Jade Legacy

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By Fonda Lee

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WINNER OF THE LOCUS AWARD FOR BEST FANTASY NOVEL, 2022 
*Bonus material included: "Travel Guide to Janloon" and "Dining Guide to Janloon"

"Lee's series will stand as a pillar of epic fantasy and family drama."
Library Journal (starred review)

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.

Praise for the Green Bone Saga:

"Jade City has it all: a beautifully realized setting, a great cast of characters, and dramatic action scenes. What a fun, gripping read!" —Ann Leckie

"An instantly absorbing tale of blood, honor, family, and magic, spiced with unexpectedly tender character beats."—NPR

The Green Bone Saga

Jade City
Jade War
Jade Legacy

Excerpt

The Green Bone Clans

Along with Their Associates and Enemies

The No Peak Clan

KAUL HILOSHUDON, Pillar

KAUL SHAELINSAN, Weather Man

EMERY ANDEN, a Kaul by adoption

KAUL MAIK WENRUXIAN, wife of Kaul Hilo, a stone-eye

KAUL LANSHINWAN, former Pillar of the clan, elder brother to Hilo and Shae; deceased

KAUL NIKOYAN, son of Kaul Lan, adoptive son of Hilo and Wen

KAUL RULINSHIN, son of Hilo and Wen, a stone-eye

KAUL JAYALUN, daughter of Hilo and Wen

JUEN NURENDO, Horn

JUEN IMRIEJIN, wife of the Horn

JUEN RITTO, JUEN DIN, twin sons of the Horn

MAIK TARMINGU, Pillarman

MAIK KEHNUGO, former Horn; deceased

MAIK SHO LINALIN, Kehn’s widow

MAIK CAMIKO, son of Kehn and Lina

LOTT JINRHU, a Fist of the clan

WOON PAPIDONWA, Weather Man’s Shadow

WOON RO KIYALIN, wife of Woon Papi

HAMI TUMASHON, Rainmaker

HAMI YASUTU, son of Hami Tuma

TERUN BINTONO, a Luckbringer

LUTO TAGUNIN, a Luckbringer

KAUL SENINGTUN, the Torch of Kekon, patriarch of the family; deceased

KAUL DUSHURON, son of Kaul Sen, father of Lan, Hilo, and Shae; deceased

KAUL WAN RIAMASAN, widow of Kaul Du, mother of Lan, Hilo, and Shae

YUN DORUPON, former Weather Man, a traitor; deceased

HARU EYNISHUN, ex-wife of Kaul Lan; deceased

KYANLA, housekeeper of the Kaul estate

SULIMA, housekeeper of the Kaul estate

Other Fists and Fingers

VUAY YUDIJO, First Fist to Juen Nu

IYN ROLUAN, a first-rank Fist

VIN SOLUNU, a first-rank Fist talented in Perception

DUDO, TAKO, personal bodyguards of Kaul Maik Wen

HEJO, TON, SUYO, TOYI, Fists of the clan

KITU, KENJO, SIM, Fingers of the clan

Future Green Bones

MAL GING, student at Kaul Du Academy, classmate of Jaya

NOYU HANATA, student at Kaul Du Academy, classmate of Jaya

NOYU KAINCAU, elder brother of Noyu Hana

EITEN ASHASAN, daughter of a former Fist, heiress to the Cursed Beauty distillery

TEIJE INNO, a distant cousin of the Kaul family

Notable Lantern Men

MR. UNE, proprietor of the Twice Lucky restaurant

MRS. SUGO, proprietor of the Lilac Divine Gentleman’s Club

FUYIN, TINO, EHO, retail industry Lantern Men

The Mountain Clan

AYT MADASHI, Pillar

IWE KALUNDO, Weather Man

NAU SUENZEN, Horn

AYT (KOBEN) ATOSHO, nephew of Ayt Mada

KOBEN YIROVU, head of the Koben family

KOBEN TIN BETTANA, wife of Koben Yiro

KOBEN ASHITIN, a Fist, son of Yiro and Bett

KOBEN OPONYO, a Lantern Man, uncle of Ayt Ato

SANDO KINTANIN, a Fist, cousin of Ayt Ato

ABEN SOROGUN, a first-rank Fist

NIRU VONONU, a junior Fist

GONT ASCHENTU, former Horn of the clan; deceased

VEN SANDOLAN, a former Lantern Man of the clan; deceased

AYT YUGONTIN, the Spear of Kekon, adoptive father to Mada, Im, and Eodo; deceased

