Full Disclosure: This book was read as an e-ARC (Advance Reader Copy) obtained via Netgalley from the publisher in advance of the book's release on November 30, 2022 in exchange for a potential review. I give my word that this did not affect my review in any way - if I felt conflicted in any way, I would simply have declined to review the book.
The Jade Setter of Janloon by Fonda Lee:
The Jade Setter of Janloon is a prequel novella to Fonda Lee's Green Bone Saga (Jade City, Jade War, and Jade Legacy), her fantasy trilogy that was self-described essentially as a mash-up of Hong Kong, Kung Fu and Wuxia with the Mafia Genre/The Godfather. It was a trilogy I had a lot of mixed feelings about, with me liking book 1, really disliking book 2, and then loving how Lee concluded the trilogy, as she dealt with not only gangster and kung fu tropes, but also ideas of legacies of old families moving into a more modernized and more globalized world. The trilogy also dealt with issues of empire, colonization, and racial discrimination (among indigenous peoples as well), even as it centered around a powerful mafia-esque (or Triad-esque) family who was trying to stay in power as one of the two great families in the old status quo after the island achieved its independence. It turned out really good in the end, even if I didn't always love every plot turn. So I was really interested in seeing this prequel when I heard it announced.
And the Jade Settlor of Janloon may not be a must read, but it's a very enjoyable prequel that will be a winner for anyone who enjoyed the Green Bone Saga and wanted more (although if you aren't familiar with this series, I would probably suggest starting elsewhere). The story follows Pulo, an apprentice Jade setter of a neutral Green Bone clan who works for one of the most trusted setters of Jade, the source of magical kung fu powers and prestige, on the island and wants to break out possibly on his own and to expand...only to get wrapped up in a mystery when a major client's sword gets stolen and the store's indigneous Abukei worker Malla gets blamed for the threat. It's a story in which parts of the main cast of the series do get cameos, but is really about our neutral heroes attempt to set things right, his discovery of how unjust this world really is to those without power, especially the indigenous Abukei community, and what he actually wants out of life for himself. It's very enjoyable if unessential.
Quick Plot Summary: Pulo never had enough Jade sensitivity to become a Green Bone as he once dreamed, even for his neutral green bone clan. But this paved the way for him to become an apprentice to Isin, a legendarily renowned Jade setter, trusted by even the Mountain and No Peak Clans to set their jade into weapons, jewelry and piercings. It even introduced him to Malla, the Abukei girl who uses her insensitivity to Jade to work there, a girl Pulo has feelings for, even as he's hesitant to admit those feelings due to the prejudice his family might show to him having a relationship with a Stone-Eye. It was a good life, and Pulo dreamed, despite Isin's resistance, of expanding, maybe into less neutral territory, so that he could make it on his own.
But when the head of the Mountain asks for Isin to re-set the Jade in her sword, and the sword is stolen after a break-in, Pulo finds himself thrown for a loop. Malla is blamed for the theft, but Pulo knows that Isins grandson Nuo must be responsible...and yet neither Malla nor Isin will admit as such to the local investigators. So Pulo takes it upon himself to find the sword before the Mountain comes calling and asks for blood in recompense for the lost sword, and to free Malla and put things right...but his quest to do so forces him to discover hard truths, ones that will make him reconsider what he knows about the world, and his own future....
Thoughts: In a way, nothing about the Jade Setter of Janloon should be a total surprise. Many of the themes we see here, like the prejudice against Abukei, the way they and others without power are abused and oppressed by those with power (here, our former heroes are really the colonizers whereas previously they were largely those fighting foreign powers in the trilogy), all of that was seen in the trilogy and was a theme touched on and dealt with by its characters. And Lee uses her characters in pretty predictable ways to some extent, so you'll see coming a few of the twists that occur here.
But even still, this is a really well crafted story, and Pulo and the others are excellent characters who can carry it successfully. Pulo's ignorance never feels unbelievable and his reactions to discovering why Nuo does what he does, or why Isin seems to never hold on to money that he earns in bulk is entirely reasonable, as is the reaction of those characters, and his good nature as he decides he needs to solve this matter and ensure justice is done is really easy to like and care for. He's not some major hero either, unlike some characters seemingly from the trilogy, without jade powers, so he can't simply take justice into his own hands, and seeing how he handles things, and how he handles OTHERS handling things works effectively...especially as he meets those from the trilogy we came to see and admire and instead sees them as scary and dangerous, because from his point of view their power IS dangerous to those like him without any. And the way he and others deal with the prejudice against Abukei and how it is seen here, makes the way the story goes and concludes immensely satisfying.
Again excellent themes, plotting and characters here make this a winner for anyone looking for more from this series, even if this won't quite satisfy someone coming in blind.
No comments:
Post a Comment