Synopsis
The Kaul siblings’ battle with rival clans reaches new heights in the heart-pounding continuation 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.
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.
Review
The second book of Fonda Lee’s Green Bone Saga, Jade War, holds up well against the brilliant Jade City. While it lacks the freshness of the new and expertly manifested world depicted in book one—something most book twos must grapple with—Lee succeeds in carrying the story forward in a gripping and engaging manner.
This story focuses on the covert and sometimes overt battle for power between the No Peak and Mountain clans. Kaul Hilo, Kaul Shae, and Ayt Madashi play pivotal roles, as do Anden and Wen. The little troublemaker, Bero, shows his face again, creating more delightful and deadly mischief.
This story takes us offshore, to a small Kekonese diaspora community in Espenia. Similar to but smaller in scale than on the island of Kekon, there are gangs, thugs, smuggling, and a different set of rules than on Kekon.
Jade, of course, is the central plot device around which everything turns.
Fonda Lee proves herself a master storyteller once again, as she weaves a rich and suspenseful tale of family loyalty, love, betrayal, and the struggle for dominance. The main characters grow and evolve, their strengths and flaws sometimes one and the same, either propping them up or threatening their downfall. The multi-faceted characters feel real and relatable, each flawed in their own unique way.
Fundamentally, this is a story of of love. Not a romance novel by any stretch, it is the love for family, clan, and romantic partners that defines the story, with all its peaks and valleys. True to any mob story, when deals, bribes, and threats fail, violence resolves most issues. How each character deals with these dynamics provides the nuanced texture that gives this story depth and tugs at the heart.
Thoroughly enjoyable.
Leave a Reply