I'm currently listening to Jade City and I gotta say I agree with everything you're talking about man. Lee's worldbuilding, character work, and plot structure is pretty tight so far. I'm eager to see where it goes from here 📖 UPDATE: I FINALLY got around to reading Jade War and HOLY SHIT... Fonda, you are a freaking writing goddess 😵
The only thing that saddens me about being a fan of this series is that so few people have heard/read it relative to how popular this book series should actually be. Whenever I recommend it, people usually say they'll think about it or shrug it off (precisely I think because it's not as well known) and when people don't pick it up immediately or (most especially) don't at least give it serious consideration because they rather pick up a fantasy series that is more well known in my head I'm like "but u don't understand what you're missing!" while a single tear runs down my cheek lol I really really hope Fonda Lee ends up continuing writing stories in this universe after publishing JL. I'll literally take anything she'll give us: short stories, prequels,sequels set years after the trilogy, a spin off series, whatever she wants to do as long as she doesn't stop writing in this universe. I'm excited to see what Fonda Lee writes next either way! 😀
After I saw the interview with the author I got kind of interested in the books, but I'll give you my honest opinion. Even if I like to read less known authors from time to time, when you see these books they looks really generic. Both the title and art style reminds me of a random uninteresting YA book (and I'm personally not into YA to begin with). There are so many things I want to read, I definitely won't waste my time analyzing every book that I find. I don't really know if others think like me, but that's my two cents. edit: just to clarify. I don't need the cover to be magnificent. A blank cover wouldn't matter much to me, but a generic one is really bad.
@@borja4015 I agree the cover art doesn't do the series any favors. I saw the cover art for the Spanish translation and that is so much nicer. One of my pet peeves is when the cover art for books in their translation versions r superior than their original (in this case is the US, I don't think there is a different UK version to my knowledge). But to your other point this series is not YA in any way. This is definitely an adult series. All the main characters u follow r adults except for one, and the younger character doesn't play a significant role until the sequel. I'd recommend u at least give Jade City a try; u can always read 100 pages and if it doesn't work for u u can dnf. I see no reason u wouldn't like it especially if one of your main concerns is it reading like YA cuz it definitely does not
This book was amazing! My favorite character was Shae. She is so badass (spoiler alert) the part where shae and ayt madashi fight in a clean blade duel was so heart pounding cause I genuinely didn’t know if shae was going to survive at the time!
I love the way you rate books cause when I see you give a 10/10 for a book I think "Oh snap this must be REALLY REALLY good." Other people throw around 10/10's too much imo
This book had me crying way more than it should have. Jade war was pretty decent. solid 7-8/10 for me. Characters felt a lot closer and events were much better organised and anticipated than the first book. !!Spoilers ahead for both books!! Below is a recount of my feelings in emotional scenes in the story. Join me/comment if you feel the same. Probably boring and the same as everyone else though.
-Andy is by far best character since book 1. I already liked him in that book and he just got better. I loved his relationship with Cory (chapter 22 is the best chapter in the book) and my heart broke every time he mentioned Cory drifting away from him. Their break up brought tears to my eyes. -I agree Hilo is a fucked up character especially after he killed Eynishun. Even in the first book he was so annoyingly controlling of everyone around him and even though he has extreme awareness about how to lead and make others feel comfortable he also somehow is so blind and stubborn when it comes to other issues. Him getting angry at Anden or Shae for not putting on Jade pissed me off. He didn't even try hearing them out like for fucks sake. But I still can't bring myself to hate him like Daniel says he does. The way Hilo loves Niko and Ru I can't hate him. -I thought Lan suddenly dying in the first book would be the end of abrupt deaths. As soon as Wen mentioned that Kehn was still in the car after it exploded my heart sank. And I think I felt more panicked and distraught for Kehn's death and Wen and her childrens' safety than Wen did in that moment. all I could think about was how Kehn's child would be fatherless and how Wen had just lost a brother T.T Fonda Lee is evil.I couldn't seem to get the tears to stop from that point. -The incident with Ru was just as bad. I had tears in my eyes horrified thinking about what had happened to Mudt and Anden's mother and oh my god am I glad he's a stone eye -Shae's role in Kehn's death had me crying. You can feel the dilemma she faced when going to have the abortion. I agreed with her in that with that problem. Only when she didn't tell Maro that's when it started getting iffy. The fact that their relationship grew apart felt almost right in some regards. If they don't communicate they shouldn't be together (I was almost feeling the same way about Cory and Anden's relationship as well). The stuff that ensued, Shae