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ninetalevixen 's review for:
Jade War
by Fonda Lee
I received a finished proof through Caffeine Book Tours and the publisher, Orbit Books; all opinions are my own and honest.
I was initially a little hesitant to (literally) sign up for more of the brutal violence and heartbreak that I experienced in Jade City — it’s such an intense novel, so far outside my literary comfort zone. But Jade War just blew all my expectations out of the water, and I’m so glad I followed my instincts to give it a chance.
The sheer scope of this book is awe-inspiring: it seems to span so many years and so many experiences, but without scattering or overwhelming the narrative focus. Perhaps my favorite part of the expansion is that we get to see how Kekon fits in the wider world, including differing attitudes toward jade and the clans, some of the most incredible diaspora rep I’ve ever come across, and even higher stakes as the war between No Peak and the Mountain becomes more complex.
But at its heart, this series is still about the Kaul family and No Peak Clan, which is what I loved about Jade City and continued to hold my heart hostage in Jade War. More characters are introduced, allies and family members alike, and I honestly don’t know whether I’ll make it to the end of the series because I’m so scared for all of them. We get to see each of the Kauls grow up some more (to varying degrees) and — equally importantly — certain members of the family build the most wonderfully supportive relationships in one-on-one scenes that remind the reader that every character matters, every life matters. Every little action or conversation can make a difference.
Unlike many middle novels in other trilogies, not a single page of Jade War feels like filler. There’s a good balance between tense action scenes and soft character/relationship development, the best kind of emotional roller coaster; I can’t wait to see how all the plot threads come together to test the characters in the series finale.
I wish I could say more without getting into spoilers, but this really feels like the kind of story you have to read for yourself. No review from me could ever do justice to the experience.
content warnings:
rep:
I was initially a little hesitant to (literally) sign up for more of the brutal violence and heartbreak that I experienced in Jade City — it’s such an intense novel, so far outside my literary comfort zone. But Jade War just blew all my expectations out of the water, and I’m so glad I followed my instincts to give it a chance.
The sheer scope of this book is awe-inspiring: it seems to span so many years and so many experiences, but without scattering or overwhelming the narrative focus. Perhaps my favorite part of the expansion is that we get to see how Kekon fits in the wider world, including differing attitudes toward jade and the clans, some of the most incredible diaspora rep I’ve ever come across, and even higher stakes as the war between No Peak and the Mountain becomes more complex.
But at its heart, this series is still about the Kaul family and No Peak Clan, which is what I loved about Jade City and continued to hold my heart hostage in Jade War. More characters are introduced, allies and family members alike, and I honestly don’t know whether I’ll make it to the end of the series because I’m so scared for all of them. We get to see each of the Kauls grow up some more (to varying degrees) and — equally importantly — certain members of the family build the most wonderfully supportive relationships in one-on-one scenes that remind the reader that every character matters, every life matters. Every little action or conversation can make a difference.
Unlike many middle novels in other trilogies, not a single page of Jade War feels like filler. There’s a good balance between tense action scenes and soft character/relationship development, the best kind of emotional roller coaster; I can’t wait to see how all the plot threads come together to test the characters in the series finale.
I wish I could say more without getting into spoilers, but this really feels like the kind of story you have to read for yourself. No review from me could ever do justice to the experience.
content warnings:
Spoiler
graphic violence, blood, gore, on-page self-mutilation (cutting off ear), on-page murder, on-page suicide, mentioned rape, racist slurs (for fictional ethnicities), societal queerphobia & ableism, unplanned pregnancy & abortion, possible dubious consent, explicit sexual contentrep: