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The Last Contract of Isako
Get ready to be blown away by this searing standalone science fiction epic where corporate samurai fight beneath merciless stars, and death is always a mere breath away.
Isako is a legendary swordswoman, but every legend has to come to an end. When her long-time client unexpectedly retires, she plans to follow-to walk out into the frozen wasteland of their planet with her head held high and her family enriched by her legacy. But when a competitor offers her a final mission, it's one she can't refuse. Soon, she's thrust deep into a world of corporate espionage, duty-bound duels, and shadowy secrets. What she uncovers will change humanity's existence in the stars forever.
The Last Contract of Isako is the sci-fi you didn't know you corporate samurai... in space. This is the first adult science fiction novel from the award-winning author of Jade City.
'A knife-sharp intense dystopian ride - this is Fonda Lee at her very best. A gritty, heartfelt, and explosive masterpiece' Tasha Suri, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Isle in the Silver Sea
'Dazzlingly inventive and pure fun, this Rashomon-esque story of a jaded corporate swordswoman kept me guessing until the last twist. Highly recommend!'
Shannon Chakraborty, author of The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi
Isako is a legendary swordswoman, but every legend has to come to an end. When her long-time client unexpectedly retires, she plans to follow-to walk out into the frozen wasteland of their planet with her head held high and her family enriched by her legacy. But when a competitor offers her a final mission, it's one she can't refuse. Soon, she's thrust deep into a world of corporate espionage, duty-bound duels, and shadowy secrets. What she uncovers will change humanity's existence in the stars forever.
The Last Contract of Isako is the sci-fi you didn't know you corporate samurai... in space. This is the first adult science fiction novel from the award-winning author of Jade City.
'A knife-sharp intense dystopian ride - this is Fonda Lee at her very best. A gritty, heartfelt, and explosive masterpiece' Tasha Suri, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Isle in the Silver Sea
'Dazzlingly inventive and pure fun, this Rashomon-esque story of a jaded corporate swordswoman kept me guessing until the last twist. Highly recommend!'
Shannon Chakraborty, author of The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi
18 pages, Audible Audio
First published May 5, 2026
About the author
Fonda Lee
45 books9,478 followersFonda Lee is the World Fantasy Award-winning author of the epic Green Bone Saga, beginning with Jade City and continuing in Jade War and Jade Legacy. Her most recent work is the fantasy novella, Untethered Sky. She is also the author of the acclaimed science fiction novels Zeroboxer, Exo and Cross Fire.
Fonda is a winner of the Locus Award, a six-time winner of the Aurora Award (Canada’s national science fiction and fantasy award), and a multiple finalist for the Hugo Award and the Nebula Award. Her novels have garnered multiple starred reviews, been included on numerous state reading lists, named Junior Library Guild selections, and appeared on Best of Year lists from NPR, Barnes & Noble, Syfy Wire, and others. Jade City was named among the Top 100 Fantasy Books of All Time by Time Magazine and has been optioned for television development.
Fonda is a former corporate strategist and black belt martial artist who loves action movies and Eggs Benedict. Born and raised in Canada, she currently resides in Boston.
Fonda is a winner of the Locus Award, a six-time winner of the Aurora Award (Canada’s national science fiction and fantasy award), and a multiple finalist for the Hugo Award and the Nebula Award. Her novels have garnered multiple starred reviews, been included on numerous state reading lists, named Junior Library Guild selections, and appeared on Best of Year lists from NPR, Barnes & Noble, Syfy Wire, and others. Jade City was named among the Top 100 Fantasy Books of All Time by Time Magazine and has been optioned for television development.
Fonda is a former corporate strategist and black belt martial artist who loves action movies and Eggs Benedict. Born and raised in Canada, she currently resides in Boston.
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Review of advance copy received from Publisher
ARC provided by the publisher—Orbit Books—in exchange for an honest review.
The year is off to an explosive start. The Last Contract of Isako is the best science fiction standalone novel I’ve ever read.
5 stars. Easily a 5-star rating. Choosing The Last Contract of Isako as the first book of this year is an amazing decision on my part. Last year, just as a refresher, I found a total of three new 5-star reading experiences. That’s horrible statistics for me. The worst reading year to date. And I fully intend to prevent this tragedy from happening again by reading my most anticipated books—old or new. In the case of this book, it is new. Being a massive fan of The Green Bone Saga, ever since I knew about the existence of this novel, I knew the moment it stumbled upon my doorstep, it would be a drop everything and read it kind of book. How could I not? Lee has mentioned The Last Contract of Isako is her mashed-up love letter to the cyberpunk genre. Seriously. A combination of John Wick, Blade Runner, and Akira Kurosawa in space illuminated by Lee’s prose? The result is an absolutely enthralling tour de force.
If you’re unfamiliar with the premise of this book, The Last Contract of Isako is a story about Isako, a battle-worn corporate samurai and legendary swordswoman who undertakes one last mission on a merciless planet named Aquilo where death is always a mere breath away. Every legend must come to an end. When her long-time client unexpectedly retires, she plans to follow his footsteps by walking out into the frozen wasteland of their planet with her head held high and her family enriched by her death. But when she’s offered a final mission instead, she can’t refuse, especially when she realises who lies at the center of it all: Dragonfly Martim, her last—and worst—apprentice, who’s somehow made his way to the top. As she’s thrust into a world of corporate espionage and shadowy secrets, what Isako uncovers in her mission could forever change humanity’s existence among the stars. I will elaborate upon the harshness of life in Aquilo further later.
The Last Contract of Isako is not a big book. It’s less than 200,000 words long. And yet, the myriad of themes conveyed impactfully within it is simply awesome. Among many of these are aging, loyalty, honor, fame, legacy, and justice. Is the meaning of our life judged by the collection of deeds we gathered? What does it mean to be human? Is serving our Code of life uncompromisingly the correct form of righteousness? Some of these themes are narrative elements you can find in The Green Bone Saga as well, and they are still evident in The Last Contract of Isako. Told through a different lens and framing, but not lacking in quality. According to Lee herself, The Last Contract of Isako is the most difficult book she has ever written. I, selfishly and desperately, will beg her to write more books like this. Science fiction, epic fantasy, or urban fantasy. I don’t care. At this rate, I’ll even read a romance or romantasy written by her, to be honest. Not many authors get what I love to read as Lee does. The murder mystery was interesting, the stakes were high, the action scenes—my god, the battojutsu with the triggersheath—were badass, and most importantly, the characters burst through the pages.
Look here. If you have read The Green Bone Saga, and you are obsessed with the series like I am, you can skip reading this paragraph. I am only going to repeat something you’ve embraced with your whole heart. I can write thousands of words about how terrific The Green Bone Saga was, but at its core, we became obsessed with the trilogy because Lee has successfully crafted characters that felt completely real. It takes a special novel or series to make me, in the middle of my daydreaming, recollect the chain of events or characters of a specific story months or years after I finished the books. The Green Bone Saga did that for me. And I am gratified to confirm that Lee’s sublime characterizations and emotionally-charged dialogues were not missing from the pages of The Last Contract of Isako. Not a single page. Isako, Kob, Martim, Uchi, and Thea are more-than-meet-the-eye type of characters. It is an incredible skill to write characters with respective internal turmoils and motivations on this level in a standalone title. I have no doubt old—or new—fans of Lee’s work will find themselves captivated by these characters. The dialogues, once again, was more gripping than many battle scenes I’ve read.
Additionally, I've been thinking about aging and mortality more frequently lately. This is not meant to be a grim discussion. We cannot live forever. Ever since I had my first son, and I assume this is a normal thing to reflect on in parenthood, I’ve been thinking about legacy and what I need to do with the limited time I have to ensure my family has a good life. On top of achieving things I genuinely want to do for myself! Our mindset could potentially remain unchanged, but priorities and ordeals will influence our actions. This can differ when the digit in front of our age shifts. It brings me to one factor I’ve always wanted to read more about in fantasy and sci-fi books. Main characters who are above 30 or 40 years old. Such as Logen Ninefingers in The First Law by Joe Abercrombie or Sigrud je Harkvaldsson in The Divine Cities trilogy by Robert Jackson Bennett, to mention a few examples. Comparatively speaking, main characters of these ages are rare in epic fantasy and science fiction. The Last Contract of Isako will satisfy your thirst if you are in need of this variation in your reading. With the exception of Martim, who is in his late 20s, Isako and most of the other characters are 50 years old or more. They are seasoned warriors. Their priorities and thoughts contrast a lot with Martim, who is still young, more reckless, and willing to do everything to make a name for themselves. The older individuals, on the other hand, seek to leave a good legacy or make the world a better place for their loved ones with the limited time they have. It is all so damn good.
