Jade City, Jade War and Jade Legacy are the three powerhouses that make up the Green Bone Saga. Taking place in the equivalent of a post-WWII era on the fictional island of Kekon. The No Peak Clan are locked in an urban strategy game of politics, violence and business against the other major organised crime syndicate – the Mountain Clan. The two are engaged in such dealings due to Jade, the bioreactive substance which gives ‘green boned’ members of the clans enhanced physical and mental abilities. The catch? Only the Kekonese can use it, some can develop adverse reactions to Jade, the Jade industry is highly profitable, and both clans are vying for control…
Following various No Peak members, the plot begins in Jade City and establishes the Kaul family dynamics, loyalties, and relationships as the ruling family of the Clan. This is all done whilst providing slick, punchy plot points to keep the story pacing along. We see the characters, namely Lan, Hilo, Shae and Anden, fight, train and politically manoeuvre their way through the storyline. The first act largely consists of world-building and plot set-up – gathering characters, intel and resources to create an explosive second and third act. The payoff is a satisfying, surprising, and a clean conclusion which thankfully does not rely on the following book to pick up the slack.
Jade City provides an intriguing, immersive reading experience – with the urban fantasy genre lending itself well to this. Although the pacing may not be preferred by some readers, Fonda Lee’s classic set-ups and payoffs are always smart, well-reasoned and genuinely surprising. Making the somewhat slower build up worth the wait. The prose is also something to be noted. They are far from flowery, and make for an easy reading experience. Not easy as in, simple, but easy to visualise exactly what is intended without having to sit through half a page of intricate details about a character’s shirt.
Moving forward, Jade War continues developing our favourite, three-dimensional cast of morally ambiguous crime-family members as the Kauls and friends navigate their way through an ever intensifying plot. The dynamics are shaken up in the second book, given the events of the first (no spoilers!) and the stakes have raised to an eye watering level.
The book works incredibly well to progress characters and further the political cat and mouse, cat and cat, mouse and mouse game as Jade becomes more ‘accessible’. The characters are each thrust into new situations. Thus, given their changing statuses over time, they become more well-rounded and further insights are gained into their individual beliefs, motivations and relationships with those around them. While they once again try to out manoeuvre Ayt Madashi and her Mountain Clan.
Now, this book is mildly controversial in that, despite having a vast majority of good to great reviews, there is a clear divide between those who preferred Jade City and those who favoured Jade War. One explanation for this divide could be the pace and structural choices which differ from those in Jade City. As the world has further developed, the plot has also forked and become more focused on expansion rather than the foundational control that was needed in the first book. Thus, instead of a longer build up for a larger payoff, Fonda Lee opts for a multi-faceted narrative. Each plot line returning multiple, smaller-scale payoffs throughout the first two acts of the book. These all convene and lay the stage for the final act which somehow manages to be even more explosive, shocking and gut-wrenching than the last.
Lee’s character work really shines in Jade War, the plot progression is seamless and of course, the combat scenes remain slick, tense and further add to the notion that reading the Green Bone Saga is truly like watching a mob flick or a gritty crime drama.
Finally, the finale. The showdown. The conclusion. Jade Legacy.
Again, a different structural approach is taken here, one which truly makes this the stand-out book of the trilogy. Spanning forty years, Lee takes the characters through to the final years of the generation’s reign of the No Peak Clan.
Tissues are strongly advised for this reading experience as Lee plays on heart strings like a fiddle. The classic set-up to payoff to emotional damage that has come to cement itself as a key selling point of the series is cranked up to the max in Jade Legacy. All of the beloved elements from the previous two novels – tense and volatile action scenes, multiple POV’s, intriguing and surprising plot points and nuanced moral messages and questions – are all finessed in the final book of the trilogy. The plot weaves between old favourites and the new generation, crafting a story of revolution, redemption and reflection.
The characters show true growth as they age, maturing in their decision making and thought processes, whilst still showing hints of their younger selves. Lee also spends time introducing the next generation and allows for the audience to assimilate to the new cast, to relate, to attach, to like or to dislike, to agree or disagree with. This is all done whilst the plot hits the most high-stakes, shocking and gut-wrenching beats yet.
The conclusion for each character is earned. Not all are predictable endings, and our favourites are certainly not blessed with the gift of plot armour. It certainly succeeds in ending the era of this generation of the Kaul family – the Pillar, the Horn and the Weatherman, along with their supporting characters – and looks forward as their children work to continue their legacy. It’s bittersweet in so many ways but still, after all the fictional years, keeps the feeling of watching a film, the camera zooming out at the end, panning down as the sun sets and fades away for one last time on the glowing city.
If one trilogy should be picked up by readers in the coming year, it should be the Green Bone Saga by Fonda Lee.
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