AYT IMMINSHO, adopted elder son of Ayt Yu; deceased

AYT EODOYATU, adopted second son of Ayt Yu; deceased

TANKU USHIJAN, former Horn under Ayt Yugontin; deceased

TANKU DINGUMIN, a Fist, son of Tanku Ushijan; deceased

Minor Clans

JIO WASUJO, Pillar of the Six Hands Unity clan

JIO SOMUSEN, Horn of the Six Hands Unity clan

TYNE RETUBIN, Weather Man of the Six Hands Unity clan

SANGUN YENTU, Pillar of the Jo Sun clan

ICHO DANJIN, brother-in-law to Sangun Yen

ICHO TENNSUNO, a Fist from the Jo Sun clan

DURN SOSHUNURO, Pillar of the Black Tail clan

The Clanless Future Movement

BERO, a criminal

GURIHO, founding member of the CFM

OTONYO, founding member of the CFM

TADINO, member of the CFM, bar runner at the Little Persimmon Lounge

EMA, a new member of the CFM

VASTIK EYA MOLOVNI, a nekolva agent from Ygutan

Others in Kekon

JIM SUNTO, a former Navy Angel of the Republic of Espenia

GUIM ENMENO, chancellor of the Royal Council of Kekon, a Mountain loyalist

GENERAL RONU YASUGON, senior military advisor to the Royal Council

CANTO PAN, chairman of the Kekon Jade Alliance

SON TOMARHO, former chancellor of the Royal Council; deceased

REN JIRHUYA, an artist

SIAN KUGO, film producer and co-owner of Cinema Shore

TOH KITARU, news anchor for Kekon National Broadcasting

DANO, a student at Jan Royal University

LULA, a courtesan

DR. TIMO, DR. YON, Green Bone physicians

MASTER AIDO, private trainer in the jade disciplines

GRANDMASTER LE, head instructor at Kaul Dushuron Academy

Representatives of the Espenian Government

GALO, an agent in the ROE Military Intelligence Service

BERGLUND, an agent in the ROE Military Intelligence Service

ARA LONARD, Republic of Espenia ambassador to Kekon

COLONEL JORGEN BASSO, commanding officer at Euman Naval Base

In Espenia

The Kekonese-Espenians

DAUK LOSUNYIN, Pillar of Southtrap

DAUK SANASAN, wife of Dauk Losun, his “Weather Man”

DAUK CORUJON, “Cory,” son of Losun and Sana, a lawyer

DAUK KELISHON, “Kelly,” Cory’s sister, deputy secretary of the Industry Department