Lastly, for those who seek to know more about the book, I will now elaborate on the world-building further before I end this review. There will be no spoilers here, but if you want to jump into The Last Contract of Isako without knowing anything about the world, feel free to skip this paragraph. The world of Aquilo is brutal and dystopian. The setting in The Last Contract of Isako takes place on a planet cut off from communication with Earth for hundreds of years. This era of no communication is called The Great Silence. About 4 million people remain stranded in Aquilo. And to make things worse, cities on this planet need to be protected by a barrier called an airshield. This is essential to protect humanity from The Vastness—a merciless frozen wasteland that dominates the planet. Through all of this, corporate overlords rise to take control of the planet. Isako is one of the Atiers—the best of the best contractors with the code “To serve is to live. To live is to die.”—who receives contracts with rules established by The Agency. The Agency operates like The Continental Hotel from John Wick. They are a sanctuary or location where the Atiers are not allowed to hurt or kill each other. From The Agency, or directly from The Directors, Atiers can receive a contract to help their clients—including corporate overlords—execute what the contract demands. The utmost devotion to the Code is the guiding compass of the Atiers or contractors, and it is also their justification for killings and assassinations in the name of loyalty and the contract. The elite and the extremely wealthy, similar to many Cyberpunk themes, also have the means to prolong their life by transferring their brain to another body. There is more to all of these, of course, and they were astonishingly delivered as efficiently and effectively as possible to the readers. I can’t imagine those who love reading cyberpunk disliking the setting of The Last Contract of Isako. If anything, I wanted even more books out of this universe.
By the end of the last page, I felt like a gift and a curse were cast on me at once. It is a gift to encounter such a fantastic standalone novel. It is also a curse to have no continuation to this title. Do not get me wrong here. The Last Contract of Isako ended fittingly. But it is undeniably brimming with potential to be expanded into a series of standalone novels. But anyway, this is my selfish side speaking. It was the same with The Green Bone Saga. I was immensely satisfied by the series, and although I am happy with where things end, I wouldn’t complain about reading more about the world and the series. The same situation is applicable to The Last Contract of Isako as well. The feeling of fulfillment and craving for more dance in harmony.
Statistically, due to the huge number of books I’ve read in the genre, it is getting more and more challenging for me to find a fantasy or science fiction novel that absolutely compels. I am talking about books that drive me to stop whatever I am doing in life and immerse myself in turning the pages of a magnificent story instead. The year has only just started, but I am extremely confident that the resonating themes, impeccable pacing, superb characterizations, imaginative world-building, engaging dialogues, and well-placed pulse-pounding action scenes will safely cement The Last Contract of Isako in readers’ “Best Books of 2026” list by the end of the year. Not only will it be on mine, but to repeat what I stated at the beginning of this review, The Last Contract of Isako is the best science-fiction standalone novel I’ve read to this day. This is cinematic cyberpunk samurai at its best.
You can pre-order this book from: Amazon | Blackwells (Free International shipping)
The quotes in this review were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.
You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions | I also have a Booktube channel
Special thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for giving me extra support towards my passion for reading and reviewing!
My Patrons: Andrew. S, Arik, Arliss, Barbara, Ben, Benjamin, Biskit, Cade, Chris, Crystal, Cullen, Dan, Dylan, Edward, Elias, Erich, Feanor, Francesca, Frank, Gary, Gregory, James, Jason, Jeff, Jenn, Johnny, Joie, Jonathan, Katrina, Kim, Kristina, Lara, Leigh, Lourdes, Melinda, Mike, Mike S, Miracle, Mordie, Nicholas, Radiah, RCT, Sally, Samiadji, Samuel, Sarah, Scott, Sean, Shawn, Shawna, Stephanie, Trish, Tyler, TS, Wendy, Wick, Xero, Yuri, Zachary, Zammar.
The year is off to an explosive start. The Last Contract of Isako is the best science fiction standalone novel I’ve ever read.
5 stars. Easily a 5-star rating. Choosing The Last Contract of Isako as the first book of this year is an amazing decision on my part. Last year, just as a refresher, I found a total of three new 5-star reading experiences. That’s horrible statistics for me. The worst reading year to date. And I fully intend to prevent this tragedy from happening again by reading my most anticipated books—old or new. In the case of this book, it is new. Being a massive fan of The Green Bone Saga, ever since I knew about the existence of this novel, I knew the moment it stumbled upon my doorstep, it would be a drop everything and read it kind of book. How could I not? Lee has mentioned The Last Contract of Isako is her mashed-up love letter to the cyberpunk genre. Seriously. A combination of John Wick, Blade Runner, and Akira Kurosawa in space illuminated by Lee’s prose? The result is an absolutely enthralling tour de force.
“Live by the Code. Die by the knife.”
If you’re unfamiliar with the premise of this book, The Last Contract of Isako is a story about Isako, a battle-worn corporate samurai and legendary swordswoman who undertakes one last mission on a merciless planet named Aquilo where death is always a mere breath away. Every legend must come to an end. When her long-time client unexpectedly retires, she plans to follow his footsteps by walking out into the frozen wasteland of their planet with her head held high and her family enriched by her death. But when she’s offered a final mission instead, she can’t refuse, especially when she realises who lies at the center of it all: Dragonfly Martim, her last—and worst—apprentice, who’s somehow made his way to the top. As she’s thrust into a world of corporate espionage and shadowy secrets, what Isako uncovers in her mission could forever change humanity’s existence among the stars. I will elaborate upon the harshness of life in Aquilo further later.
“What you’re doing is admirable, but the best way to honor the dead is by creating the future.”
The Last Contract of Isako is not a big book. It’s less than 200,000 words long. And yet, the myriad of themes conveyed impactfully within it is simply awesome. Among many of these are aging, loyalty, honor, fame, legacy, and justice. Is the meaning of our life judged by the collection of deeds we gathered? What does it mean to be human? Is serving our Code of life uncompromisingly the correct form of righteousness? Some of these themes are narrative elements you can find in The Green Bone Saga as well, and they are still evident in The Last Contract of Isako. Told through a different lens and framing, but not lacking in quality. According to Lee herself, The Last Contract of Isako is the most difficult book she has ever written. I, selfishly and desperately, will beg her to write more books like this. Science fiction, epic fantasy, or urban fantasy. I don’t care. At this rate, I’ll even read a romance or romantasy written by her, to be honest. Not many authors get what I love to read as Lee does. The murder mystery was interesting, the stakes were high, the action scenes—my god, the battojutsu with the triggersheath—were badass, and most importantly, the characters burst through the pages.
“She lingers on the last lines. She figures it’s only respectful to do so. The last thing a person says is important, the coda to their entire life.”
Look here. If you have read The Green Bone Saga, and you are obsessed with the series like I am, you can skip reading this paragraph. I am only going to repeat something you’ve embraced with your whole heart. I can write thousands of words about how terrific The Green Bone Saga was, but at its core, we became obsessed with the trilogy because Lee has successfully crafted characters that felt completely real. It takes a special novel or series to make me, in the middle of my daydreaming, recollect the chain of events or characters of a specific story months or years after I finished the books. The Green Bone Saga did that for me. And I am gratified to confirm that Lee’s sublime characterizations and emotionally-charged dialogues were not missing from the pages of The Last Contract of Isako. Not a single page. Isako, Kob, Martim, Uchi, and Thea are more-than-meet-the-eye type of characters. It is an incredible skill to write characters with respective internal turmoils and motivations on this level in a standalone title. I have no doubt old—or new—fans of Lee’s work will find themselves captivated by these characters. The dialogues, once again, was more gripping than many battle scenes I’ve read.
“It’s such a tired cliché to reach a certain age and say you feel your mortality. Atiers are always aware of their mortality. What she’s actually been experiencing is a rebirth.
Additionally, I've been thinking about aging and mortality more frequently lately. This is not meant to be a grim discussion. We cannot live forever. Ever since I had my first son, and I assume this is a normal thing to reflect on in parenthood, I’ve been thinking about legacy and what I need to do with the limited time I have to ensure my family has a good life. On top of achieving things I genuinely want to do for myself! Our mindset could potentially remain unchanged, but priorities and ordeals will influence our actions. This can differ when the digit in front of our age shifts. It brings me to one factor I’ve always wanted to read more about in fantasy and sci-fi books. Main characters who are above 30 or 40 years old. Such as Logen Ninefingers in The First Law by Joe Abercrombie or Sigrud je Harkvaldsson in The Divine Cities trilogy by Robert Jackson Bennett, to mention a few examples. Comparatively speaking, main characters of these ages are rare in epic fantasy and science fiction. The Last Contract of Isako will satisfy your thirst if you are in need of this variation in your reading. With the exception of Martim, who is in his late 20s, Isako and most of the other characters are 50 years old or more. They are seasoned warriors. Their priorities and thoughts contrast a lot with Martim, who is still young, more reckless, and willing to do everything to make a name for themselves. The older individuals, on the other hand, seek to leave a good legacy or make the world a better place for their loved ones with the limited time they have. It is all so damn good.
“Young people like Martim are motivated by fear of failure. Old hands like her and Kob are just trying to redeem themselves for failures already made.”
