beautifully atmospheric, fascinating, and deliciously expansive. this story grips you from the start
"take my day, but give me the night."
beautifully atmospheric, fascinating, and deliciously expansive. this story grips you from the start and keeps dragging you into the unknown across galaxies and constellations for thousands and thousands of years through the lens of a handful of compelling characters you grow to adore. this book is just beyond describing how incredibly mind-blowing it is and i’m already out of words. i loved this. a lot. highly recommend....more
six crimson cranes is an enchanting tale that marries the grimm brothers’ 'the six swans' with east asian folklore and it is whimsical and magical4.5★
six crimson cranes is an enchanting tale that marries the grimm brothers’ 'the six swans' with east asian folklore and it is whimsical and magical as well as so, so much fun!
elizabeth lim is one of the most talented spinner of tales, scc is my first book of hers and i was pleasantly surprised with how much i loved the first book in this magical ya fantasy duology. i found everything from the characters, story and plot to the world, magic and writing was well done.
the writing is positively one of my favorites and helps carry the atmosphere in this world, the scenery is vivid and—yes, i'll say it—very pretty! i don't think i can compare the cozy, warm feeling i got from this book (even though the characters were most definitely cold and freezing in the north) to anything but the way studio ghibli's animated movies make me feel. lim's writing is like a dream and it's just wonderful to go on this adventure with such beautiful imagery.
speaking of the adventure, i loved following shiori in her journey to save her brothers, herself, and the things and loved ones close to her. jumping hurdle over hurdle, i sympathized with shiori and found her so easy to love and root for. her relationships stuck with me and each represented a different aspect that i quite enjoyed getting into. (i am excited to tackle more of those in the sequel, too.)
some of the plot elements were a teeny bit predictable, in my opinion the author revealed hints a little too early or too clearly—which is why the rating is not a full 5 stars. but i've rounded it up the 4.5 to 5 because i can forgive the predictability aspect (and what i hope to be not-plot-holes and not-loose-ends) to be tied up and resolved in the sequel, and moreover it really didn’t affect my personal enjoyment of the book all that much.
however, i am certain elizabeth lim laced this book with dark magic and now i'm in a trance and need to read whatever else this author has written or will write in the future.
six crimson cranes reads like a lush fairytale infused with magic and characters to adore and it’s most definitely a new favorite; highly recommend!
— digital arc provided via netgalley in exchange for an honest review....more
november, 2021 — i interviewed the author, fonda lee, on my blog here: ♡. we talk about rep, cross-cultural pollination + some novella news!! i've alsnovember, 2021 — i interviewed the author, fonda lee, on my blog here: ♡. we talk about rep, cross-cultural pollination + some novella news!! i've also had the pleasure of interviewing some special characters for an exclusive q&a !!!
— full review ;;
[ this does not include spoilers, is pretty messy and long, and more of an overall review of the trilogy ]
jade legacy is the epic finale to the epic urban fantasy trilogy of the green bone saga. i gave the former 2 books full 5-star ratings and with this 3rd one another 5, i think it's safe to say this is one of my—if not my one ultimate—favorite sff series of all-time. the series as a whole is a brilliant, pulsating read, but maybe jade legacy is my favorite out of the three because it hit harder having known the characters for longer.
this final book spans about 20 years with these characters that started in their teens and mid-twenties in book 1, jade city, and end up in their forties and older—it is frightening and exciting all at the same time! however, fonda lee excels at making it all work. it doesn't feel like a blank leap in time because the author fills us in and makes us feel part of this story, feeling deeply for this incredibly well-written characters, weaving us through an evocative story of intrigue and magic and family.
jade city was already a masterclass, jade war elevated the scene, but jade legacy upped the scale and took it splendidly further.
we follow the social and political implications of the continuing blood feud between the no peak clan and mountain clan, along with the expansion of the world in the green bone saga and the exploration of the cost and seemingly never-ending consequences of war. this book delves even deeper than ever into the difficult, pivotal decisions that change the characters' lives and takes the reader unexpected places that prove to be very impactful. even if you aren't into political intrigue (which, i am, so i soaked in every bit of enjoyment from this aspect of the story) — you will still be on the edge of your seat and intrigued to know what happens next, because in the green bone saga, we learn that every decision has consequences no matter how right or wrong it is. in this case, i was a bundle of nerves, fearing for the character i feel so passionately about, and excited to see where fonda lee takes the reign of the story. it was never, never boring, and always had me feeling either excited and adrenaline-pumped, or sad and devastated.
