The finale!

I can't completely understand how I felt about this book. On one hand, Fonda Lee is an amazing author/world builder who does incredible character work. On the other hand, I was bored a lot. I don't think the extended timeline worked for me. I struggled with the lack of emotional impact some events had, as the goal was always to move forward in the timeline to the next event. I usually love politics, but the inclusion of many other side characters who haven't been developed as well in those politics made it very boring.

I was impressed with how much this book made me root against No Peak and how much I genuinely did understand where their enemies were coming from. I liked that shift in perception- the absolute greyness of the world where Fonda Lee creates no character or society that is wholly good or evil.

I was really engaged with the storylines of the children, and would absolutely read another book following them.

An excellent conclusion to Fonda Lee's Green Bone saga. JADE LEGACY picks up where JADE WAR leaves off and continues over the next thirty or so years for the Kaul family. A truly stunning tale that wraps up No Peak's war against the Mountain.

I seriously can't say enough good things about this series. This was the perfect ending to a trilogy that had me reading as fast as I could in order to find out what happens next. While the large cast of characters was difficult in the beginning, but the time you get into the story, you care about all of them and want to read Jade Legacy to see who gets a happy ending and who gets what they deserve.

One of my favourite trilogies of all time! Book three in the Green Bone Saga did not disappoint. Fonda Lee is an amazing storyteller, one who is able to follow characters across a generation and still manage to make them as captivating and sympathetic as ever. Jade Legacy is going to stick in my brain for a long time.

Fonda Lee is in a league of her own. Jade Legacy continues the thread of deep character examination, geopolitical consequences of Jade and feuding powers, and family dynamics. The seeds for so much characterization has been deftly woven since the start of this trilogy and makes for SUCH a satisfying journey of watching where these character arcs land. I already viewed Green Bone Saga as unique after having finished Jade War for how it expanded the scope of the story from one book to the next, but Jade Legacy has cemented this as a series that is unparalleled. The pacing of this story made me pace around the room and dropping all obligations for two days so I could complete in as fast as possible. I am so sad to see this world come to a close but am so excited by the chance to re-read many times in the future.

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

Maybe it's because I'm hopping in on this series the third book in and pieces pieces and slower world building but the number of names, groups, titles and factions are overwhelmingly confusing.

I cannot get into the plot for trying to remember what group means what and who that person is.

Four out of five stars!

Thank you so much to Orbit and to NetGalley for the e-arc, I was thrilled that I was accepted! I buddy read this arc with a friend, which I think was definitely the right choice; I was able to excitedly scream to her about everything, see her reactions, and take time to let cliffhangers linger in my head.

Unfortunately, that worked against the book in some ways-- we as readers were not able to see the reactions to moments that would have added a lot to the book. I know "missing scenes" can often be fanfic fuel or doffer for short stories/patreon rewards, but I feel there were enough that it worked against the book. There were some things I was really looking forward to seeing the fallout or various reactions to, which were barely hinted to, with only a time jump short after the moment being built up. This was often enough in the book that it felt as if it was pulling me out. I also feel like the m/f romances in the book felt almost forced-- Shae, for example, continued to have better chemistry with Ayt Mada than her love interest.. Their interactions were absolutely my favorite part of the book.

That being said, I think that the timespan of twenty years otherwise worked fairly well. It truly felt as if so many characters-- Wen, Hilo, Shae, and the children were growing and maturing throughout the course of the book. This is something that truly impressed me, on how the characters grew so much over the course of their pages.

I think too, the whole of Legacy was shown throughout the book. What legacy is being left-- for everyone? What legacy, both personal and Clan, are our protagonists leaving, and how does it impact others? What is the legacy of their ancestors, and their clan? What can be left, and what will they?

Jade Legacy felt almost nonstep action, and there were so many times I felt wound up, nail-biting and anxious, eager to continue on the journey. Fonda Lee was a master at her craft, carefully tugging along each and every thread, pulling along everything so delicately. It was a fitting, amazing capstone to her epic trilogy, and what happened *made sense* and hit home in a way that many series struggle with.

Engrossing, unpredictable, and heart-wrenching through to the final page – Jade Legacy is a worthy capstone to an incredible trilogy. I can confidently say that Fonda Lee’s Green Bone Saga is a modern fantasy classic and I feel lucky to have come across such a special series.

Lee’s writing makes everything compelling, even down to the most esoteric matters of the clans’ business empire. And although we’re very familiar with the main players in the warring clans, Jade Legacy further plumbs the depths of these flawed, but captivating characters with an expanded story timeframe and frequent time jumps. This was a smart choice and made for a supremely satisfying concluding book.