and Maro did not deserve that. All I could think about after Maros death was if Shae had kept the baby, she'd at least have a piece of Maro left (but then they wouldn't have gone down that rabbit hole in the first place). Aaaaaaggghhhhh!!! T_T -Even though I wanted to Bero to fall and die off so badly I felt the betrayal towards Bero (from mudt) was almost undeserved/unfitting. I really wanted Hilo to find Bero and get rid of him. So that was disappointing. -Then when Mudt was caught all I could think was 'I wish he was Bero right now' (I feel evil thinking it). By the way Mudt's punishment was brutal damn. -When it turned out Bero was still alive I had mixed feelings. God damn when will this fucking cockroach die. He should be buried in the ground in place of Mudt. Then Hilo finds Bero, I was so excited to see the punishments begin...and then it didn't happen. I am very annoyed. But I definitely appreciate Bero's character more now. He was so annoying throughout the first book and the start of the second feeling entitled to everything. I think one of the reasons he wasn't punished really by Hilo is because he'd come to lose that ignorant entitlement (that's not to say he wasn't punished at all. He has been through a ton of loss). -As soon as a saw Bero mentioned in the epilogue Im just like 'he's here to stay isn't he?'. I don't think we can keep his presence from the first chapter and epilogue of any of the Green Bone Saga books. I'm hoping he plays a bigger role in the third book though (which it seems like he might based on the ending of Jade War). I'm still waiting for Hilo to find out his role in Lan's Death and absolutely slaughter bero in an even more brutal fashion than Mudt. Although the way Mudt died would have been a perfect death for Bero earlier in the book due to his obsession with jade. Thanks for reading :D
This series is criminally good! I absolutely loved Jade City and then Jade War came along and blew it even further out of the water. Incredible world, characters, worldbuilding, and it's just such an original setting. I literally cannot wait until the third book comes out.
Just finished this book last week and now that I had time to think on it, I realized that my favorite character isn't even any of the main characters. It's the main villain and she wasn't even in the book that much. She was written in such a way that you finally realize just how much of a difference the years of experience she had over the main characters make during that one scene near the end of the book.
YASS been waiting for this review 🤩🤩 Jade War is better than Jade City! such an amazing sequel ! Love Anden's arc in Jade War ... 10/10 for me!! Great Review Daniel
I honestly really dig the smaller-scale settings. Yeah, the stakes aren't as high, but I find the plot is usually more coherent since there's fewer distracting world-building factors. Also, if an author is wanting to convey globally important ideas and themes, they don't need a global setting. A good author can use a small setting as a symbolic microcosm to communicate the same ideas, and often they are more articistically subtle and thought-provoking as a result.
I just finished Jade City based on your review and I cannot WAIT to start Jade War. I got both out at once from the library because even though I’m a slow reader, I figured I’d fly through these.
when it comes to hilo's actions i'm conflicted because it's obviously morally reprehensible, but on the other hand everything he does is genuinely out of an extreme love for his family and his clan and i enjoy his character so much otherwise. it's painful to love a character and watch them be do such things :')
@@opium9266 Can you really blame her in this specific instance though? Like I hate what she did to Lan but trying to keep her child away from gang violence now knowing his father is out of the picture... I think she was right to try and run.
Jade City and Jade War have the same vibes as something like Lazarus (graphic novel) and Fate/Zero, and I’m all here for it. Clan/ family conflict has always made me invested since the Hatfields and McCoys introduces me to the concept when I was a little boy, and loved them ever since.
I agree. Both books are fantastic. The characters are amazing, flawed, endearing, complex. World building is great, combat, action and relationships are well written. Can’t wait till the end of next month for the third book.
One of my favorite aspects of Lee’s writing is that her characters develop in the background with every sub plot, changing in response to events in the story even if she doesn’t directly tell us that they’re involved. As she jumps around from character to character, particularly some of the “minor” ones, these subtle changes make both the world and the characters more real. Each character has a life beyond what we read, they’re complex and constantly evolving, and we are privileged to jump into their experience for key points in the narrative. I think in Jade War, where she really expands the scope of the world, the intricacy of the plot, and the vulnerability of these characters as they interact with unknowns on a global scale, her mastery of character building is especially apparent. It’s been a while since I’ve read a story where I connected with the characters so much.
Just picked up both Jade City and Jade War after hearing your hype about it. I typically dislike the urban, modern day fantasy story telling, but damn Jade City is amazing so far. I can't even argue against my typical dislike cause it's so good!
