You fall into these books like a love affair — all rough physicality and surprise — but stay (across thousands of pages) because there's so much more to it than that. Laughs. Heartbreak. Depths that loom unexpectedly. Friends that come and go ... Mostly you get hooked because Lee has created a world that feels as real and logical and lived-in as the one outside the covers. Both more ordered and more chaotic at the same time. Deadlier and more beautiful. They are terrible temptations, these books. You pick them up and it's hard to put them down ... Thirty years of love and war and vengeance and betrayal — that's what Lee is offering here. A long slide into an imaginary history glimpsed in explosive, Technicolor bursts, punctuated by the stutter of machine guns, sweetened by rice wine and almond tarts. There are deaths and defeats in Legacy that will rock any long-time Green Bone fan. Victories that feel so tenuous you want to dig your nails into the pages just to hold them tighter.
Lee has perfectly honed her fantasy and gangster thriller experience with more drama, bloodshed, showdowns, political intrigue, and higher costs ... The world-building and the magic system (Jade powers) are some of modern fantasy’s finest but it’s Lee’s characters, their dialogues and interactions, and the sublime character development that makes this series such an addictive and memorable read ... Lee has excelled throughout Jade Legacy, solidifying herself as an excellent writer and masterful storyteller.
The Green Bone books are densely populated, but Jade Legacy thankfully includes a list of characters, which readers will find supremely helpful to flip back to. By this point, there are so many characters who have come and gone, but Lee always knows when to let a personal moment stretch out between central characters and gives fan-favorites plenty of room to shine. Anything seems possible in this last volume, and Lee ratchets up the pressure to 10 ... Quite simply, Jade Legacy is the best book in Lee's fantastic trilogy. It's the most complex, offers the most surprises and confidently navigates an intricate story with a huge number of characters and factions.
Spanning 20 years of conflict, martial arts action, family dynamics, and moral choices, this epic takes the existing character arcs, rich East Asian–inspired worldbuilding, and intense drama to the edge—and jumps. Lee’s storytelling is masterful and will leave readers heartbroken and hopeful ... Blood, loyalty, and lives are gained and lost in the powerful finale of the Green Bone Saga. Lee’s series will stand as a pillar of epic fantasy and family drama.
The politics and power games have grown as the awareness and demand for the magical jade have. It would be easy in this final book to get lost in that part of the story, but Lee does a stellar job of keeping the book as character driven as the rest of the series ... This book is truly a conclusion to the trilogy and should be read only after the first two, or the reader will be lost in Lee’s rich and troubled world.
Sprawling, complex, and steeped in Asian culture and sensibilities, this impressive contemporary fantasy slowly unwinds over many years, capturing the feel of time passing and eras changing even as it lingers in the most pivotal moments. Lee expertly balances conflict and growth on both individual and societal levels, giving this massive story weight, as every decision can potentially change the world. In both meeting and subverting expectations at every turn, Lee guides her cast to a deeply satisfying, well-earned conclusion.
