Jade City

The Green Bone Saga, Book 1

By: Fonda Lee

Narrated by: Andrew Kishino

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.

*Named one of TIME's Top 100 Fantasy Books Of All Time*

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.

Praise for Jade City:

"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 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

The Green Bone Saga
Jade City
Jade War
Jade Legacy

Critic reviews

"Stylish and action-packed, full of ambitious families and guilt-ridden loves, Jade City is 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, winner of the Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy Awards

"Jade City has it all: a beautifully realized setting, a great cast of characters, and dramatic action scenes. What a fun, gripping read!"—Ann Leckie, author of the Hugo, Nebula, and Arthur C. Clarke Award winning novel Ancillary Justice

"Lee's astute worldbuilding raises the stakes for her vivid and tautly-described action scenes." —Scott Lynch, New York Times-bestselling author of The Lies of Locke Lamora

"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 (Pick of the Month, 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

"Compelling characters and intricate worldbuilding.... I want to spend more time in Kekon."—Hank Green

"Intricate, fast-moving, and brazen, Jade City elevates the fantasy crime novel to something really special. A sharp and insightful new voice."—Elizabeth Bear, winner of the Hugo and Locus Awards

"With a powerful family of complex characters -- including my favorite, Kaul Shaelinsan -- Jade City beckons readers to secret family meetings and public battles between warring clans. With magical jade at stake, winning the battle for control of a city has never been more important, or more dangerous. Fonda Lee's first adult novel is a fast-hitting, tantalizing, sometimes unsettling, and always insightful book with a wealth of power at its core. A modern-day epic."—Fran Wilde, award-winning author of Updraft, Cloudbound, and Horizon

"Jade City is an instantly absorbing tale of blood, honor, family and magic, spiced with unexpectedly tender character beats."—NPR

"Lee has a supreme talent for world-building.... Jade City is a fierce, energetic and stylish story that will keep you engrossed from start to end."—Culturefly

"How does a book make me giddy and heartbroken at the same time? Jade City delivers intrigue, family drama, and martial arts magic that feels absolutely real."—Mary Robinette Kowal

I'm now a Fonda Lee fan

interesting complex characters combined with a fully developed world and a well thought out storyline performed in an excellent fashion. what's not to like. I hope there is more to come in the series.

More Hype Than Deserved

It took a long time for me to get into this book. The terms and names were confusing to me at first. The magic is very undefined, Jade gives power but how it is used isn't really clear or maybe it's just me being unfamiliar with this type of magic. Overall the story was good, could have done with fewer characters and their titles.

Boring characters… slow slow.

Characters aren’t memorable, really slow, nothing truly exciting going on and when there is it’s short and the reaction just lacks emotion.

Fantastic performance of an engaging story.

Jade City is a tense family and political drama set in a lavishly considered fantasy world. Jade grants a very specific segment of the population great power and inspires intense jealousy in others. Complicated characters, long-view power plays, and convincing magical realism engaged me and kept me thinking about the characters and how they might move forward in the sequel long after the last word rang from the page.

I experienced this tale via the exemplary audiobook presentation. It made two back-to-back road trips far less of a slog and had me looking forward to getting back in the car!

A pleasant surprise

This was a VERY pleasant surprise. I went into this without having heard anything about it...something I rarely do. The plot burb about covers it, so if it’s something that sounds interesting to you then don’t worry about it being worth it and just start reading! The narrator did a great job as well!