Jade Legacy

The Green Bone Saga #3

by Fonda Lee

Jade, the mysterious and magical substance once exclusive to the Green Bone warriors of Kekon, is now known and coveted throughout the world. Everyone wants access to the supernatural abilities it provides, from traditional forces such as governments, mercenaries, and criminal kingpins, to modern players, including doctors, athletes, and movie studios. As the struggle over the control of jade grows ever larger and more deadly, the Kaul family, and the ancient ways of the Kekonese Green Bones, will never be the same.

The Kauls have been battered by war and tragedy. They are plagued by resentments and old wounds as their adversaries are on the ascent and their country is riven by dangerous factions and foreign interference that could destroy the Green Bone way of life altogether. As a new generation arises, the clan’s growing empire is in danger of coming apart.

The clan must discern allies from enemies, set aside bloody rivalries, and make terrible sacrifices… but even the unbreakable bonds of blood and loyalty may not be enough to ensure the survival of the Green Bone clans and the nation they are sworn to protect.

Genres: Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Adult, Fiction, Audiobook, Crime, LGBT

713 pages, Paperback

First published November 30, 2021

About the author

Fonda Lee is the World Fantasy Award-winning author of the epic Green Bone Saga, beginning with Jade City and continuing in Jade War and Jade Legacy. She is also the author of the acclaimed science fiction novels Zeroboxer, Exo and Cross Fire.

Fonda is as a three-time winner of the Aurora Award (Canada’s national science fiction and fantasy award), and a multiple finalist for the Nebula Award, the Locus Award, and the Oregon Book Award. Her novels have garnered multiple starred reviews, been included on numerous state reading lists, named Junior Library Guild selections, and appeared on Best of Year lists from NPR, Barnes & Noble, Syfy Wire, and others.

Fonda is a former corporate strategist and black belt martial artist who loves action movies and Eggs Benedict. Born and raised in Canada, she currently resides in Portland, Oregon.

Reviews

[Petrik · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC provided by the publisher—Orbit—in exchange for an honest review.

Without a shadow of a doubt, one of the best books I’ve ever read. Jade Legacy is an all-around masterpiece that certified The Green Bone Saga as my top favorite completed trilogy of all time.

“Good men are remembered with love by their friends… Great warriors are remembered with awe by their enemies.”

This review won’t do this book justice. Lee must’ve channeled—she must be a true Green Bone warrior—real magic to finish writing this ambitious concluding installment. Jade City and Jade War are some of the best books to exist in modern fantasy. I loved them so much, and my love for the previous two books in the series skyrocketed my anticipation and expectations for Jade Legacy. High expectation isn’t a healthy mindset to adapt as it tends to lead to disappointment. But occasionally, a special book can meet—and even exceed—those expectations. Jade Legacy is that kind of special book. Jade Legacy is unbelievably better than the previous—already superb—two books, and it’s a novel that’s equally traumatizing but more superior to the legendary A Storm of Swords by George R. R. Martin. There, I’ve said it. Tragic, soul-crushing, but also hopeful and filled with love. Enrich and break your soul; read this trilogy to its conclusion as soon as possible. If that’s still not enough to convince you, proceed to read my feeble attempt to write a review for this masterwork.

“When something has to be done, there’s always a way to do it.”

If you’ve followed Fonda Lee’s or Orbit’s social media, you should know by now that one of the reasons why Jade Legacy is an ambitious undertaking is due to the time span the plot requires. The story in Jade Legacy begins a few months after the end of Jade War, and the entirety of it spans more than two decades and multiple time skips. This is not an easy feat to do. The final book of a series usually doesn’t do this; it’s unconventional, and multiple time skips mean we—as readers—don’t get to read many events that the characters experienced. In some worse cases, they make the story feel disjointed, and they could end up halting organic character development. But rest assured, none of these applied to Jade Legacy. The multiple time skips give such an epic feel to the narrative. Plus, Lee always managed to fill in these gaps with crucial and necessary information at a terrifying efficiency and effectiveness. It’s insane. It’s nothing short of miraculous, and it worked. It bloody worked.

“Everything is a battle now… Every business, every town, every newspaper article or press conference or godsdamned vote in the Royal Council… There used to be a way things were done, under the eyes of Old Uncle. We used to be able to count on certain things. Now there aren’t any lines. Everyone in the clan is a part of the fight.”

The multiple time skips allowed Lee to tell a meticulously crafted novel that’s divided into four unforgettable parts. A story arc division isn’t something special; a lot of speculative fictions novel have done this. There’s, however, something different and impressive about each story part in Jade Legacy; every one of them felt like a novel on its own. Reading Jade Legacy is equivalent to reading a tetralogy. I’m serious. The first quarter of this book already made me feel like I went through an entire fantasy novel worth of reading; so many of my emotions were bled for these characters already. I’ve read plenty of trilogies with lesser emotional weight compared to the first quarter of this book, and I do honestly think the first quarter of Jade Legacy was already better than many trilogies I’ve read. It is THAT good, and it constantly gets more heart-wrenching, intense, and scintillating.

“No matter which part of the country you’re from, which clan you swear allegiance to, whether you wear jade or not, we are all Kekonese. We defend and avenge our own. You wrong any of us, you wrong us all. You seek to war with us, and we will return it a hundredfold.”

This means every act in Jade Legacy has a magnificent beginning, build-up, and climax sequence. The scope of the storyline is much bigger than its predecessors; reading this book made me feel like my heart went through an internal natural disaster multiple times. Yes, this book is an emotional bloodbath. In this heartrending story filled with themes about family, reconciliation, trust, legacy, sacrifice, power, money, and war, I‘ve shockingly let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding, and I’ve sagged like a melting potato. When the characters watched the news with dread, when they grieved, I felt all of that. Lee’s capability to shift a peaceful situation to a catastrophic event in a flash is just impeccable. And at the core of all its greatness, what elevated Jade Legacy to a masterpiece status was the extremely well-realized characters and characterizations.

“We don’t handle this world. We make it handle us.”

Personally speaking, with all my heart and confidence, I’m going to say that Kaul Hiloshudon has become one of my favorite characters of all time. Fonda Lee has done such an outstanding job in creating and building Hilo’s tremendous character development. If you’ve followed my reviews for years, you might know that Kaladin Stormblessed from The Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson is one of my favorite protagonists of all time. Hilo, to me, is on that same level as Kaladin. Hilo is not perfect; he’s flawed in many ways, but he’s also passionate, inspiring, and despite his flaws and temperament, he always tries his best to become a better version of himself.

“It was Kaul Hilo’s great talent. He could have a single ordinary conversation with a man and make him loyal for life.”

Well, I didn’t have a single ordinary conversation with him; it felt like I’ve known him for years through reading this trilogy. And I know it’s not fair of me to mention only Hilo. This masterful level of characterizations was applied to MANY other characters in the trilogy. The Green Bone Saga is an epic urban fantasy. It’s a gangster family saga featuring a LOT of key characters; Jade Legacy has more than ten POV characters, and whether they appeared briefly or not, every one of them has an undeniably distinct voice and characterizations. I’m not kidding; the characterizations in Jade Legacy is an absolute marvel. It’s definite that Lee understands her characters inside and outside.

“We’ve both hurt each other because we were both too stubborn about what we expected, and we paid badly for that. But what’s the point of life if we give up on the people we love?”

Hilo aside, there were more than ten characters in this trilogy that I would consider as my favorite characters as well. Whether it’s out of love, belief, or personal reasons, the conflicts and clash of ideals felt believable. And they all made mistakes; sometimes, my favorite characters—Hilo included—made decisions I don’t agree with, and that’s okay. I don’t have to agree with everything my favorite characters do to love them. The contrast in their virtues and flaws just made them more genuine and authentic as a character. If you can’t tell by now, the characters in The Green Bone Saga are real to me, and I feel like I’ve really known them and their personality. Understanding, forgiveness, loyalty, overcoming weaknesses are all integral in the development of these characters. The love, hatred, admiration the characters have for their loved or hated ones felt palpable; I wish I could elaborate and tell you what made each character—one by one—in this series so compelling. But it would make this review longer than it already is, and I risk the possibility of this review going beyond the allowed word count on Goodreads.

“We all make mistakes. Sometimes terrible mistakes we can barely live with. But we learn from them. And maybe… Maybe we can forgive each other.”

I can, however, tell you one essential element that Lee employed to heighten the tension and stakes of the series: the character’s actions—from the previous books and this book—have consequences. Actions and decisions in this series matter. This is something that Fonda Lee emphasized in the narrative, and she wields it like a clean blade to incite incredible effect. Repercussions from the events of Jade City and Jade War were monumental; the chain of events build-up were terrific, and pivotal—or relatively small—decisions often result in permanent consequences. One out of many examples, I never expected a few nobodies from the first book would become some of the most memorable supporting characters here. Not only Lee isn’t afraid to kill off or damage her characters brutally, but the powerful emotional investment I have with the characters of the trilogy also enhanced the dangers in the narrative even further. The characters in Jade Legacy suffered a LOT. And before we get to reach the peerless finale, we’re guaranteed to suffer together with them first.