Lastly, for those who seek to know more about the book, I will now elaborate on the world-building further before I end this review. There will be no spoilers here, but if you want to jump into The Last Contract of Isako without knowing anything about the world, feel free to skip this paragraph. The world of Aquilo is brutal and dystopian. The setting in The Last Contract of Isako takes place on a planet cut off from communication with Earth for hundreds of years. This era of no communication is called The Great Silence. About 4 million people remain stranded in Aquilo. And to make things worse, cities on this planet need to be protected by a barrier called an airshield. This is essential to protect humanity from The Vastness—a merciless frozen wasteland that dominates the planet. Through all of this, corporate overlords rise to take control of the planet. Isako is one of the Atiers—the best of the best contractors with the code “To serve is to live. To live is to die.”—who receives contracts with rules established by The Agency. The Agency operates like The Continental Hotel from John Wick. They are a sanctuary or location where the Atiers are not allowed to hurt or kill each other. From The Agency, or directly from The Directors, Atiers can receive a contract to help their clients—including corporate overlords—execute what the contract demands. The utmost devotion to the Code is the guiding compass of the Atiers or contractors, and it is also their justification for killings and assassinations in the name of loyalty and the contract. The elite and the extremely wealthy, similar to many Cyberpunk themes, also have the means to prolong their life by transferring their brain to another body. There is more to all of these, of course, and they were astonishingly delivered as efficiently and effectively as possible to the readers. I can’t imagine those who love reading cyberpunk disliking the setting of The Last Contract of Isako. If anything, I wanted even more books out of this universe.
“Some things in the world are up to us, while others are not. Up to us are our faculties of judgment, motivation, desire, and aversion. In short, whatever is our own doing.”
By the end of the last page, I felt like a gift and a curse were cast on me at once. It is a gift to encounter such a fantastic standalone novel. It is also a curse to have no continuation to this title. Do not get me wrong here. The Last Contract of Isako ended fittingly. But it is undeniably brimming with potential to be expanded into a series of standalone novels. But anyway, this is my selfish side speaking. It was the same with The Green Bone Saga. I was immensely satisfied by the series, and although I am happy with where things end, I wouldn’t complain about reading more about the world and the series. The same situation is applicable to The Last Contract of Isako as well. The feeling of fulfillment and craving for more dance in harmony.
“Memento mori. You become what you give your attention to.”
Statistically, due to the huge number of books I’ve read in the genre, it is getting more and more challenging for me to find a fantasy or science fiction novel that absolutely compels. I am talking about books that drive me to stop whatever I am doing in life and immerse myself in turning the pages of a magnificent story instead. The year has only just started, but I am extremely confident that the resonating themes, impeccable pacing, superb characterizations, imaginative world-building, engaging dialogues, and well-placed pulse-pounding action scenes will safely cement The Last Contract of Isako in readers’ “Best Books of 2026” list by the end of the year. Not only will it be on mine, but to repeat what I stated at the beginning of this review, The Last Contract of Isako is the best science-fiction standalone novel I’ve read to this day. This is cinematic cyberpunk samurai at its best.
You can pre-order this book from: Amazon | Blackwells (Free International shipping)
The quotes in this review were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.
You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions | I also have a Booktube channel
Special thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for giving me extra support towards my passion for reading and reviewing!
My Patrons: Andrew. S, Arik, Arliss, Barbara, Ben, Benjamin, Biskit, Cade, Chris, Crystal, Cullen, Dan, Dylan, Edward, Elias, Erich, Feanor, Francesca, Frank, Gary, Gregory, James, Jason, Jeff, Jenn, Johnny, Joie, Jonathan, Katrina, Kim, Kristina, Lara, Leigh, Lourdes, Melinda, Mike, Mike S, Miracle, Mordie, Nicholas, Radiah, RCT, Sally, Samiadji, Samuel, Sarah, Scott, Sean, Shawn, Shawna, Stephanie, Trish, Tyler, TS, Wendy, Wick, Xero, Yuri, Zachary, Zammar.
July 28, 2026
This is fabulous, a tale mixing Blade-Runner cool with crime-noir and Ronin codes of honour and vengeance. Beautifully drawn characters, a stark, chilling new world and a plot that grabs you and drags you from one page to the next, this is a must read. Fantastic in every way.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Field 20 boasted the newest TG6 fluorocarbon mixers that could increase the production of vital greenhouse gases by twenty to thirty percent. Uchi had been investing in development of the technology for years, and if all went well at the six trial facilities, including Field 20, upgrades would be rolled out across all of the Company's gas production divisions.
DNF - 61%. If the above quote does it for you, this is your book. If the term "corporate sci-fi" sounds right up your alley, The Last Contract of Isako could be your next favourite. But, I'm sorry, I was just so so bored.
I'll be upfront: I never managed to get into Jade City either, so I’m starting to think it’s just a disconnect with Lee’s writing. I find it very dry and emotionally-detached.
This book uses the "one last job" trope in a sci-fi setting, on the planet Aquilo. The central conflict is about Sandbar Uchi, who has been nominated to the Board of Directors at SoCon GasPro. Swordswoman Isako’s last contract is to stop this from happening, using whatever means necessary. She goes digging into Uchi, looking for whatever shady shit he’s been up to.
The characters didn’t stand out for me. I feel like even the most developed character– our protagonist, Isako —is defined by her skill with a longsword, not anything I could really understand, relate to, or care about. Everyone else was completely forgettable.
Most of what I read was about the business side of things, all the bureaucratic details that I could not care one bit about. Despite centring a swordswoman, the 61% I read was surprisingly bloodless in all senses. Low on action, even lower on emotional engagement.
Even the act of resigning (actually dying) is unemotional. In this world, children are regularly separated from birth parents and even Isako’s daughter lacks much of a relationship with her. Nobody seems to care all that much that she will die, including Isako herself— Kob says he’d like to be there with her, but doesn’t seem too cut up about it. It's such a very strange decision to have the characters emotionally disconnected from everything that is happening. How am I supposed to care?
I was waiting for something to happen, something to interest me, then halfway through we switch to another character and get lots of info filled in, which is when I realised… I didn’t care. Stuff had started happening, answers had started arriving, and none of it interested me. The description was in all the wrong places. I wanted more from the characters, less from the government and business side.
At this point, I am so uninterested in the characters that I know even an amazing 40% couldn't make this more than a 3-star read. I'm giving up. I hope others enjoy it more.
Read
April 12, 2026Full Video Review Here: https://youtu.be/VvnDrhDZG44
Another strong outing from Fonda Lee. At this point she’s four‑for‑four with me, and this one hits a very specific sweet spot: the “one last mission” story anchored by an older, world‑weary protagonist. I’ve been a sucker for that setup ever since watching Clint Eastwood's The Unforgiven as a preteen, but mixing that vibe with samurai aesthetics and sci‑fi trappings turned out to be something I didn’t know I was craving.
The action lands cleanly, the dialogue has real snap, and the world feels surprisingly full for a story this compact, especially from a fantasy reader’s perspective, where “short” usually means “still 500 pages.” If you enjoyed the Green Bone Saga’s blend of grit, honor, and character‑driven momentum, there’s no reason this won’t work for you.
My personal test for a great standalone is simple: would I happily read more stories set in this world? In this case, absolutely. I’d love to see Lee return to it.
Another strong outing from Fonda Lee. At this point she’s four‑for‑four with me, and this one hits a very specific sweet spot: the “one last mission” story anchored by an older, world‑weary protagonist. I’ve been a sucker for that setup ever since watching Clint Eastwood's The Unforgiven as a preteen, but mixing that vibe with samurai aesthetics and sci‑fi trappings turned out to be something I didn’t know I was craving.
The action lands cleanly, the dialogue has real snap, and the world feels surprisingly full for a story this compact, especially from a fantasy reader’s perspective, where “short” usually means “still 500 pages.” If you enjoyed the Green Bone Saga’s blend of grit, honor, and character‑driven momentum, there’s no reason this won’t work for you.
My personal test for a great standalone is simple: would I happily read more stories set in this world? In this case, absolutely. I’d love to see Lee return to it.
February 8, 2026
It feels so good to have Fonda Lee back! I enjoyed this, but I do think readers may need to adjust expectations for it.
The “corporate samurai” marketing for the book gives the impression (or at least it did for me) that this was going to be heavier on the action and just have a level of high “excitement” to it overall. That’s defintely sprinkled in here, but it’s not the focus at all. The Last Contract of Isako feels more like a careful and slower-paced scifi mystery where the characters just so happen to be samurai. In a lot of ways, the story is more quiet than it is flashy. And while I enjoyed the cast overall, I don’t think this is Fonda Lee’s strongest character work.
At the heart of the story, we follow Isako as she’s trying to unravel secrets about her former apprentice and, in the process, she’s also uncovering secrets about the corporate entity known simply as The Company that governs their planet. Every aspect of the world building here is great- the history of Aquilo, the differing beliefs between reunionists and terraformists, The Company’s divisions, the structure of the Agency and its contractors. All amazing.
My biggest issue here is defintely the pacing, particularly in the first half. Following Isako from place to place as she’s uncovering small leads and trying to unravel the mystery began to feel a bit slow going, but Fonda Lee has earned my full patience and trust (I’ll follow her anywhere atp), so I had no problem hanging in there as the story unfolded.
I don’t think The Last Contract of Isako is going to be for everyone, but I really enjoyed it! This is another hit for Fonda Lee and is a great scifi standalone.
