Great trilogy ender! I had trouble with the time jumps in Jade War, constantly surprised that a couple of months or years had apparently passed between chapters. In Jade Legacy, it still took me some time to get my bearings when big jumps happened, but at least they're clearly labeled so I didn't have to guess or do mental math. 😅 Plus, it was a great way to signal

the beginning of Niko's reign as Pillar.

Very interesting how in Jade City we focused on a specific time period, but as the series went on, the years seemed to go by quicker, giving us a broader sense of how the clans impact these characters for a lifetime.

I hope I'm not alone in actually liking Bero in this book. 😆 He's a great narrative tool, honestly, always getting embroiled in clan business one way or another but never truly belonging anywhere. His life was so pathetic and lonely, I couldn't help but feel sorry for him. Sue me!

I can't believe we started and ended the series with Bero. The epitome of a survivor, haha.

I wish we got to see more of Ayt Mada throughout the series! She was always the most intriguing character for me. I love how Fonda Lee handled the tension between her and Shae, and the culmination of her decades-long rivalry with Hilo.

One more thing: obviously the story is centered on No Peak, but I wish we got to know the clanless "rebels" as more than disillusioned troublemakers. I understand it may have been beyond the scope of the book, but it would've been so interesting to delve deeper into their experiences, legitimate concerns, hopes for a future where the masses don't bow to the powerful, etc... I love the Kauls as a reader, but if I were a citizen in Kekon, I suspect I would have sympathized with the clanless. Can the system truly be reformed enough to justify its existence? I wish we had that conversation.

The rebellion fizzling out was disappointing, though perhaps realistic. Not gonna lie, that bit about Niko being the "Pillar of Kekon" disturbed me a little bit.

 

Fonda Lee has written some of the most unlikeable and flawed characters in this series... yet I love them all and take everything that happens to the Kaul family personally. The world that Lee created is so well fleshed out and unique and unlike anything, I've ever read. This finale was heartbreaking, infuriating, and exactly what it needed to be. Perfection! Basically, I'm a super fan of the Green Bone saga and truly think it will be my favorite series for years to come. 

Lee knows exactly what she wants to bring to the table with this finale, her characters keep going through challenges, learning, and growing through every triumph and defeat.

So many choices have come home to roost for the Kauls, still under siege by their wily and determined enemy, with familial dynamics that have changed and become strained; new avenues opening up, and a brewing unrest against Green Bones.

The stage widens to include a new generation that wants to exist beyond the rigidity of 'the Green Bone way', that wishes for the clans and all they stand for to disappear, and to integrate jade into new and innovative ways to benefit society. 

What was the highlight for me is the way Lee uses generational change and intergenerational interplay to show the divergent schools of thought and maturation happening in the younger generations. How they are choosing different paths than was planned or expected in their own effort to find and be true to their developing, independent identities.

What disappointed me was the lack of Abukei character representation and explanation. Their story is one that would have further brought Kekon to life.

I can't believe this series is over. After so many years of reading these books, it's over. And what a satisfying conclusion.

I loved seeing how things changed over the years, especially with the kids. As someone who grew up in the midst of war and terrorism, I completely understood the children's perspectives and responses as they grew older.

It was a beautiful, sweeping conclusion to these books. I'm glad I read them.