“Perhaps that was the great tragedy of jade warriors and their families. Even when we win, we suffer.”

It’s easy to praise Lee’s vivid and savage battle scenes; she’s one of the best combat scenes writers in the genre. Since Jade City, the hard magic system revolved around jade rely on six abilities: Deflection, Perception, Lightness, Channeling, Strength, Steel. And these abilities never get old. It’s amazing what Lee can do with these six abilities by adding martial arts, guns, cars, airships, and explosives to it. Every tempestuous violence in Jade Legacy always felt refreshing, pulse-pounding, and cinematic. This is one of a few fantasy series that could work wonderfully adapted as manga, anime, video games, TV shows, or movies; take your pick. So yes, her prose when it comes to the art of descending violence was extraordinary as always. But I need to highlight one more thing that Lee excels at, the dialogues. The quality of Lee’s expertise in dialogues is incalculable.

“At times, when faced with difficult decisions, he would think back to the duel that had dramatically earned him his jade and reputation, and he would remind himself that sometimes the most obvious solution required only the willingness to take the most unreasonable of actions.”

Similar to the heart-pounding battle scenes, the conversations between characters frequently have stakes, murderous intent, or emotional weight imbued into them. Negotiations always felt perilous; instant oblivion waits for them at all times. Blood must be paid with blood, and one wrong word or sentence uttered could invite immediate ruin. This is Lee’s design for devastating conflicts: supercharged battle scenes and dialogues. I totally loved reading Lee’s prose; they all flow so smoothly to me. The pacing was unputdownable, the plotline and actions were breathtaking, the world-building was intricate, and the character’s arc was so immensely rewarding. I’ve shared a lot of quotes in this review, and I wish I could share more of these gems with you because I’ve actually highlighted 48 passages. But I can’t due to spoilers. You should read the book as soon as possible and find out for yourself. Do it!

“The mind cannot adjust quickly to a fundamental change in reality without breaking. If the moon vanished from the sky, people would not believe it; they would think it was a trick of light or clouds.”

I loved The Green Bone Saga so much that I reread both Jade City and Jade War first before I dive into Jade Legacy; as much as I want to, rereading isn’t something that I often do due to my infinite TBR pile. And it was so worth it; I know I’ll reread this divine trilogy over and over again. The ending stunned me completely; I sat and stared at an empty wall for hours. Fonda Lee’s exceptional achievement in creating Jade Legacy—and the entire trilogy—earn her a spot in the pantheon of fantasy greats with a commanding finality. I’ll give Jade Legacy 6 out of 5 stars if I could. I’ve read more than 500 fantasy books in my life, and Jade Legacy belongs in my top 10 books of all time. The words Lee crafted in The Green Bone Saga pierced through every armor in my heart with ease; my eyes turned glassy four times reading this superlative culmination. Jade Legacy is a supremely stunning and page-turning masterpiece, a novel that’s too good to be true but ended up being a reality. The Green Bone Saga has become my number one favorite completed trilogy of all time. No, you’re not reading that wrong; it’s at the number one spot. This urban epic fantasy has successfully dethroned my beloved Mistborn Trilogy by Brandon Sanderson and The Licanius Trilogy by James Islington.

Thank you so much, Fonda Lee. You have my utmost gratitude for writing this series. I’m a clan loyalist for life. The clan is my blood, and the Pillar is its master. Under the eyes of all the gods in Heaven, I pledge this. On my honor, my life, and my jade.

“And here we are. So many good things have happened since then, and also so many terrible things that it’s hard to be afraid of anything anymore. Whatever’s going to happen will happen, so the most important thing is that we appreciate what we have and the people we care about.”

Series review:

Jade City: 5/5 stars
Jade War: 5/5 stars
Jade Legacy: 5/5 stars

The Green Bone Saga: 15/15 stars

Official release date: 30th November 2021 (US) & 2nd December 2021 (UK)

You can pre-order the book from: Amazon UK | Amazon US | Blackwells (Free International shipping)

The quotes in this review were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.

You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions | I also have a Booktube channel

Special thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for giving me extra support towards my passion for reading and reviewing!

My Patrons: Alfred, Andrew, Annabeth, Ben, Blaise, Diana, Dylan, Edward, Element, Ellen, Gary, Hamad, Helen, Hunter, Jimmy Nutts, Jennifer, Joie, Luis, Lufi, Melinda, Meryl, Mike, Miracle, Neeraja, Nicholas, Oliver, ReignBro, Samuel, Sarah, Sarah, Shaad, Xero, Wendy, Wick, Zoe.

[mina reads™️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

first of all fonda lee, how dare you? 🤧
I cried three times

"the clan is my blood and the pillar is its master"

What Fonda Lee has achieved with this series is truly remarkable. I cannot overstate the sheer scope of this series and its world building, Fonda is nothing short of a genius for the careful pacing of this installment which spans over 20 years. With the Kauls, Lee has introduced me to a world and characters I will truly never be able to forget. The Kauls are complex, fallible badasses who grow and evolve in such interesting ways over the course of this trilogy.

Kaul Hiloshudon is without a doubt my favorite character perhaps of all time and his arc in this story was just so good. He's such a flawed guy, but I love him truly beyond words and his complexities just make him so memorable to me. He's rash and violent, he's intelligent and loving, he's harsh and uncompromising but also exudes such warmth; his character is a study in contrasts.
Anden continues his journey of self definition while finding his place within the clan and Shae deals with emotional highs and lows with the same careful competence that she has exhibited the entire series and her new relationship in this??? God tier. Of course the other characters were also amazing and as this story spans such a wide period of time we also get to meet Hilo's children as adults and Jaya, Niko, and Ru are so so great, they're all very different individuals and it's cool to see which family member they take after the most.

Over the course of this finale everyone gets to have their moment from Shae to Wen, Anden and Tar, the kids, Hilo, and Ayt Mada. These characters are just so expertly crafted and beautifully deployed in the narrative.

Another thing that I've never really touched on in any of my reviews of the series is the brilliant depiction of a nation (Kekon) trying to remain independent and beat back imperial powers seeking to take control of their land and resources while vilifying their traditions. I also love the exploration of non-magical people in a fantasy setting and how does this impact their position in a society that exalts its magic users. Just all around fantastic and interesting on so many levels.

I do want to say that this story is a very slow build as the Kauls enter a decades long "slow war" in the midst of their blood feud with Ayt Mada. A journey that is worth the wait but nonetheless it does take a while to truly get the ball rolling and at first I did find myself concerned about whether I'd love this installment or not. If you're someone who enjoyed the way that Fonda paid particular attention to law making, political policy, and business deals to push the story forward in Jade War you'll get plenty of that here as well. The action and fight scenes were top tier as always and the emotional moments hit so incredibly hard. I cried many many tears.

This series has truly been a treat, will be one of my favorite trilogies of all time for sure and I can't wait to see what Fonda does next.

thank you to Orbit for a review copy, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Regan · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

[Matt's Fantasy Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Check out my YouTube channel where I show my instant reactions upon finishing reading fantasy books.

An absolutely wonderful conclusion to a spellbinding series, that will go down as an easy "Top 10 Best Fantasy Series of All Time" for me.

It has been a long time since I have gone into a book with such high confidence that it would be an easy 5 star rating by the time I finished, and I was pleased that my confidence was not misplaced. Fonda Lee has created a masterpiece here, not just with what she has done here, but across each of these three incredible books. This series has rightfully gone down as a top tier series for an extremely high number of fantasy fans, with me happily included in that group.

Where the first book was the ramping up of a war, and the second book was the war itself, this book is the conclusion to that war and a moving on from the main characters in this series to the next generation. This book did a masterful technique of using time jumps within an individual book in a way that I have never experience before and it left me wondering why more authors don't utilize this amazing technique. This book covered nearly 3 decades of time, and it did so in a very smooth fashion that not only allowed this story to feel more real, but allowed us to explore the depth of more characters from the next generation.

I was not overly thrilled with the very end of this book and how this whole story wrapped up however. Don't get me wrong, I liked it, but I was not in love with it. But that ending does not change my overall thoughts of this book and series, because I think the character work, overall story, and writing quality of this book were as top notch as you are ever going to read from a fantasy series.

I am extremely grateful to Fonda Lee for allowing me to experience this wonderful reading adventure, and I can't wait to read all of her future books.

[Althea ☾ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will never get over this series. This review will never give justice to this book but I'll try anyway.

“It was Kaul Hilo's great talent. He could have a single ordinary conversation with a man and make him loyal for life.”

The Green Bone Saga is heavily political, brutal, intense, fight scenes that will give you a heart attack… but also heart-warming, emotional, detail-oriented and sincere down to it’s core. It’s as much about family as it is about everything else related to it. The most satisfyingly beautiful and painful conclusion I could have ever asked for. If you want something emotionally investing, I think it is an understatement to say that I highly recommend. My new favorite series of all-time.