SAMMY, KUNO, TOD, Green Bones in Port Massy

REMI JONJUNIN (JON REMI), a Green Bone leader in Resville

MIGU SUNJIKI, a Green Bone leader in Adamont Capita

HASHO BAKUTA, a Green Bone leader in Evenfield

MR. AND MRS. HIAN, former host family to Emery Anden

ROHN TOROGON, the former “Horn” of Southtrap; deceased

DANNY SINJO, an athlete and actor

The Crews

WILLUM “SKINNY” REAMS, Boss of the Southside Crew

JOREN “JO BOY” GASSON, Boss of the Baker Street Crew

RICKART “SHARP RICKY” SLATTER, Boss of the Wormingwood Crew; in prison

BLAISE “THE BULL” KROMNER, former Boss of the Southside Crew; in prison

Others in Espenia

DR. ELAN MARTGEN, senior researcher at Demphey Medical Research Center

RIGLY HOLLIN, partner and vice president of WBH Focus

WALFORD, BERNETT, additional partners of WBH Focus

ART WYLES, CEO of Anorco Global Resources

ASSEMBLYMAN BLAKE SONNEN, chairman of the National Panel on Health

DR. GILSPAR, secretary of the Espenian Physicians Society

Elsewhere

IYILO, jade smuggler, leader of Ti Pasuiga; Uwiwa Islands

GUTTANO, executive at Diamond Light Motion Pictures; Shotar

CHOYULO, a leader of the Faltas barukan gang; Shotar

BATIYO, a member of the Faltas barukan gang; Shotar

SEL LUCANITO, entertainment tycoon, owner of Spectacle One; Marcucuo

FALSTON, an Espenian soldier

HICKS, an Espenian soldier




CHAPTER

1

Clanless

The Double Double hotel and casino was an unlikely place to incite revolution. It was merely a convenient target because Bero worked there and knew how to get past security. While the city of Janloon shivered at the sudden onset of the coldest, wettest winter in decades, the bright lights and clamor of the gambling floor continued unabated at all hours, pouring money from high rollers and foreign tourists into the coffers of the No Peak clan. That would not be the case today.

At ten minutes to noon, Bero pushed a luggage cart with three suitcases across the casino floor and into an elevator. Three businessmen in the elevator were carrying on a heated conversation. “The Mountain is offering me a tribute rate that’s fifteen percent lower. The Kauls can’t match that,” grumbled a bald man in a blue suit. “Yet they’re still expecting me to compete with the foreign chain stores that are popping up like weeds because of the trade deals they’ve pushed on the country.”

His colleague grimaced. “Would you rather pay tribute to Ayt Mada, though?”

“Ayt’s a power-hungry murderer, but so what? They all are. She did what she had to do, to keep the Mountain clan in line,” said the tanned third businessman. “At least she puts Kekonese interests first, and now that she’s finally named an heir, I think—”

The elevator door, which had begun to close, opened again and two foreigners stepped inside, taking up the remaining space next to Bero’s luggage cart. They were in plainclothes, but they didn’t seem like tourists. The three businessmen stopped talking and eyed the strangers with polite suspicion. Janloon was crawling with foreign corporate and government agents these days.

The elevator descended to the parking level and opened with a quiet ping. When all the other occupants had exited, Bero rolled the luggage cart and its contents into the parking lot and looked at his watch. Green Bones of the No Peak clan kept a close eye on the lucrative betting houses of Poor Man’s Road, but there were only so many of them patrolling the district. Eiten, the former Fist who’d given Bero his job at the Double Double, was not in today. After weeks of timing the security shifts, Bero knew that at precisely noon, none of the clan’s other jade warriors would be on the premises either. Of course, once the commotion started, they would arrive in short order, so speed was vital.

A van pulled into the parking space next to Bero. Tadino jumped out of the driver’s seat; Otonyo and Guriho got out of the rear. Bero did not particularly like the three Oortokons, with their foreign accents and ugly Ygutanian clothes, especially Tadino, who had the sharp bark and narrow face of a rat terrier. Nevertheless, they were the only people Bero had met who hated the Green Bone clans as much as he did, who wanted to see them come crashing down.

“Didn’t get stopped or questioned at all,” Tadino crowed. Even if they had been, there were no weapons or other suspicious items in the van. Bero pulled the suitcases off the luggage cart and threw them open on the ground. Guriho, Otonyo, and Tadino pulled out the contents: gas masks, spray paint, crowbars, handguns, and tear gas grenades.

When they were fully equipped, Bero used his employee key to get them into the stairwell next to the elevators. At the top of the stairs, he unlocked the upper set of doors, letting them out into the carpeted hallway behind the casino’s kitchen.

