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.

Jade Legacy was everything I could have hoped for in a finale. The character, the plot, the political intrigue this series has it all. I can’t tell you how many times I cried throughout this book. Jade City is set within the morally grey society known as Kekon. As the series progresses, it is expanded to include a global perspective. Jade Legacy takes the stakes and tension of the first two books and multiplies them tenfold. Characters suffered and I suffered along with them. It was interesting seeing how the characters grew over long periods of time. I wasn't the biggest fan of the time skips at first but I understood that they were necessary and after a while, I got used to them. Jade Legacy has the perfect blend of action sequences and political machinations. It kept me at the edge of my seat the entire time. Overall, I think it’s an amazing story and it’s definitely making it on to my best books of 2021.

⇥ 5 stars

jade legacy is the perfect ending to such an amazing trilogy. this series completely took over my life and i’ve been constantly thinking about the characters since i read the first book. truth be told, i didn’t think anything could top jade war, but jade legacy did it and then went a step further.

the book spawns 20 years, but the it’s paced so well – not for a moment does the novel get boring. i loved how the time skips were marked at the start of each chapter with the corresponding year so it never got confusing. it’s a fairly long book – 700 pages, but it kept my attention so well that i didn’t even realised i read like half of it in a day.

i feel like this book is even more character driven than the previous two. we spend a lot of time with the characters because the book is no longer focused entirely on the schemes of the clan – we also get to watch the kauls mature in a new perspective, over a longer period of time. however, i loved how the book handled the clan aspect as well, as we get to watch the consequences of the characters choices. and fonda lee does not hold back, the book delivers some heavy punches to your gut when you least expect it. my point is, the book isn’t lacking in neither of these aspects – characters or plot. they’re equally developed.

the detail in the descriptions of kekon and the neightbouring countries was astonishing. the reader can definitely tell this is such a thought-out setting and the author does an amazing job at creating vivid images. this was the case in the previous two books as well, but it’s much more noticeable in jade legacy.

i have to say i was impressed by ayt mada’s arc in this book. i can’t say i disliked her per se in the last two books, but this one made me like her character. she’s such a powerful presence and one of the best antagonists i’ve ever seen in a novel.

shae and wen were bloody brilliant in this novel – much of the wins of no peak were orchestrated by these two amazing women. i’m in love with both characters and i adored their arcs in jade legacy.

niko reminded me of lan quite a lot and each time he appeared in the novel my heart hurt a bit. niko’s one of those character that i instantly liked. the book handled his inner turmoil so well and i adored the commentary of tradition vs creating your own path.

however, hilo is the character that surprised me the most in this novel. don’t get me wrong, i loved him in both jade city and jade war, but jade legacy shows a new hilo, a more mature one that’s not as reckless as before. the dynamics between him and his family were crafted so well that the book almost makes you feel the kauls are real. i wished his arc didn’t end the way it did, but i can understand why fonda lee made this choice.

overall, jade legacy is a brilliant conclusion to a brilliant trilogy and i will definitely pick up anything fonda lee writes in the future! hopefully, it will be a sequel following the new generation of green bones.

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review!

From the day I read Jade City, I knew this series would be one of my favorites; this was a sentiment carried throughout Jade War and into Jade Legacy, one that held true until the very end. I’m still in awe of how expertly paced this series was and how everything tied together. Jade Legacy was an epic finale to a slow burn fantasy, reminding us of the importance of love and loyalty amidst loss and betrayals.

This review contains spoilers book one and book two.

The book opens with the Kauls dealing with the fallout of the ending of Jade War: Hilo upset with Wen and Shae for lying to him, Wen recovering, Shae expanding No Peak business, and Anden pursuing his new dream of becoming a doctor. Over the course of the next twenty years, they must keep the enemies at their door at bay: the foreigners, suddenly clamoring for jade; the Clanless Future Movement, an anarchist movement calling for the destruction of the clans; and the Mountain, always their enemy even when they must work together against the former two threats.

As much as Jade War was a slow-paced book, this book stretched a long game into an even longer one, spanning a total of twenty years. Thankfully, there are year markers at the start of the chapters instead of the incidental comments we would get in the second book, which made it easier to keep track of the time passing by. In my opinion though, this book spends less time developing plots as Jade War did, instead focusing on the aftermath of shorter-explained plans. It’s not that the characters plan with a shorter foresight; it’s that we spend less time focusing on the planning itself.