The “corporate samurai” marketing for the book gives the impression (or at least it did for me) that this was going to be heavier on the action and just have a level of high “excitement” to it overall. That’s defintely sprinkled in here, but it’s not the focus at all. The Last Contract of Isako feels more like a careful and slower-paced scifi mystery where the characters just so happen to be samurai. In a lot of ways, the story is more quiet than it is flashy. And while I enjoyed the cast overall, I don’t think this is Fonda Lee’s strongest character work.
At the heart of the story, we follow Isako as she’s trying to unravel secrets about her former apprentice and, in the process, she’s also uncovering secrets about the corporate entity known simply as The Company that governs their planet. Every aspect of the world building here is great- the history of Aquilo, the differing beliefs between reunionists and terraformists, The Company’s divisions, the structure of the Agency and its contractors. All amazing.
My biggest issue here is defintely the pacing, particularly in the first half. Following Isako from place to place as she’s uncovering small leads and trying to unravel the mystery began to feel a bit slow going, but Fonda Lee has earned my full patience and trust (I’ll follow her anywhere atp), so I had no problem hanging in there as the story unfolded.
I don’t think The Last Contract of Isako is going to be for everyone, but I really enjoyed it! This is another hit for Fonda Lee and is a great scifi standalone.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
4.25
Fonda Lee strikes again with another incredible world filled with political intrigue, and the most interesting characters to read about!
First things first... I loved following Isako as our main protagonist. She's a character who is past her prime - middle aged, a mom, knees giving out on her, not as sharp as she used to be as a trained swordswoman. And that is so rare to see in a fantasy or sci-fi book, I was so pleasantly surprised! Loved following her as she started questioning the morals of her Code, and reflecting on her actions from the past while completing tasks on contract.
This world was so eerie in the best way. Parts of it sort of reminded me of Severance - in the way it takes these corporate stereotypes and exaggerates them to the point where they are so absurd and horrifying, but also could be believable. The way the entire planet was just essentially one big company made for some really interesting dynamics and priorities within all our characters.
This book isn't the most action-heavy (although the action that IS there is impeccably written), so a lot of the book does move a bit slower as we follow Isako uncovering intel bit by bit. But I thought this pacing was perfect. The structure of this book was also so clever, and I won't say too much on that as I don't want to spoil anything... but just trust me when I say that!
I was just a bit underwhelmed at the end. We didn't tie up certain things as conclusively as I would have liked - but all in all, loved this read!
Fonda Lee strikes again with another incredible world filled with political intrigue, and the most interesting characters to read about!
First things first... I loved following Isako as our main protagonist. She's a character who is past her prime - middle aged, a mom, knees giving out on her, not as sharp as she used to be as a trained swordswoman. And that is so rare to see in a fantasy or sci-fi book, I was so pleasantly surprised! Loved following her as she started questioning the morals of her Code, and reflecting on her actions from the past while completing tasks on contract.
This world was so eerie in the best way. Parts of it sort of reminded me of Severance - in the way it takes these corporate stereotypes and exaggerates them to the point where they are so absurd and horrifying, but also could be believable. The way the entire planet was just essentially one big company made for some really interesting dynamics and priorities within all our characters.
This book isn't the most action-heavy (although the action that IS there is impeccably written), so a lot of the book does move a bit slower as we follow Isako uncovering intel bit by bit. But I thought this pacing was perfect. The structure of this book was also so clever, and I won't say too much on that as I don't want to spoil anything... but just trust me when I say that!
I was just a bit underwhelmed at the end. We didn't tie up certain things as conclusively as I would have liked - but all in all, loved this read!
Read
August 27, 2025✦︎ֶָ֢📢prepare to be sick of me cuz I got an advanced reading copy 🤪
_OMG WE HAVE A COVER 🥶❤️.
my most anticipated book for 2026 😋
📢I NEED THE COVER
_OMG WE HAVE A COVER 🥶❤️.
my most anticipated book for 2026 😋
📢I NEED THE COVER
May 21, 2026
ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley
isako is a fifty-year-old assassin contractor, living in a dystopian colony planet that has been in a great silence with earth for five-hundred-years. technology is greatly advanced in this scifi tale, but a range of resources, from living on a sea-less planet, has made supplies (like water) very scarce. the people live under a very big dome, but they are terraforming and working towards making the planet more and more livable for the future. and like in all capitalist societies, the rich and powerful, who own the corporations, get to control what is allotted from all the resources, and they also get to choose how they wish to communicate said allotments with their people.
but this story is about isako, and her last contact from her new director, and the thirty days she has to take out her last mark, and then she will resign, which in this world means the end of your life. we get to see her trying to unravel a mystery when that last contract becomes a little more personal to her, and we get to dive deeper and deeper into the hierarchy of this planet, and slowly see more and more of the evil at play.
from discussion on mental health and how big corporations can treat their workers like small cogs in a wheel that are easily replaced with no moral compass in sight because it doesn’t impact their long lifespans. and in turn, how we treat people who are retired from jobs, now they are no longer needed by said corporations, therefore they are expendable. and how these sentiments make young people feel like they are constantly running out of time, and are forced to push themselves further and further past what is healthy. which also reinforces this idea that people are just put on this planet to work and then to die, when that could not be further from the truth. and also this story deeply discusses how resources and who gets to decide how they are managed and what is done to the world everyone inhabits together. and there are also really cool discussions of religion within these pages, too, that i really thought added another level to everything happening within this story.
i really loved this one, and it’s incredibly close to a five star for me. this was not an issue for me, but i can see it being an issue for others - this is a depressing story, and you can feel that despair and sadness on every page. i loved what it was doing, i loved what it was saying, but i don’t think this story will be for everyone because of that. but this is a very high recommendation from me, and it will be one of my favorite publications from 2026.
trigger + content warnings: violence, gore, murder, death, talk of suicide, talk of war, use of drugs, addiction, resource scarcity, talk of medical care, talk of disease, fatphobic comment (in a negative light), stroke mention, grief, gun violence, self harm test mention
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━━♡ buddy read with evie
isako is a fifty-year-old assassin contractor, living in a dystopian colony planet that has been in a great silence with earth for five-hundred-years. technology is greatly advanced in this scifi tale, but a range of resources, from living on a sea-less planet, has made supplies (like water) very scarce. the people live under a very big dome, but they are terraforming and working towards making the planet more and more livable for the future. and like in all capitalist societies, the rich and powerful, who own the corporations, get to control what is allotted from all the resources, and they also get to choose how they wish to communicate said allotments with their people.
but this story is about isako, and her last contact from her new director, and the thirty days she has to take out her last mark, and then she will resign, which in this world means the end of your life. we get to see her trying to unravel a mystery when that last contract becomes a little more personal to her, and we get to dive deeper and deeper into the hierarchy of this planet, and slowly see more and more of the evil at play.
from discussion on mental health and how big corporations can treat their workers like small cogs in a wheel that are easily replaced with no moral compass in sight because it doesn’t impact their long lifespans. and in turn, how we treat people who are retired from jobs, now they are no longer needed by said corporations, therefore they are expendable. and how these sentiments make young people feel like they are constantly running out of time, and are forced to push themselves further and further past what is healthy. which also reinforces this idea that people are just put on this planet to work and then to die, when that could not be further from the truth. and also this story deeply discusses how resources and who gets to decide how they are managed and what is done to the world everyone inhabits together. and there are also really cool discussions of religion within these pages, too, that i really thought added another level to everything happening within this story.
i really loved this one, and it’s incredibly close to a five star for me. this was not an issue for me, but i can see it being an issue for others - this is a depressing story, and you can feel that despair and sadness on every page. i loved what it was doing, i loved what it was saying, but i don’t think this story will be for everyone because of that. but this is a very high recommendation from me, and it will be one of my favorite publications from 2026.
trigger + content warnings: violence, gore, murder, death, talk of suicide, talk of war, use of drugs, addiction, resource scarcity, talk of medical care, talk of disease, fatphobic comment (in a negative light), stroke mention, grief, gun violence, self harm test mention
blog | instagram | youtube | wishlist | spotify | amazon
━━♡ buddy read with evie
May 4, 2026
4.25 ★— I am probably the last fantasy enthusiast on earth who hasn’t read The Green Bone Saga by Fonda Lee, so this sci-fi story of hers is my introduction to her writing, and what an introduction it was!
This book is an atmospheric marvel, following Isako, a woman in her 50s who’s been at the top of her profession as a swordswoman-for-hire and is now facing a life of some uncertainty after her longtime boss dies.
Lee slowly lets the reader settle into this futuristic world that feels as hostile as it is fascinating. Here, humans live in a colony on a wasteland planet, covered by a life-sustaining dome that is only slowly expanding as the colony engages in terraforming. People live hierarchical, regimented lives, which are predicated on their usefulness to society, as the upper classes indulge in a little body modification. Or maybe a lot of body modification.
The social commentary and themes here are a stark reflection of our world, and with Isako, we get a main character who isn’t any kind of revolutionary hero, and just someone with the simple desire of seeing her daughter well-provided for through one last job on her part. I liked that we get an aging legend-type of character in her, which isn’t a role usually reserved for female characters, and seeing her reflect back on her past and rich life was just as interesting as it was slightly melancholic.
