Fonda Lee's Blog

Thomas Walker did such a good job with the reissued Green Bone Saga covers that Orbit’s art director Lauren Panepinto tapped him again to create the cover for The Last Contract of Isako. I love Tommy’s style, and I think he knocked it out of the park yet again. Thank you to Goodreads for hosting today’s official cover reveal.

The Last Contract of Isako will be releasing from Orbit Books on May 5, 2026 in hardcover, trade paperback, ebook, and audiobook (yes, all the formats). You can preorder it now from the book retailer of your choice! More information about launch events, special editions, and signed copies will be forthcoming.

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Thank you to the New York Public Library for naming Breath of the Dragon one of the Best Books for Teens in 2025 and the Chicago Public Library for naming it among the Best Teen Fiction of 2025!

Breath of the Dragon has also been nominated for the Goodreads Readers’ Favorite Books of 2025! Please cast your vote for this novel that Shannon and I wrote to honor her father, Bruce Lee.

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Thank you to Chicago Public Library for naming Breath of the Dragon among the Best Teen Fiction of 2025!

Breath of the Dragon has also been nominated for the Goodreads Readers’ Favorite Books of 2025! Between now and November 23, please cast your vote for this novel that Shannon and I wrote to honor her father, Bruce Lee.

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Sharp blades. Sharp suits. A sacred stone granting mythic martial prowess. Wǔxiá action meets gangster warfare in STREETS OF JADE: the Green Bone Saga RPG! 

After years of development, I’m thrilled to share that the Green Bone Saga is being adapted into a tabletop roleplaying game by Evil Hat Productions, created by veteran game designer James Mendez Hodes (Avatar Legends, Thousand Arrows, and Scion) and myself, based on the Paragon system.

Contributors include Sen-Foong Lim (writer, systems consultant), Guangyao Un (writer), Carly Ho (writer), Lydia Suen (writer), Sophia Babai (writer), Mary Rose Valentine (writer), Lex Leone (writer, cultural consultant), Cris Viana (graphic design, layout), Jacky Leung (copy editor). Also credited are Hannah Elizabeth Baker (cover artist), Sean Nittner and John Harper (PARAGON System original design), Chris Hanrahan (business development), Tom Lommel (marketing manager), Sean Nittner (project manager), and Fred Hicks (product developer).

Read more about the game development process in the exclusive interview with Rascal, and sign up to playtest.

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I couldn’t be more excited to announce that Orbit Gold is releasing a special edition boxed set of the Green Bone Saga. Trust me when I say the images below don’t even do these books justice. The beautiful slipcase art is by one of my favorite fantasy genre artists, Tommy Arnold. The clothbound naked hardcovers are designed by Orbit’s art director, Lauren Panepinto, and feature colored endpapers, foiling, and cloth ribbon. The maps by Tim Paul have been updated and improved. Each copy of Jade City is signed by yours truly. In short, they’re gorgeous editions.

The Gold edition of the Green Bone Saga is available for pre-order at a 20% discount on the Orbit US and Orbit UK websites only and will be released on August 26, 2025. At this time, Orbit ships to the continental US, UK, and Canada. (Note: Canadians will need to order through the UK site.)

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Breath of the Dragon is on Google’s list of “Our Favorite Reads of 2025 So Far.” There’s some excellent SF&F on this list including books by Robert Jackson Bennett, Joe Abercrombie, Daryl Gregory, John Scalzi & more, so it’s a good place to find your next read.

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The Green Bone Saga is being reissued in trade paperback with brand new covers! I’ve had my eye on the work of artist Tommy Pocket for years, and I couldn’t be happier with what he’s created. As soon as I laid eyes on them, I instantly felt that these are the covers I’ve always wanted and that the books were meant to have. They’ll hit shelves on September 9, 2025 in the U.S., U.K., and Canada, and you can pre-order them now.

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WOW. Breath of the Dragon hit the New York Times, the USA Today, and the Indie bestseller lists upon release! Enormously thankful to my co-author Shannon Lee for trusting me with this story, our entire publishing team at Wednesday Books, and the booksellers, reviewers, and readers who’ve supported the book!

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Untethered Sky is a finalist for the British Fantasy Award for Best Novella! I’m grateful to the organizers and jurors for my very first BFA nomination. Congratulations to all the finalists, which you can learn more about here.

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Untethered Sky has won the 2024 Aurora Award for Best Novelette/Novella! This year’s ballot representing the best of Canadian science fiction and fantasy was especially strong, making this a true honor from the voters of the CSFFA. See the full list of winners here. 

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