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MY ⭐️ RATING: 5/5
Format: Kindle Whispersync
BOOK DESCRIPTION
The Kaul siblings battle rival clans for honor and control over an East Asia-inspired fantasy metropolis in Jade Legacy, the page-turning conclusion to the Green Bone Saga.
Jade, the mysterious and magical substance once exclusive to the Green Bone warriors of Kekon, is now coveted throughout the world. Everyone wants access to the supernatural abilities it provides. As the struggle over the control of jade grows ever larger and more deadly, the Kaul family, and the ancient ways of the Kekonese Green Bones, will never be the same.
Battered by war and tragedy, the Kauls are plagued by resentments and old wounds as their adversaries are on the ascent and their country is riven by dangerous factions and foreign interference. The clan must discern allies from enemies, set aside bloody rivalries, and make terrible sacrifices . . . but even the unbreakable bonds of blood and loyalty may not be enough to ensure the survival of the Green Bone clans and the nation they are sworn to protect.
MY REVIEW
This finale hit me like a ton of bricks, not only did Fonda Lee nail this, she absolutely smashed it with the force of Jade-charged sledgehammer (if that existed), by wrapping up the saga with heart-wrenching twists on a global showdown that left me reeling. Unlike the other books, Jade Legacy takes place over decades, with leaps of time of Hilo’s reign as pillar, tracking the Kaul family as they age, adapt and face consequences of the legacy they built as they face off with Ayt Mada one last time. With its big setting and time frame showing the streets of Janloon to Espenia and Shotar, escalating political intrigue, clan wars and the clanless movement at home while also dealing with international power plays, Lee ended this trilogy the only way she could, perfectly.
With the Kaul’s remaining the heart of the story as Hilo’s fierce charisma and charm deepen as a pillar and father, showing his willingness to protect those he loves, Shae navigating through espionage and diplomacy while shouldering personal sacrifices, Anden finding a new purpose for using his jade, showing his resilience and resolve while his journey takes him back to Espenia and to many other places as well and Wen’s stone-eye grit proves she’s more than just Hilo’s heart with a fierce jadeless warrior-like resolve, amid a disability. Watching them age because of the time jump and seeing Niko, Ru and Jaya grow from toddlers to adults in a vicious world leads to something both epic and intimate at the same time.
“No matter which part of the country you’re from, which clan you swear allegiance to, whether you wear jade or not, we are all Kekonese. We defend and avenge our own. You wrong any of us, you wrong us all. You seek to war with us, and we will return it a hundredfold.”
Lee’s world-building has always shined and continues to do so, even more so by giving extra backstory of the world within the interludes that help weave more of the tapestry adding more depth. The emotional gut-punches were visceral and gave a long lasting damage to not only the characters within the story, but to me as well. The cultural push and pull of jade expectations against modern challenges kept me hooked, turning Kekon into a place l’ll miss exploring, though there are some novellas I’ll have to jump on to get my jade-fix, though I won’t miss the sex scenes, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, it’s just not my thing.
Jade Legacy is easily one of the best finales of a series I’ve ever read, hands down. Because of some personal things, I was able to read this a lot slower than normal and able to let it savor before moving to the next chapter and so on. The only “issue” I had with Jade Legacy was with the narration, with that said, I thought Andrew Kishino crushed it, but there were a few names where the pronunciation was changed in the final book to how they were pronounced previously, since it was very limited due to the characters not being in this book, I didn’t let it bother me. I’m still trying to process this while I write this, but this saga is unequivocally a masterpiece and tv/movie producers are foolish for not having this out already.
Wolfmantula.com 