Fonda Lee does it again! This was a fascinating return to the world of the greenbone saga, and it was so cool to see different characters navigating this world.

I am such a huge fan of The Green Bone Saga and love any excuse to return to this world. I was not disappointed at all with this one and would even say it exceed my expectations.

Look, i admit i’m a bit biased. I absolutely adore Jade City so the opportunity to read more about the world was enthralling right from the beginning. But this really went above and beyond! Similar to Chakraborty’s River of Silver, Jade City is truly a *complimentary* book of short stories. It adds so much to the original series and she’s a really gifted short prose writer. A million stars!

Jade Shards by Fonda Lee

Every time I read something by Fonda Lee, I regret not having read more of her work. I previously loved The Jade Setter of Janloon but the Green Bone Saga is still on my TBR pile - I think the length is intimidating (as is the concerns of schlepping a giant tome on mass transit). So when I saw a collection of short stories by her set in that universe from Subterranean Press on NetGalley, I thought I should request it to dip my toes back in those waters. This book was so good! Full of tidbits and snapshots, these stories might resonate more if I had already read the original trilogy but I found them satisfying and delightful. This a testament to Fonda Lee that these stories are so enjoyable even without the context of the larger narrative.

I loved this book and I vow to prioritize reading the rest of Green Bone Saga this year. Thanks for the eARC in exchange for this honest review.

I loved being back in this world and with some of my favourite characters. I wouldn't say this is a must-read per se for the series, but just a nice, fluffy time. Ayt Mada's story was, unsurprisingly, my favourite.

We get to see each of the siblings from the main series navigating their teenage years and adulthood for the first time, plus a couple other main characters. I really liked getting to see them when they were younger, because after seeing all the growth they did in the main series, it was nice to go back and explore how they got there.

Earlier this year, I read the novella that came out in this same world, which I also really liked. I wouldn’t say that either these or the novella were as good as the main series, because it’s just really hard to top that. But I do think they’re worth reading. If you want more tidbits about some of the characters in the main series, or to see a different perspective of the city, you should totally check these out.

Since both the short stories and the novella are set before book one, it would be totally fine to read them after you’ve read the first book. I don’t recommend reading them before, because you won’t know who any of these people are and why they matter. But really anytime after you meet everyone in book one would be a good time to pick either of these up.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. Fonda Lee is perfection in my eyes. She is a master of her craft and this collection of short stories, that includes her thoughts on some of her characters, makes me love her even more. She added even more nuance and depth to some of my favorite characters from her books including some back stories that were full of the character development, intricate world-building and ruthlessness that I loved so much in the series.

Book Summary:

Jade Shards is a collection of short stories from the Green Bone Saga. Inside, readers will find four prequel short stories: The Witch and Her Friend (Ayt Mada), Not Only Blood (Kaul Lan), Better Than Jade (Kaul Hilo and Maik Wen), and Granddaughter Cormorant (Kaul Shae).

My Review:

If you're a fan of The Green Bone Saga, you've absolutely got to read Jade Shards. Likewise, if you've been on the fence about trying the series, this is possibly an excellent way to get your toes wet. Short stories usually are.

Of the four stories, I think that Not Only Blood would be my favorite, with The Witch and Her Friend coming in close second. Actually, come to think of it – I enjoyed all four of these! I wouldn't say that any of them were weak. They all had strong elements, each helping ground/explain the universe further. Those are my favorite types of prequels.

Highlights:
Green Bone Saga
Fantasy
Short Stories

Thanks to Subterranean Press and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Jade Shards was decent, with some good stories, some bad ones, and one okay one. If you are obsessed with Greenbone Saga it is a must read, but otherwise give it a pass.

ARC received by Subterranean Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

EXCELLENT! EXCELLENT! EXCELLENT!

Jade shards was so amazing! I honestly expected nothing less. The Greenbone Saga is one of my favorite series of all time. I read this before going into Jade Legacy, which I think was a great choice. Especially knowing what was to come and all of the characters. With the tension that is happening following Jade War I loved to have this knowing what would follow.

Thank you so much to the publisher and Netgalley for an eARC. I truly appreciated this! My social media review will be coming soon as a part of a full Greenbone Saga series review.

Really enjoyed this one. Another excellent and enjoyable trip into the world of the Green Bone Saga universe. We want more!

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an arc of this title in exchange for this honest review.

Sadly i was in a slump and did not manage to finish this. I plan on updating my review once i get the chance to. What little i read was really good though, so i look forward to the rest.

These are nice little Green Bone prequel morsels for those who are missing the series. They're not essential or overly impactful, but at least the first 3 (of 4) had me fully engaged and made it feel like a worthwhile read.

The first one surprisingly features Anden's mom as a teenage girl who befriends a young Ayt Mada at school before interacting with her once more after a time jump as a new mother living on her own. It was fun seeing Mada in earlier stages of life and interacting with a friend and how she was different/similar to the cutthroat later version of Mada -- but the new POV of Anden's mom was so well done and had me caring so much for her very quickly.