Tadino grinned and pulled the gas mask over his face. Guriho and Otonyo clapped each other on the back and did the same, Guriho struggling for a moment to stuff his long beard under the seal of the mask. They didn’t glance back at Bero as they rushed down the hall. Otonyo rolled one of the tear gas canisters into the kitchen and Tadino hurled another one onto the casino floor, where it began to hiss and spew its contents. Bero flattened himself out of sight against the door of the stairwell as the shouting began, followed by sounds of coughing, gagging, and stampeding feet. A gunshot went off, and noise erupted in earnest—cries of alarm above the toppling of dishes and furniture, the breaking of glass, the metallic banging of emergency exits, and the rapid whap of the casino’s revolving doors as the patrons of the Double Double fled choking from the premises, spilling in a panicked rush from the dim warm comfort of their games tables onto the main strip of Poor Man’s Road.

Bero wrapped a bandana over his nose and mouth and peered around the corner of the stairwell. He could still hear an awful lot of noise, but it was hard to see anything through the smoke. Part of him wished he was out there causing chaos with the others—firing into the air, swinging a crowbar into the glass bar tops, defacing the walls and furniture. The damage would be repaired, but it would cost No Peak. It would humiliate them and make a statement that couldn’t be ignored. Bero scowled. He was more daring and thick-blooded than any of the others. He’d done things that would make those Oortokon mongrels piss themselves.

He pulled his head back into the stairwell and shut the door. He had nothing to prove by going out there. If the Green Bones showed up, they would smash the legs of the fools they caught. Enough close calls had made Bero value his limbs. At one time, he’d possessed jade of his own and enough shine to keep him flush with money, but that wasn’t the case anymore. He hated the clans, but he needed this job.

The door banged open and the three men staggered into the stairwell, their eyes wild and bright, hair sweaty and chests heaving for breath. Bero hurried with them back down to the parking level. He went out first, ducking behind a corner as the nearby elevator opened and disgorged half a dozen escaping floor and kitchen staff members. When they were gone, Bero hit the emergency stop button in the elevator to prevent it from going back up, then he let the men out of the stairwell. They tore off their masks and threw their gear into the suitcases. “Lie low for two weeks and meet back at the Little Persimmon,” Guriho reminded them as they got back into the van. The vehicle peeled out of the parking lot, leaving Bero alone.

Bero wheeled the suitcases and their damning contents to the garbage chute and dumped them. He made sure his employee uniform was straight and unstained, then he walked out of the parking lot and went on his regular lunch break. When he returned thirty minutes later, there were two police cars and a fire truck parked outside of the Double Double, as well as three No Peak Green Bones walking around, angrily surveying the damage. Stranded hotel guests shivered on the sidewalk, waiting to be let back into their rooms. Bero stuffed his hands into his pockets and waited with them, hiding his smile at the red message spray-painted across the interior width of the casino’s front glass doors: THE FUTURE IS CLANLESS.




CHAPTER

2

Betrayal

the sixth year, first month

Kaul Hiloshudon studied the six businessmen dining with him and hoped he would not have to kill any of them. They were gathered in the largest private room in the Twice Lucky restaurant and there was still plenty of food on the table, but he had little appetite. Taking the lives of enemies was something Hilo could do without hesitation, but these were men of his own clan, who he knew and had been friendly with to some extent in the past. No Peak needed every loyal member.

“How’s your wife’s health, Kaul-jen?” asked the Lantern Man Fuyin Kan, bringing the rest of the casual conversation around the table to an awkward pause.

Hilo didn’t lose his smile, but the warmth left his eyes as he met the man’s gaze across the table. “Recovery takes time, but she’s doing better. Thank you for asking.”

Fuyin said, “That’s good to hear. There’s nothing more important than the health and safety of our families, after all. May the gods shine favor on No Peak.” He raised a glass of hoji in Hilo’s direction and the other businessmen echoed him and followed suit.

Fuyin was not a typical jadeless Lantern Man. He wore two jade rings, jade studs in his ears, and an elaborate jade buckle on his belt. A former Fist, he’d left the military side of No Peak fifteen years ago to run his family’s retail business. Despite the man’s words of polite concern, Hilo could Perceive Fuyin’s jade aura as a thick roiling cloud, bristling with unmistakable resentment and suspicion.

