. Lee is a former corporate strategist and black belt martial artist residing in the Pacific Northwest. 

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