Fantasy. Sword and sorcery. Game of Thrones. Wheel of Time. To many, these are synonymous. Fantasy has a particular aesthetic. It must be medieval, western European, feudal. Even games like Skyrim riff heavily off Norse influences. Going further afield, the original formula for Final Fantasy was heavily European in its influences - sword and sorcery, knights in armour, paladins (yes, Final Fantasy IV, I'm looking at you), and so on. Only later did we see a change in the approach taken by the creators, with Final Fantasy VII and VIII being distinctly cyberpunk while retaining many more traditional fantasy elements.
What I've already said is a generalisation, but it holds true in many a case. Recent years have seen a more nuanced approach to fantasy developing. No longer is it exclusively the realm of JRR Tolkien and his disciples. Yes, many settings have remained the same, but narratives have grown away from the McGubbin quest. The genre has been refreshed by the likes of China Miéville, Jen Williams, Joe Abercrombie to name but three leading proponents of modern fantasy. Developments such as magical realism, combined with the influence of mythology outside the Norse standard (Neil Gaiman, do it please ya), outside genres (see: The Dark Tower), and ideas from tabletop (and video) gaming have revitalised a flagging genre. Add to that, we have seen outstanding writers writing truly magnificent multi-trilogy series. Robin Hobb is still the queen of fantasy.
But all of that has been distinctly medieval (at least, if we discount real-world set urban fantasy, which I've traditionally not enjoyed particularly). What has been missing, to really give new ideas, has been a modern world-inspired series that does something different.
Enter Fonda Lee.
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| "99p? Can't go wrong!" |
I can't claim to have known of her before Amazon put Jade City on a 99p daily deal a couple of years back. My thinking was simply: 'it's fantasy, it's 99p, if I don't like it I haven't lost anything.' I've since learned she was an up-and-coming young adult writer with one successful series under her belt, turning her hand to adult fantasy for the first time. Since then, I've been hooked on the Green Bone Saga - Jade City, Jade War, and Jade Legacy - and will be looking for more of her work. Say what you like about Amazon (I normally do) but those 99p deals do work to promote newcomers.
Set in an east Asian-inspired island nation, Kekon, the Green Bone Saga follows one of the two main 'clans' in the country, the No Peak clan. Led by the Kaul family, there are strong overtures of the Godfather in the way the clan operates. Although legitimate and heavily involved in running the country, alongside rival/enemy clan, the Mountain, much of what the No Peaks do is shady. Murder, extortion, smuggling, you name it: it exists alongside the legitimate business side of the clan. There's a military side to the clan, led by the Horn. There's a business side, led by the Weather Man. And at its head there's the Pillar of the clan, Kaul Lan, grandson of a war hero who helped Kekon throw off the chains of Shontar in a previous war.
Uniting the clans is bioreactive jade, a substance that gives its wearers enhanced combat powers, such as the ability to deflect bullets, show super strength, perceive what others think, and (almost inevitably) jump far higher than ordinary individuals. Jade is seen as a Kekonese birthright, its wearers known as green bones, bound by an honour code known as aisho. Other nations want it, but cannot wear it without suffering madness. Even jade-wearers can suffer from its effects, as is seen throughout.
Set over a quarter of a century, the Green Bone Saga is a combination of family story, turf war,
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| This one wasn't 99p. Worth it though. |
international political epic, and cultural reset for fantasy. In around 1,800 pages we see relationships grow, blossom, be snuffed out in an instant. We see rivalries used and subverted. Characters we grow to love are forced into situations we're desperate to see them escape from, knowing that they are not safe. Society changes and morphs in reaction to outside events, and we see how traditions are clung onto and altered in the face of overwhelming pressure.
This is not a series of good and bad, where evil is obvious. I nearly opened this review with the word of Obi-Wan Kenobi: 'Many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view.' We root for the Kauls and No Peak in their struggle against the Mountain because we see things from their perspective. We rarely see anything from otherwise. We grow used to seeing Espenians as jadeless outsiders. We dislike the opponents to jade. But when we see glimpses of those alternative perspectives we start to see that they are not bad guys. In fact, several of the characters we're rooting for could be monsters from another point of view. We see the characters we grow to love commit unconscionable actions, and yet we find ourselves almost justifying what they do. In that regard, it's a masterpiece of shades of grey. The justifications - the other side would do it if we didn't, we're protecting ourselves, it's the way it's always been - seem reasonable, but they ask questions of us. What could we justify for ourselves?
Neither is this a series where there's a truly overarching driving plot. Yes, there's an arc from beginning to end, but each character treads their own path within that arc. Sometimes they diverge from the path and disappear for a time. Sometimes they make missteps setting them back. The narrative is not conventional, but it is organic and it is utterly compelling.
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| Look, just read them. |
If the story keeps you turning the page, the depth will keep you hooked. This isn't a conventional western fantasy by a long chalk. Yes, we see western elements - such as Espenia, which stands as a proxy for the USA - but the dominant cultures are inspired by Korea, China, and Hong Kong. In fact, Janloon, the main city of Kekon, reminds me very strongly of Hong Kong in its depictions, its post-colonial status, and its independence. The whole culture of modern east Asia, rich in history and tradition separate from the west, runs as a thick seam throughout the narrative. Clan sensibilities and psychology are based on that way of thinking, and it makes for a refreshing viewpoint. Fonda Lee has used non-western culture to change the whole vibe around her urban fantasy, and I cannot praise her highly enough for it.
This is a magnificently-realised world where modern technology and ideas clash with traditional culture. The characters are wonderfully and lovingly created. It has been a breath of fresh air over the past couple of years to indulge myself in Lee's masterpiece, and it has been an eye-opener as a writer. Every fantasy fan should read this trilogy.