Like I mentioned before, the pacing of this book was expertly done. Over time, I personally have grown more and more impatient with long, slow books. However, that has never been the case for this series. Lee has a way of capturing your attention, holding you in suspense for an event you’ll never see coming. This is a 700 page book and I read about 600 of it in one day (10/10 do not recommend for your mental health honestly). I needed to know what was going to happen at all times and couldn’t bear to put the book down, even though I was dreading the next bad thing. This was even more of a commendable feat because I read this book in the middle of a horrible, months-long reading slump.

Plot-wise, this book pulled no punches. There are consequences to every decision, and we easily see that throughout this book. Every action taken ripples, affecting the near and far future. Like I said before, this is an even longer game than before, and it was important to see how these outcomes play out. Lee expertly maps out the courses the characters’ decisions take, not just for the plot but also for how these events impact the characters themselves and their dynamics, which I loved.

Surrounded by enemies, No Peak at first is doing whatever it takes to survive, and later is trying to prosper and grow its businesses overseas by bolstering the Espenese attitudes towards jade. However, as the foreigners’ mindset towards jade changes, more and more people seek it out, never with the proper respect the Kekonese have. It was fascinating to read the different perspectives on jade and how these inevitably clash. As much as it’s easy to fall into Kekonese traditionalist values, you can also see how the Green Bones need to modernize in a rapidly changing world. This, in my opinion, is a marker of well-done worldbuilding; being exposed to different opinions allows the readers to make their own conclusions.

The Kauls are some of my favorite characters, and I hated saying goodbye to them. Throughout this book, all of them grow and change in such a way that you can’t help but love them, even when they make ridiculous and questionable decisions. A wartime Pillar, Hilo has always approached things the Horn’s way, but he slowly begins to open his mind more to the important of business measures. He gradually learns that the brute force way cannot always be utilized although it is still appreciated at times. In turn, Shae grows more and more into her role as the Weather Man, but this time, not at the cost of her personal life. I liked getting to see her be happy with herself and in her life!

Wen must heal not only physically but also mend her relationship with Hilo. As he grudgingly realizes that she will always be a part of clan business, danger or no, she assumes a larger role at his side. I loved getting to see Wen in her full potential; as a stone-eye, she’s always been ostracized but she’s never let that defeat her. This was the culmination of such a great character arc, one that I’m glad we got to read. Similarly, Anden’s relationship with and feelings towards No Peak and jade grow more positive. He enjoys being a doctor, getting to use jade but for once not dreading doing so. His role in the clan also grows, as he becomes more of the point person overseas.

Since this book spans twenty years, I don’t really think it’s spoilery to say that we also get to know Hilo and Wen’s three children more. As the eldest son, Niko struggles with the thought of a future as Pillar; I found his chapters particularly interesting because he flips the traditional Kekonese mindset of being forced into a role simply because it’s expected of him. Ru, in turn, cannot understand why he would shoulder such responsibility. While he is not ashamed of being a stone-eye, he also must find his own path to help the clan. In Jaya’s character, we get to see more of the struggles of being a woman in a patriarchal society, even with female Green Bones becoming more normalized. She doesn’t let her gender or her position as daughter of the Pillar affect the way people think of her; instead, she uses them to her advantage.

At the heart of this book, though, is the Kaul family’s love and fierce loyalty to each other. I loved all of their character arcs but the only thing I loved more about this book were their dynamics with each other. The character relationships are so complex, with almost all of them at odds with one another at one point, but you can always see the underlying love in every animosity. I can’t even get into the specifics of what I loved because that would spoil half the book, but know that there were certain lines that made me scream, akin to the infamous “Heaven help me, Shae. I’m going to kill them all” line from the first book.

It’s also impossible to ignore how this book approaches jade, both the magic it provides and the detriment of being able to harness it. The series in general has always made clear the way jade is both a blessing and a curse, particularly the consequences of taking on too much. I thought it was fascinating to explore more how the intergenerational trauma jade also brings in this book. Like I mentioned before, Niko feels stifled in his role as presumed heir to the Pillar; should Lan, his father, dying because of his jade make him feel more obligated to taking up this role or should this warn him away from a life of fighting? Does having jade inherently make you a better person? Moreover, does blood make a family or does jade?

I’ve purposely being vague throughout this review in an attempt not to spoil anything. Honestly, this review sums up to: Jade Legacy really fucked me up. I sincerely can’t articulate my love for this book and these characters and for this series overall; I really wish I could do this book justice in this review, but in the end, I am just lying face down, sobbing.