The book’s central plot involving her being sent on one last mission turns into an intriguing mystery that had me guessing as it unfolded. So much happens as the book lets Isako navigate the straight-up wacky world of the ruling class who is giving her orders! Fundamental questions like what makes a human human, what the self is, and humanity’s never-ending hunger for expansion, power, and longevity are brought to the table and mostly left unanswered, as Lee gives the reader room to ponder.
With all those grand themes, the story still felt very quaint and heartfelt in the end, leaving me contemplative and maybe a little discomforted (in a good way!)
______________
Thank you to Orbit Books for the ARC.
This book is an atmospheric marvel, following Isako, a woman in her 50s who’s been at the top of her profession as a swordswoman-for-hire and is now facing a life of some uncertainty after her longtime boss dies.
Lee slowly lets the reader settle into this futuristic world that feels as hostile as it is fascinating. Here, humans live in a colony on a wasteland planet, covered by a life-sustaining dome that is only slowly expanding as the colony engages in terraforming. People live hierarchical, regimented lives, which are predicated on their usefulness to society, as the upper classes indulge in a little body modification. Or maybe a lot of body modification.
The social commentary and themes here are a stark reflection of our world, and with Isako, we get a main character who isn’t any kind of revolutionary hero, and just someone with the simple desire of seeing her daughter well-provided for through one last job on her part. I liked that we get an aging legend-type of character in her, which isn’t a role usually reserved for female characters, and seeing her reflect back on her past and rich life was just as interesting as it was slightly melancholic.
The book’s central plot involving her being sent on one last mission turns into an intriguing mystery that had me guessing as it unfolded. So much happens as the book lets Isako navigate the straight-up wacky world of the ruling class who is giving her orders! Fundamental questions like what makes a human human, what the self is, and humanity’s never-ending hunger for expansion, power, and longevity are brought to the table and mostly left unanswered, as Lee gives the reader room to ponder.
With all those grand themes, the story still felt very quaint and heartfelt in the end, leaving me contemplative and maybe a little discomforted (in a good way!)
______________
Thank you to Orbit Books for the ARC.
May 7, 2026
4.0 Stars
As a huge fan of the Green Bone Saga, I have been eager for a new full length novel by this talented author.
Personally, I don't feel this novel lives up to the favourite status of the Jade books. Yet I still found this a solid read. I like Fonda Lee's writing style, which is entertaining and sharp. The characters are interesting but I didn't feel like compared to then Green Bone Saga characters that I came to love.
In terms of science fiction, those elements were light and I would primarily recommend this one to readers who choose entertaining stories over the science fiction elements. The world building reminded me more of fantasy that only technically fell into certain definition of science fiction.
Overall I enjoyed this book and found it to be a strong SFF novel. I would recommend it to readers who love the storytelling in the style of the Green Bone Saga but don't expect this novel to impossibly compare to that masterpiece trilogy.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
As a huge fan of the Green Bone Saga, I have been eager for a new full length novel by this talented author.
Personally, I don't feel this novel lives up to the favourite status of the Jade books. Yet I still found this a solid read. I like Fonda Lee's writing style, which is entertaining and sharp. The characters are interesting but I didn't feel like compared to then Green Bone Saga characters that I came to love.
In terms of science fiction, those elements were light and I would primarily recommend this one to readers who choose entertaining stories over the science fiction elements. The world building reminded me more of fantasy that only technically fell into certain definition of science fiction.
Overall I enjoyed this book and found it to be a strong SFF novel. I would recommend it to readers who love the storytelling in the style of the Green Bone Saga but don't expect this novel to impossibly compare to that masterpiece trilogy.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
March 3, 2026
I received a preview copy of this and ate it up in two nights. Absolutely stunning. Stars a badass samurai in sci-fi world you will root for from the start. Reads like a Bladerunner movie. Grab it!
Did Not Finish
June 16, 2026firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc!
unfortunately, dnf @50% — i have enjoyed fonda lee's works before (never really finished the green bone saga...) so i was excited to dive into her first sci-fi novel: the last contract of isako is a space opera standalone with corporate samurai, and sounded rather intriguing. until i realized how corporately dystopian this novel was: parents don’t raise their children; once an employee is too old, they’re axed; and of course, maxing shareholder profits…
this wasn’t necessarily a bad book — it was just too much of a mirror to reality when i want an escape.
i also listened to the audiobook and the narrator was great!
unfortunately, dnf @50% — i have enjoyed fonda lee's works before (never really finished the green bone saga...) so i was excited to dive into her first sci-fi novel: the last contract of isako is a space opera standalone with corporate samurai, and sounded rather intriguing. until i realized how corporately dystopian this novel was: parents don’t raise their children; once an employee is too old, they’re axed; and of course, maxing shareholder profits…
this wasn’t necessarily a bad book — it was just too much of a mirror to reality when i want an escape.
i also listened to the audiobook and the narrator was great!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Huge thanks to NetGalley & the publishers for a chance to review this arc!
3.25✨
The last contract of Isako was a slow paced story about a corporate samurai in a sci-fi setting.
With the premise, I admit I expected more action than what was included. This novel was more philosophical than anything else, imo.
Now if you’re looking for escapism - this will not be what you’re looking for. The tone was extremely cold and depressing, if I’m being quite frank. There’s just a lot of similarities to things that have been going on in the world.
About the cold tone - it also transferred to the characters. They were written in an emotionless way and I couldn’t root for them (except Kob). They were morally-grey, and I think the line between good/bad in this novel was very slim.
The pacing of this novel was very slow ; with a lot of passages about going from one place to another. I predicted all of the twists but it didn’t hinder my enjoyment.
If you’re going into this thinking the bigger problems will be resolved by the end - then you’re not in the right mindset for it. It’s definitely realistic, but like I said… it’s not an escape from our world.
I loved the ending and wouldn’t change it.
3.25✨
The last contract of Isako was a slow paced story about a corporate samurai in a sci-fi setting.
With the premise, I admit I expected more action than what was included. This novel was more philosophical than anything else, imo.
Now if you’re looking for escapism - this will not be what you’re looking for. The tone was extremely cold and depressing, if I’m being quite frank. There’s just a lot of similarities to things that have been going on in the world.
About the cold tone - it also transferred to the characters. They were written in an emotionless way and I couldn’t root for them (except Kob). They were morally-grey, and I think the line between good/bad in this novel was very slim.
The pacing of this novel was very slow ; with a lot of passages about going from one place to another. I predicted all of the twists but it didn’t hinder my enjoyment.
If you’re going into this thinking the bigger problems will be resolved by the end - then you’re not in the right mindset for it. It’s definitely realistic, but like I said… it’s not an escape from our world.
I loved the ending and wouldn’t change it.
Did Not Finish
May 3, 2026dnf at 20% ..
this is more of a soft dnf, I’m just not in the mood for the pacing of this book right now & it’s not keeping my interest to be honest .
many thanks to NetGalley, the author and Orbit books for the arc, all opinions are my own.
this is more of a soft dnf, I’m just not in the mood for the pacing of this book right now & it’s not keeping my interest to be honest .
many thanks to NetGalley, the author and Orbit books for the arc, all opinions are my own.
Read
November 5, 2025You had me at corporate samurais in space, but add a murder mystery with a surprising twist, effortless worldbuilding on a terraforming colony with a big secret, truly heartfelt characters grappling with duty and honor, and you have a slick space opera that in uniquely Fonda Lee. Fans of The Green Bone Saga are going to eat this up.
May 9, 2026
This is the first full length adult novel that Fonda Lee has released since finishing the Green Bone Saga, one of my all time favorite trilogies, and the premise sounded incredible to me; corporate samurai in space! I've been waiting with baited breath.
Isako is an atier, a special position that mixes aspects of Samurai, corporate strategist, and bodyguard. Isako is especially good at what she does, but after an unforeseen setback, she has to undergo one last mission before she can retire.
What Fonda Lee excels at is character, and Isako feels real and lived in. My knees hurt just reading from her POV. With this being an average length (for SFF readers!) standalone novel, the depth of characters doesn't reach the levels I felt in Green Bone, but I still really liked the characters here. The world felt very interesting and bleak while wrestling with questions of isolationism.
The novel goes into unexpected territory for me and there was a reveal that I did call pretty early, but that didn't hurt my enjoyment. In the climax of the book I felt unsure how it could wrap up satisfyingly for me, and it managed to do so. Ultimately, a standalone that leaves me wanting more is a rare thing, to be cherished.
9.5/10
Isako is an atier, a special position that mixes aspects of Samurai, corporate strategist, and bodyguard. Isako is especially good at what she does, but after an unforeseen setback, she has to undergo one last mission before she can retire.
What Fonda Lee excels at is character, and Isako feels real and lived in. My knees hurt just reading from her POV. With this being an average length (for SFF readers!) standalone novel, the depth of characters doesn't reach the levels I felt in Green Bone, but I still really liked the characters here. The world felt very interesting and bleak while wrestling with questions of isolationism.
The novel goes into unexpected territory for me and there was a reveal that I did call pretty early, but that didn't hurt my enjoyment. In the climax of the book I felt unsure how it could wrap up satisfyingly for me, and it managed to do so. Ultimately, a standalone that leaves me wanting more is a rare thing, to be cherished.