There are new avenues Lee could explore in future stories set in this world, but for now I am happy to sit back and marvel at the brilliant trilogy she has crafted.

Jade Legacy, the finale of the Green Bone Saga by Fonda Lee came with a lot of expectations. I am happy to report that it no only lived upto those expectations but went a few dozen steps further to cement itself in th category of greatest of all finales. If my eyes weren’t streaming with tears my brain was exploding at the twists and turns in this incredible fantasy gangster family saga. To say I was mindblown by this book would be an understatement. The plot was so tightly woven with multiple dots moving in a hundred different directions spanning cities, countries and continents, brought together expertly to create a tapestry of sheer fictional brilliance. The political interplay and the economical scheming made this book a thrilling page turner which had me sacrificing my sleep altogether. But the best part about this book and this series are the characters. All of them from the Kaul family to the Mountain Clan up till the most minor characters were written with such care that they refuse to give up space from my brain and my heart. The outstanding character development has propelled this series into the top of my all time favourites list.
Take a bow Fonda Lee for crafting such an incredible fantasy series. I am in awe of your talent. Please please please add this series immediately to your tbrs. I promise that it will be the highlight of your reading year.

Jade Legacy is my most anticipated read of this year. I've looked forward to this conclusion since the ending of Jade War. I've also been mentally preparing myself for when this conclusion reaches my hands for exactly two reasons: one, was to say goodbye to the characters and the story that I have come to love, they have enriched my heart and soul and reason two was simply because of expectations. I was afraid that Fonda Lee might somewhat not be able to live up to what she created, and boy I was ever so wrong, so happy to be proven so. I should have never doubted Lee and her ability to write a brilliant story because gawd what a journey this has been.

I came into Jade Legacy knowing that the story was going to span a very long period of time compared to the last two books and was very curious to find out how Lee would go about it. Even with such a big timeline, Lee was able to craft such a magnificent book, a stellar conclusion for an epic series. I came into the book with some predictions and for the rest of it was happy to see where Lee would take me. The events throughout the novel played out even better than I could imagine, a lot of the things I did not expect felt so fitting once Lee laid it out before my eyes that I find myself mad that I didn't think of them before . Some events I did foresee but just because it was in a sense 'predictable' did not mean it wasn't narratively fitting because they were and the executions of them are what's important and they delivered. The way Lee was able to wove all of the events together was just so skillful as well, it was so pleasing to watch them all play out.

Lee is just truly amazing at what she does, a mastermind I tell you. And this was no doubt one of the best finale I've read for a series. There were high stakes, there were anguish, there was pain but there were also good, wonderful, beautiful moments where you get to see the characters you love grow up and learn and develop into who they are in this book- it was just a rollercoaster of emotions as everything unfold before me. I can't lie and say that I didn't want more because I did, as thick as this book already is I'm greedy for just a bit more, though I also understood why those things I wanted didn't make the cut. There's no doubt in my mind that this will remain to be one of the best and most favorite series I've had the chance of reading. I'm so glad I picked this series up when I did. It truly deserve all the love and hype and more.

And it might be too soon to say that I miss it already but I do, I just know that I'll be revisiting these pages soon again and quite often.

It was a good book but a weak finale. I feel like it was dragged too much and there wasn't much happening. Which is surprising because the book spans over 20 years there should've been plenty of story. I wish we got more of the kids specially Kaul Jaya she seemed like an interesting character.

Thank you netgalley for providing me with an arc this book.

An exciting, emotional, and exhilarating conclusion to THE GREEN BONE SAGA, wrapped up in family, longing, sorrow, love, and earnest as only could be written by the masterful Fonda Lee.

This epic finale continues the personal, intra-personal, and international struggles and triumphs of the Kaul Family, tying together story lines set up early in the series in immaculately satisfactory means.

I gasped, I cried, I laughed. I loved this series as fully as someone can. The world building is incredibly deep and provoking, the social justice issues relevant and relatable, and the characters - well, we’re all pretty green in the soul together now.

Don’t sleep on pre-ordering this incredible work of art.

Getting this advanced reader copy of this book made my year. I love love love this series. Even though I am sad that this story is over I am ecstatic on how it ended. Fonda will go down as one of the best! Her writing style and capability to write characters is amazing! Jade legacy is easily the best book I have read this year!!

