Jade City (2017)
Written by: Fonda Lee
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 495 (Hardback)
Series: The Green Bone Saga Book #1
Publisher: Orbit
Why I Chose It: I picked up Jade City because it is nominated in the novel category of the 2017 Nebula Awards, which Speculative Chic is covering. Fortunately for me, it also fits into my 2018 resolution to read more diverse books because of its Asian author and characters.
Premise:
An epic saga reminiscent of The Godfather with magic and kungfu, set in an Asia-inspired fantasy metropolis.
FAMILY IS DUTY. MAGIC IS POWER. HONOR IS EVERYTHING.
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 — from their grandest patriarch to the lowliest motorcycle runner on the streets — and of Kekon itself.
Jade City begins an epic tale of family, honor, and those who live and die by the ancient laws of jade and blood.
No Spoilers
Discussion: I have been reviewing a lot of dystopian, post-apocalyptic fiction lately, books that feature sexual assault, brutality, and hopelessness, so it came as a relief to me that Jade City is a fun book. There is violence and death in the book but in an action movie way that didn’t make me feel depressed.
There is a lot going on in this book, which is set in the Hong Kong-inspired nation of Kekon. In this world, jade has magical powers and a special class of soldiers, Green Bones, use jade to enhance “six disciplines — Strength, Steel, Perception, Lightness, Deflection, and Channeling” (p.62) to become almost invincible warriors. In the past, the Green Bones utilized the power of jade to protect Kekon from foreign invasion, but a falling-out between the Green Bones led to separate, family-based clans controlling their own territories in Kekon. Jade City primarily deals with characters in the No Peak clan whose rivals are the Mountain clan. The story is told from the perspective of many different characters—Bero, a street kid desperate to get his hands on jade, Lan the Pillar (leader) of the No Peak clan, Hilo the Horn (enforcer) of the clan, Shae, Lan and Hilo’s sister who left the country to build a life away from the clan, and Anden, a student in the Green Bone training academy.
I appreciated the amount of effort and details that Fonda Lee put into making this world. Not only has she created compelling characters, she has created an interesting backstory for an entire nation and way of life. Each clan has a leader (the Pillar) and two right-hand men, the Horn and the Weather Man. “The Horn was visible, tactical, the clan’s most formidable warrior, leader of the Fists and the Fingers who patrolled and defended clan territory and the residents within from rivals and street criminals. The Weather Man was strategic, operational, the brain working behind the scenes through an office full of capable Luckbringers, managing the clan’s substantial flow of tribute money, patronage, and investments” (p. 28). I also enjoyed the history of Kekon and the colloquialisms, such as “coming down from the forest” meaning a declaration of open war.
However, if you are looking for a scientific explanation of why jade gives people special abilities, you’re not going to find one. Jade is complex. Green Bones train for years to learn how to properly harness its power. Green Bones either wear jade jewelry or have it embedded into their skin. The Kekonese are genetically sensitive to jade in varying degrees, but there are Kekonese, known as stone eyes, who are immune to it. Jade can also be addictive, causing the itches, and leading some people to madness and suicide. Foreign countries developed a drug, “shine,’ that lets their soldiers utilize jade but even Green Bones sometimes take shine in order to wear even more jade.
With the exception of magical jade, the book is very reminiscent of The Godfather. Not only do both works deal with themes of honor, loyalty, and family, there are similar storylines. Much like the Mafia, the No Peak clan mixes legitimate businesses with shadier dealings. Anden parallels Tom Hagen as the adoptee who struggles with whether or not he truly belongs in the family. As Pillar, Lan has to contemplate whether or not No Peak should get into dealing drugs like the other clans have. Shae, like Michael Corleone, is the black sheep who gets pulled back into the clan just when she thought she was out. The grandfather of the No Peak family, Kaul Sen, is the aging patriarch reluctant to give up the reins of power. You can certainly make a case that Jade City is derivative of The Godfather, but the similarities did not bother me.
Lee packs a lot of action into 495 pages and there were a few storylines that got shortchanged. Anden is gay, which is considered unlucky in Kekonese society. He struggles with shame and a crush on a classmate, even though Hilo reassures him that he still considers Anden his brother. It is challenging for Shae to be a woman in the hyper-masculine world of Green Bone warriors. I wished that Lee had spent more time on Shae and Anden, who were my favorite characters in the novel.
In conclusion: I did not realize that Jade City was the first book in a series when I started it. As someone who primarily reads non-speculative books, I’m used to the story being over at the end, so I was somewhat disappointed when many questions were unanswered at the end. However, I do want to read more about this thrilling and mysterious world. I’ve only read one other Nebula nominee, Autonomous by Annalee Newitz, which I absolutely hated. Although I enjoyed the book, I think Jade City is a long shot to win. Magic jade is the only non-realistic element and it’s not an exceptionally unique or philosophical book.
It’s interesting that you mentioned how the magical jade is the only non-realistic element, because I read Amberlough (another nominee) where there were no magical/speculative elements at all. It just took place in a secondary world. I wonder if the lack of speculative elements will hinder either book from actually winning the award.
It’s also funny how you mentioned that Jade City was reminiscent of The Godfather, because Amberlough was very much inspired by the musical Cabaret!
I haven’t read Ameberlough but that is interesting that it is not especially speculative, either. I kept waiting for an explanation of why jade gave people powers but it never came. Autonomous was more of what I expect from a speculative novel nominated for an award, but I did not like it.