9.5/10
November 19, 2024
5 stars. Melding together a harsh, bleak sci-fi world that examines capitalism and techno-fedualism and a story about motherhood and hope, The Last Contract of Isako is a stunning standalone from Fonda Lee.
Read
May 21, 2026DNF 68%
I was excited to read more by Fonda Lee, although I haven't quite forgiven her for breaking my heart with the Green Bone Saga.
A hard sci-fi on another planet, a FMC in her 50s? a last mission? This sounded right up my alley.
While I was drawn in by the premise, I found that it didn’t fully work for me and I did not finish the book. I can see how it may appeal more to readers who enjoy slower, more atmospheric hard sci-fi.
I was excited to read more by Fonda Lee, although I haven't quite forgiven her for breaking my heart with the Green Bone Saga.
A hard sci-fi on another planet, a FMC in her 50s? a last mission? This sounded right up my alley.
While I was drawn in by the premise, I found that it didn’t fully work for me and I did not finish the book. I can see how it may appeal more to readers who enjoy slower, more atmospheric hard sci-fi.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
this is more like a 3.5 rounded up. i'm honestly conflicted on if i want to round up or round down, but for now i'll leave it how it is. overall i did enjoy it but there's a lot that worked for me & a little that didn't.
i liked that our MC was a fifty year old badass samurai with bad knees, some grinding hip pain & a foul mouth. Isako is an example of not always needing to relate to a character to enjoy a story, she was refreshing. the friendship between Kob & Isako was really cute, it felt real which made reading them together really enjoyable. i would have really loved to have gotten to see more of kob throughout the story. Martim was a surprise, i was not expecting to get as invented in his story/POV.
the writing was good, i can definitely see why so many people love Fonda Lee's work & i'm really looking forward to eventually diving into The Green Bone Saga! there's a good amount of fight scenes but i will admit based off the synopsis i expected a little bit more?
my biggest issue was the pacing, specifically in the beginning it felt pretty clunky.. while i usually like political/corporate conflict, in The Last Contract of Isako it didn't really work for me. there's a lot of corporate drama going on & we're kind of just dumped in the middle of it which caused for a lot of info dumping very early on. so much so that for a good 25% of the book i was confused which led me to not really connect or feel invested in the story until later on. it took me a while to grasp enough of the worldbuilding for me to get invested. this could be a "me" thing since i'm newer to sci-fi, but it did end up affecting my overall rating & enjoyment. maybe more advanced sci-fi/fantasy readers won't have the issue.
it definitely picks up in the second half & everything comes together eventually in the end. overall, it was a solid read that had its fun moments. if you like character driven sci-fi stories i think The Last Contract of Isako is worth a read.
Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review
i liked that our MC was a fifty year old badass samurai with bad knees, some grinding hip pain & a foul mouth. Isako is an example of not always needing to relate to a character to enjoy a story, she was refreshing. the friendship between Kob & Isako was really cute, it felt real which made reading them together really enjoyable. i would have really loved to have gotten to see more of kob throughout the story. Martim was a surprise, i was not expecting to get as invented in his story/POV.
the writing was good, i can definitely see why so many people love Fonda Lee's work & i'm really looking forward to eventually diving into The Green Bone Saga! there's a good amount of fight scenes but i will admit based off the synopsis i expected a little bit more?
my biggest issue was the pacing, specifically in the beginning it felt pretty clunky.. while i usually like political/corporate conflict, in The Last Contract of Isako it didn't really work for me. there's a lot of corporate drama going on & we're kind of just dumped in the middle of it which caused for a lot of info dumping very early on. so much so that for a good 25% of the book i was confused which led me to not really connect or feel invested in the story until later on. it took me a while to grasp enough of the worldbuilding for me to get invested. this could be a "me" thing since i'm newer to sci-fi, but it did end up affecting my overall rating & enjoyment. maybe more advanced sci-fi/fantasy readers won't have the issue.
it definitely picks up in the second half & everything comes together eventually in the end. overall, it was a solid read that had its fun moments. if you like character driven sci-fi stories i think The Last Contract of Isako is worth a read.
Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review
July 4, 2026
“Corporate Samurai in space” is how this story is being pitched. While the description is technically true, it evokes certain expectations for me that were absolutely not met. I had visions of warriors going toe-to-toe on some desolate moon in these intricate, cinematic fight scenes. Of rich cultures where the samurai way is the most prominent part of the plot. But other than the fact that the main character carried a sword through most of the book, you wouldn’t really know she was supposed to be a Samurai. She certainly didn’t fight much. And when she did there wasn’t anything particularly interesting about the interactions. By my reckoning, this was a slightly futuristic mystery that, for lack of decent world-building, may as well have taken place somewhere on earth.
So I feel a little let down.
That said, it’s a Fonda Lee, so it was written well. A mostly interesting crime investigation, things moved along at a good pace and I was at least mildly engaged the entire way through. Even though the story wasn’t really something I’d usually pick up, it was still an enjoyable read. There was one point in the middle where I was wondering how she was going to sustain the plot for a couple hundred more pages. But before I could lose momentum, there was a massive POV switch, which I didn’t like at first, but it ended up being exactly what the story needed to sustain itself.
I also always like Lee’s character work. Having Isako as a fifty-something “warrior” trying to retain her edge against the next generation was a great shift from the usual 20-somethings women we usually follow in these types of books. I didn’t get nearly as much depth or feel as much emotional investment as I did with her characters in Green Bone Saga, but I still enjoyed my time with them. And actually, swinging back to world-building, I ended up loving Green Bone, but my initial complaint was that it didn’t have enough of fantasy/magic components. It’s interesting that one of my main complaints here is that it doesn’t have enough scifi components for my tastes. In any case, I think fans of GBS will find a lot of things to like about Lee’s work here. But newcomers to the author would be much better off reading GBS instead of starting here.
One more thing – without spoilers, the ending left me with a lot of bigger-picture questions. The plot was so narrowly-focused on a few key players throughout, which is fine, but I found my interest lay more in the societal implications of what was happening. It was a bit dissatisfying to set the book down without any resolution there, and I feel it a somewhat missed opportunity for a more lasting impact. As it was though, that was apparently beyond the scope of the intended story…
If expectations hadn’t played a role, and if I’d been generally more interested in this type of book, I think I would’ve rated it a 4/5 stars. As it stands though, I’m sitting happy at a 3 star rating. I liked it, and at no point was I considering a DNF, but overall it was just a basically decent book with nothing remarkable for me to hang onto.
Thank you to my Patrons: Dave, Katrin, Frank, Jen, Karen, Sonja, Staci, Kat, Betsy, Eliss, Mike, Elizabeth, Bee, Poochtee, Kinsey, Alysa, Derek, Kelly, Grace, Carmen, and Leticia! <3
Find me on Booktube at: The Obsessive Bookseller
Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.NikiHawkes.com
Other books you might like:
So I feel a little let down.
That said, it’s a Fonda Lee, so it was written well. A mostly interesting crime investigation, things moved along at a good pace and I was at least mildly engaged the entire way through. Even though the story wasn’t really something I’d usually pick up, it was still an enjoyable read. There was one point in the middle where I was wondering how she was going to sustain the plot for a couple hundred more pages. But before I could lose momentum, there was a massive POV switch, which I didn’t like at first, but it ended up being exactly what the story needed to sustain itself.
I also always like Lee’s character work. Having Isako as a fifty-something “warrior” trying to retain her edge against the next generation was a great shift from the usual 20-somethings women we usually follow in these types of books. I didn’t get nearly as much depth or feel as much emotional investment as I did with her characters in Green Bone Saga, but I still enjoyed my time with them. And actually, swinging back to world-building, I ended up loving Green Bone, but my initial complaint was that it didn’t have enough of fantasy/magic components. It’s interesting that one of my main complaints here is that it doesn’t have enough scifi components for my tastes. In any case, I think fans of GBS will find a lot of things to like about Lee’s work here. But newcomers to the author would be much better off reading GBS instead of starting here.
One more thing – without spoilers, the ending left me with a lot of bigger-picture questions. The plot was so narrowly-focused on a few key players throughout, which is fine, but I found my interest lay more in the societal implications of what was happening. It was a bit dissatisfying to set the book down without any resolution there, and I feel it a somewhat missed opportunity for a more lasting impact. As it was though, that was apparently beyond the scope of the intended story…
If expectations hadn’t played a role, and if I’d been generally more interested in this type of book, I think I would’ve rated it a 4/5 stars. As it stands though, I’m sitting happy at a 3 star rating. I liked it, and at no point was I considering a DNF, but overall it was just a basically decent book with nothing remarkable for me to hang onto.
Thank you to my Patrons: Dave, Katrin, Frank, Jen, Karen, Sonja, Staci, Kat, Betsy, Eliss, Mike, Elizabeth, Bee, Poochtee, Kinsey, Alysa, Derek, Kelly, Grace, Carmen, and Leticia! <3
Find me on Booktube at: The Obsessive Bookseller
Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.NikiHawkes.com
Other books you might like:
May 8, 2026
no one can write fighting sequences like fonda lee!!