Yes, I just finished it and it was amazing. It's so different than the typical fantasy books which one of the things I loved about it. Some of the best character work. I got so attached to all the storylines
Halfway through Jade City and it's already one of my favorites of the year! Can't wait to read more, thanks for the review cause I wouldn't know this book otherwise (also if you mentioned there were lgbtq characters I would've picked it up even faster!)
This was kinda the first REAL review I've seen from you, and I must say, you do an awesome job! I usualy try to avoid reviews because I'm pretty petty about spoilers. But you do such an awesome job, in telling me enough about the book to make me excited, but so little, that I almost feel like its not enough. Thanks man, from now on, I gonna watch all your reviews - and maybe, by time I gonna pick up theses books.
I'm on the same page when I look into how many people have actually given the series a chance and whoever decided it should be made into a TV show we're extremely forward thinking and it's going to blow up and Fonda Lee deserves all of the clout
Finished Jade War last night instead of going to sleep at a reasonable time. The sleep deprivation was worth it. This book resonated with me at every step and I'm still processing my emotions from the ending.
100% agree with everything in your review. I finished Jade War today and loved it even more than Jade City, the stakes are higher, everything is just bigger and better. The last 3 chapters were just fantastic. Daniel - which Hilo scene are you referring to? I kinda felt terrible after the Andon bit you mentioned.
Once I finish the First Law series maybe I'll toss this on the ol' pile. I haven't traditionally been a big fantasy reader but have found that was largely due to the ones I'd been exposed to. *coughs*wizard'sfirstrule*cough* Been digging First Law since seeing your review and interview with Joe Abercrombie. Love being exposed to new stuff and definitely wanting to find more. You have good taste, my dude. Just. I have to get through my Haruki Murakami backlog at some point, too.
This is definitely going top of the list once Jade Legacy is released (I just have too many TBR for complete series, but I swear I'll read it with gusto when the time come).
I really enjoyed Jade City, it was refreshing and very thought out but the sequel surpasses the first book in such a brilliant way! This book had so many emotional punches and cunning strategies that I was just wowed
Gdi. I finished Jade City, loved it, and was gonna read this later on but your review suddenly made me sooo excited for it I'm almost drooling! Alright Daniel. You've convinced me. I'll start Jade War tomorrow 😆
Sounds like exactly what I need right now. Finishing The Three Body Problem very soon. This is skipping up to the tippy top of my TBR and it will be next!
I'm definitely putting this series on my list. Sounds amazing and I love crime stories. Especially stuff like Gentleman Bastards. Currently reading First Law right now. I'm 200 pages into The Blade Itself, and this is PHENOMENAL. There are so many memorable quotes and lines here, I've even written some down. It's sticking with me. Thank you for recommending Abercrombie!
Lee has this magic to tell a decent story in her flow over pages, and then one line explodes so quickly I had to reread that one line just to make sure I'm not misunderstanding
Super excited to read this! You've mentioned "Sanderson clones" a couple of times in your videos. Which authors would you consider to be Sanderson clones?
Well if you like asian inspired fantasy you would probably love "The Empire Trilogy" by Raymond E Feist. The first book is called "Daughter of the Empire". Its among the best books I have ever read with a female protagonist. They are kinda a spinoff of another book series by Raymond E feist but they stand on their own, and is alot better then those books.
I am not sure if I agree with your categorization of the clans as "a criminal family" I think that's kind of missing the cultural background/reality of Janloon as established in both novels? The clans aren't criminals, they are societal heroes and role models and exemplify everything people want to be, with the tacit blessing of the civil government, which is just another arm of clan establishment. OTHER countries see them as crminal organisations, because there is a profound cultural disconnect, but everything from the histories and world building of Janloon makes it clear that they are essentially legitimate so long as they follow Aisho.
Only about 3.5 minutes in and not gonna watch the rest in case of spoilers, but I just ordered Jade City and Jade War. If your praise is this high for it, I know I'll be blown away.
I'm currently in the wheel of time "slog" and I need a new book to entertain me while I finish this series. I think this would help me get through TWG's slog
I totally agree with you about not liking any of these characters. I’m not entirely sure if I want the No Peak clan to even win! Definitely need Hilo to die at some point, he is so selfish and awful. However, I found myself pacing at the end not knowing if Wen wound make it. It’s very good, and I hate it here. 😂
I'm struggling to get into Jade City, the characters just are not interesting...I really want to like it as the world seems like it has a lot of potential. I'm hoping it draws me in at some point!
