Rating - ⭐⭐⭐1/2
"The Kaul family is one of two crime syndicates that control the island of Kekon. It's the only place in the world that produces rare magical jade, which grants those with the right training and heritage superhuman abilities.
The Green Bone clans of honorable jade-wearing warriors once protected the island from foreign invasion--but nowadays, in a bustling post-war metropolis full of fast cars and foreign money, Green Bone families like the Kauls are primarily involved in commerce, construction, and the everyday upkeep of the districts under their protection.
When the simmering tension between the Kauls and their greatest rivals erupts into open violence in the streets, the outcome of this clan war will determine the fate of all Green Bones and the future of Kekon itself."
Jade City is the first installment in the fantasy series The Green Bone Saga by Fonda Lee.
Going into this, I was very apprehensive. I knew that a book that focused heavily on themes of political intrigue and clan dynamics was not something that I gravitate towards. Nonetheless, I persisted in picking this up because I could not deny that the overall perception of the book was extremely positive.
While I do agree that Fonda Lee has crafted a fantastic story, I still struggled with reading this. It took me all month to pick up the motivation to read this even though I was enjoying the story that was being told. However, no amount of good storytelling could prevent the fact that the themes in this book are just not for me. Power struggles between mafia-esque clans are something that just doesn't work for me. So, while I can appreciate the book and can see why many people have a strong fondness for it, I rate books based on how much I enjoyed my reading experience.
Therefore, although I would give the story, in and of itself, a 5 star, I would rate my enjoyment of this a 3.5 to a 4 star. Again because of my struggle to read something with strong themes I do not enjoy, and because of character decisions that were made at the end of the book which soured my mood a bit.
Would I still recommend that everyone picks this up though, 100%.
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