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.
I’ve put this review off for way too long while I try to gather my thoughts. Finishing Fonda Lee’s JADE LEGACY was bittersweet, to say the very least. One thing it got me thinking about was how authors choose to name their trilogies/series. Some just get named, like THE FIRST LAW. Others may just use the word “trilogy” in the name, or something fancy like “chronicle.”
Fonda Lee went with THE GREEN BONE SAGA, and goddamn…it really ended up being such a perfect choice. Especially with this last book in the trilogy. There is no possible way I’ll be able to convey the scope of this story in a review, but needless to say, there are few (if any) trilogies I’ve read more deserving of the word “saga.”
I feel like I’ve gotten to know the Kaul family as well as any fictional family I’ve ever known, which made picking up this final book feel just…fucking heavy. Like, I was not ready to say goodbye to these characters, and to this stunningly vivid world that Lee created. At all. I know there’s a planned novella and some short stories in the works, but…this felt like a massive door closing slowly over many hundreds of pages.
Oof.
I hope it isn’t too spoilery (and I’ve seen plenty of other people mention it), but it seems impossible to write about JADE LEGACY without mentioning the fact that the book covers a great length of time. Which only adds to the epic scope of this novel. There’s something really intense about seeing characters who were significantly younger than I am in JADE CITY wind up as significantly older than I am in JADE LEGACY.
While the GREEN BONE books are oftentimes thrilling & feature some truly nail-biting action scenes, the character development in these books is what makes them so special. Hilo in particular has just gone through so much over the course of these books. I think what’s really authentic about this character in particular is that, while he has grown & matured tremendously over this trilogy, there’s always that flicker of hell-raising mischief in Hilo’s eyes. But goddamn, this is such a big-hearted character. The love that Hilo has for everyone in his family just seems limitless, and we really get to see different facets of his personality come to life in JADE LEGACY.
I mention this here & there, but books almost never make me cry. Movies & TV shows will have me sobbing all the time, but it’s a rare thing when it happens while I’m reading. And there were TWO (2) instances of me full-on ugly crying while reading JADE LEGACY. I mean fucking hell…prepare to have your heart wrung out again & again & again.
I really don’t know what else to even say here, to be honest. This trilogy is just a whole entire masterpiece. This is that rare fantasy trilogy that I think would appeal to so many different kinds of readers. It’s got a fucking radical magic system, but the story is never overly reliant upon it. The magic serves the story, not the other way around.
The world building? Unreal. I honestly feel like I’ve been to Janloon several times, been to the Twice Lucky restaurant for some crispy squid balls, maybe been held up by Bero on the way home, I don’t know.
This world that Fonda Lee created just lives in my mind, rent free. I remember first hearing about JADE CITY, and the general pitch was: The Godfather, set in a fictional version of Hong Kong, with kung-fu and magic. And that should certainly be enough to bring new readers to this trilogy, but there is of course a whole lot more going on in between the pages of these books. So much about family, love, loyalty, and yes, legacy.
I’m incredibly grateful to Orbit for sending me all three of these books over the years! JADE CITY was one of the first 10 or so reviews I posted here, so this trilogy also has some cool sentimental significance for me. And on top of that, these books are just so fucking special. I absolutely can’t wait to hear what Fonda Lee will be up to next…she is truly one of the best storytellers, and I would put THE GREEN BONE SAGA at or near the top of my very favorites, without hesitation.
Grimdark Dad 