*minor spoilers* While I liked both books, I preferred Jade City to Jade War. I was bored with a lot of the geo-political conflict in Jade War. A book I think did politics better is Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson because the building tensions felt more immediate and crucial to the play by play in the plot, whereas Jade War would setup global issues that wouldn’t immediately affect the character’s lives
What is this coincidence?! I just bought a copy this afternoon (glimpsed the "Uncle ****" line at the end while flipping through and almost fell out of my chair) Edit: yes Anden needs a hug and this is just off the first book
I've actually had the same thought regarding the narrator. Having Ayt Mada being described as a non-descript unassuming mother-next-door kind of woman, wearing sweatpants seemed incongruent with the evil voice the narrator gave her
I dont know if you ever check old video comments, but I really wish you would give a detailed review for this. I read these books because of these reviews and would love to see you talk in detail about them
One of my biggest reasons I want those is for your view of Hilo, he is still one of my favorite people in this book and I want to know why you dislike him!
Just finished jade war last week and that one scene with Hilo made me gasp out loud. My jaw hit the floor and I dropped the kindle for a couple minutes to process what just happened.
I have a question for you since you do book reviews... best science fiction authors or series of the last 40 years, I would like advice since I will buy books as a gift. Thanks!
I just finished it, I loved it 5/5 on Goodreads for me lol but I can totally agree with a 9.5 because I want to see Legacy be the perfect ending. I don't want to see it end :'l I love this series so far
That moment when you let out a very real sigh of relief when a certain character survives a duel. Fonda Lee is a next level genius.
Thought it was a little bit of a cop out
Dainel: " My new favorite. "
Me: " MUST READ NOW! ... after Stormlight reread"
Same. Im halfway through my third reread of Oathbringer.
Guys, I think Daniel likes this book
I'm currently listening to Jade City and I gotta say I agree with everything you're talking about man. Lee's worldbuilding, character work, and plot structure is pretty tight so far. I'm eager to see where it goes from here 📖
UPDATE: I FINALLY got around to reading Jade War and HOLY SHIT... Fonda, you are a freaking writing goddess 😵
The only thing that saddens me about being a fan of this series is that so few people have heard/read it relative to how popular this book series should actually be. Whenever I recommend it, people usually say they'll think about it or shrug it off (precisely I think because it's not as well known) and when people don't pick it up immediately or (most especially) don't at least give it serious consideration because they rather pick up a fantasy series that is more well known in my head I'm like "but u don't understand what you're missing!" while a single tear runs down my cheek lol
I really really hope Fonda Lee ends up continuing writing stories in this universe after publishing JL. I'll literally take anything she'll give us: short stories, prequels,sequels set years after the trilogy, a spin off series, whatever she wants to do as long as she doesn't stop writing in this universe. I'm excited to see what Fonda Lee writes next either way! 😀
Is this series ended..
After I saw the interview with the author I got kind of interested in the books, but I'll give you my honest opinion. Even if I like to read less known authors from time to time, when you see these books they looks really generic. Both the title and art style reminds me of a random uninteresting YA book (and I'm personally not into YA to begin with). There are so many things I want to read, I definitely won't waste my time analyzing every book that I find.
I don't really know if others think like me, but that's my two cents.
edit: just to clarify. I don't need the cover to be magnificent. A blank cover wouldn't matter much to me, but a generic one is really bad.
Does it have nice versions of the book?
I don't like the covers at all.
@@borja4015 I agree the cover art doesn't do the series any favors. I saw the cover art for the Spanish translation and that is so much nicer. One of my pet peeves is when the cover art for books in their translation versions r superior than their original (in this case is the US, I don't think there is a different UK version to my knowledge). But to your other point this series is not YA in any way. This is definitely an adult series. All the main characters u follow r adults except for one, and the younger character doesn't play a significant role until the sequel. I'd recommend u at least give Jade City a try; u can always read 100 pages and if it doesn't work for u u can dnf. I see no reason u wouldn't like it especially if one of your main concerns is it reading like YA cuz it definitely does not
@@varghesejustin6143 3rd and last book in the trilogy coming out next year, 2021
You've sold me on this series man. Can't wait to read it!
True I trust his recommendations after pretty much all of them...especially Kings of the Wyld and Sanderson.. and Abercrombie and .... everyone else.