Heartbreaking and thrilling, Jade Legacy concludes an epic story; it’s certainly one of my favorite series enders, if not my favorite. I adore the characters and their dynamics, and I’m astounded by how gripping this book remained, that it could keep my attention for the better part of 12 hours in the midst of a bad reading slump. If you’re waiting for this finale, just know that you won’t be disappointed, and if you haven’t read the Green Bone Saga yet, all I can say is: what are you waiting for?

Absolutely loved this book and highly recommended it to my followers. Just brilliantly written and can’t wait to read more by the author

Thank you so much to Net Galley & Orbit Books for providing me the opportunity to read this stunning conclusion.

Like Jade City & Jade War, Jade Legacy consistently handled every plot point so intricately. I felt as if every part of it was necessary to support this rich world. I don't think I've ever cried so much in one series. Additionally, it was amazing to grow with the characters throughout the books that spanned almost 30 years. A hauntingly original story of epic proportions filled with love, loss, and family.

Thank you Netgalley and Orbit for the advanced readers copy of Jade Legacy. I couldn’t be more excited to have finished the finale to one of my all time favorite series.

This was absolutely the best conclusion to a series I’ve read in a long time and the fact that Fonda Lee masterfully took on an entire world of her own making, developed characters even further, and touched on foreign trade and globalization in this one book… I’m speechless. Genuinely Fonda Lee is a genius when it comes to world building and politics, but more so with characters and character dynamics. I think in manny series that I’ve read all the way through the assumption becomes that I already know these characters well and it’s unlikely they will absolutely take me by surprise, well that’s not the case here. Hilo had the best character arc I have ever read and it it truly made me love him as a character. As a former Hilo hater (haha) this was huge and unexpected.

I can’t wait to reread this series and continue to cry over how I am not a part of this vicious yet loving family. But, if we’re honest, Ayt mada owns me!

Jade Legacy is epic in every sense of the world. The Kauls are due for a reckoning. For all their past betrayals and choices to catch up to them. The times we've said we forgive someone, for decisions we can't accept, but the cost of that choice every day since. When we wonder if we are bound by our own flaws faced with a war on all fronts. Fonda Lee wreaked emotional destruction on my heart with Jade Legacy. I knew it would be a masterful story, but nonetheless I'm still impressed with the scale, story, and the emotions.

My love for Jade Legacy comes down to two factors: the way that Fonda Lee is able to manipulate our hearts with endearing and flawed characters, and the expansive action that questions whether their world has evolved without them. Is it possible that Kekon, that the Kauls, that the world has moved past jade? We are so used to it being more than power, for it forming the backbone of society, of honor, and family. But as the world continues to crack open, how does this perception of jade and our places in the world change?

Oh wow, okay. Where do I even begin?
Let’s start with the fact that this is now one of my all-time favorite series, and I think everyone should read Jade City if they haven’t already.

I’ve had to take a couple of weeks to collect my thoughts because this book had so much packed into it, without it ever feeling overstuffed. Lee has a mastery in writing compelling characters to be so realistic that you feel like you could meet them the next time you’re out running errands. But this book is so much more than just the characters.

Usually, if a book excels in character work, it lacks in plot, but there is nothing lacking here. The plot has you so wrapped up in thinking “What could possibly happen next?” and then getting your soul crushed because something horrible just happened to one of your favorite characters. Fonda Lee knows how to keep you on the edge of your seat.

Kekon feels so realistic, with its own rich culture that is built upon in the previous books, and seems to come to full fruition in this finale. The magic system weaves in perfectly, and it is also the pillar of the society and the politics in this world.

Jade Legacy spans about 20 years and is truly about the legacy of the Kaul family. There were a few plot points that truly took my breath away, and quite frankly stressed me out due to what was happening to the characters. A few moments stand out in my mind where the reader is simply waiting for the dominos to fall, but you aren’t exactly sure how everything is going to end up.

That being said, this book truly destroyed me. It was emotionally draining due to the stress of not knowing if my favorite characters were going survive or not, and not knowing what was around the next corner. However, all of that was completely worth it. I respect and enjoy how Lee chose to end this saga, and the Kaul family will always hold a huge place in my heart. I really love this world and this family, regardless of how morally ambivalent they may be.

I will absolutely be picking up whatever Fonda Lee writes in the future, and I can’t wait to watch others read this book and truly “Go through it” like I did.

Overall (TLDR)
If you've read the other two bones in this series, go into this one knowing that your emotions will be played with and tested. BUT, this ending is absolutely perfect for the series, and the read is more than worth it. This series is in my favorite of all time now, and I'm so thankful to have gotten the opportunity to read an early copy.

