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A review by m00dreads
Jade Legacy by Fonda Lee
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I finished this book in the wee hours of the morning and woke later that day with an ache in my chest. I had promised not to rush through the finale as I did with the previous installment, but here we are.
I will think about this banger of an ending and this series for a long time. It begins as a gripping mob drama ( Jade City ), escalates into a geopolitical and oligarchic chess match with elevated stakes ( Jade War ), and culminates into a sprawling epic spanning two decades (Jade Legacy).
I'm tempted to label The Green Bone Saga a long game, but that would suggest there was a fated end point and that predetermined victory was the sole objective—which would be an injustice to what Fonda Lee was able to accomplish here. While there's satisfaction in watching carefully arranged dominoes topple with captivating grace, this series is more than the sum of its parts. The Green Bone Saga is a detailed chronicle of power and tradition, offering the most comprehensive map of cause and consequence I've ever encountered in fantasy. Lee doesn't just record the initial splash; she traces its ripples through her vast fictional world, whether caused by boulder or pebble.
It's one thing to admire the overarching design, be irresistibly drawn into the plot, and fall in love with an array of characters. It's entirely another to deeply resonate with a principle, a whole way of life.
Just thinking about Green Bones makes me wanna weep ðŸ˜. Tbh it's probably because it's so close to home. The culture is so deeply rooted in familiar Asian values; it fully recognizes our collectivistic nature and treats it with the complexity it deserves.
I will think about this banger of an ending and this series for a long time. It begins as a gripping mob drama ( Jade City ), escalates into a geopolitical and oligarchic chess match with elevated stakes ( Jade War ), and culminates into a sprawling epic spanning two decades (Jade Legacy).
I'm tempted to label The Green Bone Saga a long game, but that would suggest there was a fated end point and that predetermined victory was the sole objective—which would be an injustice to what Fonda Lee was able to accomplish here. While there's satisfaction in watching carefully arranged dominoes topple with captivating grace, this series is more than the sum of its parts. The Green Bone Saga is a detailed chronicle of power and tradition, offering the most comprehensive map of cause and consequence I've ever encountered in fantasy. Lee doesn't just record the initial splash; she traces its ripples through her vast fictional world, whether caused by boulder or pebble.
It's one thing to admire the overarching design, be irresistibly drawn into the plot, and fall in love with an array of characters. It's entirely another to deeply resonate with a principle, a whole way of life.
Just thinking about Green Bones makes me wanna weep ðŸ˜. Tbh it's probably because it's so close to home. The culture is so deeply rooted in familiar Asian values; it fully recognizes our collectivistic nature and treats it with the complexity it deserves.