Genre:

  • "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."—Library Journal (starred review)
  • "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."—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
  • Jade Legacy is excellent, exactly what it needs to be as a third book in a big ticket trilogy. Scope, character, cultural and technological change over time, generational differences, action, tragedy, and comedy create a sweeping and majestic story that is also grounded absolutely in people's lives."—Kate Elliott
  • "Jade Legacy caps off the epic Green Bone Saga, living up to the trilogy's unique genre-bending framework."—Booklist
  • "Delivers all the drama, conflict, and intensity fans have come to expect."—Seattle Book Review
  • "Sweeping, leisurely, and epic, and combines political intrigue with sharply choreographed action scenes, but it's a character-driven family drama at its heart."―Publishers Weekly (starred review) on Jade War

    "[Lee] juggles the personal and the epic with deft, admirable skill, weaving a story that is equally sweeping and intimate; a magical, almost operatic crime and family drama that feels all the more true because all of her jade-fueled supermen (and women) come with human hearts that bend and break the same as ours.―NPR on Jade War

    "Jade City has it all: a beautifully realized setting, a great cast of characters, and dramatic action scenes. What a fun, gripping read!"―Ann Leckie, Hugo, Nebula, and Arthur C. Clarke Award-winning author

    "Stylish and action-packed, full of ambitious families and guilt-ridden loves, Jade City is an epic drama reminiscent of the best classic Hong Kong gangster films but set in a fantasy metropolis so gritty and well-imagined that you'll forget you're reading a book."―Ken Liu, Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy Award-winning author

    "Lee's astute worldbuilding raises the stakes for her vivid and tautly-described action scenes." ―Scott Lynch, New York Times bestselling author on Jade City

    "Lee has upped her game in this novel, with deeper, more nail-biting intrigue and stunning, heart-pumping action scenes. Her character development is pitch-perfect."―Booklist on Jade War

    "Lee effortlessly injects more complexity into an already-rich universe.... Lee proves she's still a master at mafia-magic storytelling, and this second volume is deeper and more ambitious than the first."―BookPage on Jade War

    "Compelling characters and intricate worldbuilding.... I want to spend more time in Kekon."―Hank Green on Jade City

    "Intricate, fast-moving, and brazen, Jade City elevates the fantasy crime novel to something really special. A sharp and insightful new voice."―Elizabeth Bear, Hugo and Locus Award-winning author

    "A fast-hitting, tantalizing, sometimes unsettling, and always insightful book with a wealth of power at its core. A modern-day epic."―Fran Wilde on Jade City

    "How does a book make me giddy and heartbroken at the same time? Jade City delivers intrigue, family drama, and martial arts magic that feels absolutely real."―Mary Robinette Kowal

    "Fast cars, brilliant characters, and gangster kung-fu! Swift, intricate, and vicious as a talon knife, Fonda Lee's Jade City will pull you into a world of deft intrigue, hard choices, and bloody loyalty. A fantastic read."―Max Gladstone,

    "An atmospheric, gritty noir tale of family loyalties, martial arts, and power struggles in a city that feels so real it becomes a character in its own right. Jade City is epic drama writ large."―Aliette de Bodard, Nebula, Locus, and British Science Fiction Award-winning author

    "If you like extremely tense political maneuvering and intrigue, you will love Jade City. Fonda Lee is the new Mario Puzo; Jade City has officially dethroned The Godfather."―Sarah Gailey

    "Dynamic fight scenes and vibrant world-building bring to life this sharp, memorable story of a family caught up in a ferocious gang war."―Kate Elliott on Jade CityPrevious praise for the Green Bone Saga

On Sale
Sep 13, 2022
Page Count
768 pages
Publisher
Orbit
ISBN-13
9780316440967

Fonda Lee

About the Author

Fonda Lee is the World Fantasy Award-winning author of Jade City and the award-winning YA science fiction novels Zeroboxer, Exo, and Cross Fire. Born and raised in Canada, Lee is a black belt martial artist, a former corporate strategist, and an action movie aficionado who now lives in Portland, Oregon with her family.

Learn more about this author