Thank you as always to Orbit for the copy to review! This has in no way altered my opinions.

Don't get me wrong; this is one of my favorite series/authors. My expectations were HIGH.

The author went even more epic in scope this time, expanding the story in time instead of in worldbuilding/space. I think this was the issue for me, actually- 20 years of time pass, and so a lot is elided. Characters are born and grow up and I sort of wished I could have seen more of them. Hilo and Wen's children are the obvious heirs to the No Peak clan and will be extremely powerful in their own right but didn't do all that much in this book. So.... maybe a new trilogy that shows what the next generation can do? This book caught up to the era of cell phones and if the next generation takes it into the future, well that would be a lot of fun too.

Because of the scope of this book, political shifting and cultural change became a focus. I wanted more specifically about jade. I love the concept of bioenergetic jade, but the individual effect that jade has on those who can or can't tolerate it was pushed to the side in this book in favor of a less fantastic, more intrigue and power play sort of story. Hilo, Shae, Wen all age 20 years in this book, taking them into middle age. How does that effect their jade or other abilities?

I don't want to say too much about the plot because the book's release date has been pushed back and I don't want to be too spoilery. I'll just say that even with the larger scope, there were still several kick-ass fight scenes and a few confrontations that I couldn't see how to resolve without ending the book suddenly and right there, but the author pulled out more of her tricks and took the story in unexpected directions. Most of the characters are just a bit wiser and a bit less hotheaded as they get older, but they still have their blind spots and flaws.

A good gangster saga is always going to end in a rain of bullets, of course, and I spent a lot of the book worrying over who would end up dead. Some deaths I expected and their tragic and epic nature made me mourn, and some came out of the blue and stunned me so that I had to go back and read the scene over and over.

So, I liked this book. I probably wanted more of it. I wanted to slow down and spend more time with the characters instead of hurtling forward through time. I wanted even more fight scenes, more family relationship drama and more time wandering around Janloon. I hate when great things come to an end and hope that maybe this isn't the end after all?

Brilliant, simply brilliant. This is easily one of my all time favorite books, series finales, and overall series. This was a masterclass in worldbuilding, pacing, and characterization—not a hyperbole: a masterclass that every fantasy author should read and study to see what a feat writing such a series this is.

This book was phenomenal—a more than satisfying finale to this amazing series. I genuinely didn’t think I’d get this emotional over the last book of this trilogy, and yet I cried several times while reading it and after closing it.
When it comes to book series, for me the finale is always the most important part of the story, and the final book usually determines how I’m gonna feel about the series as a whole long after being done with it. In the case of Greenbone Saga, Jade Legacy solidified this trilogy as one of my all-time favorite series. In fact, I don’t think I’ve read any other series with a finale that had such a profound impact on me. I do not exaggerate when I say every decision made complete sense to me and I Loved it.
Fonda Lee’s character work is truly amazing; she crafted dynamic, multifaceted deeply flawed heroes for her story that seem ready to jump off the page at any moment. I was so invested in the arcs of all characters—the main cast as well as the secondary characters. Even the characters that appear for no more than a few chapters felt fleshed out and alive. I especially appreciated Hilo—I will admit, he wasn’t a character I cared for as much in Jade City and Jade War, but in Jade Legacy I ached and rejoiced with him, as well as the characters I had managed to connect with while reading the previous books in the trilogy. Wen and Shae were absolutely brilliant in this book; in fact, almost every success No Peak achieved was thanks to these women being the force of progress in a clan so full of traditionalists—I enjoyed that so so much. Of course, Ayt Mada was impeccable as always—an intimidating, relentless and absolutely unstoppable force of an antagonist that kept this story going. A new favorite among the characters that I ended up loving way more than I’d anticipated(considering how much pov page count they got) was Niko. His doubts and indecisiveness regarding his destiny, his uncertainty and melancholy and the consequent transformation felt so familiar and so personal I couldn’t help but care for him as much as I cared for Lan in Jade City.
The pacing of this book is top notch as well; every step of the way I was engaged and couldn’t put the book down until learning what would happen next. The story kept me glued to the page from the start till the very end, and kept up the pace, managing to slow down just enough for the emotional moments (and boy were those EMOTIONAL). The story keeps getting more tense as it progresses, but it never feels exhausting—on the contrary, it makes the reader want to go on and on to learn how every problem will be resolved.
I LOVE the world of Greenbone Saga. It’s vivid, imaginative and incredibly intricate. Despite being already quite well-crafted in Jade City and Jade War, I was so impressed how expansive it got in Jade Legacy. I loved how the clans and their blood feud permeated into every aspect of society and economy, and how it became an incentive for the clans to explore their prospects overseas, as well as spheres of the economy they hadn’t ever considered before. I love how the politics and social commentary were so masterfully weaved into the story—the sharp remarks on capitalism, familial values, seemingly outdated traditions felt very organic and conveyed the themes of the story in a subtle, yet effective manner. As a huge fan of SFF lore, mythos and worldbuilding in general, I have to give a separate round of applause to the interludes; I’m usually not the biggest fan of those in fantasy books, because they can feel a little slow and overall hinder the dynamic pace of the story, but in case of Jade Legacy I found myself wanting more chapters that concentrated solely on the dynamic and complicated history of Kekon and its Greenbones—the interludes were just as engaging and interesting as the rest of the narrative. I genuinely wish Fonda Lee returns to this universe and writes more books set in the world of Greenbones, because these stories are so addicting.
I went into this book with sky high expectations, but it still blew me away. Jade Legacy presents the perfect combination of amazing dynamic characters, an engaging, suspenseful plot with intense drama and high stakes, a lush, expansive world that provides a wonderful immersive experience. It is the perfect conclusion for the Greenbone Saga that will not leave anyone disappointed.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader's copy of Jade Legacy.

