Rating: 9.0/10
Synopsis
In Jade War, the sequel to the World Fantasy Award-winning novel Jade City, the Kaul siblings battle rival clans for honor and control over an Asia-inspired fantasy metropolis.
On the island of Kekon, the Kaul family is locked in a violent feud for control of the capital city and the supply of magical jade that endows trained Green Bone warriors with supernatural powers they alone have possessed for hundreds of years.
Beyond Kekon’s borders, war is brewing. Powerful foreign governments and mercenary criminal kingpins alike turn their eyes on the island nation. Jade, Kekon’s most prized resource, could make them rich – or give them the edge they’d need to topple their rivals.
Faced with threats on all sides, the Kaul family is forced to form new and dangerous alliances, confront enemies in the darkest streets and the tallest office towers, and put honor aside in order to do whatever it takes to ensure their own survival – and that of all the Green Bones of Kekon.
Jade War is the second book of the Green Bone Saga, an epic trilogy about family, honor, and those who live and die by the ancient laws of blood and jade.The Green Bone SagaJade CityJade War
Review
I feel like I’m going to rehash a lot from my previous review of the first book, Jade City, yet, the second volume, Jade War, adhered to the same rich narrative, but on a grander scale. If you’re not familiar with the series, it is, in a nutshell, a mafia story set in a world with magical gems called “Jade”, which allow its wearer to accomplish incredible feats. It’s basically “The Godfather” by Mario Puzzo (or the popular movies) meets fantasy/martial arts. I loved the first book, and the second one didn’t disappoint. It felt very much like one big narrative versus two isolated stories.
The story builds up on the first book by exploring further characters that were introduced in the first, extends the regions that are part of the world and adds more conflict between the clans, the government and (my favorite) the members of the family of the No Peak clan. It feels like we experience these events as if they were part of a recent storyline of our own history.
Where Fonda shines is truly in her approach to immerse us in this world, where a myriad of gang rivalries, supporting characters, areas and political organizations all get involved in the major conflict in between the clans. She paints a thorough and beautiful canvas. It’s as if in Jade City she penciled and painted the big strokes, in Jade War added the details to express shadows, depth and in the last book Jade Legacy (which I have yet to read) she’ll add the colors so we can experience a full cycle of the Kekonese families in the Green bone saga series.
I simply can’t say more without revealing elements of the story which I strongly suggest you explore on your own as this second book, Jade War, is as good, if not better, because of its broadened exploration beyond the first book. And like I said and remain steady in my description of this series, if you’re a fan of Urban fantasy deeply set into a world of crime, gangsters and Jade-powered martial arts, Jade War and the remaining book (or all of them if you’ve yet to read the series) will fall right into your TBR. Take Mario Puzzo, a dab of Jet Li and sprinkle it with magic and you’ll get exactly what this book is about. I am excited to complete the Jade journey through the last book of the trilogy.
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