Jade City

The Green Bone Saga, Book 1

By: Fonda Lee

Narrated by: Andrew Kishino

Length: 19 hrs and 7 mins

Publisher's summary

Nominee for Nebula Award for Best Novel

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.

The Green Bone Saga

• Jade City
• Jade War
• Jade Legacy

©2017 Fonda Lee (P)2017 Hachette Audio

Critic reviews

Named one of TIME's Top 100 Fantasy Book of All Time

Winner of World Fantasy Award for Best Novel

Winner of Aurora Award for Best Novel

Finalist of Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel

2017, Nebula Award, Runner-up

2018, World Fantasy Award, Winner

2018, Aurora Award, Winner

2018, Locus Award, Runner-up

"A beautifully realized setting, a great cast of characters, and dramatic action scenes. What a fun, gripping read!" (Ann Leckie, Hugo, Nebula, and Arthur C. Clarke Award-winning author)

"An instantly absorbing tale of blood, honor, family and magic, spiced with unexpectedly tender character beats." (NPR)

"An epic drama reminiscent of the best classic Hong Kong gangster films but set in a fantasy metropolis so gritty and well-imagined that you'll forget you're reading a book." (Ken Liu, Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy Award-winning author)

A fresh take on fantasy

There's a little something for everyone in this book. A lot of people have said it's like The Godfather, but with a fantasy twist. Personally, I thought it was a bit more like a more modern twist on Game of Thrones. Magic? Check. Sociopolitical complexity? Check. Characters who must reconcile their ideas of honor and their goals? Check. I recommend this book for any fantasy fan who is tired of Tolkien-esque settings. Can't wait for the next book!

liked it

this urban fantasy was action filled and well done, the writing was great, the over all feeling of it had me craving for an anime, if you like politically driven adult books about gang wars and family, books that are morally gray and characters that will have you question your self, this is the book for you, I might continue on with this series .

why not 5 stars ?
this is a 5 star read tbh, it's just not my kind of book, I don't usually like political intrigue, and though I enjoy reading about morally gray characters, I didnt like how this book had me rooting for murderers and torturers, I felt bored at some parts and procrastinated myself into a slump , or rather the slump had me procrastinate for more than month .

a whole lotta details

interesting concept but it took a while to get my attention I almost gave up half way through

Fresh Fantasy World Building, Cool Magic System

I’m sick of reading fantasy that takes place in a society inspired by medieval Europe, populated by white people and white cultures. Fonda Lee’s island nation of Kekon, which takes heavy inspiration from more modern Asian societies, is a world where people are driven by honor, family, and magical jade.
This novel also scratches my Brandon Sanderson itch- the world and magic Lee has built bring to mind some of his work. So for anyone like me who had finished all of the cosmere novels, consider Jade City as you wait for Stormlight 4.
I also thoroughly enjoyed the narration. The voices of the characters feel authentic, and his narration gives life to the culture of Kekon.
5/5, would recommend to any fantasy lover

PHENOMENAL!!! I can't wait for the next book!

Great world-building. Solid performance. I didn't know anything about the book except the description. It was just recommended off of other books I read. So glad I just dove in. I'm telling everyone to get this one. Loved the saga and the characters. Kaul family green bone for life!

Absolutely Excellent

Excellent. Just EXCELLENT. There's a lot going on in the book and I love it. The politics is top notch. I give it 4 stars only because there are things here and there that make me go "hmmm..." and I can't always put my finger on it, but every blue moon things kind of miss the mark slightly for me. Might be my inability to pin down a singular character to just throw my all into, but that's also not entirely a problem. Everyone plays their part in the book and the themes are well explored. That being said, my love for this story eclipses the minor cons all together.

It feels like there's a lot of backstory and character feelings given in direct exposition, but out of dialogue (like being told a character is furious or sad) and I don't know how much I like that, but that's a personal preference and, frankly, with a story this complicated I think it is warranted.

Engaging organized crime/ fantasy revenge story

I enjoyed this once I got into it. I will be buying the second book. A very successful genre mashup.

Gangster drama with fantasy flavor, but not as rich as it could have been

‘Jade City’ is about a war between two clans on a Hong Kong-esque island called Kekkon. The clans function like mafia families but without the crime. Their authority flows from a genetic trait that lets them draw power from a variety of jade native to the island.

These supernatural powers are mostly background factors as the story is more about economics than action. Jade is valuable and motivates a lot of the characters’ choices and interactions, but its role in the story functions more like alcohol in ‘Boardwalk Empire’ than you’d expect, given the powers it conveys to Green Bones.

Fonda Lee advertises that she’s a black belt and former corporate strategist. Both are on display, but the corporate strategy gets a lot of more ink on the page than the martial arts. Unfortunately, it’s the martial arts that actually move the story. It makes the diplomacy feel like it’s just there to tell you who the good guys are before they go cut a bad guy’s head off; a short cut around dealing with the moral ambiguity of a feudal society run by a paternalistic warrior-class.

The diplomacy and action dilute each other—neither being as thrilling as they could be—but also ground the story and make it feel more plausible. I was hoping for something a bit more “out there”, but I enjoyed the book nonetheless.

Must listen!!!

Absolutely amazing! Loved every second of it!
5 stars!!! I can’t wait to jump right into book 2!

Godfather comparisons are an insult...

to Jade City. This so much better than Puzo. I wonder if anyone has read Mario Puzo’s books or if they're just giving the books credit for heavy lifting that was actually done by the movies. In any case this was way more enjoyable than I expected. It's not the deepest material you will all ever listen to but it's fun and fairly fast paced. I can't think of anything of say could have been left out. Well, I guess that will be answered or confirmed in the second book. There are one or two plotlines that I think mainly exist to set up the second book. Well written, good performance, and I appreciated how the characters stayed true(for the most part)to the motivations and the internal compasses that the writer created for them. There might have been one reaction that didn't make sense, but otherwise, it all added up.