thank you fonda lee and orbit for sending an arc of this book. this is the most anticipated release for me of 2021 and it did not disappoint.
you'd think abook spanning 20+ years might feel rushed but this was so well done.
i loved how this series was concluded and how *most* of the character arcs panned out. this book hit me right in the feelings and made me cry multiple times and i can see myself rereading this for years to come.

I think this book made some changes from the previous one that made it a lot easier to tell when time passed, which is very good considering it took place over 20 years. However, I think the nature of that sometimes slowed down the book a lot and made it feel more episodic. Of course, this didn’t stop me from sobbing several times.

An excellent conclusion to the trilogy.

5/5 Stars. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me this arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own. By far this has got to be one of the best books I have read this year. Fonda Lee’s world building is once again, flawless. The details of the politics without making it feel overwhelming is an extreme talent and I believe the political intrigue was even better in Jade legacy then Jade city and jade war. The ending emotionally wrecked me and the chatacters had me smiling and crying. I wish I could reread this series all over again.

Jade Legacy is an epic conclusion to The Green Bone Saga. It’s truly an epic finale as the novel spans 20 years and depicts countless political moves, clan warfare, and generational change.

There isn’t much criticism that can be levied against Jade Legacy, but the one issue I had with the novel ended up being one of its strengths. As mentioned previously, Jade Legacy spans 20 years. Initially, I wasn’t a fan of the time jumps (and there are multiple). I felt like the time jumps didn’t allow for the narrative to feel cohesive and flow. But, after having finished the novel, these time jumps are crucial to what Lee is trying to get across to which she is ultimately successful.

The series focuses heavily on generational hatred and biases as readers watch the characters deal with this inherited hatred and decide whether or not they continue the cycle. This is readily apparent in Jade Legacy. It’s a story about decisions and how far the characters are willing to go to protect their family, clan, and country from outside and inside threats. Without these time jumps, Jade Legacy would not be able to accomplish what it did.


The heart of this series is the characters. The Green Bone Saga is expansive in its world building and plot, but what ultimately drives the story are the characters and their relationships. If you’ve read the previous two novels, you know that these characters are flawed and their motivations are not always easy to pin down. They can be reckless yet levelheaded, unforgiving yet loving, and merciless yet compassionate. This expansive world building and detailed character work prove Lee is a truly talented writer who deserves to be held up with the best of them.

Jade Legacy is full of twists and turns with moments so shocking I had to pick up my jaw from the floor. Because of the 20 year span, there are seemingly useless plot points throughout the novel that end up paying dividends later in the story. These moments are worth waiting for.

Overall, Jade Legacy is a truly satisfying ending to an epic character driven urban fantasy story. From expansive world building to intimate and detailed character work, Jade Legacy will leave readers in awe of everything Lee accomplishes with this trilogy

What more to say that the Goblin haven't already said! Seriously this ending is awesome. As good if not better than the entire trilogy. Everything conclude perfectly, everything fit together, and we close it thinking what a ride. Definitely a trilogy to read, of course start with the first, and an author I can't wait to discover what Fonda Lee will create next!