This series quite literally has the best character dynamics I could ever want and Fonda Lee serves it all on a silver platter complete complexity and heart that was so addicting to read on every level. Every tragic point had meaning and purpose, and was never done for the sake of tragedy.

I never would have thought that FL could deepen this world more than she did in Jade War but she did. She really did. The expansion of the application of jade from traditional to modern opened up so many possibilities each book that by the time we got to Jade Legacy, I felt so tense whenever we started a new chapter. In fact, Fonda Lee makes the space of Janloon and Kekon feel just as vibrant and vivid as the likes of Stormlight Archives and Mistborn, if not more. From the details on the perspectives of Jade = Lucky and the importance of “losing face”… I feel like it is so rare to see Asian values applied into an Epic Fantasy on a scale as largely as The Green Bone Saga did. A genre filled with friendship tales and otherworldly settings, I have never read any kind of Epic Fantasy that so prominently displayed family as the center point through and through.

“You'd think it would be easier to face death as you get older, but it doesn't work that way. You get more attached to life, to people you love and things that are worth living for.”

Fonda Lee has carved has carved years off my soul but at the same time put me through 10 lifetimes. I will never have enough words to compress all of my thoughts and feelings without just narrating to you the whole 3-book story… but I will try my best anyway because Jade Legacy deserves all the words I can muster out of my body.

Honestly, the most heart-wrenching part of this book is how you watch the characters you love go through time. You would think that it would make you feel less attached to just be told what happens over the various time skips. But Fonda Lee manages to do the complete opposite by so efficiently packing information/details into the crevices of your mind, milestone per human milestone. Only for you to look back at what you read and realize how creatively she has wrapped you around each character’s story to make it feel like you’ve already read a whole novel about them alone. It is such an unconventional tool to use for an Fantasy novel but Fonda Lee more than pulled it off. The Kauls and the people around them go through a lot in the span of a chapter of Jade Legacy, that every person who has survived this book really does deserve a long hug for the rollercoaster that I know you’ve gone through.

“Even goals that seem out of reach can be accomplished with the help of the right friends.”

One of the best (if not the best) written character developments of a big cast that I have come across. Incredibly nuanced with no one falling into stereotypical heroes and villains, they all just felt like people. People that you have known for what it feels like decades with the care that Fonda Lee took in crafting all of them to fit a purpose in the story. Every change of perspective has it’s own unique voice and subtle change in writing style that make them feel so well-realized. No matter how briefly you get to see Kekon through their eyes. I have never been so invested in so many characters at once and never been so affected by even the most minor of characters. They all felt so alive in my head that I don’t quite know what I was doing before I met them. Filled with an uncountable number of upfrontly flawed characters… it only made The Green Bone Saga that much more emotionally captivating.


[ STOP READING IF YOU HAVEN’T READ THE BOOK ]


[ LAST CHANCE… STOP READING. CONTEXT SPOILERS AHEAD. ]

“We don’t handle this world. We make it handle us.”

Hilo has been a personal favorite since Jade City but his development was so gradual but also incredibly hard hitting to watch by the end of this novel that he’s turned into probably my new favorite character for the last decade. One of the most well-written and most nuanced characters that I have met on page. Petrik said it best and I couldn’t have done it any better. It is a feat to make readers understand questionable decisions that they have never have to make in a story and still love every inch of the characters that made them.

That isn't to say that the other characters in this series do not go through the same amount of development, they all do. It's just that the longer I think about this series, the more in awe I am of the things that Hilo had to deal with all at once as the Pillar.

“After all these years, is there anything you believe I won’t do if I have to?”

The parallels between Hilo and Mada could not have been any more glaringly obvious. Their difference, however, is not that Hilo is able to illicit both respect and love in the same breath, they both do. What made Hilo different from Mada was that in his long reign as a Pillar, he never forgot that he was leading human beings. How it translated to the respective people they are charged with showed so noticeably shown in the crowds that gathered in front of their homes. In the end, the message to me was how leadership is not a solitary job nor is it a solitary position that can be properly done without compassion and humanity. That having all the most strategic alliances in the room does not compare to having one good friend.

Lott’s character was the best representation of Hilo’s influence on a single person. A concrete example of how you win people over by simply caring. To write a relatively simple character that manages to reflect the developments of the other characters while still being his own person in a story with at least 10 different perspectives, is amazing. It was so refreshing every time he was on the page. I don’t know when I started thinking of Anden as Kaul Anden instead of Emery Anden, having only realized it myself when Ayt Mada referred to him as Kaul-jen in the end. That itself is another example of the leaps in character development Fonda Lee manages without forgetting the journey it took to get to each one of them.

“Jade had meaning because of the type of person one had to become to wear it.”

I say time and time again that what astounds me with the writing throughout the series is how FL shows the effects of the conflict from the Kauls to the Lantern men to the level of jade thieves. The highest tier to the lowest on this fantastical social ladder that is reminiscent of the most extreme values of various Asian Cultures with all the nuance and complexities that go with it. Despite being centered around the Kauls, it’s actually funny how none of the books ever ended or began with a perspective from a Kaul (even then, Anden isn’t technically a Kaul by blood). I think it’s the book’s little reminder about how even though we revolve around their story, it doesn’t start or end with them. With how the story is written post-Many Nations War and promises so many possibilities from Niko, it certainly felt that way too.

“Being green has greater significance than the abilities a person gains.”

The themes of this story covers many things from leadership, solitude, power, and fate. But in the end, I like to think it all boils down to family. The Green Bone Saga is very accurately pitched as a modern epic urban fantasy family saga. And even though it goes through the biggest rollercoaster of a politically epic but emotional plot I have ever encountered… it does so while keeping in mind the one solid beating core that connects every message that comes across and is the underlying reason so many of us feel so attached: Family. That family extends to the people who have trusted you to lead them.

“He was his father’s son; He would not back down from any fight or be used by anyone.”
…
“Ru was not a Green Bone or an heir to the clan’s leadership. He was not a threat or an obstacle to anyone. All he had been was Hilo’s son.”

I have truly never been so emotionally devastated and hungover over any book in my life.

Each book in this series is so unique on their own and has such a distinctive atmosphere that I like to jokingly describe as the 3 stages of grief: Jade City, Jade War, and Jade Legacy, respectively. This last installment most especially tackles the brutal stereotype of clans and gangs while showing their vulnerable sides. Which one of the most clever and heart-wrenching decisions Fonda Lee has ever made. My emotional hangover will never be appeased. You see the world evolving and the characters grow. You experience with them the pain of loss and time but also the simple, little joys of life and family. You see how pain changes people but it doesn’t make them irredeemable, just like what Lan believes.

“Only children and gods are arrogant enough to judge what they can’t understand.”

I wasn’t sure about what to feel about Niko at first but I was amused that the way people viewed him in the story, was exactly the way I did too. In that way, they reflect how a lot of us would act in the face of the conflict that arise. Which was one of the best tools that Fonda Lee employed and it made me see myself in the story, even just a nameless floating entity within the world. Change is always scary at first but the book clearly sends the message of how the story wouldn’t have been possible if Hilo wasn’t different from Lan and how they wouldn’t be able to adapt in the future if Niko wasn’t different from Hilo. Niko is not the best fighter or the smartest, especially compared to Hilo and Lan. But he would know to maneuver the era of the clans into an evolving and more technologically advanced world with all the calculation that you make when you've had to face the extremes of cruelty and power head on. I felt the pain break something deep within me when Shae described how Niko looked when that scene happened and it made me realize that at the end, he's still just a kid in the face of the people who raised him. Cruelty and power is everywhere, as this series never fails to make us forget, but the difference of humanity is in when and how you use it. That it is compassion and love from the people surrounding us that shapes us.

“It’s obvious you’re not a father, Or you wouldn’t feel so invincible.”

It is so unapologetically rooted in its east asian and southeast asian influences without ever feeling the need to water itself down. This series will forever have a special place in my heart because how artfully it was written both technically and emotionally. My tension and awe while reading this had me flipping pages through tears~ This series has debunked so many things I thought I knew about storytelling while expertly applying everything I didn’t know I wanted but needed in a book. I’m going to end this review for now because the only thing I want to do is reread the whole series. I respect Fonda Lee on a whole other level for the emotions she has made me feel that felt every bit rewarding and beautifully painful.

Fonda Lee is a master at propelling a story forward on different levels all at once. I will never get over how well-curated and realized all of these characters are in a vividly and artfully designed setting that feels so real in the mind of it's readers.

"She got me in the end. But she didn’t get us."

