Published: November 2017
Pages: 540
Summary
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.
My thoughts
I’ve heard so many reviews for this series that I felt obligated to finally pick this one up and give it a read. I do enjoy a lot of what is promised in this summary and I was especially interested with the jade dynamic so I was excited to sit down and read what all the fuss was about.
I have picked feelings on this one, there is much I liked but there is much that I didn’t and I’m not sure I really cared for these characters by the end.
“Expectations are a funny thing,” Wen said. “When you’re born with them, you resent them, fight against them. When you’ve never been given any, you feel the lack of them your whole life.”
The writing is fantastic!
No doubt about it that this is a well written book. The worldbuilding was brought to life amongst the political chaos of a small island that is divided by two of the largest gangs. I liked the mafia-style set up of both families although I was slightly cringing internally at the names they call each other. In the same way reading ‘alpha’ in Klune’s Wolfsong – I understand it but I cringe.
There are a lot of characters and they all have their own desires that drive them forward, even if those desires are completely different to what their families expect. They’ve all been born into a world which is at constant threat with the expectation they live and die for their family. In the way they use jade to fuel their powers, they’re also at the mercy of jade to never be more than what they have to do to survive. For our characters it is a constant struggle to balance family loyalty, personal desires, and the responsibilities of the clan.
Was it possible, Lan wondered, to be both a strong leader and a compassionate person, or were those two things opposing forces, pushing each other away?
The political landscape is unique and fractured around jade. Jade is a huge source of income but is also incredibly precious. It acts like a drug, especially to those that haven’t gone through the rigorous and expensive schooling to train their bodies and minds to use and withstand jade. That turns into a big theme of this book where jade is seen as a source of power to those unable to wield it and they will do whatever it takes to have it for themselves.
When I think about jade it reminds me of the current drug pandemic that is affecting us. The desperation for that next high, to reel in that feeling of bliss. For those in this book we also see that in the way jade is mined and sold. The aim is to make more money with little to no thought about what this means and how it will effect others. In simple terms its supply and demand, but within this book we start to see the repercussions and our main characters are at constant odds about this.
Honour above all
Another theme of this book is honour. It is deeply engrained within their clan culture and the way they act and think, especially from the men. Honour is expected above all else, even if it doesn’t make the most logical sense. Otherwise it is deemed as showing weakness. It is better to keep your honour and do the wrong thing, than to bring shame to yourself and your family by doing the right thing.
Our characters face this dilemma in their own different ways, whether it’s divorce, or independence, the constant battle of honour and worrying what others will think above what they feel in their heart.
“And if you loved someone, truly loved them, shouldn’t their happiness matter even more than your honour?”
I enjoyed how relatable and flawed the characters are. They are very realistic in how they think, the actions they make and the way they behave. My challenge was that there were so many characters that I didn’t get close to any of them, it was all very surface level. The harder hitting pieces of this book just didn’t hit me the same because I didn’t care for these characters enough. I wasn’t emotionally invested and so parts of this story fell flat for me, unfortunately.
The plot here felt very predictable, so although I loved how everything was set up and I enjoyed the diversity of our characters and the challenges they all face, I also have to admit that I just didn’t connect with anyone. There was far too little time and not enough depth to get into the mind of our characters and I think that is what blocked me from truly loving this book.
Would I recommend?
If you enjoy family-driven mafia stories then yes I would. I have heard from other readers that the first book is the weakest and that the action ramps up in book two and three. I always think that book one should be one of the strongest to get readers invested and enticed to continue, but I am open to reading book two in the future!