I had the great fortune to read Jade Legacy and be one of its early readers. Despite its doorstopping length – 736 pages, but don’t worry, the pace is immaculate – and my aversion to any book longer than 450 pages, I read Jade Legacy in four days. While reading Jade Legacy, my heart pounded so loud that I could hear it in my ears, I laughed, I cried. It’s a testament that Fonda Lee has proved me wrong two times: (1) that Jade City was my favourite book ever, (2) that Jade War was my favourite book ever, with now, the most up-to-date accurate statement: Jade Legacy surpasses Jade City and Jade War, and is my new favourite book of all time.

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 honour, a privilege.

Tangentially related, I’ve had some time to reflect on why Jade Legacy is such an amazing book. What is it about Jade Legacy that makes it such a successful conclusion to an epic saga? Starting Jade Legacy, I wondered this a lot too. Jade City introduced us to a world where warriors wear bioenergetic jade and hone martial art-like skills, a tragedy that ignites a violent blood feud between two clans, and the Kaul family of the No Peak Clan whom we would come to love. Jade War expanded Jade City, taking us overseas where war is brewing and powerful foreign governments and criminal gangs threaten the Kaul family and our favourite characters will have to make challenging choices with dangerous consequences.

Indeed, Jade Legacy spans twenty years, delving into the life-altering decisions and pivotal moments of the Kaul’s lives and how they fight a slow war, a power struggle less with fists and violence but instead fought with strategy, trade, and patience. No Peak’s expansion overseas and seeing the social, cultural, and political implications of their endeavours are fascinating and provide ample detail for readers interested in such machinations. Even if you aren’t into the politics, the mortal peril that the Kauls are perpetually under will keep you engaged, keen to see what happens next and what each development means for them. Because even if ‘nothing happens’, we know from both Jade City and Jade War that danger and potential death is at every corner – and that is indeed the case for Jade Legacy too. (So make sure you bring a pillow you can scream into and potentially some tissues for those moments that will leave you shocked and devastated.)

You see, that’s the thing with Jade Legacy and why it works so beautifully as a conclusion. Jade Legacy is a fantastic sequel and finale to the Green Bones Saga because it brings everything explored, experienced, and endured in the last two books together, elevating and honouring what is loved about this series by returning to the thing that we, readers, ultimately care about: its characters.

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. We also meet new characters and witness how their fates intertwine with the Kauls.

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.

Gut-wrenching, satisfying, and action-packed, Jade Legacy solidifies the Green Bone Saga as one of the best SFF series in existence (and if you don’t enjoy that scale of hyberbole, which I firmly stand behind anyway, then: the best SFF series I have ever read, and may ever read, unless Fonda writes another series that blows the Green Bone Saga out of the water). Jade Legacy – and the series as a whole – is a masterclass in worldbuilding, character development, pacing, and telling a damned good story that stays with you. The ending is one of the best I’ve read for a series, and is an ending that fans of the series absolutely deserve.

It took me 5 days, but I finally DID it y'all! And let me just start by saying that the name is truly fitting. Jade Legacy goes so much further than the previous 2 books and truly establishes the series as a saga. We continue following Shae, Hilo, and Anden but also get to know Niko, Ru, and Jaya better as more time skips are incorporated. As long as the book may be, there's absolutely nothing that I would cut. It remains one of the most intricately plotted fantasy series that I've ever read, and this one is arguably more intricate than its predecessors. While this book is not for the weak of heart (or ARMS, so heavy!), it's a truly satisfying conclusion.

*Thank you to Orbit Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review*

The entire time I was reading this I was nervous with what Lee was doing. I've never been kind to books that just kind of skip forward through time, and seeing the years fly by as the chapters went on I was nervous... I was also convinced after the end of Jade War that the series as a whole would just have an ending that existed and wasn't entirely satisfied.

I was never happier to be wrong.

The way that Lee was able to wrap up all of the new and old storylines and deliver an ending that is unrivaled in how satisfied I was. It was truly a masterclass in storytelling. I'm not sure I'm ever going to recover from the emotional roller coaster this book set me on. Being able to talk about it coherently about how much I enjoyed this.

The double crossing of the double crossings, Niko's little mercenary moment, THE BUILDING COLLAPSE, Shae and that damn bathtub. The book found ways both subtle and literally explosive to consistently raise the tension and the stakes to where I was never sure what was happening when I was turning the page. Having finished this it's the kind of book and story that you're jealous of others being able to experience for the first time.