Magical jade—mined, traded, stolen, and killed for—is the lifeblood of the island of Kekon. For centuries, honorable Green Bone warriors like the Kaul family have used it to enhance their 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. (via Goodreads)

I received an eARC of Jade City from the publisher, courtesy of Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

This book is a slow starter, and it took me a few tries to really get into it, but once it caught me, it never let me go. This fantasy novel is absolutely stunning on every level.

The worldbuilding absolutely immerses you into the No Peak clan in Janloon and the carnage that ensues. The characters whose heads we enter are each completely unique, but so tied into each other that you can’t escape any more than they can. And holy hell, is the plot fantastic.

It really does need trigger warnings though. Here are the things I noted – sex scene, use of ableist words (lame, crippled, deaf) suicide mention, sexual child abuse mention of nonMC, cockfighting, death of MC, gore, death of nonMC. Please take care of your mental health, dear readers.

I really can’t tell you a lot without giving it away, but I fell hard for this book, and cannot get it off my mind.

I really look forward to seeing Wen grow as a person throughout the rest of the series. I think, with more development and getting in her head, she and Hilo could be the badass power couple of my dreams. And I definitely want to learn more about Anden’s life after the last chapter.

You can (and should) pick up a copy on Amazon or Indiebound.  I highly recommend it, and look forward to the future of Janloon.