The Green Bone Saga

by Fonda Lee

Jade is magic. Jade is power. Jade is war. Lee's World Fantasy Award-winning saga: The Godfather meets martial arts in an Asian-inspired metropolis where clan families battle for honor, jade, and survival. Time 100 Best. Translated into 15 languages.

Jade City is a 2017 fantasy novel by Fonda Lee. It is the first novel in the Green Bone Saga and was followed by Jade War (2019) and Jade Legacy (2021). A prequel novella, The Jade Setter of Janloon, was released in 2022; and a collection of short stories, Jade Shards, was released in 2023. The novel received critical praise, winning the 2018 World Fantasy Award for Best Novel as well as the 2018 Aurora Award for Best Novel.

Jade is the lifeblood of the island of Kekon. It has been mined, traded, stolen, and killed for - and for centuries, honorable Green Bone warriors like the Kaul family have used it to enhance their magical abilities. When a powerful new drug emerges that lets anyone - even foreigners - wield jade, the simmering tension between the Kauls and the rival Ayt family erupts into open violence. The outcome of this clan war will determine the fate of all Green Bones - from their grandest patriarch to the lowliest motorcycle runner on the streets - and of Kekon itself.

At its heart, the saga is an epic tale of power, legacy, and familial bonds, all enriched by a unique magic system where jade, a precious stone, bestows its bearers with incredible powers. The trilogy is set over multiple decades (or rather over the course of a lifetime for some characters). The main conflict is between two clans - No Peak Clan and the Mountain Clan. Following the Kaul siblings - Lan, Hilo, and Shae - plus street hustler Bero, jade-sensitive warrior Wen, and reluctant Green Bone Anden, the saga blends clan politics, international intrigue, and visceral martial arts combat.

Named one of the 100 Best Fantasy Books of All Time by Time Magazine, Reader's Digest's #1 in 25 Best Fantasy Book Series Ever Written, and among NPR's 50 Favorite Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books of the Past Decade. NPR praised it: "Thirty years of love and war and vengeance and betrayal. A long slide into an imaginary history glimpsed in explosive, Technicolor bursts, punctuated by the stutter of machine guns, sweetened by rice wine and almond tarts." As a black belt martial artist, Lee brings authentic intensity to fight sequences that feel cinematic. The series explores economic imperialism, cultural domination, and generational change as Kekon's clans evolve from traditional warriors into multinational corporations.

Perfect for readers seeking Asian-inspired urban fantasy, multi-generational family sagas, The Godfather-style crime drama with magic, authentic martial arts combat, political intrigue across decades, and stories exploring honor, duty, and the price of tradition in a rapidly modernizing world.