The technology of Kekon is around the 1970s when the book begins, and reaches 1990s or early 2000s by the finale, with computers and cell phones in full use. That means not only long-term character growth, but also long-term evolution of technology and political relations.

Nearly 30 years go by between the opening page and the last, a feat rarely seen in the fantasy space (at least within the span of one book). The world building of JADE LEGACY also benefits from the large timespan covered within this single book. Kekon is not exactly innocent of its own meddling, but it is certainly outclassed. JADE LEGACY is partially the story of Kekon’s fight to survive while giants stomp around on its lands and meddle with its politics in an attempt to poke at the interests of their enemies. And while it would be easy to point to this short hand as a creative flaw, Lee makes it feel original through the fact that her story doesn’t take place inside either of the two global superpowers, but inside a tiny nation caught in the middle. Some of that comes from the real world parallels the story obviously draws from (the Slow War between two super powers, for instance, is analogous to the Cold War between US and the USSR).

This series may be set in a country where people have super-human abilities granted to them by rocks, but that doesn’t stop it from feeling like Kekon is just a plane flight away. THE GREEN BONE SAGA has many strengths, but one of its biggest has always been that the author manages to make Kekon and the rest of the world feel like a real place. JADE LEGACY is the breathtaking finale to a saga that captures the evolution of not just a family but of an entire globe. Can No Peak continue to stand against the Mountain and maintain its independence? Or can No Peak only survive if they submit to their bitterest enemy? As Kaul Hilo’s children approach the age where they can begin to take a hand in the family business, the Kauls grapple with the direction of the clan’s future. Rising anti-clan sentiment in Janloon threatens the stability of the city, and the Mountain Clan continues to outmaneuver No Peak at every turn. While still reeling from the tragic consequences of overseas expansion, the Kaul family struggles to fend off threats to the No Peak Clan.

Jade War by Fonda Lee