Thank you so much publisher providing an arc! I just devoured this book. Also, this book is even better than the previous one from this very same series! It was so nerve-wrecking so I can not express enough about the plot. The plot is so interesting that you will find yourself gasping everytime you find something new.
I really like the worldbuilding, and how the author can create a world that has the capability of making us vicariously live through it. I feel like the introduction was a bit too slow-paced for me. The characters are fairly interesting.
Henceforth, it was quite a good read.

I loved this trilogy and this book is a fitting end to the No Peak Clan. As many have said, this book was expansive as it spanned 20 years, which is something that I am usually not interested in as these books tend to be slower. However, since I have become so invested in these characters, I really enjoyed seeing them and their mindset develop and grow. The character development of each character is so well crafted and orchestrated, it boggles me that an author can really understand their characters at such a deep level. Lee's writing is powerful and unique as it requires readers to be smart and actively thinking and reading in order to catch every important minute detail that eventually plays a much larger role in the long run. As usual, our favourites suffer and as readers, we suffer along with them. I'm sure that readers who have read the first two, are going to be reading this novel ( I would be shocked that they would not) and so I don't think there is much need to convince readers to finish this journey with the Kauls and the clan. All I can say is thank you Fonda Lee for creating a fantasy novel unlike any other that I have read. It's been a pleasure and an honour to have read these books. After all, “the clan is our blood, and the pillar is its master.”

“The clan is our blood, and the pillar is its master.”

ARC provided by the publisher Orbit US through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Fonda Lee stands to be the most renown modern fantasy voice that is worthy of legendary status. Jade Legacy is the satisfying conclusion to an epic fantasy saga that I will continue to sing about to the world. A story about honor, life, jade, and the legacy that lives on.

For a whole month I mulled over the thoughts that I will need to pour into this review that can fully convey the greatness that is contained within the pages of this third instalment to a series that has back to back proven to be one of the best series in modern fantasy to date. I was gracious enough (out of sheer luck and endless attempts of emailing) to receive the opportunity to read an ARC (Advance Readers Copy) of Jade Legacy. Henceforth before I start my review I would like to thank the publishers, Orbit Books, for giving me this amazing opportunity to read and review my most anticipated book of the year.

It is only fitting for me to reminisce on the experience of reading The Green Bone Saga as I write this review to give my final salute to a monumental series in my life. In 2020, I was relatively new to reading adult fantasy so I actively looked for books to read in the genre. Jade City is one of those books that I know I will love even before I read it. But luck wasn’t on my side as it took me over 8 months to get my hands on a copy of Jade City and Jade War. When 2021 rolled around I made it my mission to read all three books of The Green Bone Saga. In January I read Jade City for the first time and I immediately fell in love with everything about the book. Two months later, in April, I read the sequel Jade War. The sequel stunned me and left chills that I could feel to the bone. Vibrating with excitement to read the conclusion of the story I knew that Jade Legacy will surpass Jade War and Jade City which it accomplished tremendously. I had high expectations, fears for my favorite characters, and anxiety mixed feelings knowing a series that I’ve fallen in love with this year will come to an end. Separation anxiety already kicked in even before I read the book. With the strength of my friends (Sasha and Michelle) behind my back I mustered up the courage to read Jade Legacy as we share our pain and love together reading the conclusion to this epic saga.

“Good men are remembered with love by their friends,”

“Great warriors are remembered with awe by their enemies.”

Jade Legacy is the third book to of The Green Bone Saga that spans 20 years since the end of Jade War. When I first read Fonda Lee’s tweet I was ecstatic because we will get to see a lot of growth in all aspects of the story—from the Kaul family and the future of No Peak clan, the modernization and globalization of the world, advancements correlating to jade, the political strives and turbulences, the geopolitical landscape of the world, the evolution of the green bone culture throughout the years, and so on. There is so many things that Fonda Lee could do in Jade Legacy, it is only fitting that the story will span two decades to cover all the basis to show the accelerating growth of this phenomenal expansive world and characters that I’ve grown to love.

