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A review by christinecc
Jade Legacy by Fonda Lee
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
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
"Jade Legacy" does something so few series accomplish: it sticks the landing and then does a bonus back-flip, just because it can. 10/10.
This final installment in Fonda Lee's Green Bone Saga gives us the end of the Kaul sibling story. Over the span of twenty years, we watch Hilo finally come into his own as Pillar of the No Peak clan, we see Shae grow more honest and wise with her goals and role as a Green Bone Weatherman, and we hold our breath as Anden continues his journey towards a life without the green bones' prized substance: jade.
All of that just scratches the surface of what "Jade Legacy" has to offer. Forgiveness, surprises, self-discovery, self-doubt, and a new generation that fits right into the existing cast. Hilo's children, including his adoptive nephew, his stone-eye son, and his jade-reactive daughter are all grown up, but not so fast that we can't spend time with them and see them become characters in their own right. Niko and Ru's brotherly relationship was just as touching and compelling as that of the original Kauls, not to mention Hilo's own relationship with his nephew who reminds him more and more of the original Kaul big brother, the late great Lan, and the daughter who has more than a little of Hilo's fire. I'm not even going to touch the amazing development we see between Hilo and his amazing, forever brave wife, the inimitable Wen.
And yes, for anyone wondering, we get plenty of Bero this time around. What would we do without our agent of chaos on the island of Kekkon?
If you're looking for a story with the family drama and stakes offered by the Godfather and martial arts movies with a touch of King Lear and an aesthetic reminiscent of mid-20th century Hong Kong, rest assured: this is the series for you. It will take care of everything, satisfaction guaranteed. An ending can make or break a story, but this one really, really makes it (and now I want to read it all over again). Hopefully, Lee will write more about the world of the Green Bones, like the material she posts via Patreon, but if she doesn't, this series already gave me more than I ever hoped it would.
Thank you so, so very much to Orbit Books and Netgalley for giving me a free eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This final installment in Fonda Lee's Green Bone Saga gives us the end of the Kaul sibling story. Over the span of twenty years, we watch Hilo finally come into his own as Pillar of the No Peak clan, we see Shae grow more honest and wise with her goals and role as a Green Bone Weatherman, and we hold our breath as Anden continues his journey towards a life without the green bones' prized substance: jade.
All of that just scratches the surface of what "Jade Legacy" has to offer. Forgiveness, surprises, self-discovery, self-doubt, and a new generation that fits right into the existing cast. Hilo's children, including his adoptive nephew, his stone-eye son, and his jade-reactive daughter are all grown up, but not so fast that we can't spend time with them and see them become characters in their own right. Niko and Ru's brotherly relationship was just as touching and compelling as that of the original Kauls, not to mention Hilo's own relationship with his nephew who reminds him more and more of the original Kaul big brother, the late great Lan, and the daughter who has more than a little of Hilo's fire. I'm not even going to touch the amazing development we see between Hilo and his amazing, forever brave wife, the inimitable Wen.
And yes, for anyone wondering, we get plenty of Bero this time around. What would we do without our agent of chaos on the island of Kekkon?
If you're looking for a story with the family drama and stakes offered by the Godfather and martial arts movies with a touch of King Lear and an aesthetic reminiscent of mid-20th century Hong Kong, rest assured: this is the series for you. It will take care of everything, satisfaction guaranteed. An ending can make or break a story, but this one really, really makes it (and now I want to read it all over again). Hopefully, Lee will write more about the world of the Green Bones, like the material she posts via Patreon, but if she doesn't, this series already gave me more than I ever hoped it would.
Thank you so, so very much to Orbit Books and Netgalley for giving me a free eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.