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)

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.

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!

A narrative treat!

Sometimes, it's the characters, and other times, it's the plot that hooks one into a book, but for this one, it was the narration (both written and vocal). The author's voice hooked me from the get go, and I couldn't put it down. Peppered within her stylish prose packed with powerful verbs are some hidden gems, pub intended, of characters who can be quite cerebral in scheming and very ruthless when it comes to defending their clan's honor. The midpoint turn of the book impacted me more than the ending, and the resolution felt a bit too open-ended, but that's the way with the first book these days. A hard recommend!

Amazing listen!!!

this audiobook was awesome, and the writing of Fonda Lee is on point. her vision of Asian inspired ed Clan warfare is immersive and the characters are a ride. very well done. the voice behind the audiobook is also well done.

Fucking fantastic

I am so glad I came across this book. it's amazing.

great characters, setting, plot. A lot of growth in the Kaul family, particularly Hilo, Shae, and Andy. Some good twists and turns that had me feeling all sorts of things.

I also really like the narrator.

I plan to get the second novel as well.

10/10 recommend

Fast paced

I was hooked within the first 20%. Enjoyable action, realistic consequences and a small touch of fantasy made this a perfect start to a trilogy.

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.

gangster

This was worth the online hype. I really enjoyed it and it was a good break from the sword and sorcery fantasy I've been listening to. still fantasy but the urban aspect made it feel fresh.

Wasn’t expecting that

This book was recommended to me by a friend, and I was skeptical at first. But I was drawn in and wowed by the story and the twists it took. Can’t wait to read the 2nd book.