Looks like I'll be adding this to my TBR for next year, was waiting for your book 2 review to be sure. 👍🏻
Me too 😁
Me three
This book was amazing! My favorite character was Shae. She is so badass (spoiler alert) the part where shae and ayt madashi fight in a clean blade duel was so heart pounding cause I genuinely didn’t know if shae was going to survive at the time!
I love the way you rate books cause when I see you give a 10/10 for a book I think "Oh snap this must be REALLY REALLY good." Other people throw around 10/10's too much imo
I don't rate books, and the last book I gave a 10 was Stormlight 2. I'd give both Jade City and Jade War a 10/10
This book had me crying way more than it should have.
Jade war was pretty decent. solid 7-8/10 for me. Characters felt a lot closer and events were much better organised and anticipated than the first book.
!!Spoilers ahead for both books!!
Below is a recount of my feelings in emotional scenes in the story. Join me/comment if you feel the same. Probably boring and the same as everyone else though.
-Andy is by far best character since book 1. I already liked him in that book and he just got better. I loved his relationship with Cory (chapter 22 is the best chapter in the book) and my heart broke every time he mentioned Cory drifting away from him. Their break up brought tears to my eyes.
-I agree Hilo is a fucked up character especially after he killed Eynishun. Even in the first book he was so annoyingly controlling of everyone around him and even though he has extreme awareness about how to lead and make others feel comfortable he also somehow is so blind and stubborn when it comes to other issues. Him getting angry at Anden or Shae for not putting on Jade pissed me off. He didn't even try hearing them out like for fucks sake. But I still can't bring myself to hate him like Daniel says he does. The way Hilo loves Niko and Ru I can't hate him.
-I thought Lan suddenly dying in the first book would be the end of abrupt deaths. As soon as Wen mentioned that Kehn was still in the car after it exploded my heart sank. And I think I felt more panicked and distraught for Kehn's death and Wen and her childrens' safety than Wen did in that moment. all I could think about was how Kehn's child would be fatherless and how Wen had just lost a brother T.T Fonda Lee is evil.I couldn't seem to get the tears to stop from that point.
-The incident with Ru was just as bad. I had tears in my eyes horrified thinking about what had happened to Mudt and Anden's mother and oh my god am I glad he's a stone eye
-Shae's role in Kehn's death had me crying. You can feel the dilemma she faced when going to have the abortion. I agreed with her in that with that problem. Only when she didn't tell Maro that's when it started getting iffy. The fact that their relationship grew apart felt almost right in some regards. If they don't communicate they shouldn't be together (I was almost feeling the same way about Cory and Anden's relationship as well). The stuff that ensued, Shae and Maro did not deserve that. All I could think about after Maros death was if Shae had kept the baby, she'd at least have a piece of Maro left (but then they wouldn't have gone down that rabbit hole in the first place). Aaaaaaggghhhhh!!! T_T
-Even though I wanted to Bero to fall and die off so badly I felt the betrayal towards Bero (from mudt) was almost undeserved/unfitting. I really wanted Hilo to find Bero and get rid of him. So that was disappointing.
-Then when Mudt was caught all I could think was 'I wish he was Bero right now' (I feel evil thinking it). By the way Mudt's punishment was brutal damn.
-When it turned out Bero was still alive I had mixed feelings. God damn when will this fucking cockroach die. He should be buried in the ground in place of Mudt. Then Hilo finds Bero, I was so excited to see the punishments begin...and then it didn't happen. I am very annoyed. But I definitely appreciate Bero's character more now. He was so annoying throughout the first book and the start of the second feeling entitled to everything. I think one of the reasons he wasn't punished really by Hilo is because he'd come to lose that ignorant entitlement (that's not to say he wasn't punished at all. He has been through a ton of loss).
-As soon as a saw Bero mentioned in the epilogue Im just like 'he's here to stay isn't he?'. I don't think we can keep his presence from the first chapter and epilogue of any of the Green Bone Saga books. I'm hoping he plays a bigger role in the third book though (which it seems like he might based on the ending of Jade War). I'm still waiting for Hilo to find out his role in Lan's Death and absolutely slaughter bero in an even more brutal fashion than Mudt. Although the way Mudt died would have been a perfect death for Bero earlier in the book due to his obsession with jade.
Thanks for reading :D
This series is criminally good! I absolutely loved Jade City and then Jade War came along and blew it even further out of the water. Incredible world, characters, worldbuilding, and it's just such an original setting. I literally cannot wait until the third book comes out.