In Jade War, the two biggest green bone clans in Kekon, No Peak and The Mountain, waged war against each other that has dragged on for years creating a stand still that affected many facets of the country. The clans has opted to overseas expansion to gain more power and expand their roots through many investments and dealings. The expansion will continue to grow and evolve with time and effort in Jade Legacy as it covers a wider range and with it the implications of the clans endeavors. Readers will see how the expansion affects many aspects of the world from the evolving societal norms, to economical fluctuation, and the cultural evolution coinciding with globalization and technology. There are a staggering amount of machinations relating to these aspects that are fascinating and engrossing. The way Fonda Lee presented these machinations exceeds it’s predecessor Jade War by a landslide. Violence is no longer the only weapon the clans will utilize but patience, careful strategizing, planning, and influence will play a big part in turning the tides to favor them. The maneuvers are back to back that will leave you at the edge of your seat, heart pounding, and sleep deprived dying to know what will happen after each move is made. By now fans of The Green Bone Saga understands from reading Jade City and Jade War that danger lurks at every corner, Jade Legacy is no different. The stakes are higher and much more intense compared to the first two books.

Even when we win, we suffer.

As it says in the title ‘legacy’ is the main part of the story from the legacy of green bone predecessors, the current living green bones paving the way, and the future of how the legacy will live on in a world that has advanced and evolved throughout the years. Jade Legacy brings forth all the experiences and exploration that was endured in Jade City and Jade War to perspective by emphasizing the very part that makes this series a phenomenal force in modern fantasy by honoring and elevating the characters to new heights that is worthy of recognition by the gods. The themes about life and death are heavily weaved in and explored within the story tying close to the legacy they leave behind. The mortality of green bones is repeatedly reminded by Fonda Lee that no matter how good of a fighter you are or how jaded a green bone can be death will come when you least expect it. It is also a story about resilience, love and family having the Kauls at the fore front of this epic saga. Fans of the series have followed their story witnessing them shed blood, sweat, and tears to honor and build their clan to be a force that could weather any storm. They have experienced loss, betrayals, and disappointments but they always have family and endless amounts of love.

In this conclusion we will get to see the characters grow and see their development come full circle. Emery Anden’s position in the clan is solidified and strengthened by showing his worth and proving to everyone that doubted his decisions to walk away from clan life, forging his own path and becoming his own person but still loyal to the clan and embracing fully his identity as a Kaul. Kaul Shae grows to be a seasoned weather man reading the clouds as calculating, keen, and sharp as her enemy, Ayt Mada. Shae built the business side of the clan with the help of Woon and Hami expanding No Peak’s influence in other countries that we will see come to fruition in Jade Legacy. Kaul Maik Wen the so called ‘cursed’ woman being a stone eye grows to be a powerful and influential member of the clan carving a position for herself to be the Pillar’s most trusted ally. Wen is a wife, mother, and sister that broke the stigma of society paving way for a future of endless opportunities offered to everyone to have equal standing in the world of green bones. Consider Kaul Hilo beyond lucky to have Wen by his side.

Speaking of the man, Kaul Hilo grows to be a leader of his own right as he learns from his mistakes and experiences taking everything in then using it to go above and beyond blowing expectations that was put upon him by everyone else including himself. Hilo’s strong values and undoubted sense of honor as a green bone to his family and his country adding to his experience as Horn established him to become a much stronger Pillar exceeding his predecessors : Kaul Lan, Kaul Du, and Kaul Sen. His ability to bring out others potential and fuel confidence in the most dire times, to always listen and evolve, to never be afraid of change and challenges facing them with tenacity and stubborn resilience, and to keep an open mind embracing the world with new eyes but never losing yourself shaped him to be a strong Pillar. Hilo’s development in Jade Legacy is stark compared to the Hilo in Jade City and Jade War. He has matured so much becoming the man that has risen to his full potential as a father, uncle, brother, and Pillar of No Peak.

Even the biggest tigers grow old. But even the oldest tiger was still a tiger.

Besides the Kauls we also get to see the ambitious and cunning Pillar of the Mountain, Ayt Mada. Her ability as a Pillar leading The Mountain with an iron fist and the brains of a weatherman made her to be ruthless foe with unstoppable force. When we thought in Jade War we’ve seen everything, Ayt Mada is pulling all the stops in Jade Legacy. We’ll get to see more sides of Ayt Mada’s complex characterization as she is brought into vulnerable situations having to face the consequences of her decisions. The character development also extends to a persistent character that has involved himself in many dark dealings and business’ throughout the series. Bero is character that has avoided death far too many times. Some might say he’s lucky or maybe he’s the one truly cursed to a life of repenting for his sins. By the end of this third book I can see Bero in a new light and understand him fully as a character. I loathed him for his deeds but if I were to be put in his position seeing how the hierarchy in Kekon woks, I would want to fight my way up the food chain too no matter the cost.