The second focuses on Lan dealing with his awkward place in the family being groomed to become the Pillar under Kaul Sen (who's still a total jerk here and not just later) and how Lan spearheads the push to adopt Anden once he's orphaned. Lan's interactions with child Anden were just too sweet and very rewarding to see.

The third focuses on the courtship and then beginnings of Hilo and Wen's relationship, and that's every bit as steamy and romantic as I imagined. Loved this story so much. Wen is a gem.

The fourth focuses on Shae in her rebel phase when she first got involved as an Espenian spy. I guess if there had to be a Shae prequel story that this makes sense for it, but really nothing about the story was engaging to me and it felt like a rather unimpactful way to end the collection and close the book on the entire Green Bone saga. Why not do a little time jump and show her clashing with the rest of the family and putting away her green to live in Espenia and end the series with everyone on the page together? The blah ending feels like a poor choice, but overall this was a solid story collection and addition to a great series.

It was great being back in this world with these characters! Although these stories are set before the trilogy in the timeline, I think it’s necessary to read the trilogy first or else these stories won’t matter to you that much. They give us insight into our favorite characters’ past, but aren’t necessary to the main story arc. The stories aren’t plot heavy, but instead focus on making the characters more nuanced and well explored. I enjoyed spending a bit more time with them and learning more of their backstories!

I have not yet read the Jade City series, but this was a good introduction. At the end of every chapter, there was a short explanation from the author of why they wrote story and how it pertains to the series in general. I skipped those parts because I was afraid they may have spoilers but altogether the short stories were pretty solid and it made me more motivated to pick up the series so that the characters are still fresh in my mind. I think this collection would be good for anyone who is interested in reading the Jade City series as well as give more insight into characters for those who have already finished the series.

Fonda admits that she basically got to use these short stories to fully indulge herself in the Jade universe as a last farewell, and you can tell from the joy with which they're written, and who they choose to focus on (Hilo and Wenruxian's courtship, Shae, Ayt Mada). It was fun to read through this and get to see Lee's joy in writing what is essentially fanfiction for her own series. If you want one last bit of the Green Bone Saga, pick this up as a dessert.

Reading these short stories was like slipping into your favorite pair of sweatpants- comforting. I read the whole Green Bone Saga prior to reading this, and it was lovely getting back into the world of Janloon to spend more time with one of my favorite fictional families. All four of the short stories held my interest despite them acting as "backstories" for some of the characters. Honestly though Ms. Lee could write a slice of life story about any of the Kauls and I would absolutely devour it.

Thanks Netgalley, Subterranean Press and Fonda Lee for the eARC!

This is a collection of short stories written in the jade city world. All events happen prior to the first book, but should be read after to help give context and understanding behind the stories. My favorite was of course Hilo and Wen. I’ve only read Jade City so far, but I feel like we’re just barely scratching the surface of what Wen is capable of. I very much enjoyed watching her calculated information gathering, and use of that information to meet her goals. Also seeing all the pieces of Anden’s story unfold, where his mother came from and went through, and being adopted, it makes his story arc make so much more sense. Shea is a badass, and this story really accentuated her shrewdness and capability. Overall this collection, while not integral to the story does provide some very interesting depth behind beloved characters. Thank you netgalley for the arc. My options are my own

Thank you to the publisher Subterranean Press, author Fonda Lee, and Netgalley for access to this eARC!

I was thrilled to once again visit the world of Janloon! I was worried when I first saw that this was only 136 pages, but out of the four stories, a reader gets a very well-rounded experience of revisiting some favorite characters from the Green Bone Saga.

(A) The Witch and Her Friend -- 5/5. This was EXACTLY what I wanted from Fonda Lee. We get to see a younger Ayt Mada, untried, less self-assured, and hungry. Yet Fonda teases us by keeping us out of Mada's head (which she addresses in an author's note after the conclusion of this short story). We also get glimpses of Anden's mother, who herself was formidable but was shaped by her bold choices and tragedy.

(B) Not Only Blood -- perfect as a lead-up to Jade City. It encapsulates Kaul family and clan-versus-clan dynamics.

(C) Better Than Jade -- not my favorite, although I definitely see the appeal for some fans. This is the beginnings of the Hilo and Wen love story. Here they are young, passionately in love with each other, and have not run into formidable life upsets outside of the general expectations of family and clan.

(D) Granddaughter Cormorant -- follows Shae when she was Kaul Sen's favorite grandchild but struggled with the weight of familial and clan expectations. Fleshes out info we already know about Shae's past as an Espenian asset, which was perhaps equal parts self-expression and discovery, compromise for her boyfriend, and rebellion against those aforementioned expectations. When reading Jade City, I had been a little baffled by her ability to go so far as she did in carrying out traitorous acts in her past, so this story helped me in reconciling her character's internal turmoil with her actions.

If Fonda Lee finishes her involvement with Janloon here, I am quite satisfied and thankful for all the amazing gifts she has given us. If not, I'd still LOVE a fuller story from Ayt Mada's perspective (...or a next generation Ayt Mada-style antihero).