Some things to leave you with that I didn't get to say in this very long review:
1. A part of fate is what you choose for yourself
2. Sincerity and compassion go a long way
3. A difference in beliefs does not make you incompatible friends
4. Family is chosen, even those by blood
5. The worst punishment you can receive, worse than death, is being forgotten and deemed insignificant.
6. Even if you have to go to war the next day, you make time to have dinner with your family—

A part of my mind, spirit, and soul will forever be having brunch with the Kauls in the Twice Lucky~

“Good men are remembered with love by their friends.
Great warriors are remembered with awe by their enemies.”

— 5.0 —
⇢ content warnings// Graphic Violence, Death, Torture, Murder, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Suicide, Adult/minor relationship, Miscarraige

“The No Peak clan is powerful,
but it can't change the attitudes and laws of an entire
country of people who don't understand us.”

⤜ pre-read review ⤛

happy release day to pain

[Shealea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Update: Grieving. No one talk to me. No one touch me.

-

Update (Aug 18, 2021):

ARC of Jade Legacy secured. I am feeling really powerful right now.

[Melanie (MelReads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

that shit hurted

full spoiler liveshow discussion: https://youtu.be/XhOwJJyvqps

[Hilly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel like I’ve witnessed a 100 years of history and I’ve aged three times that amount. This was intense.

My brain cells still haven't settled down. I don't know how it is possible for a human to write something this big, complex, risky and at the same time make it such an awe-inspiring conclusion.
I have an inferiority complex now. This series is just on a whole other level. Every little detail counts. Every single character counts (how?? there's literally HUNDREDS of them). The way everything connects and intertwines made me feel like I was listening to a history lesson. In my brain there's no way Kekon isn't real.

This was a very slow burn. I am deceased, most of all because this book took me two months to complete, holy shit. Let's just say I inhaled every word of this masterpiece, though I also got to the point where I thought I would never make it. However, there was so much tension I was never not on the edge of my seat. I like the action scenes but my favorite is always the dialogue. I don’t know how that works but I was so engaged in every relationship, even between secondary characters, and I thrived whenever they interacted. I’m pretty sure my heartbeat rate was insane during some pivotal scenes and during intense dialogue. Yes, I’m putting them on the same level. They’re that good.

Although this book has definitely slow pacing, it doesn’t mean there aren’t any fast moments where everything happens at the same time and you have no idea where to look first as well. More than once I found myself shriveling up inside when suddenly something major went down and I couldn’t stop reading because everything went at breakneck speed and I NEEDED TO KNOW. But of course it’s not that easy. Yep, you need to suffer before things are revealed to you. Let’s just say my anxiety skyrocketed.

You know what? I even liked Bero’s arc. It’s just—I love all these characters so freaking much. Anden’s growth gave me goosebumps. And he didn’t even get enough page time (I’m mad nothing happened with Lott either. I swear, you had one job). Also, I have a new favorite character and I should have seen it coming. Niko-jen, you have my heart. The thing is, he combines everything I loved about Lan and young Anden. I would read another trilogy only about him and the next generation. How fierce is Jaya? How cute is Ru? I wish I could roll them up in a blanket and never let them go (if you know you know 😭).

I’ve always had a weird relationship with Hilo, and I did feel like this third book made me both like and dislike him again. On the other hand, I know that’s exactly what the author wanted to accomplish. He is the human personification of old traditional Kekonese and Green Bone ways, so he shows the positive and negative aspects of that culture. Honestly, even if I often don’t agree with him, I’m amazed by the way his character is built. His growth is less noticeable but you cannot miss it in the last 100 pages.

The women in this trilogy are just as amazing. I’m afraid I’ve always put them a little in the background while reading this series because of how great Lan, Anden and Niko are to my eyes, but if there’s something I love is their quiet power. Fonda Lee didn’t make things easier for them, but I liked that Wen’s struggles were so realistic and it was heartwarming seeing her confidence gradually grow back throughout the years. At the same time I was impressed more than once by Shae’s strength, coming through even in the darkest of times. I usually don’t like when there’s cheating involved, but I adored her new romance. Plus, I loved that she continued to mirror Ayt Mada as her counterpart. I think that’s pure genius.

I have to say I still prefer Jade War over this third and final installment. That’s one of the reasons why I’m giving this 4 stars. The second one is the fact that I wish it was two books instead of one. At first the time skips were okay (tbh I was impressed by how well they worked), but after the first half the years started to add up and it became a little too much. There’s one big time skip in particular that I didn’t enjoy because from that point on I had to work twice as much as a reader to get to know the characters again. Some of those characters grew off-page and I felt like I had lost touch with them for no reason at all. Another thing I didn’t really like was the fact that in almost every chapter after a time skip there always was some infodump. I still think it was handled amazingly, because it never dragged on and it wasn’t annoying in the least, but in the end it made my reading experience kind of disjointed. Splitting this book into two could have worked better for me personally.

I have only praises for that ending. I thought it was bittersweet and fair, but the thing I liked the most was how it stayed true to every single one of the characters and their beliefs. It was a satisfying conclusion to a wonderful series.

I received an arc from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

******



EXCUSE ME, WHAT—

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

↠ 5 Stars

All the powers in the world are vying for jade, the coveted and powerful substance known strictly to the Green Bone warriors on the island of Kekon. For hundreds of years, jade has been the source of power for the supernatural abilities possessed by the Green Bone warriors. Now, foreign governments and outsiders have their sights fixed on possessing it. Faced with threats old and new, The Kaul family struggles more than ever to contain this age-old power within Kekon’s borders. Factions within the city are just the tip of the iceberg, and as new adversaries emerge amid the rise of a new generation of Kauls, the family will have to decide what lengths they will go to preserve their empire and its complicated legacy.

Jade Legacy is a conclusion that tore my heart to shreds whilst building up a hope inside me for something greater. Spanning a little over twenty years in the lives of the Kaul family and the clan, old wounds work their way inward, and new enemies stake their claim on Kekon and the powerful substance jade. After the events that concluded the previous book, there was an air of distress present that did not dissipate going into the conclusion of the series. I had been warned to keep my hopes low and my heart close to my chest, but absolutely nothing could have prepared me for the events that followed. Fonda Lee has brilliantly built up the evolution of these characters, ones that are flawed, yet driven by loyalty and the bond to one another. My favorite characters continued to be Wen and Shae, whom I was delighted to see take on new roles than the past two books offered. Wen, in particular, held my attention in her journey as a Stone Eye towards a rise to something I never expected for her. There were so many little moments for each family member interspersed throughout the clan politics and war that made this installment as much of a beginning as it was an ending. One thing that radiates here as with the others is the history of Kekon and the continued fight against outsider control. The central war on jade only intensified under this unceasing need for the clan to maintain control of their own culture from foreigners. With the new generation of Kauls growing up under these conditions, the stakes in the family were that much higher than before. In turn with this, I loved the exploration of legacy and what it means to uphold one and pass it down through the generations. Seeing the Kaul family raise their children alongside the ongoing predicaments was truly touching and I fell in love with the new generation just as easily as the others. The Green Bone Saga is exactly the kind of series I could talk about for ages and never feel like I did it any justice. Jade Legacy is a masterful finale that is equally emotional as it is compelling.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this arc in exchange for an honest review

Trigger Warnings: blood, gore, violence, death, torture, murder

[CW ✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read my full review on my book blog, The Quiet Pond.

Three years ago, I said Jade City was my favourite book, ever.

And then I read Jade War and I was proven wrong. No, Jade War was now my favourite book, ever.

And now that I've read Jade Legacy, I've found myself in the peculiar position of being proven wrong yet again - because now Jade Legacy is, without a shadow of a doubt, my new favourite book, EVER.

This is a story about life, love, death, and, as the title aptly suggests, legacy. It elevates everything we have loved about the story thus far, but also returns to what we love the most: its characters.

Jade Legacy is the best series conclusion I've read in my life. I cried, my heart sunk in fear (genuinely, like 5 times), I grieved, I was so surprised at times that I had to lie down on the floor to process new story developments - but I also had one hell of an amazing time reading this. Even though I'm sad that this series that I love so much is now over, I'm satisfied and I feel that this is the ending that Green Bone Saga fans deserve.

Thank you Fonda Lee, for giving Green Bones Saga fans such an incredible story. I cannot wait to see what you write next.

[Hamad · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Review ✍️ Blog 📖 Twitter 🐦 Instagram 📷 Support me ☕

“The way to defeat a chess master was not with greater genius, but by forcing her to play a different game.”

Jade City ★★★★
Jade War ★★★★ 1/2
Jade Legacy ★★★★ 1/2

LEVEL UP: Book #800



Jade Legacy wraps up The Green Bone Saga trilogy and it does it in a very beautiful way! This is Lee’s best work up to this point and it has been years in the making! The book currently has slightly more than 3000 ratings on GR with an average rating of 4.74 stars! Almost 80% of the readers gave it 5 stars which is just crazy!