Just finished this book last week and now that I had time to think on it, I realized that my favorite character isn't even any of the main characters. It's the main villain and she wasn't even in the book that much. She was written in such a way that you finally realize just how much of a difference the years of experience she had over the main characters make during that one scene near the end of the book.
0:00 Damn Daniel. Back at it again with the t shirt changes XD
Isn't it a Kendrick shirt?
The shirt confirms Daniel’s got great taste in music and books 👌🏻 We love to see it
YASS been waiting for this review 🤩🤩 Jade War is better than Jade City! such an amazing sequel ! Love Anden's arc in Jade War ... 10/10 for me!! Great Review Daniel
I trust Danie's recs like anything, so this jumped to the top of my TBR
"The Godfather of Fantasy." Thank you, I'm in.
I honestly really dig the smaller-scale settings. Yeah, the stakes aren't as high, but I find the plot is usually more coherent since there's fewer distracting world-building factors. Also, if an author is wanting to convey globally important ideas and themes, they don't need a global setting. A good author can use a small setting as a symbolic microcosm to communicate the same ideas, and often they are more articistically subtle and thought-provoking as a result.
I just finished Jade City based on your review and I cannot WAIT to start Jade War. I got both out at once from the library because even though I’m a slow reader, I figured I’d fly through these.
4:14 everyone who's read Jade War knows what this moment is xD
when it comes to hilo's actions i'm conflicted because it's obviously morally reprehensible, but on the other hand everything he does is genuinely out of an extreme love for his family and his clan and i enjoy his character so much otherwise. it's painful to love a character and watch them be do such things :')
@@ishika5619 fuck that bitch
exactly!
@@opium9266 I concur. Fuck that bitch.
@@opium9266 Can you really blame her in this specific instance though? Like I hate what she did to Lan but trying to keep her child away from gang violence now knowing his father is out of the picture... I think she was right to try and run.
Jade City and Jade War have the same vibes as something like Lazarus (graphic novel) and Fate/Zero, and I’m all here for it. Clan/ family conflict has always made me invested since the Hatfields and McCoys introduces me to the concept when I was a little boy, and loved them ever since.
I agree. Both books are fantastic. The characters are amazing, flawed, endearing, complex. World building is great, combat, action and relationships are well written. Can’t wait till the end of next month for the third book.
Liked for that beautiful singing in the beginning
Edit: do I need to dislike for that book abuse?
One of my favorite aspects of Lee’s writing is that her characters develop in the background with every sub plot, changing in response to events in the story even if she doesn’t directly tell us that they’re involved. As she jumps around from character to character, particularly some of the “minor” ones, these subtle changes make both the world and the characters more real. Each character has a life beyond what we read, they’re complex and constantly evolving, and we are privileged to jump into their experience for key points in the narrative. I think in Jade War, where she really expands the scope of the world, the intricacy of the plot, and the vulnerability of these characters as they interact with unknowns on a global scale, her mastery of character building is especially apparent. It’s been a while since I’ve read a story where I connected with the characters so much.
Jade City is currently (24 Aug 2020) on Audible's 2-for-1 sale. Just picked it up and wanted to pass this sale along.
What did you get it with? I'm not familiar with any of the other options and I want to make sure it's something good.
I just finished Jade City the other day, I’m excited for this next book!
I loved the first one. I can’t wait for this one. It’s such a badass different take on fantasy! I love that it’s more modern times.
Just picked up both Jade City and Jade War after hearing your hype about it. I typically dislike the urban, modern day fantasy story telling, but damn Jade City is amazing so far. I can't even argue against my typical dislike cause it's so good!
Yes, I just finished it and it was amazing. It's so different than the typical fantasy books which one of the things I loved about it. Some of the best character work. I got so attached to all the storylines
Your intro was so random but so adorable lmao 🤣🤣 also Fonda Lee is an amazing author
Halfway through Jade City and it's already one of my favorites of the year! Can't wait to read more, thanks for the review cause I wouldn't know this book otherwise (also if you mentioned there were lgbtq characters I would've picked it up even faster!)
Just finished Jade War tonight. Wow! Never would have picked this series up without this review. Can't wait for book 3.
Currently reading Jade City and I'm loving it! Such a fun story. Can't wait to finish it so I can get to Jade War.
This was kinda the first REAL review I've seen from you, and I must say, you do an awesome job! I usualy try to avoid reviews because I'm pretty petty about spoilers. But you do such an awesome job, in telling me enough about the book to make me excited, but so little, that I almost feel like its not enough.