the green bone saga is a fantasy saga that married modern asian history and culture with epic gangster intrigue, martial arts, and magic, and was ultimately, at its core, about family and choices. this is what fonda lee set out to do as her passion project, and in my humble opinion, it paid off incredibly. these characters are miles-apart different, but they all grapple with who they are and what is important to them and how to do the best thing at a given time, whether their decisions are driven by duty or desire. they are constantly torn and conflicted and weighed down by their own expectations and those of others, and it keeps the reader intrigued, wanting to know more, and eventually growing attached to them. these characters learn, along with the readers, to to find the strength to make their own decisions while also making peace with the fact that much of fate is driven by circumstance. the family dynamics in this series are exceptionally compelling. in a culture-infused setting, "family and personal identity can’t be disentangled."
it was especially astounding and appreciative how women were written in this crime and gang story. it's undeniable that throughout history it’s typically men who are held up as heroes, in real life and in fiction, while women are presented in supporting roles or as villains. across the history of literature and storytelling, "strong female characters" are outnumbered by the famous villainesses who stand in the way of the man or the supporting, loving wife who does nothing substantial except provide the soft side narrative to the (man) partner. in the green bone saga, fonda writes women in different roles on a whole other spectrum than i've ever read before. from the "willfully ignorant and passive mob wife" shae’s mother kaul wan ria, to the "supportive partner and soft power behind the throne" maik wen, to the "exceptional strongwoman who succeeds by outcompeting the men" ayt mada... they all present a variety of strong women with real levels of complexity and a stunning amount of depth about them.
wen is my absolute favorite character across all three books (her role escalates and becomes more significant as we get deeper in the story—jade legacy really shined with the raw and real beauty that was maik wen's character) and she's one of my top fictional female characters ever. shae also ranks high as part of the kaul siblings and her dynamics with everyone, such a strong and resilient character with faith in her self and her family. ayt madashi is a compelling "villain" in the story because she’s a tenacious rival to the protagonist narrative of the kauls and no peak clan, but when you consider her rationale, i wouldn't mind reading from her perspective as the protagonist either. she is tough and ruthless and determined to climb to power in a highly male-dominated culture. she's made immoral decision, but we can say the same for many of the highly-held men here, too. i love her character so much because she can be a hero or a villain in the eyes of some people—and had she been a man, maybe the opposite would be seen.
this is not to say that the narrative pretends that there is no systemic prejudice against women and to make them every bit as prevalent and accepted as the men; that's as unrealistic as it being complete marginalization of women. one of the things fonda lee wanted to depict in the green bone saga is "a society and a culture being altered, sometimes painfully, by the march of modernity, and the changing role of women is part of that," and i'd say that as a reader, this translated through the writing and storytelling so powerfully.
and as much as i praise the women to no end here, the men characters are absolutely not dealt any less-than-richly-nuanced card either! from emery anden, to the maik brothers, to the young generation of the kaul siblings (which, by the way, i adore to infinity!), they all have interesting, compelling and conflicting character arcs. especially the man of the show, kaul hilo, who has my feelings in a war. lia from an ode to fiction has an in-depth appreciation blog post breaking down hilo's character as part of the jade legacy pre-order campaign, and i could not have worded it better if i tried. (also check out her amazing review on the blog and gr!)
seeing how everything else falls into place, i have to say that the world-building is incredible. fonda based kekon and janloon on a mix of historical, cultural, and geographic influences that included taiwan, hong kong, singapore, and okinawa in the latter half of the twentieth century. there was heavy research involved on the history and culture of organized crime groups including the chinese triads, japanese yakuza, and the italian-american mafia. and more, including chicago during the time of al capone and the gangs of new york in the 19th century, jade mining in burma, the blood diamond trade in africa and drug trafficking in mexico. there are so many rich aspects woven through the nitty-gritty parts of the green bone saga and it shines through as a vivid, pulsating and intricate world. i feel engaged enough that i could step into the world of kekon and janloon any minute as i read.
if i could ramble on about this book (and trilogy), we really would be here forever. this book broke me, healed me, shattered me to pieces and spilled tears on my grave and made me reach extreme levels of vulnerability.
gut-wrenching, evocative and painfully delightful, jade legacy packs a punch to the end of an era; it is truly an epic, satisfying conclusion to an unforgettable and undeniably impactful story, with characters that will live in my heart forever.
my first reaction still stands, too...
— thanks to the publisher, orbit, for providing me with the digital arc in exchange for an honest review.
june, 2021 — i will now be existing in a state of eternal pain and misery and more pain goodbye....more
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