Reviews with content warning for Drug use - Jade Legacy

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Jade Legacy by Fonda Lee

23 reviews

just_one_more_paige's review against another edition

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? It's complicated

5.0

I did it! This chonk of a book, over 700 pages, is the final installment of the Green Bone Saga...and I have conquered it! It took me an extra four renewals at the library (thank goodness for staff privileges and no one else having it on hold - the guilt of someone else waiting would have really stressed me out). I buried myself deep into it over the recent Holiday long weekend and, once I gave myself that space and time to settle in, got through the final two thirds in just two days. And what a finale it was!

In Jade City, the story focused on the city of Janloon, in the country of Kekon, introducing us to the Kaul family, leaders of the No Peak clan and their rival Mountain clan. In Jade War, the story moves outward, as other countries get involved in the fight for dominance of jade, the substance that enhances a person's innate physical/intuitive abilities, and No Peak and Mountain start leveraging international influence against each other in sort of proxy wars. And here in Jade Legacy, the focus is split between the intra- and extra- national struggles for power. As the Kaul family grows, despite familial angst and drama, they stand together against all their enemies: the Mountain clan in particular, and in defense of Kekon against outside interests in general. While at the same time, the Mountain clan, whose ruthlessness and willingness to partner with any ally, has long been a step ahead in their years-long feud, seems on the verge of finally "winning" in the fight to control Kekon and the jade trade worldwide. However, the Kaul family has a few final moves to make, that could prove with finality that family is the strongest of all powers, and with a new generation of leaders on the horizon, maybe it actually is possible to move beyond grudges and vengeance in partnership for a better future.

Y'all, the scope of this novel is extraordinary. Never once, in the 700+ pages, did I think that it was too long or wish for it to end faster. It was a page-turning rollercoaster of emotions and nonstop action (violence and tension and kidnapping and politics and loss and grief and so much drama) from start to finish. There was all the violence and political maneuvering that we've gotten used to, but with messy and complex and deeply human relationships (Shae and Woon, Hilo and Wen, Niko and his whole family/legacy, Ayt Mada and Shea, Anden and his role within the family) smoothly interwoven into everything. I didn't have any inkling how much time we'd traverse throughout this novel, but watching the next generation come into their own was an unexpected bonus. We only get her as a primary focus towards the end, but I loved Jaya's fire, like a young Hilo. Across the board, the way the Hilo and Wen's kids "aged up" was fun to watch, and watching the young generation we met at the beginning becoming "old hats" was fulfilling in its own ways.

Worth mentioning: I cried for a single death in this entire series (and there were so many) but when it happened, I full-on sobbed, I was that invested. But other than that, I don't really want to say too much more about the plot itself, the relationships and growing up and deaths and subplots and plot twists, because the journey is one that I want everyone to take fresh and clear-eyed, like I did. Suffice it to say, that *a lot* happens and it's the edge-of-your-seat type stuff mixed with complicated machinations that Lee has shown herself to be a master of. Honestly, Lee’s ability to create such complex growth, with so many moving pieces and all the meandering and complex paths and decisions of the characters, and pull it all back together perfectly for this stunning finish (with nothing getting lost) is so impressive.

Side note: I have been waiting through this entire series to see where Bero’s story finally goes and it delivered, but in a really unexpected way. Like, he was part of a major moment, but not at all the way I (or he) expected, and it easily could have been a kind of letdown. Yet, his subplot gave fascinating insight into the way the rest of the “normal” people in Kekon dealt with the excessive "slow war" and clan based war stuff in a way that was a great narrative balance and perspective.

Thematically, I thought what Lee did as the story got darker, in addressing the harder truths of always dealing in death and violence, the mental health aspects, was an intense (but necessary) piece of this closing book. I also really appreciated that, as the war over jade became more widespread, the fight over control of the market and its approved uses/roles was fought both in military and political spaces, above and below ground, in a frighteningly familiar demonstration of the privatization and monopolization of war (through governments, mercenaries, criminal leaders and more), and the way that civilians are caught in the crossfire so often in modern warfare as a result. Plus, the way this modernization of war brings in so many platforms that were hitherto "out of bounds," like cinema, medicine, athletics, and in the court of public opinion into the game as actual difference makers was also really accurate to real life and added dimension to the breadth of the novel.

I was here for the culmination of feuds closed, but with the twist of future generations being better and moving forwards. The way Lee balanced holding on to traditions that are important and the backbone of culture in a way that is safer and more accepting and truly opens options for a new future, but within the cradle of respect and honor for the past, gives the reader a lot of hope for what's to come in our own future, tbh. And what a gorgeous bringing together of how the depth of ties and support of family are, in the end, what makes a person powerful, as opposed to the more measurable/objective power of money and influence (and can, in fact, lead to the latter, in a stronger way).

In the Acknowledgements at the end, Lee writes that this is the “epic urban fantasy gangster family saga of my heart” and OMG was it ever. It was the epic urban fantasy gangster family saga that my heart didn't even know it wanted/needed and I loved every minute of it. What a f*cking finale - breathtaking - this is how you bring a spectacular series to a spectacular conclusion and I could not recommend it more highly.

