Review: Jade War by Fonda Lee

I meant to read Jade War by Fonda Lee at the beginning of the year, but once classes started I realized I needed to save it for the summer. I’m glad I decided to put it down until life slowed down because the amount of politics and worldbuilding in this sequel demanded my full attention to fully process it. Jade War isn’t as action-packed as its predecessor, but the masterful development of the story’s characters and the tension between nations sets the series up for an explosive conclusion.

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Blurb

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.

Review of Jade War

• Format: paperback
• Pacing: slow
• A mix of character and plot-drive
• Multiple POVs
• Gay MC

Jade War takes the explosive conclusion of Jade City and turns it into a simmering tension that threatens to snap at any moment. The No-Peak and the Mountain clans have ceased fighting, but no one is ignorant enough to mistake the silence for peace. Under the surface, both clans conspire with foreign powers and local politicians in order to gain any advantage over the other. Hilo and Shae are forced to balance between upholding Green Bone values and snatching any advantage that could put them ahead of the Mountain. How far are they willing to go, and who will they become in order to win the clan war?

Characters

Jade War really allowed the characters to shine as they navigated the tangle of politics and tension left by the climax of Jade City.

Anden was, of course, as sweet as ever. After turning away from life as a Green Bone he faced the wrath of Hilo and a future that, for better or worse, was no longer mapped out for him. As a college student also struggling to decide what to do with my future, it was easy to relate to Anded’s struggles. I also related to his resentment for people trying to decide for him for “his own good”. I loved how Lee portrayed his struggle between wanting to please Hilo and Shae but also wanting them to respect his right to choose his own life. His decisions were complicated by the Green Bone lifestyle and the clan war, but they were also easily relatable for anyone who’s faced major life decisions with family pressure.

Shae’s development was also fantastic in Jade War. During the climax of Jade City, she finally accepted her place as the weatherman of No Peak, but she still struggled to fully accept the Green Bone lifestyle. I thought this conflict was extremely realistic for her character. I never expected her to go from rejecting her Jade to fully accepting her duties. Her attachment to Espenian culture also allowed her to balance out Hilo’s traditional beliefs as they mapped out a future for No Peak. The two Kaul siblings became a formidable duo during Jade War, and I am so excited to see where they go in the next book.

Oh, and I have to talk about Hilo. Honestly, I’m not sure he’s not a villain at this point. He is hands down the best morally grey character ever written. The contrast between his soft and caring treatment of his children and the menacing way he deals with his enemies makes him such a fascinating character. I want to root for him, but at the same time, I don’t want him to keep getting away with murder (LITERALLY). It was also hard to read about his controlling behavior towards his family. Even before becoming the Pillar of No Peak, Hilo was controlling, and the pressure of taking on the role meant for his brother didn’t help at all. I loved how Lee portrayed the way Hilo handled the stress of becoming Pillar. It made perfect sense for his character.

Overall, Jade War was packed with flawless character development. I loved getting to see how the events of Jade City changed each of the characters, and I am so excited to see what they’ll do next!

Style and Tone

While Jade War was less action-packed than Jade City, it still had a very vivid and tense writing style. This time it was just dedicated to further developing the Green Bone world and building up the tension between characters and different nations.

I will say that the pacing seemed much slower than Jade City with all the action cut out. While reading others’ reviews of the first book, I was a bit surprised to learn that other people thought it took a while for the plot to get started. I didn’t notice it during the first book, but I definitely noticed the slow pace during Jade War. There just weren’t as many flashy and exciting events to make the pace seem faster. There were still a few awesome fights, but they were generally on a smaller scale and more spread out throughout the book.

I don’t think the slow pacing is a flaw of Jade War, but it was a major reason it took me so long to get through the book. I recommend preparing yourself for a slow-paced plot with lots of politics and worldbuilding before picking up this sequel.

Worldbuilding

As I’ve mentioned, much of Jade War was dedicated to expanding the world of Green Bones. In this sequel, the characters look beyond the island of Kekon in search of a future for their clans in the modern world. I loved how realistically Lee posed the conflict between needing foreign aid and not wanting to betray Kekon’s history and traditions. Each of the characters had different ideas on how to solve Kekon and No-Peak’s issues, which left lots of room for Lee to further develop her characters and the tension in the plot.

Another aspect of worldbuilding I really enjoyed in Jade War, was getting to know the Kekonese immigrants in Espenia. It was so interesting to see how they preserved their culture while also assimilating into Espenia. I liked seeing how this changed the Kekonese immigrants through each generation, and how that affected their interactions with Kekon and its people. It gave the world more depth and created an interesting dynamic between the characters in Espenia.

Fonda Lee’s Green Bone Saga has some of the best worldbuilding I’ve ever seen in fantasy. Typically, I think of worldbuilding in fantasy as more of a backdrop. A necessary foundation, but not the most interesting part of the story. However, Lee has a way of integrating the worldbuilding into the plot and characters in a way that demands the reader’s attention. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed getting to learn about the world of Green Bones.

You’ll Like This Book if You Enjoy…

• Very strong worldbuilding
• Complex morally grey characters
• Exploration of family bonds
• Fantasy with gangsters

Where to find Jade War by Fonda Lee

Have you read Jade War? Let’s chat in the comments!