I really want to give 4.5 stars but because of early struggles cannot bump it up to 5 stars.

It took me until about 1/3 into this book before I started to feel invested. I am very much a character-driven reader, but world building and atmosphere are also important. I am not going to dwell on why it took until around page 190 to become engrossed, but it wasn't that it was unenjoyable up to that point - just hadn't yet pulled me in.

From chapter 22 on, however, I was fully immersed. The characters are real and complicated. Their flaws play a role as much as their strengths but in a very relatable way. Sometimes books can make flaws a jolt to the senses when characters jump between flaws and strengths. This book's flow of that struggle was very realistic. In other words, Fonda Lee's characters were all marvelous.

I loved the end. Okay, I cried a bit in the final chapters. I can't wait to move on to book 2, Jade War. ( )

Después de un paron de un año me acabo este libro.

No es que no me gustase, al contrario, las tramas políticas y mafiosas de la familia Kaul me han fascinado y el ritmo trepidante de la recta final me ha dejado enganchado. Pero a veces a uno, un libro se le atasca y en la pandemia solo se pudo acentuar eso.

Igualmente me ha gustado mucho y que aún recuerde la mayoría de la trama después de tanto tiempo habla muy bien de la novela. La verdad, tengo ganas de leer la segunda parte, espero que llegue traducida pronto. ( )

This was enjoyable enough for me to decide to read the second book in the series, but I did not find that it made me want to keep reading at the end of chapters, which is what I usually would expect of a book rated four stars or more. I have never been a great fan of organized crime stories, so that has likely affected my opinion.

The strengths were the writing, which was excellent, and a very interesting magic system based on the interaction between jade and the DNA of a particular group of people. I liked the concept of the inherent dangers of wielding the power of jade. There was some political drama that added additional depth.

The main weakness for me was that I had trouble finding a character that I liked enough to be invested in their story. There were several with redeeming qualities that I kept thinking might ultimately draw me in, but I mostly found myself siding with the Kaul family only because the other one seemed so terrible by comparison. The second book shows higher ratings than the first, so I am hoping that as the characters' stories develop, I will find that I am more invested in their success. ( )

4.5 stars.

Just the right mix of intrigue, drama, and action for me.

I love rooting for the Kaul family as they claw their way back from defeat after defeat. The characters are distinctive and charming, the stakes are both personal and far-reaching, and even the politics are pretty interesting. ( )

I don't much like urban fantasy nor mafia type stories so wasn't sure this would be for me. However, I did enjoy it quite a bit on audio - enough to place a hold for the 2nd book. ( )