The prose is slick, poignant and hauntingly effective in stirring all kind of emotions. The book is a thick one because the story takes place over a long period of time with many time jumps. The time jumps can take some time to get used to but they do have a purpose and I think it is the appropriate way to tell the series unless it was planned to be a 10 books series. For me the story was kind of episodic in nature, it did not have the usual flow of a book with an introduction and building up tension toward a major event then an ending. It did have that but in multiple parts which kind of made me think of it as a TV series and I think it can be easily turned into one.

I am not a big fan of stories about crimes and I was never able to watch The Godfather which this story is kind of inspired from. However, there is something very interesting about this story and I did care immensely about the clan and the characters. In fact, I think the characters are what makes this series shine and succeed! There are multiple story arcs told through this book and they all are gripping. Hilo has one of the best character growth of all the books I read. Anden is one of my favorite characters and even Ayt Mada who is kind of the villain here is super interesting and you can’t help but root for her sometimes!!!

“The clan is my blood,” she whispered, her voice thick with emotion, but perfectly steady. “And the Pillar is its master.”

Although the plot is intriguing as mentioned before, there were some parts that were less interesting than the others. I was expecting a very epic fight like the one in book two which I can still clearly remember after 2 years of reading it! To be honest, there is action and there is a lot of it but I was just waiting for something grand and it did not come. I also have some mixed feelings about the ending which I can’t say much about because this is a spoiler free review. It does make sense in a way but I think this book did a lot of unexpected things that took me by surprise and I respect that!

Summary: I feel like I can say way more about this book but I don’t think I can do it justice. In short, this was not your typical fantasy read, Lee did some unusual things and they do pay off! The writing is great, the characters and their growth are some of the best in the genre! The world building and story are very intriguing. There were a few things that I did not like which knocks half a star for me but I think if you haven’t read this one yet, what are you waiting for?

“How do we do it?” Hilo sighed deeply. “You of all people already know the answer to that, Shae. We don’t handle this world. We make it handle us.”

[James Tivendale · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advanced review copy of Jade Legacy in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Fonda Lee and Orbit Books.

I have spent the last month residing in Lee's spectacularly detailed and wonderfully crafted fantasy world. I'm certain that re-reading Jade City and Jade War prior to starting the mammoth-sized yet never dull Jade Legacy heightened my enjoyment of this entry greatly. In Jade Legacy, Lee has perfectly honed her fantasy and gangster thriller experience with more drama, bloodshed, showdowns, political intrigue, and higher costs. By the end of this novel, we've been following some of these characters for almost thirty years, twenty or so of which happen throughout The Green Bone Saga's final entry.

The world-building and the magic system (Jade powers) are some of modern fantasy's finest but it's Lee's characters, their dialogues and interactions, and the sublime character development that makes this series such an addictive and memorable read. Favourites include the obvious such as Hilo and Shae but I empathised with Anden's journey the most. He's of a similar age to me and has gone through disappointment and alienation, to what comes next and finding his own way, place and identity in the world. Although only young children at the end of Jade War, Niko and Ru headline the next generation of characters and have excellent standout moments as they age and mature. Even Bero, who's always been my least favourite of the point of view perspectives, I found that I had time for and sympathy towards as he rode the highs and lows of luck, presenting the gutter-eye view of events.

Lee has excelled throughout Jade Legacy, solidifying herself as an excellent writer and masterful storyteller. I cried during my lunch break because of a character's death and had the metaphorical rug pulled out from under my feet at another occasion with a shocking twist of fate that brought to mind The Mountain vs. The Red Viper for the absolute unpredictability of the turn of events. The author takes us through a rollercoaster of emotions. I should have expected this though when a skilled wordsmith presents us almost thirty years of these characters' lives, creating close affinity, even with players who used to be detested and villainous. There are a lot of changes to the people around the key family, which is akin to reality as it progresses. Work friends change, relationships change or develop, political views and business aspirations may change, there are struggles and sorrows, yet family remains. I believe that is a major theme at the core of this series: love and loyalty, especially to family.

As previously mentioned, I re-read the previous two novels before Jade Legacy as I wanted all the intricacies and details at the forefront of my mind to really appreciate what is presented here. Jade Legacy has as much action and drama as the previous two books combined. I will admit though that at around the 50%-70% mark, I did question where Lee was going with a couple of seemingly peculiar side storylines. The same thing happened as what always seems to when I doubt an author of this class, they all wrapped up in fine fashion and had definite crucial purposes. It took me about a week to finish the final five brilliant chapters as I really didn't want the Saga to end and was savouring it in my own way. I'll repeat again that Lee is a fantastic writer and The Green Bone Saga has cemented itself in the top five series that I will recommend when people ask me for the best that I think the fantasy scene has to offer.

[Tammie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Initial thoughts: If I could give this 10 stars, I would. This is, without a doubt, one of the best books I have ever read, and the perfect conclusion to one of the best fantasy series of all time. This book was everything I ever wanted, and yet not at all what I expected. I am in awe of Fonda Lee. Full review to come once I've had a chance to process everything (and maybe reread), but if you haven't started this series yet, you're truly missing out.

Actual review: Now that I've had a couple months to think about this book, I feel very comfortable saying that this is without a doubt, one of the best fantasy series of all time. I can't go into too much detail since this is the final book in this trilogy, but what I can say is this - Fonda Lee's writing is truly unmatched. People talk all the time about whether they prefer books that are more plot-focused or character-focused, but with the Green Bone Saga, you do not have to choose. The plot is incredibly well-paced and intricate, and the character work is phenomenal. It's a series that hooks you with both an intriguing plotline and characters that are so flawed and nuanced, but that you can't help but love.

I've said it before and I'll say it again - Fonda Lee's worldbuilding is flawless. The way that she manages to weave in all the details and politics of this world without ever making it feel info-dumpy but somehow manages to do it in a way that makes Kekon (and the world at large) feel so real and tangible is truly phenomenal. This final installment is the perfect blend of action and politics, but as a huge political fantasy fan, I would say that the politics really shined in this book. All the base work in laying down a strong political backdrop for Kekon in both Jade City and Jade War really paid off here, and I think the political intrigue in this book was even better than the first two books.

I also said this about Jade War, and Jade Legacy only expands on this, but this series holds a special place in my heart because of the way that it explores the disapora identity. It's so incredibly realistic and hits so close to home for me, and is probably one of the series that I feel most seen in. In Jade Legacy, I loved that we got to see how the diaspora changed over generations - I know time skips aren't everyone's cup of tea, but I really felt like they were necessary to this story and added so much depth to the ongoing themes that Fonda Lee has been building since book 1.

I had a lot of predictions and expectations going into this book, and while I was right about some of my predictions, nothing ever really played out exactly how I thought they were going to. Fonda kept me on my toes the entire time, and this was an emotional rollercoaster from start to finish. If I'm going to be honest, I don't think the ending was the ending that I had thought I wanted (and trust me, I had strong opinions on how I wanted certain characters/storylines to play out), but this was exactly the ending that this series needed. It was dramatic and emotional, but also incredibly cathartic and satisfying. I haven't stopped thinking about this book since I finished it 2 months ago, and I cannot wait to reread it soon.

[Library of a Viking · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book of the year?

Writing this review almost killed me. How do you write a review for a near-perfect book? Please, everyone, pick up this book! While I loved Jade City and Jade War and gave both of them 5/5 stars, Jade Legacy is in a category of its own. Can you give a book an S-rating? So what made this book so good?

Jade Legacy truly lives up to its title. This book is not a story about one character or plotline, Jade Legacy tells the story of a generation of Green Bone warriors and spans over two decades. The story is split into multiple smaller plotlines, which all have a satisfying beginning, build-up and conclusion. The Clan warfare between No Peak and the Mountain is not a simple story about good versus evil; it is a story with hundreds of layers, which makes the story feel so intense! Fonda Lee is a master of creating tension. Almost every single chapter had my heart racing!

We also need to add Fonda Lee to the list of ‘best at writing characters’ list. The character work is truly astounding. Lee’s ability to flesh out the main characters and the minor characters is truly remarkable. All the characters are complex and have a distinct voice. I am going to miss hanging out with The Green Bone cast. Finishing this series left me with feelings of joy, melancholy and appreciation. The book hangover is very REAL!

There is so much more to say, but I don’t feel like a comprehensive review will be that beneficial. I want everyone to experience this book themselves! The Green Bone Saga is a thrilling, tragic, epic and ambitious story that everyone needs to read! The Green Bone Saga is one of the best series I have read, and Jade Legacy is one of the best conclusion’s I have read.

I have read over 70 books this year, and Jade Legacy is my favourite!

Thank you, Fonda Lee, for writing this series!

5 / 5 stars

[lisa (lh44's version) · Rating 5 out of 5]

good lord... so much power, so much love, so many tragedies.

edit 08/19/2022: it has been nearly two months since i have finished this book, and i can't stop thinking about it. maybe it's time for me to write a review...

edit 03/09/2022: i need someone to bully me into writing this review ASAP

[Alex Nieves · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic finale to one of the best fantasy trilogies I've read in a while. This series is engaging, emotional and kept me at the edge of my seat the entire way through. So many great character arcs and satisfying conclusions. I'm really glad I finally picked this series up.