Thanks man, from now on, I gonna watch all your reviews - and maybe, by time I gonna pick up theses books.
I'm on the same page when I look into how many people have actually given the series a chance and whoever decided it should be made into a TV show we're extremely forward thinking and it's going to blow up and Fonda Lee deserves all of the clout
Finished Jade War last night instead of going to sleep at a reasonable time. The sleep deprivation was worth it. This book resonated with me at every step and I'm still processing my emotions from the ending.
Love your reviews man! I really wanna pick this up, I just gotta finish my Stephen King exploration first 😅❤️
100% agree with everything in your review. I finished Jade War today and loved it even more than Jade City, the stakes are higher, everything is just bigger and better. The last 3 chapters were just fantastic.
Daniel - which Hilo scene are you referring to? I kinda felt terrible after the Andon bit you mentioned.
Once I finish the First Law series maybe I'll toss this on the ol' pile. I haven't traditionally been a big fantasy reader but have found that was largely due to the ones I'd been exposed to. *coughs*wizard'sfirstrule*cough* Been digging First Law since seeing your review and interview with Joe Abercrombie. Love being exposed to new stuff and definitely wanting to find more. You have good taste, my dude. Just. I have to get through my Haruki Murakami backlog at some point, too.
I've been putting off reading this series until a 3rd book came out but oh God, I need to get to it now ASAP.
This is definitely going top of the list once Jade Legacy is released (I just have too many TBR for complete series, but I swear I'll read it with gusto when the time come).
I ****ing love Andon's character and arc so much.
I also agree with Hilo. I can't believe he did that. Like I can but I can't
I was so shocked. I had to go back and read it again just to make sure I didn't get it wrong. But uh yeah, w o w.
I really enjoyed Jade City, it was refreshing and very thought out but the sequel surpasses the first book in such a brilliant way! This book had so many emotional punches and cunning strategies that I was just wowed
Gdi. I finished Jade City, loved it, and was gonna read this later on but your review suddenly made me sooo excited for it I'm almost drooling! Alright Daniel. You've convinced me. I'll start Jade War tomorrow 😆
I picked up Jade city now. looking forward to it. It's on sale as an ebook right now on Amazon (in Canada at least) for anybody interested!
I can't believe we have to wait until 2021 for the conclusion!
This series is next on my TBR. Right after my first read of Dune :)
Sounds like exactly what I need right now. Finishing The Three Body Problem very soon. This is skipping up to the tippy top of my TBR and it will be next!
Finally gave Anden a hug.
I'm definitely putting this series on my list. Sounds amazing and I love crime stories. Especially stuff like Gentleman Bastards.
Currently reading First Law right now. I'm 200 pages into The Blade Itself, and this is PHENOMENAL. There are so many memorable quotes and lines here, I've even written some down. It's sticking with me. Thank you for recommending Abercrombie!
*fiercely adds this series to my TBR*
Bump it up on your tbr! It’s great!
Please please people read this series!! It’s incredible!! I promise this will be a new favorite!
Just picked up Jade City today off your review, 5 chapters in and im definetely hooked
I'm so glad we love the same book 📖 I'm super excited about Jade Legacy. I wish these books were moore popular 💚
Daniel always has the best intros
Lee has this magic to tell a decent story in her flow over pages, and then one line explodes so quickly I had to reread that one line just to make sure I'm not misunderstanding
Best of my reads of this year. Period.
Wow. Ok. I'll be getting this. Finishing my final book/novella in the Cosmere first.
Daniel would do you consider at some point a video going over all books you give a 10/10?
Super excited to read this! You've mentioned "Sanderson clones" a couple of times in your videos. Which authors would you consider to be Sanderson clones?
Well if you like asian inspired fantasy you would probably love "The Empire Trilogy" by Raymond E Feist. The first book is called "Daughter of the Empire". Its among the best books I have ever read with a female protagonist. They are kinda a spinoff of another book series by Raymond E feist but they stand on their own, and is alot better then those books.
I am not sure if I agree with your categorization of the clans as "a criminal family" I think that's kind of missing the cultural background/reality of Janloon as established in both novels? The clans aren't criminals, they are societal heroes and role models and exemplify everything people want to be, with the tacit blessing of the civil government, which is just another arm of clan establishment. OTHER countries see them as crminal organisations, because there is a profound cultural disconnect, but everything from the histories and world building of Janloon makes it clear that they are essentially legitimate so long as they follow Aisho.
