Review of "Jade Legacy" by Fonda Lee

I received an ARC of this book from Orbit in exchange for an honest review.

Over time, this series has grown on me. I think it took a book and a half to realize that Lee intended for us to follow these characters through the entire arc of their lives (however long or short that arc may be), and to tell a tale of honor, loyalty, tradition, and family that reaches across decades and through generations. Jade Legacy delivers a fitting conclusion to the story of Kaul Hilo and the No Peak/Mountain feud without making it seem like that is all there is in Lee's world. While there are still loose ends, as there must be in any city as messy and rich as Janloon, Lee delivers fitting conclusions for our main cast--not just the Kauls (Hilo, Shae, and Anden, as well as the next generation, who really come into their own as the book develops) but also Bero and his frustrating struggle for relevance, Ayt Mada, and the Kauls' contacts in Espenia. As in the previous two books, Lee is more than willing to surprise the audience with duels, deaths, and unexpected alliances, but these choices never feel gratuitous; they are part of a larger narrative that encompasses the way of life the Kauls have, to varying extents, chosen or been forced into by the burden of family legacy. Jade Legacy continues to ask hard questions about sacrifice, honor, and familial relationships, and shows its characters' hard and sometimes disappointing choices unflinchingly but without judgment. Through crises and conflicts, it brings the story of one generation to a close and passes the torch to the future of Kekon.

Five out of five stars.

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