In Jade Legacy, we will be introduced to many new players in the story that will get intertwined with clans and the world. These new characters include the next generation of green bones that will continue the legacy of the clans and Kekonese culture. Seeing everyone in this series become aunts, uncles, and parents to the future generation is moving and touching. The Kaul family and their children especially brought me so much joy and tears. We’ve seen them grow up now they are growing old, raising their own children and seeing them guide the next generation to become future leaders of the clan. By showering their children with love, giving opportunities to choose what they want to do, and defining for themselves their own identities whether they choose to be a green bone or not. What I love seeing is the child-parent dynamics and sibling dynamics as it eases the tension of the story in between the intense serious moments. In this series we have joined them in celebration of their victories and during their most monumental moments, but there are two sides to a coin, we also joined them at their most fragile and vulnerable state as they grief and mourn their loses. Reflecting back after finishing this book I understood that Jade Legacy is a story about legacies. I’ll emphasize it again it is a story about the legacies of our ancestors that have shaped the characters, the legacies in making that will shape the future, and the future legacies that will continue to bring inevitable change to the world.

Final thoughts, Jade Legacy is the most stunning, heart pounding, gut wrenching, and satisfying conclusion to a series that I have read of all time. It is a story filled with hard hitting action sequences, mind blowing political and economical machinations, expansive world building that depicted the growth of world through time coinciding with globalization and modernization, a magic system that is versatile, fundamental, and deeply rooted within the world itself, and brilliant characterization that bleeds through the pages. The Green Bone Saga as a whole is a series that is masterfully written covering all the aspects of epic fantasy that is entirely unique and distinct from any other series I’ve read. This series has cemented Fonda Lee as a fantasy power house writer through her displays in master class world building, outstanding characterization and development, gripping exhilarating pacing, and explosive action sequences. Jade Legacy is the ending that gives fans of the series what they deserve and Fonda Lee combined all the aspects that is loved in the series into this book to conclude this epic saga.

Now I want to take this opportunity to share my personal feelings about this series. The Green Bone Saga has become a series that holds a lot of meaning for me this year. Though I didn’t know about it when it was first published the deep connection and love I have for it will persist for a long time. Jade Legacy further amplified my love for this series and made me form an emotional attachment to the characters that has engrained themselves to be a family I care about just like my own. I highly recommend for everyone that has never read this series or read the first book but never continued this series to please read and continue on. For fans of The Green Bone Saga that has read the first two books, Jade Legacy will truly blow your expectations in an earth shattering manner to will leave you incapacitated for months such as myself. Lastly, I would like to say good bye this series and saluting my farewells to Lan, Hilo, Shae, Anden, Wen, Tar, Kehn, Lott, Ayt Mada, Bero, Jaya, Ru, Niko, and all the green bones that I have met on this journey. For the last time, the clan is my blood and the pillar is it’s master. On my honor, my life, and my jade.

For Fonda Lee, thank you for writing this series and I can guarantee I will continue to support your other works in the future. You truly deserve all the awards and recognition for what you have done through this series. And I’m glad I am given this opportunity to add my voice in promoting this amazing series through my blog. Far do your enemies flee, Lee jen!

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

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

What Fonda Lee has achieved with this series is truly remarkable. I can't 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 the series.

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 cold and calculating 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.

First of all, I want to start off by saying Hilo, Shae, Lan and Niko are characters I will simply never forget. This book takes place over 20 years and it was a pretty emotional 20 years. From the very first book, fonda lee establishes a bond between these siblings and after the events of jade city, we see how important this is to Hilo and shae with the situation with Lan. This was amazing, a heartbreaking conclusion to this series but I loved it nonetheless. This is for sure a series that will stay with me for many years to come after this, I loved everything about it. 5 out of 5 stars. I will never forget this series with years to come!

Since this is a finale, I usually like to delve into the logistics of the series and how the conclusion factors in, but for the first time ever, I'm baffled. I do not have words to describe this reading experience besides the fact that it was PERFECT. Yes, I do, indeed, mean PERFECTION.
I have zero clue how Fonda managed to write a finale that spanned 20 years into a cohesive whole, but she did it with grace and equal brutality. I didn't think the end to Jade War could be topped in terms of emotional instability, but I was proven wrong. my Goodreads updates consisted of me telling my friends and followers all about my incessant shaking. I couldn't stop to save my life because Fonda had me by the edge of my damn seat. She's truly a mastermind.
If you are looking for a dynamic modern fantasy, then look no further than this trilogy. You don't even need to wait for it anymore to release! I'll be recommending this till the day I die— definitely one of my favorite reads of 2021 and my life.