July 11, 2026
One day at a time. One hour at a time. One minute at a time.
Martin's mantra is what I followed to finish this book or else it would have finished me.
I had to drag my ass through it. Read 5 books in between and mind you one of them was way longer than this one. When the twist was finally revealed at 75% I was happy that I reached it in one piece. And tbh I guessed it as well so it didn't even hit home. The last 5% of the book was a surprise for me. I didn't think about that at all so yay atleast I enjoyed some part of the book💔💔 I only had one prediction for the book at 20% mark and it sadly didn't happen but I can def see it happening in a different version of this book. I wanted more of space and samurai stuff but I got way too much of corporate drama. Imo this book could have easily be dystopia instead of sci-fi and it wouldn't have made any difference except the last 5%.
Poor martin got fucked from everywhere. I feel so sad for him. What I loved most about this book is the fact that the protagonist is a 53 year old lady who is the best warrior and she is constantly talking about her human body aches. Her pain and ache did feel real to me. Her friendship with cobb was so sweet.
I have realised that fonda lee is not for me. I dnf-ed the first book in the jade saga and did not have a good experience with this one either. I was so ready to give that series another chance if I loved this one but sadly ain't gonna pick it up now.
Don't listen to courtney- her recs are bad😔✊️
~~~~~
starting another sci-fi, I am so excited!! heard nothing but good things about it🤭
Martin's mantra is what I followed to finish this book or else it would have finished me.
I had to drag my ass through it. Read 5 books in between and mind you one of them was way longer than this one. When the twist was finally revealed at 75% I was happy that I reached it in one piece. And tbh I guessed it as well so it didn't even hit home. The last 5% of the book was a surprise for me. I didn't think about that at all so yay atleast I enjoyed some part of the book💔💔 I only had one prediction for the book at 20% mark and it sadly didn't happen but I can def see it happening in a different version of this book. I wanted more of space and samurai stuff but I got way too much of corporate drama. Imo this book could have easily be dystopia instead of sci-fi and it wouldn't have made any difference except the last 5%.
Poor martin got fucked from everywhere. I feel so sad for him. What I loved most about this book is the fact that the protagonist is a 53 year old lady who is the best warrior and she is constantly talking about her human body aches. Her pain and ache did feel real to me. Her friendship with cobb was so sweet.
I have realised that fonda lee is not for me. I dnf-ed the first book in the jade saga and did not have a good experience with this one either. I was so ready to give that series another chance if I loved this one but sadly ain't gonna pick it up now.
Don't listen to courtney- her recs are bad😔✊️
~~~~~
starting another sci-fi, I am so excited!! heard nothing but good things about it🤭
September 27, 2026
I have to admit that I struggled through the book, finally finished reading it, and now I actually hate it.
I'm trying to write a useful review despite my negative feelings.
The story itself was exactly my kind of thing—with light cyberpunk elements and set on a strange, inhospitable planet. It’s character-driven and doesn’t focus so much on the plot itself.
It’s all quite nice; early on in the book, I came to terms with the fact that nothing much really happens and that the characters just stumble along without really having a plan.
The setting isn’t really explained; everything is mysterious, and it isn’t until quite late in the story that you understand the rules of this unknown planet and why the people there live the way they do.
So far, so good—I actually like being left in the dark and figuring things out for myself.
Let's move on to the criticisms, and I'll try to put them as nicely as possible.
I was bored to death. That might be due to the writing style, and I think the author just isn’t my cup of tea. What really annoyed me were the constant repetitions of the same old explanations and internal monologues. Repetitions of things that weren’t even interesting—just the same trivial details over and over again, which you already understood the first time around and definitely don’t need to read ten times.
The main character is a “somewhat” older woman—it's actually kind of wonderful to have a heroine who's older—but do we really have to read on every other page that her knees hurt and that she loves her hair...?!?!?!?!
At some point, the plot starts to take shape and picks up a bit of momentum, and you think, “Wow, now it’s getting interesting.” That’s when I finally got really excited.
If you read this book and really love the second half, just like I did, then here’s my advice: Don’t read the last four chapters!
I’d love to keep imagining how this book could have been brought to a worthy, interesting conclusion.
Unfortunately, I read it all the way to the end, and it was probably the most boring, most hated ending I’ve ever encountered in a book.
My rating: Three stars for Martim, a very interesting character I really loved.
I'm trying to write a useful review despite my negative feelings.
The story itself was exactly my kind of thing—with light cyberpunk elements and set on a strange, inhospitable planet. It’s character-driven and doesn’t focus so much on the plot itself.
It’s all quite nice; early on in the book, I came to terms with the fact that nothing much really happens and that the characters just stumble along without really having a plan.
The setting isn’t really explained; everything is mysterious, and it isn’t until quite late in the story that you understand the rules of this unknown planet and why the people there live the way they do.
So far, so good—I actually like being left in the dark and figuring things out for myself.
Let's move on to the criticisms, and I'll try to put them as nicely as possible.
I was bored to death. That might be due to the writing style, and I think the author just isn’t my cup of tea. What really annoyed me were the constant repetitions of the same old explanations and internal monologues. Repetitions of things that weren’t even interesting—just the same trivial details over and over again, which you already understood the first time around and definitely don’t need to read ten times.
The main character is a “somewhat” older woman—it's actually kind of wonderful to have a heroine who's older—but do we really have to read on every other page that her knees hurt and that she loves her hair...?!?!?!?!
At some point, the plot starts to take shape and picks up a bit of momentum, and you think, “Wow, now it’s getting interesting.” That’s when I finally got really excited.
If you read this book and really love the second half, just like I did, then here’s my advice: Don’t read the last four chapters!
I’d love to keep imagining how this book could have been brought to a worthy, interesting conclusion.
Unfortunately, I read it all the way to the end, and it was probably the most boring, most hated ending I’ve ever encountered in a book.
My rating: Three stars for Martim, a very interesting character I really loved.
April 7, 2026
The irony of me relaxing after my stressful corporate work day by reading about Isako’s even more stressful corporate work day is not lost on me. Our retirement plans are the same, so that was fun and relatable!
Want to Read
March 28, 2023I will read anything by Fonda Lee 😌
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
A mashup of the corporate storyline in Cyberpunk 2077, with a frisson of Peter F Hamilton's terraforming narrative in Fallen Dragon, a dash of Cowboy Bebop, a scattering of Ghost in the Shell, and a hint of Green Bone DNA.
Also for some reason I got a real Batou / Kusanagi vibe (Ghost in the Shell: Innocence) from Kob / Isako, which kicked ass for me. Fonda Lee is one of the best SFF writers working today.
Also for some reason I got a real Batou / Kusanagi vibe (Ghost in the Shell: Innocence) from Kob / Isako, which kicked ass for me. Fonda Lee is one of the best SFF writers working today.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This review was originally published on Grimdark Magazine
3.25 stars
Considering how much I adore the way that Fonda Lee wrecked me in The Greenbone Saga, I feel like it was virtually impossible for me not to go into The Last Contract of Isako with ridiculously high expectations. Yet at the same time, the premise made me nervous because ‘corporate samurai in space’ sounded like it could go full nonstop action chaos, and that is not usually my thing. So, I started this book already conflicted and, shockingly, I am afraid that I ended it feeling… still very conflicted.
Now, the first few chapters of The Last Contract of Isako actually hooked me pretty fast and had me cautiously optimistic. See, I expected immediate chaos and sword fights and space explosions, but instead it leaned way more character-focused and moody, and I was so relieved. Isako also instantly proved herself to be such a genuinely refreshing protagonist, as she’s older, exhausted, jaded, and very aware that she’s not the legend she used to be but then still kicking ass when she needs to. The entire concept of this being her last contract before she essentially peaces out of life forever is deliciously bleak, and I was all in for the themes about aging, mortality, family, legacy, identity, and the soul-crushing machine of corporate life.
However, the execution of the story just never really worked for me personally, especially because third person present tense storytelling is just about my least favourite way of delivering a story. I always felt slightly outside of Isako’s head instead of fully in it, and I did not like how it seemed like I was watching through a window instead of actually feeling what she felt. The side characters also didn’t help much, as most of them felt like little more than names to me rather than people, which feels really weird to say considering how real the characters from Greenbone feel to me. Kob was the only exception with his intriguing backstory and complicated inner battles, and I kept wishing he had more page time because the complex, respectful, and playful dynamic between him and Isako was one of the most compelling parts of The Last Contract of Isako for me.
Instead, Lee just goes way harder on the world building and political scheming, and I think there's no denying that it's impressive how much of that was packed into this tight standalone. The whole backstory about Earth being lost and humanity trying to terraform Aquilo was genuinely fascinating to me, and I liked how global warming was actually the goal in The Last Contract of Isako instead of it being the nightmare that we are experiencing here ourselves on Earth. However, the actual political strife between the terraformists and the reunionists never grabbed my interest because I did not care for any of the players involved, which is kind of a problem when the entire central espionage plot hinges on that conflict.