“No one is destined to become like their parents. In fact, we can learn from their mistakes and be less likely to repeat them. […] You’re your own person, Niko. You have many people who love you and are proud of you.”

“Why not escape reality, when it was so unbearably cruel to wives and sisters and mothers?”

“…he’d imagined that the foreigners were right - the world of Green Bones was brutal and outdated, nothing like the rest of the world. Now he knew better. There was jade and blood and cruelty everywhere.”

“Clans and jade, murder and vengeance, burdens and feuds and failures passed down from father to brother to son - none of it was a myth…”

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jakepasseri's review

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful reflective relaxing 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

An amazing ending to an amazing trilogy of books. I highly, highly recommend it. Fixed the only issue I had with the previous book, and only improved

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thereisnotry54's review against another edition

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tense fast-paced

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

5.0

I spread it out over a few days, but ended up finishing at 2 am. The time skips are managed well and Lee reminds us of what happened in earlier books without banging it over our heads. Character actions seem natural, even if I personally wouldn't do it. I cried. I also appreciated the sensitive way she treated disability.

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thewordsdevourer's review

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adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.5

...bruh. this book makes me scream, cry, shout, and whoop - truly the whole human experience encapsulated - but that climax def makes me fall to my knees in target.

like its predecessors, jade legacy drips w/ swagger and filled w/ violence, strategem and emotional impact, feeling both intimate and epic w/ the focus on the kauls against the backdrop of greater outside forces. as always, lee pulls no-holds-barred in this book, cunningly plotting the story while also handling and balancing more story threads, characters, and settings than ever, where things can change dramatically w/ just a sentence (a masterful example of show-not-tell, rly). it's big in scope and ever more complex as many existing characters grow and new ones develop.

it's always an extreme experience being w/ the kauls; there are great triumphs but also terrible, heartbreaking losses (**** U WERE SO CLOSEEEE BARELY 30 PGS LEFT DAMMIT). we see them here w/ changing relationship dynamics, truth-searching, and growing into their own identities. reading this book, i feel aged right along them, filled w/ nostalgia, regret, and cautious optimism still.

the previously mentioned balancing act, however, is also my one main issue w/ the novel: the frequent timeskips can be confusing and sometimes seem unnecessary, and the existence of so many characters and story threads means many of them arent fully explored, w/ a few seemingly abandoned or forgotten halfway through. certain events/actions, for example, couldve happened in the same month or yr as the previous chapter, but somehow it just has to be like 2 or 4 yrs later, which i dont understand why.

the time gaps, while it might be necessary, also mean that there are - obviously - gaps in the story, but readers arent filled in on what happen during the interim yrs, and there def isnt enough time and space for lee to explain either even if she wanted to since it occurs so often; so now we're left w/ 2 chapters that happen like 5 yrs apart but it seems like not much has changed at all. moreover, some characters - like cam for example - initially expected to be more prominent over time are relegated to the background and their relations to the kauls arent mentioned much at all.

even so, it's undeniable that this is a tightly plotted gangster family saga brimming w/ tension, high stakes, violence, cunning, and emotional impact. it's been a rollercoaster of a (figuratively 25-yr) trip w/ the kauls, and the green bone saga is def one of the best series ive ever read.

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laguerrelewis's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring 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

Each installment in the Green Bone saga is longer than the last, swelling out of necessity to contain the growing scope of these stories. One should rightfully expect something truly epic when seeing that Jade Legacy boasts a 713 page count. Fonda Lee expertly weaves a finale that leaves you feeling as though you’ve weathered decades with the Kauls and the No Peak clan, injecting nostalgia and hope into this grand sendoff to the trilogy.

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maira_h's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I feel like I have a lot to say about this book, about this series as a whole. In the end, I'm just speechless. I am profoundly impressed by this series. There's a difference between loving and being impressed by a piece of literature. Most of the time, it's always love for me. For this series, however, it's both.

I can't remember the last I cried so hard– with snot and tissues and everything– while reading a book. I can't remember the last time I stayed up late to finish reading. Not gonna lie, this book and its characters will stay with me for a long, long time.

The plot and its execution was close to perfection. Every action had its consequences. Everything was deliberate. Not to mention, the world building was honestly incredible. To be able to create a universe that is similar to our urban world with its different countries and politics is impressive, honestly. The author's intelligence in business and politics shone bright throughout the book, in my opinion. And I want to watch her action scenes on a television screen someday. I don't know if an adaptation can do this series justice, though.

One thing I would have wanted is probably a much longer epilogue of some sort. I wanted more time with the characters, especially Niko and Jaya. To be honest, since the first page, it already felt like the beginning of the end. So, me asking to add more to this 700++ pages book is honestly pushing it. 😂

I honestly would love to discuss this book with someone. To just talk about the characters and their individual developments, mostly. Because the characters made this series. If we didn't have them, if we had an unmemorable cast of characters with just the plot and the politics, it would be extremely dull.

Probably the best ending to a series I've read in a long, long time.

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