[John Mauro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Check out my recent interview with Fonda Lee at Grimdark Magazine.

Jade Legacy is the epic conclusion of Fonda Lee's Green Bone Saga. The entire trilogy flows so seamlessly that it's hard for me to remember where one book finishes and the next one starts.

The Green Bone Saga is one of the best trilogies I've ever had the pleasure of reading, and Jade Legacy gives it the perfect ending. With Jade Legacy, Fonda Lee expands the scope of the story in time and space, covering the full global impact of the clan wars and the passage of the No Peak and Mountain clans to the next generation.

Despite the expansive nature of the story, Fonda Lee brilliantly ties everything together at the end of the series. The end of Jade Legacy left me with a wellspring of emotions and my deepest admiration for what Fonda Lee has accomplished with this series.

[gauri · Rating 5 out of 5]

check out the full review on my blog!

“The clan is my blood,” she whispered, her voice thick with emotion, but perfectly steady. “And the Pillar is its master.”

(spoiler free)

Initially, in 2018 I stopped reading Jade City halfway for reasons I don’t remember (what was I thinking?!?!?). But in October 2021, I fortunately picked it up again and guess what? I read the entire trilogy. In. The. Same. Month. (10/10 do not recommend that) And The Green Bone Saga rose up to be one of my favourite series ever, with me rating all three books 5 stars. I loved the vibrancy of Jade City, the intensity of Jade War and the perfect conclusion that is Jade Legacy.

Jade Legacy picks up a few months after the ending of Jade War, which left me distressed. So obviously, the beginning of Jade Legacy caused me the same amount of distress. It spans over 20 years, focusing on the aftermath of the events, furthering the clan politics and settling on the new generation of Green Bones. The time jumps are handled so well, Fonda Lee excelled at making the story move forward smoothly despite them, subjecting me to all the emotional rollercoasters and edge of the seat moments. I know they aren’t liked by all, but I felt they were necessary for this conclusion, for the tragedy and emotions but also for the hope and the continued legacy. It’s what makes this book epic.

If you’ve read the first two books, you’ll know the build up towards a powerful climax is always slow. There’s this aura of intensity and tension throughout as each part concluded which wrung me out until finally reaching the ending I dreaded. After each interlude I asked “What more could happen next?” and the answers left me emotionally distraught. What Jade Legacy showed me is that every action, every decision of each character, right from Jade City, had lasting effects. And in the end, it all falls into a full circle.

Lee’s worldbuilding for The Green Bone Saga awed me from the beginning. There’s jade of course, the magical substance that gives Green Bones the power to amplify their abilities, namely: Deflection, Perception, Lightness, Channeling, Strength and Steel. But there’s also gangs and gang wars, international politics, a sense of history and culture, action and schemes and most importantly, the theme of family. The clan clashes in Jade City and the invasion of foreign forces in jade mining in Jade War formed the foundation for and merged effortlessly in Jade Legacy.

I love the history of Kekon imbibed in this that drives the events and how it tries to stay true to its cultural beliefs. With foreign forces now vying for the jade produced in this country, it’s so interesting to see the Green Bones stay united against their ploy and preserve their traditions, especially with Lee drawing the picture of Asian disapora. Expansion into foreign lands also means we see a great deal of proxy wars and political, economical and international depth in Jade Legacy without it being pointless at any time. I love seeing the characters establish their jade wielding powers and the responsibility that comes with it, not only with existing Green Bones but also to the ones without magic and in foreign lands—expansion into cultural films and medicine were excellent plot points used by Lee.

There’s no doubt that The Green Bone Saga is an incredibly character driven trilogy. It’s all about the characters’ decisions, thinking process and personal opinions that could further the agenda of their clan that move the story. They not only think about themselves, but also of their loved ones as well as the entire clan and country. In this conclusion we see existing characters adapt to changes and the new characters learning to carry the legacy of their previous generation.

I have to say, my favourite characters are Wen and Shae. Ever since her first POV chapter in Jade City I’ve been waiting to see her in action and weave her way into the Green Bone ways despite being a stone eye and my god, she’s a wonderfully strong character. Even though she’s behind the scenes while supporting Hilo, her husband, she truly proves herself to be driving force of the clan. I’m so glad to have read her character arc, she’s been through an awful lot so seeing her stand back up is so satisfying. I’ve loved Shae’s business intellect from the first time she assumed her role of Weather Man and she only grows more into it in Jade Legacy considering all the stakes and powers at play. She’s truly a mastermind at it, along with being very faithful to her clan and her family.

There’s something about the way Lee writers her women to be such compelling characters and the true driving forces. Ayt Madashi, leader of the No Peak clan’s rival, the Mountain clan only shows herself to be more persevering in clan matters. I’d LOVE to read from her perspective and how she establishes herself in a male dominated society while constantly being ruthless and ambitious in leading the Mountain clan to strongly rival No Peak.

Hilo’s character development really stands out. He’s made terrible mistakes and messed up with his family. But it’s great to see him adapt to the role as the Pillar and strengthen the green in him. By the end of Jade Legacy, he’s tried to peak at being a father, husband, uncle, brother and essentially a leader. Anden, another one of my absolute favourites, he’s come so far since Jade City, I’m actually emotional thinking about his development. He proves it to everyone that walking away from clan life and violence was the best decision for him and that he’s true to his Green Bone origins as well as the clan who took him despite it all. He shines through his moments.

Staying true to its title, Jade Legacy also introduces us to the next gen Kauls—Niko, Ru and Jaya—along with Ayt’s successors too. The family dynamics among the Kauls only deepened with his addition. I adore these Kaul siblings so much. It’s astonishing how their values fall into step with their elders so much and it just highlights the growth of the characters from Jade City till here. We Kaul family nurture their children into being the future leaders, what it means to carry the Green Bone legacy. We see them celebrate and win but also see them at their lowest and through the grief.

All that being said, Jade Legacy ripped my heart out and played with my emotions at almost every point in the book. Like experiencing a spectrum of emotions. Readers have said reading Jade Legacy feels like you’ve aged 20 years yourself. There’s no question in that. Reading The Green Bone Saga is growing with the same characters, recoginising their personalities and then being left with the people who lead the future.

I could praise this series a lot more but I’ll stop here! Fonda Lee, you’re the pillar of my clan. This epic series that now comes to an end with Jade Legacy, is an action packed and emotionally gutting end of a journey. I cannot recommend this series enough and I’m amazed at how the trilogy packs it up. It’s a mix of emotions, political machinations, deep rooted family dynamics, impactful action and brilliant characterisation and worldbuilding. One that will stick with me forever.

Perhaps that was the great tragedy of jade warriors and their families. Even when we win, we lose.

thank you to orbit books and netgalley for the arc!

[Charlotte Kersten]

“But our generation - we still have our debts to pay.”

So What’s It About?

Jade, the mysterious and magical substance once exclusive to the Green Bone warriors of Kekon, is now known and coveted throughout the world. Everyone wants access to the supernatural abilities it provides, from traditional forces such as governments, mercenaries, and criminal kingpins, to modern players, including doctors, athletes, and movie studios. As the struggle over the control of jade grows ever larger and more deadly, the Kaul family, and the ancient ways of the Kekonese Green Bones, will never be the same.

The Kauls have been battered by war and tragedy. They are plagued by resentments and old wounds as their adversaries are on the ascent and their country is riven by dangerous factions and foreign interference that could destroy the Green Bone way of life altogether. As a new generation arises, the clan’s growing empire is in danger of coming apart.

The clan must discern allies from enemies, set aside aside bloody rivalries, and make terrible sacrifices… but even the unbreakable bonds of blood and loyalty may not be enough to ensure the survival of the Green Bone clans and the nation they are sworn to protect.

What I Thought

This is a truly epic conclusion to a truly epic series. I can’t believe how much has happened to these characters since Jade City, and I’m impressed by how Fonda Lee managed to craft an ending that felt so truly right for everyone involved.

That being said, this series has always been vast in scope, but I do feel that it felt like it was stretched a little too thin this time - it felt a little unwieldy in a way that the previous books didn’t. I think part of it is that some characters have very limited perspectives and development, and characters that we know well have major instances of development glossed over. For example, there is a time jump soon after Ru’s death and Wen’s ordeal of torture so we never really get to see how they grapple with these things. I think the idea is that time marches on in spite of our traumas, but in some ways the effect is that these major developments feel like they don’t have that much impact.

I think another part of the unwieldiness has to do with the pacing. There’s kind of a predictable pattern in this book: there are little vignettes of No Peak plotting and expanding their interests for a while, and then something dramatic and violent happens, and then the pattern repeats again. This is less of a problem in the second half - by then, I was really hooked because I knew that the clan war’s deadlock was finally going to reach a head and, finally, a conclusion.

