Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. The Green Bone Saga is often described as a fantasy novel inspired by Mario Puzo’s The Godfather. How did this blend of a crime saga with epic fantasy affect your reading experience, and in what ways does the Kaul family’s struggle remind you of other famous fictional crime families?

2. What was your reaction to the significant expansion of the world in Jade War compared to Jade City? Did the focus on international geopolitics and conflicts in places like Espenia and Shotar add to or detract from the core family drama for you?

3. Which character’s journey resonated with you the most in this installment: Hilo’s reluctant growth as Pillar, Shae’s political maneuvering, or Anden’s search for a new identity in exile?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Anden’s arc is defined by his struggle between family duty and personal conviction, especially regarding his refusal to wear jade. Have you ever felt a conflict between a group identity, whether it’s family or community, and your own personal path?

2. Consider the novel’s depiction of Kekonese culture in Port Massy. Have you ever experienced this kind of diasporic culture? How, in your experience, do traditions adapt or stay the same when moved to a new environment?

3. Hilo is forced to adapt to a leadership role that feels unnatural to him. Can you think of a time when you had to step into a responsibility that required you to grow in unexpected ways?

4. Wen’s story explores finding influence in unconventional ways when traditional paths to power are closed. Have you ever had to find creative paths to power when tradition or structure kept you out?

5. The Kaul sibling dynamic is a complex blend of love, loyalty, resentment, and duty. How does this representation resonate with your own experience with sibling dynamics?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. The geopolitical conflict over jade mirrors real-world struggles for control of strategic resources like oil. What parallels did you notice between the actions of Espenia and Ygutan and the history of superpower rivalries and proxy wars?

2. How does the novel comment on the effects of globalization through its depiction of the drug shine, foreign military presence, and international business deals that challenge Kekon’s traditional, insular culture?

3. Ayt Mada cleverly uses the Refugee Act to import thousands of barukan fighters, turning a humanitarian issue into a military advantage. What message do you think the novel sends about the intersection of politics, immigration, and national security?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. The narrative alternates between the high-stakes political world of Janloon and Anden’s more personal journey in Port Massy. How did this parallel structure impact your understanding of what it means to be a Green Bone?

2. Hilo, Shae, and Anden all grapple with the expectations set by their predecessors, like Kaul Sen and Lan. What significance does the concept of legacy hold in the novel?

3. Is Ayt Mada a straightforward villain, or is she a complex leader with a different philosophy of power? In what ways does she serve as a foil to Hilo?

4. Why do you think the author chose to make Wen, a “stone-eye,” one of the most pivotal characters in the climax? What does her journey and unique immunity to jade say about the nature of power in this world?

5. Anden’s ultimate decision to use jade for healing introduces a new path for Green Bone society. How viable is this new model, and what challenges might a “healer” Green Bone face in a culture defined by martial strength?

6. Jade War can be compared to other multi-generational family sagas like Frank Herbert’s Dune. In what ways does the focus on lineage, succession struggles, and inherited trauma in the Kaul family echo themes from other epic sagas you’ve read?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. Imagine you are the new Weather Man or Weather Woman for the No Peak clan. What would be your first three policy proposals to navigate the new cold war with the Mountain and strengthen the clan’s international standing?

2. The “grudge hall” in Port Massy is a secret space where Kekonese-Espenians preserve their culture. If you were to design a similar hidden community space for another fictional diaspora, what would be its key features, rules, and purpose?

3. If you were to write a “code of honor” for the “new green”—the unsanctioned jade users like Bero—what would its core principles be? How would their values differ from the traditional aisho of the clans?