Only about 3.5 minutes in and not gonna watch the rest in case of spoilers, but I just ordered Jade City and Jade War. If your praise is this high for it, I know I'll be blown away.
Just added Jade City to my TBR. Now I have to get a library card in my new digs.
Just finished jade city last night. Looking forward to picking up this one!
Summary: "You're gonna love it because it causes pain."
Daniel is an intro improvising master.
The intro tune is literally stuck in my head.. 😂
*BEW* *BEW* *BEW*
Well, I wasn't planning on reading this for a while, but I guess that's about to change. Damnit Daniel lol
Just finished Jade War. Unreal!!!!!! I’m so excited for the next book
Uh oh. “Prose are”. Everybody take a drink.
Also, this series is now on my mile long tbr.
I'm currently in the wheel of time "slog" and I need a new book to entertain me while I finish this series. I think this would help me get through TWG's slog
Just ordered both books! This might be bumped to next on my tbr after I finish the bands of mourning and secret history
Not another series that I think I will be obsessed with!! Daniel is burning a hole in my pocket. Aaaaaarghhh
I saw Murakami on your shelf. Would love to know about your thoughts on those books.
And it’s going on the tbr. Thanks for the review!
I totally agree with you about not liking any of these characters. I’m not entirely sure if I want the No Peak clan to even win! Definitely need Hilo to die at some point, he is so selfish and awful. However, I found myself pacing at the end not knowing if Wen wound make it. It’s very good, and I hate it here. 😂
I have 10% left of Jade War! I Fell in love with Jade City! Fonda Lee is the queen of plot twists !💚💚
I'm struggling to get into Jade City, the characters just are not interesting...I really want to like it as the world seems like it has a lot of potential. I'm hoping it draws me in at some point!
SPOILERS
That Hilo moment is definitely the "Michael having Fredo killed" moment, if we're sticking with the Godfather comparisons.
It’s a guilty pleasure to watch Daniel rip into a bad book, but I like it a lot when he thoroughly enjoys a good book and wants others to enjoy it too
Hey Daniel, I can't help but notice that your Silo trilogy is in the wrong order. It's supposed to be Wool, Shift, Dust. Love your channel! :D
*minor spoilers*
While I liked both books, I preferred Jade City to Jade War. I was bored with a lot of the geo-political conflict in Jade War. A book I think did politics better is Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson because the building tensions felt more immediate and crucial to the play by play in the plot, whereas Jade War would setup global issues that wouldn’t immediately affect the character’s lives
Oh boy, can't wait for that Chronicles of Amber review.
This sounds very interesting. Will have to check it out after I finish Oathbringer.
What is this coincidence?! I just bought a copy this afternoon (glimpsed the "Uncle ****" line at the end while flipping through and almost fell out of my chair)
Edit: yes Anden needs a hug and this is just off the first book
Yeah I finished it last weekend. It's funny because I knew exactly what parts you were reacting to and yeah.. that Hilo is something...
I literally screamed in anger at THAT Hilo moment. I’ve not wanted to punch the protagonist of a story so badly in a long time
This series has been on my radar but after seeing the hype it’s bumped on my tbr
I've actually had the same thought regarding the narrator. Having Ayt Mada being described as a non-descript unassuming mother-next-door kind of woman, wearing sweatpants seemed incongruent with the evil voice the narrator gave her
I dont know if you ever check old video comments, but I really wish you would give a detailed review for this. I read these books because of these reviews and would love to see you talk in detail about them
One of my biggest reasons I want those is for your view of Hilo, he is still one of my favorite people in this book and I want to know why you dislike him!
I loved Anden in jade city, I’m so exited now.
Just finished jade war last week and that one scene with Hilo made me gasp out loud. My jaw hit the floor and I dropped the kindle for a couple minutes to process what just happened.
Trying to finish Jade city today can't wait for this sequel!!! 😄
Going from this book to Dust of Dream must hit hard XD
Goddamn Jade War was insane. 4:17 I know exactly what you mean lol
WOW okay then I'm definitely putting this on my list wow! I dont have a lot of money to spend so I really really hope my library has it!!!
I have a question for you since you do book reviews... best science fiction authors or series of the last 40 years, I would like advice since I will buy books as a gift. Thanks!
I just finished it, I loved it 5/5 on Goodreads for me lol but I can totally agree with a 9.5 because I want to see Legacy be the perfect ending. I don't want to see it end :'l I love this series so far
Daniel has to do that intro from now on cause that was pretty catchy
Ok, I'll be buying these books now. Thanks, Daniel 😁