As with every book in this series, the attention to realism and detail in the world-building is such a strong point. This time,I really enjoyed seeing how the clan incorporated new technology into their operations, and I was delighted by the inclusion of a Green Bone action movie called 2 Black 2 Green. Similarly, Lee’s grasp on political and economic machinations is so impressive; Ayt Mada’s schemes fit together as brilliant puzzle pieces, and it was so satisfying to see No Peak finally gain the upper hand with callbacks to things that they had done in the previous books. The ending was pretty much pitch perfect to me. I definitely cried at Hilo’s death , and the sense of hope for the new No Peak generation felt like just the right note to end things on. I can’t wait to see what Fonda Lee does next!

[Jess Owens · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m way more than hurt than you are. Here are my thoughts:

https://youtu.be/GU_dbK7BWfk

[Brenda Waworga · Rating 5 out of 5]

”Good men are remembered with love by their friends. Great warriors are remembered with awe by their enemies”

WHAT AN EPIC CONCLUSION, heart breaking yet satisfying and realistic ending, The Green Bone Saga with this became one of my favorite trilogy of all time! After Jade City and Jade War i thought there is no way the story will be better but heck Fonda Lee proofs once again she is the master of story telling… amazing plot, amazing craracterization… all around everything i want when i read a book!

I never thought i will care THIS MUCH to a bunch of morally grey characters but The Kauls are amazing, they way they act and think really make me feel reletabable and understand how hard the struggle and how high the stakes they need to overcome, i also love the family vibe story through the series and how intense the story ever since page one!! NEVER A SINGLE BORING MOMENT even tho the book is 700+ pages long

Jade Legacy is a bit different in terms of timeline than the previous books, here the story span to 30 years, ussually this type of story will turn me off but here everything is just so well written and flowing so effortlessly

I know this review is basically just me gushing about the book but i can’t say much without really spoiling anything, READ READ READ THE GREEN BONE SAGA if you havent!! Thank you so much Fonda Lee for writing this amazing story… my heart forever stays in Janloon

”The Clan is my blood, and the Pillar is it’s master”

[elhyza · Rating 5 out of 5]

i am nothing but an empty shell of a human wondering when will i ever recover from this pain?

lee is truly a master of her own setting the bar for the fantasy craft, and she excels incredibly as experiencing her work as reader going through this trilogy and finding myself in awe every time. i retract my jade war review statement of being emotionally drained from that sequel when jade legacy depleted me extremely more on multiple levels. following the journey of all these characters took up a huge place in my heart and now there is a void of pain especially with having to say farewell to the story of the clans in this wonderful world fonda created. i can't form all my thoughts articulately at the moment on this book completely as it is nearly 2:30 am and i just finished in a post series daze trying to process it all. expect of course more high stakes politics and much emotional whiplash as fonda lee knows how to hit at the right moments with this years spanning poignant yet compelling story of the kaul family of no peak. there was no way to mentally prepare for this finale at all, but that it was genuinely the best piece of literature i've ever read being a tremendous satisfyingly done conclusion.
fonda lee, prepare for the amount of therapy bills i'm sending your way.

— Thank you to Orbit Books for providing an e-arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Eon ♒Windrunner♒ · Rating 5 out of 5]

So I just finished this and I am STUNNED. It's a phenomenal finish to the series and one of the best conclusions I have ever read! Now excuse me as I continue to stare off into space...

[Alienor ✘ French Frowner ✘ · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I love you enough to see that you have the right to hate me."

Brilliant. What Fonda Lee achieved with Jade Legacy is truly impressive, and I don't think I've ever read another book quite like it. The time span of it is enormous - 20 years! - yet the flow of the story never suffered under its weight, but quite on the contrary. I'm amazed that despite the time jumps, the story never lost momentum. Fonda Lee followed an ambitious path, and she delivered.

These past few months have been so rich in books yet I haven't posted anything on my blog—it feels right that this short review of Jade Legacy would mark my come-back to writing reviews, don't you think? When a story scarred us as much as we love it, we readers need an outlet to overcome the heartbreak, the sheer amount of love and awe we feel, and today I'm just trying to cope with the heartache of having to say goodbye to this series and its characters.

This book won't be for everyone, that's certain. Fonda Lee never lets us forget that the world she created is harsh and often unforgiving. Even though we love her characters, they're going to make decisions and act in a way we won't be able to condone or forgive. But as Anden said— sometimes it's not about forgiving, it's about understanding. 

From the moment I started, I couldn't stop reading—Jade Legacy is 736 pages long, yet despite its size I wouldn't be able to point to any useless page. Any useless sentence. It's wonderful through and through, and I already know I'll reread this trilogy sooner rather than later. When it comes to final books, we can never avoid the fear of being disappointed—will the author wrap their story in a way that satisfy us? Will we keep the story close to our heart until the very end? Will we feel? Yes, yes and oh my god, yes. I won't lie, Jade Legacy hurt me. Several times. But I'm so grateful I got to read it. Green Bone fans, fear not—it's everything you've dreamed it would be, trust me on this.

Kaul Hiloshudon, though. I feel like I've gone through every feeling imaginable when it comes to him. I've never made a secret that he was my favorite character, even though he's deeply flawed. Yet there was a moment in the beginning of this book when I felt hate so intense towards him—I couldn't breathe. It surprised me, and shocked me. It's a testament to Fonda Lee's skill that I can now confirm that he's still my favorite character. It does not mean that I condone his actions, of course. But his character arc, his growth are wondrous things, and handled with such care and talent. The Green Bone Saga—and this last installment even more—is about family, and so many characters make their important contribution but Kaul Hiloshudon? He's the heart of the trilogy. I'm so, so proud of him.

The Clan is our blood, and the Pillar is its master. Farewell, my beloved. I'll never forget you.

PS. That flashback with 22 years old Hilo?? IT GAVE ME LIFE.

For more bookish content, please visit:

[Monte Price · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm happy I have the excuse of this not being out for many many months to keep from trying to organize my thoughts. I still think this is going to be a pretty divisive conclusion, and some of the execution felt like a choice™ in the moment... but the way ms fonda really played the long game and made it all work in this installment? a fucking masterclass. i hope the preorders are in, the library purchase requests have been made bc damn... this was the moment. a legend. an icon.

[tasnim♥️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

first thank you so much to Orbit Books for an early copy! I am unwell, shitting, throwing up, choking myself with my hijab but I still want to kiss you for putting me on this series!!!!

I wish I could put into words what this series means to me. I read jade legacy over 3 weeks ago, and immediately re-read the first two, because I cannot accept a reality where this is the end of the green-bone saga.

That's. not me saying Ms. Fonda didn't deliver, because she delivered and THEN SOME! This book follows the Kaul Family over twenty years, TWENTY YEARS AND I WASN'T BORED ONCE!. There are multi-generational POV's, plot twists, hostile takeovers, and the perfect amount of romance considering the climate they are in.

Also, I cried at all the parallels to the earlier books, how she tied up the endings for ALL the characters, ughhhh this book series is perfection, and I cannot wait for whatever Jane Fonda writes next.


THE CLAN IS MY BLOOD, AND THE PILAR IS MY MASTER😭😭😭 THE BOOK RELEASED TODAY GO GET HER!!!!

i am now tasnim-jen going forward 💔

[Natalie Monroe · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Kaul Hiloshudon studied the six businessmen dining with him and hoped he would not have to kill any of them."

A few hours after I finished Jade Legacy, I went back to reread the last few chapters. To capture that feeling again, to convince myself that the series is really over. Like Anden wisely said, we cannot adjust to a huge break in our reality so easily. If the moon disappeared, we would think it was a trick of the light or was hidden behind a cloud.

Jade Legacy spans twenty years, yet never once does it feel slow-paced. Plans, government policies, and construction projects all take time to develop and Lee cleverly lets months or years pass by between chapters. However, the time-skips are never done in a cheap way, like to grant a character a powerful new skill, but rather to let the intricate plot slowly unspool into fruition. The level of organization and attentiveness to create a storyline this layered and cohesive is frankly amazing. Events are as tightly slotted as dominos and fall into place just as neatly.

I realize I am being unbearably vague, but Jade War ended with too many cliffhangers for me to say anything even about the first few chapters. What little spoiler-freeish consolation I can offer to the curious reader is that, we do see Hilo and Wen's children (Niko, Ru, Jaya) and get perspective chapters from them as well. Personally that was the thing I was most excited about at the end of Jade War (including finding out what happens to Wen, of course).

I am so angry at Hilo for cheating on Wen. He didn't do it for sexual satisfaction; he did it to hurt her. Yet... I am also so sad that he died. He is such a complex character and even though I hate him for hurting Wen, I cannot hate him.

Same goes for Shae and Woon's wife, Kiya. I hope Kiya found someone nice after the divorce. She deserves it.

I really, really hope Lee writes a sequel. I'm not ready to say goodbye to these characters—or this world—yet.



