Reviews with content warning for Murder - Jade Legacy

I was able to predict what the count would lead to though an and even though I knew, it still wrecked me when it happened. What's funny is that I didn't even really care for that character when I read Jade City.

On the other hand there were also some characters that I loved in book one and kind of hated towards the end because of their actions.

I did enjoy getting to see the next generation of Green bones grow up though, I thought that was a nice touch but I hate that Hilo didn't get to see his daughter in the end.

Bero still should have fucking died.

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miak2's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

"Jade for our Pillar...Far do your enemies flee, Kaul-jen."
"Not yet, they haven't," he said. "But they will."

An absolute masterpiece. Visionary. 10/10. 2022 can pack its bags and go home, nothing's topping this book for me. No specific spoilers for the series in here, just some general discussion of major themes. PLEASE go check out this fantastic trilogy if you're in the slightest bit interested. I know I'm hyping it up a lot, but it really was a phenomenal read.

I was pretty sure coming into this series that I would enjoy it, but I didn't expect it to take over my life in the way that it did. Everything from the characters to the worldbuilding to the plot were so expertly crafted, unsurprisingly, as Fonda Lee has already proven to be a master of her craft. Jade Legacy gave me everything I could have wanted out of a conclusion. It was fast paced, with incredible action scenes and ridiculously high stakes (I'm looking back at my January self who thought things couldn't be elevated after Jade City and again after Jade War. Little did I know). This book mixed the intense street violence of the first book with the cunning political maneuvering of the second to deliver a truly fantastic conclusion. We'd been following these characters for over 20 years, but somehow Fonda Lee wrapped up their arcs in satisfying ways.(Ok not always satisfying, but realistic and profound ways).

In case you missed it, yes this series, this book actually takes place across twenty years. While the time jumps could be a disorienting at times, they were well executed and incredibly necessary. These are two incredibly cunning and powerful clans facing off in a brutal fight for dominance, it wouldn't have done this series justice if it'd wrapped up within the span of a couple months.

I've talked extensively in my past reviews about the exquisite world building in The Green Bone Saga. This is the bar that to which I will hold any future fantasy book I read, because Lee made this world every bit as complex and messy and real as our own. This book specifically gets into extremism and terrorism, immigration reform, stealing land from indigenous peoples, changing stereotypes through film and media, and so much more. All done with tact and caution, but incredibly effective in holding up a mirror to our own society. Not to mention the ongoing discussion about tradition and culture versus the need for progressive changes in order to better not only the clans but the people in Kekon as a whole. I was consistently impressed and amazed at how much thought and depth Lee put into her worldbuilding - it wasn't just to tell a story, but to fully create a world with as much uniqueness and as many complications as ours.

Another thing I've discussed in depth are the characters and the way Lee so wonderful writes their struggles and their interactions. The same can absolutely be said here, and while I won't go into any depth in order to avoid spoilers, I just want to commend her for what she's done in this regard as well. Similar to the world she's created, these characters are complex and messy. They make mistakes, and choices too, that have hurt other people, and that hurt each other. And yeah I'm prone to crying over emotional books, but Jade Legacy had me full on bawling multiple times. That's how strongly I connected with her characters and was impacted by the things they were experiencing.

I'll leave my review at that, because this was already way longer than I needed it to be, although rest assured, I could say much, much more. Thank you, Fonda Lee, for bringing the people of No Peak and the rest of the Green Bone Saga to life.

The clan is my blood, and the pillar is its master.

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freethefrican's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I could say that I am stunned speechless but I honestly have more words than I can type.

This trilogy was amazing. This finale with sensational. So much pain, so much loss, so much love over the course of these three books, and I’m just filled with joy to have been able to experience these characters and to have gone through decades with them.

The Green Bone Saga has some of the best character work I’ve ever read and I can’t wait to see more of what Fonda Lee has for us.

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nicoleme1212's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional inspiring medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Honestly one of the best books I've ever read. The format and the passage of time made this book seem like a standalone epic, and I loved following the characters and their choices throughout.

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_forestofpages's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional inspiring sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Hands down the best fantasy trilogy I have ever read. I laughed, I sobbed, I freaked out. Fonda Lee is incredible in every way and I could not find a single flaw. This was the best and most painful but beautiful ending to this trilogy I could have hoped for.

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brianareads's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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genny's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Great trilogy ender! I had trouble with the time jumps in Jade War, constantly surprised that a couple of months or years had apparently passed between chapters. In Jade Legacy, it still took me some time to get my bearings when big jumps happened, but at least they're clearly labeled so I didn't have to guess or do mental math. 😅 Plus, it was a great way to signal

the beginning of Niko's reign as Pillar.

Very interesting how in Jade City we focused on a specific time period, but as the series went on, the years seemed to go by quicker, giving us a broader sense of how the clans impact these characters for a lifetime.

I hope I'm not alone in actually liking Bero in this book. 😆 He's a great narrative tool, honestly, always getting embroiled in clan business one way or another but never truly belonging anywhere. His life was so pathetic and lonely, I couldn't help but feel sorry for him. Sue me!

I can't believe we started and ended the series with Bero. The epitome of a survivor, haha.

I wish we got to see more of Ayt Mada throughout the series! She was always the most intriguing character for me. I love how Fonda Lee handled the tension between her and Shae, and the culmination of her decades-long rivalry with Hilo.

One more thing: obviously the story is centered on No Peak, but I wish we got to know the clanless "rebels" as more than disillusioned troublemakers. I understand it may have been beyond the scope of the book, but it would've been so interesting to delve deeper into their experiences, legitimate concerns, hopes for a future where the masses don't bow to the powerful, etc... I love the Kauls as a reader, but if I were a citizen in Kekon, I suspect I would have sympathized with the clanless. Can the system truly be reformed enough to justify its existence? I wish we had that conversation.

The rebellion fizzling out was disappointing, though perhaps realistic. Not gonna lie, that bit about Niko being the "Pillar of Kekon" disturbed me a little bit.

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2treads's review against another edition

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challenging emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

Lee knows exactly what she wants to bring to the table with this finale, her characters keep going through challenges, learning, and growing through every triumph and defeat.

So many choices have come home to roost for the Kauls, still under siege by their wily and determined enemy, with familial dynamics that have changed and become strained; new avenues opening up, and a brewing unrest against Green Bones.

The stage widens to include a new generation that wants to exist beyond the rigidity of 'the Green Bone way', that wishes for the clans and all they stand for to disappear, and to integrate jade into new and innovative ways to benefit society.

What was the highlight for me is the way Lee uses generational change and intergenerational interplay to show the divergent schools of thought and maturation happening in the younger generations. How they are choosing different paths than was planned or expected in their own effort to find and be true to their developing, independent identities.

What disappointed me was the lack of Abukei character representation and explanation. Their story is one that would have further brought Kekon to life.

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