You can see all my reviews here: Books Are The New Black

First, I’m sorry this is so late! I was slammed with moving and the holidays! This is definitely a book that is hard to put down. It was a struggle to actually have to be a responsible adult! haha

This might be one of the best series endings ever. Can I write a review that does it justice? Not a chance. Are my thoughts coherent? Not at all. I am not recovered, and my favorite books are always the hardest to write reviews for.

“Jade warriors are young, and then they are ancient.”

Fonda Lee did something a bit different with this book and skips a lot of time. Sometimes we skip years between chapters. At first, I wasn’t into it and was sad to see the age in some of my favorite characters. By the end of the book, I realized it totally made sense. The world-building and political intrigue are just as great as all her previous. This whole world is unique and fascinating but what she excels at, are her characters.

Hilo might be one of my favorite characters of all time. By the end of this series, I wanted to offer someone a clean blade so he would be proud of me too. Then I could say, “The clan is my blood and the Pillar my master.” His character was not my favorite in Jade City. This goes to show you how brilliant she is at writing characters since he’s now one of my favorites of all time. His story arc is hauntingly beautiful. He goes through so much and not all of it is pretty. I think the growth he has in this book alone is one of my favorite things about this book. He’s such a hothead and doesn’t think about the next step in previous books. In this book, he has learned a lot from his past mistakes and applies them. Even though, there are times that he absolutely surprises me.

What’s even more amazing is that there are several characters that I loved dearly in this series. They all get their time to shine and take actions to really make big impacts. Some of those actions are not so black and white but you understand. One of the things that I love about this series is that there are brutal moments that you can’t believe happen, but you do understand. Wren & Shae were two of early favorites, especially in Jade War. One of the things I love about Wren is that she’s a stone-eye and comes from nothing. It does not stop her at all. She’s one of the strongest and smartest characters in this series. Wow, I truly enjoyed her character arc. Shae is brilliant and I love how Hilo is surrounded by such strong amazing women. He doesn’t shy away from it but embraces it. I’m not sure if it’s just the powerful way that Lee writes her women or what, but I was even kind of in love with Ayt Madashi! Is she evil? Absolutely, but I understand it. I don’t agree with it, but I couldn’t just outright hate her. Then we have Anden, who walked away from it all to do his own thing BUT is such an important figure in the Green Bone family, is just beautiful. He’s been through so much but what he has become in this book just makes me so happy.

“You’d think it would be easier to face death as you get older, but it doesn’t work that way. You get more attached to life, to people you love and things that are worth living for.”

There are so many moving pieces in this book that I had a hard time figuring out how it would all come together. I actually loved that because it was not predictable. There’s a lot of action and a lot of new characters to fall in love with. I wasn’t sure if I would be able to connect with them as well, but I was so wrong. Honestly, the way that each and every character provides vital moments in this series is just amazing.

One of the things that you have to be aware of is that this is a slow build. While I was completely engrossed in the plot, there are times that policy and business really take the forefront. It is so vital to the story, so you just have to be patient that it’s going to mean something. She does have a good mix of action and fight scenes to really keep the story moving. Also, there are many moments in this book that will hit you in the gut or rip out your heart. You pick which is worse and go with that one. Gosh, this is going to be a story that I remember forever. You know, how sometimes as readers, we can read so many books that some books you have a hard time remembering details? This is not one of those books. The emotional punches come often and just make it hard to forget those feelings.

“Perhaps that was the great tragedy of jade warriors and their families. Even when we win, we lose.“

There’s one thing that I didn’t love about this book (doesn’t take away from my overall love) and I’m not really going to discuss it because I want to keep it spoiler-free.

Overall, this was an amazing ending to the series. Green Bone fans should feel satisfied because I am. Like I mentioned before, this is probably one of my favorite series endings ever. I walked away satisfied and completely heartbroken. I had to cry in my shower because my son was so concerned about me. haha! I think if an author can make you have such intense feelings about her stories, she’s brilliant and that’s all you need to know! I know that my thoughts are all over the place but if anything has happened… I hope that it’s convinced you to pick up book one and jump into this amazing series! Thank you, Fonda Lee, for such an incredible world and characters that I will never forget!

Thank you to Orbit for providing me with a copy of this e-book for review! All thoughts and opinions are my own!