My review of Jade City
My review of Jade War

[Deborah Obida · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best conclusion to a series. Jade Legacy is the third and last book in The Green Bone Saga, this book is one of the greatest conclusions to book series that I’ve ever read. The events in this book span over ten years, so there were a lot of time jumps. Fear not, it wasn’t rushed and the younger characters had time to grown, the adults became older which is to be expected.

This book started a few years after book 2 ended, the war with the Mountain Clan is now a Cold War, nothing outrageous on the streets but still a war. Since the Mountain clan is larger than No Peak, No Peak is expanding it’s business in other countries, especially Espenia.

What makes No Peak succeeds despite all odds is because their clan is all about family, they won’t use anyone or make any clan member a puppet, to the mountain clan, everyone is expendable.

There are lots of POV here, Hilo’s children all have POV and I love the insight into their light. Then there’s the fight scenes which I love so much.

The world building is one of a kind, one of the best in Urban fantasy, it’s simply amazing. The world is well depicted and the magic system is awesome, it’s kind of like allomancy that someone with the power ingest the metal, in this book, Jade users wear Jade on their body either as rings, necklace or piercings and it grants them super powers.

The characters in this book are one of a kind, I love them all.

My favorite remains Hilo, the Pillar of No Peak Clan, he has lots of flaws but he knows his weaknesses, he loves his family more than anything, he is so loyal and faithful.

Shae is the Weatherman of No Peak, she is so business incline, the money she made for No Peak. I’m glad her family appreciates her.

Wen is the wife of the Pillar, she is a stone eye, meaning she doesn’t have magic, she is so strong, brave and courageous, I love her.

Anden is the cousin of No Peak pillar but not a green bone, he is a doctor and uses his influence to make the clan bigger and better.

Then there’s the children in the clan, Niko, Jaya and Ru, I love all Hilo’s children.

[Yeganeh · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Sometimes I think liars are almost as bad as thieves,” he said through a tight jaw. “They steal away trust, something that can’t be returned.”

I guess I'm a good future predictor , I predicted this will wreck me and oh boy did it amazingly wreck me. it's not more than 4 or 5 months that i picked this series up and fell in love with it. i will say this again; Jade City is not the kind of book that I’d normally read: it brands itself as an “epic tale of family, honor, and those who live and die by the ancient laws of jade and blood.”

The first time I read Jade City, I was in awe. It was the first fantasy novel I had read in which an Asian-signifying culture is not portrayed as the icky-gooey evil the protagonist has to escape in order to find themselves, save the world, and/or ensure the inevitable progress of civilization.

A while back when Fonda said that Jade Legacy would span twenty years, I think – and I can speak for all Green Bone Saga fans – the very idea that the characters we came to love, who were in their mid-twenties at the start of Jade City, would be growing old curdled our blood with fear and excitement.

What social, political, and personal implications of the blood feud between the No Peak Clan and Mountain Clan have on the Kauls that we love so much? How would the Kauls grow and change? Thinking about what happens in Jade Legacy makes me shed a tear a little bit, but I can say that watching the Kauls not only grow, but also grow old, felt like an honor, a privilege.

━━━━⁎∗.*.∗⁎━━━━

“Perhaps that was the greatest tragedy of jade warriors and their families. Even when we win, we suffer.”

What made The Green Bone Saga from the usual mobster story was the jade. Jade as a source of ultimate power – whether from its special bioenergetic energy which endowed its wearer incredible physical attributes, or its status as the most valuable resource in the world.

Kekon’s history and unique advantage as being the only place where jade could be mined made for a fascinating backdrop against which the two most powerful Green Bone clans clashed for supremacy while foreign powers vying for access to jade were also waging proxy wars.

However, what made this series truly exceptional was the phenomenal character development. The Green Bone Saga was predominantly a character-driven story with the clan wars providing the backdrop in which we get to see and experience the growth in the characters, especially those of the Kaul family.

The fallout from the events which occured at the end of Jade War had deep reaching consequences, and the first few chapters of this book clearly showed this causing much heartache in my part.

“There aren’t real second chances. Even when you live through the worst parts, life doesn’t go back to what it was before.”

Kaul Hiloshudon was already a firm favourite of mine going into this final book, and by the end of it, he has catapulted to one of my top all-time favourites. The growth in his character was one of the most captivating I’ve ever read. A man of barely restrained passion, who undoubtedly loved his family and clan almost to a fault, he would do anything for the safety of his loved ones.

“How do we do it?” Hilo sighed deeply. “You of all people already know the answer to that, Shae. We don’t handle this world. We make it handle us.”

He’s by no means perfect, and his flaws only made him an even more compelling character. From a character standpoint, this trilogy was to me about Hilo and the people whose lives were impacted by him – either directly or indirectly. And one of those people was me, as I was bereft when I had to take leave by the end of Jade Legacy.

━━━━⁎∗.*.∗⁎━━━━
More importantly, we also see the the Kauls become parents, aunts, uncles, people who are loved not for their green and their power, but because they become human beings who are loved, who are family. We watch the next generation of Kaul children grow up and become their own people – and I loved seeing the dynamics the children have with their parents.

We watch the Kauls grow up and we watch them grow old, and how that changes them. We watch them celebrate their victories and wins, yet also watch them grieve and endure their most desolate lows. At the heart of the story, Jade Legacy is about the legacies that we make and the power that people possess to shape the future, and that, despite it all, change is inevitable.

Wen, will you be my Pillarman?”

i said this in my updates , but the way these woman's power are shown in this book is so phenomenal and important and beautiful , that i can't deny but to be straight and say that it made me shed tear. i love the way, both shae and wen, two of the main female characters are two of the important role of this clan. and on the other side , we had ayt Mada, who herself is the pillar of her clan . women here does an excellent job, not only on their role as wife and mother, but pillarman and weather man.

“I’ll assume Shae put you up to it. The two of you are a bad influence on each other,”

I found myself sympathizing with Kaul Shaelinsan from the very fisrt, a woman who’s expected to take on filial roles, but wants to forge her own career outside of the violent Kekon region instead. At the same time, she watches her beloved grandfather, whom she was close with in childhood, slowly become a shadow of himself as his dementia sets in. Her struggle of forging an identity outside of her family, while contending with the guilt of her duty and legacy, is riveting.
━━━━⁎∗.*.∗⁎━━━━

“From the minute Lan brought me into this house, all I ever wanted was to be a Kaul,” Anden said roughly. “I hated my Espenian blood on one side, and I was afraid of being the Mad Witch’s boy on the other. But I’ve learned something over the years. I don’t have to be a Kaul if I don’t want to be. You and Shae will always be Kauls. Niko, Ru, and Jaya—they don’t have a choice either. But I do.”

beside hilo , another deeply well loved character ,is Emery Anden , and i love this boy to death. Anden is a sympathetic and well drawn character, someone who's gone far, but, he soon realises, not far enough, to avoid Green Bones. his sexuality is explored more here , but what makes him different than the rest is his way of seeing world.

I’m thankful you’re not a Fist, Andy. I need—” Hilo’s voice faltered. “I need one of my brothers to live.”

At the end of it all, Jade Legacy is a story about, as the title suggests, legacy. It’s about life, love, death, and what we leave behind at the end of it all. We see Hilo become a leader of his own right, going above and beyond what anyone – including us! – expected of him.

We see Shae become formidable and powerful, as sharp and keen as Ayt Mada. We also see Anden, beloved Anden, become his very own person, forging a path and future for himself. We also see Wen, grappling with the events of the last book but also having one of the most gorgeous and heartfelt character arcs I’ve seen. We also see Bero, who, by the end, I no longer loathed but actually understood. And lastly, we also see Ayt Mada, Pillar of the Mountain Clan, and all I’ll say about her is this fantastic quote from the book:
“Even the biggest tigers grow old… but even the oldest tiger was still a tiger. a tiger in a trap could use it's dying breath to rip out one's throat..."

━━━━⁎∗.*.∗⁎━━━━

“The clan is my blood, and the Pillar is its master.”

Fonda Lee is my Pillar.

My words truly cannot do justice to this phenomenal trilogy and show you why this series is a favorite of mine and all I can do is to plead all readers, even those who are not typically fans of fantasy to pick up The Green Bone Saga. Aside from the seemingly magical properties of jade, this story is at the end of the day is an empathically and powerfully written family saga with strong themes of love, loyalty and honor(things i truly respect and appreciate above all) that should be accessible to most readers. I especially implore the Asian reader, especially if you’re part of a diaspora to read this.

The Green Bones Saga means so much to me. I can’t believe it’s the end. I haven't been a fan of this series for much time but it’s finally over. The Green Bones Saga is going to be one of my favorite series for a long time – and I’m glad and grateful that Jade Legacy didn’t ruin the series for me, only reinforced my deep love for this series.

“On my honor, my life, and my jade...”

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

OH!!! MY!!!! GOD!!!! https://youtu.be/afIaG_SBLrI