Jade City

Oh, I definitely enjoyed this one.

I saw somebody describe this as a fantasy The Godfather but with Jedi, and that description most definitely fits. The story is almost perfectly paced, with the jeopardy to the main characters (and the Kaul clan) growing steadily through the book, until it all comes to a head in the last few chapters with some of the best martial arts inspired action I've read in a while.

The characters are all distinctly unique, with each of them having their own pros and cons. If we're staying with the Godfather analogy then Hilo is very much like Sonny with his anger and instincts, though he does show a strong sense of leadership and loyalty to the people under him. Shae combines the strongest aspects of Tom Hagen and Connie Corleone, initially not wanting to be a part of the clan's business but then when she does get drawn in she exhibits a keen mind and willingness to play more than a little dirty as the clan's Weather Man. And then there's Anden, who has a lot in common with Michael Corleone, the young neonate who isn't really sure if he has a place in the family but ends up doing what needs to be done.

I am certainly looking forward to the rest of this trilogy, and will also be picking up Fonda Lee's other works at some point. Not quite a full five stars, but not far off.