But then, halfway through, Fonda Lee boldly threw in a major perspective and timeline shift (and a change to past tense, thank all that is holy) that really surprised me and shook things up. It pulled me back in for a while and made the plot feel more layered, but soon it also made the pacing feel weird, like I’d suddenly started reading a different book. Still, I think I ended up liking that character’s shocking journey with its exploration of identity and sacrifice even more than Isako’s, even if a lot of the suspense was ruined for me because I guessed one of the big reveals the moment that the perspective shift happened.
Ultimately, I don’t think Fonda Lee is capable of writing a bad book, but I fear she may be quite capable of writing a book that is just not for me. No, it wasn’t the action-heavy chaos I feared, but it swung a bit too far in the other direction that I ended up feeling quite bored by all the corporate maneuvering for large parts. Still, I think The Last Contract of Isako is an impressive and satisfying standalone with strong themes and a refreshingly different protagonist, and I totally respect what it’s going for. I can absolutely see why some readers will love it, but unfortunately, that reader is not me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit UK for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The Last Contract of Isako is scheduled for release on 5 May, 2026.
3.25 stars
Considering how much I adore the way that Fonda Lee wrecked me in The Greenbone Saga, I feel like it was virtually impossible for me not to go into The Last Contract of Isako with ridiculously high expectations. Yet at the same time, the premise made me nervous because ‘corporate samurai in space’ sounded like it could go full nonstop action chaos, and that is not usually my thing. So, I started this book already conflicted and, shockingly, I am afraid that I ended it feeling… still very conflicted.
Now, the first few chapters of The Last Contract of Isako actually hooked me pretty fast and had me cautiously optimistic. See, I expected immediate chaos and sword fights and space explosions, but instead it leaned way more character-focused and moody, and I was so relieved. Isako also instantly proved herself to be such a genuinely refreshing protagonist, as she’s older, exhausted, jaded, and very aware that she’s not the legend she used to be but then still kicking ass when she needs to. The entire concept of this being her last contract before she essentially peaces out of life forever is deliciously bleak, and I was all in for the themes about aging, mortality, family, legacy, identity, and the soul-crushing machine of corporate life.
However, the execution of the story just never really worked for me personally, especially because third person present tense storytelling is just about my least favourite way of delivering a story. I always felt slightly outside of Isako’s head instead of fully in it, and I did not like how it seemed like I was watching through a window instead of actually feeling what she felt. The side characters also didn’t help much, as most of them felt like little more than names to me rather than people, which feels really weird to say considering how real the characters from Greenbone feel to me. Kob was the only exception with his intriguing backstory and complicated inner battles, and I kept wishing he had more page time because the complex, respectful, and playful dynamic between him and Isako was one of the most compelling parts of The Last Contract of Isako for me.
Instead, Lee just goes way harder on the world building and political scheming, and I think there's no denying that it's impressive how much of that was packed into this tight standalone. The whole backstory about Earth being lost and humanity trying to terraform Aquilo was genuinely fascinating to me, and I liked how global warming was actually the goal in The Last Contract of Isako instead of it being the nightmare that we are experiencing here ourselves on Earth. However, the actual political strife between the terraformists and the reunionists never grabbed my interest because I did not care for any of the players involved, which is kind of a problem when the entire central espionage plot hinges on that conflict.
But then, halfway through, Fonda Lee boldly threw in a major perspective and timeline shift (and a change to past tense, thank all that is holy) that really surprised me and shook things up. It pulled me back in for a while and made the plot feel more layered, but soon it also made the pacing feel weird, like I’d suddenly started reading a different book. Still, I think I ended up liking that character’s shocking journey with its exploration of identity and sacrifice even more than Isako’s, even if a lot of the suspense was ruined for me because I guessed one of the big reveals the moment that the perspective shift happened.
Ultimately, I don’t think Fonda Lee is capable of writing a bad book, but I fear she may be quite capable of writing a book that is just not for me. No, it wasn’t the action-heavy chaos I feared, but it swung a bit too far in the other direction that I ended up feeling quite bored by all the corporate maneuvering for large parts. Still, I think The Last Contract of Isako is an impressive and satisfying standalone with strong themes and a refreshingly different protagonist, and I totally respect what it’s going for. I can absolutely see why some readers will love it, but unfortunately, that reader is not me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit UK for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The Last Contract of Isako is scheduled for release on 5 May, 2026.
May 25, 2026
The Last Fonda Lee Novel of Marc the Dark Reader.
Lee has crafted a complexly-plotted sci-fi story about corporate samurai in a mega-city on a colony planet cut off from Earth for centuries, a world where long-term survival depends on gainful employment by shifting divisions of the Company, a.k.a. world government, in a population burdened by uncertainty and striving to support their own humanity and society as long-term terraforming takes place, with broad themes about humanity and society and corporations and class/wealth and work and all that. And she pulled it off.
Hey, you know how when you think of samurai and what makes samurai eternally awesome, that thing is their skill at steering corporate strategy and public perception and politics? Those goddamn samurai, man. Or maybe you like the kind of samurai who is shit with a sword but really good at boutique fashion identification.
On an unrelated note, I learned after reading this that, before she became a full-time writer, Lee was a corporate strategist.
Based on the many supportive blurbs and other praise from other authors and Lee's history as a writing instructor at some excellent writing schools, I get the impression that she's a writer's writer. And for real, throughout this book, she really wrote. She wrote so much that in every scene, you could really see all of her writing. Like, every scene required something, and she wrote that thing. She did it effectively and with great technical skill. I often couldn't stand it. It came across as highly technical, cold and workmanlike. Like, "Okay, here's this scene now, these things have to happen, and look there they are happening, and they will continue to happen with perfect pacing and detail until they're done." Where was the passion? Where was the messiness, the heart, the art? Lee writes so well that it skips over all that and just gets the job done, smoothly and efficiently. Boring!
I found the dialogue universally stiff and needlessly formal, and all too often clearly expository ("As you know, Bob, ..."). Sometimes this was certainly intentional, like in corporate interactions, but it was equally lifeless in what should have been personal moments. The writing is rife with repetition too, like there's no trust in the reader to understand the significance and context of things, so everything has to be spelled out and re-spelled out again to make sure no one is left behind, no matter their level of reading comprehension. This ties into dialogue when the characters include all the context for their own statements to other characters who would clearly already understand all of that.
Fonda Lee, man. I DNF'd Jade City early because it wasn't doing it for me at all and I wonder if it was for similar reasons then unidentified. But hey, she's a celebrated author and this was a brand new thing and a standalone, so why shouldn't I give it a whirl? I don't think I'll try Lee again any time soon, except for the sequel to Breath of the Dragon which I mostly enjoyed, so maybe it's just her adult books that are my problem.
There were good moments in this book: the action scenes, in which the samurai actually used their goddamn swords. This happened three times in 530 pages. They were intimately tied to the story and one particular pivotal moment was excellently written.
I found the story somewhat predictable, never a great sign because I'm just not that bright and thoughtful about such things, so when I predict a major thing it's because it was plainly telecast. Like, when a certain off-screen character is frequently discussed and then we're told they're dead but they're still a central part of the story for a long time ... I think we all know what that means because we have read books and/or seen movies before. I made a major prediction at page 200 that proved almost true by page 400; I was off only slightly laterally, and I think my idea would have been more interesting had it turned out to be the case, but that's not what the story was and it's okay. In any case, the gist of that twist was, I think, obvious for all those pages and so much of the experience of the book was simply watching it unfold to the point that was clearly coming, with a lot of writing along the way, every beat written out, the writing taking you from point A to B to C and then point W where wouldn't it be satisfying to end the novel with some ambiguity left to the minor details, but that's not the writerly way so instead there's more writing as points X, Y, and Z get their requisite number of words across 60 pages of denouement because you wouldn't ever want to not clearly and professionally write out the moments the plot requires to close up every moment previously written, would you?
Lee has crafted a complexly-plotted sci-fi story about corporate samurai in a mega-city on a colony planet cut off from Earth for centuries, a world where long-term survival depends on gainful employment by shifting divisions of the Company, a.k.a. world government, in a population burdened by uncertainty and striving to support their own humanity and society as long-term terraforming takes place, with broad themes about humanity and society and corporations and class/wealth and work and all that. And she pulled it off.
Hey, you know how when you think of samurai and what makes samurai eternally awesome, that thing is their skill at steering corporate strategy and public perception and politics? Those goddamn samurai, man. Or maybe you like the kind of samurai who is shit with a sword but really good at boutique fashion identification.
On an unrelated note, I learned after reading this that, before she became a full-time writer, Lee was a corporate strategist.
Based on the many supportive blurbs and other praise from other authors and Lee's history as a writing instructor at some excellent writing schools, I get the impression that she's a writer's writer. And for real, throughout this book, she really wrote. She wrote so much that in every scene, you could really see all of her writing. Like, every scene required something, and she wrote that thing. She did it effectively and with great technical skill. I often couldn't stand it. It came across as highly technical, cold and workmanlike. Like, "Okay, here's this scene now, these things have to happen, and look there they are happening, and they will continue to happen with perfect pacing and detail until they're done." Where was the passion? Where was the messiness, the heart, the art? Lee writes so well that it skips over all that and just gets the job done, smoothly and efficiently. Boring!
I found the dialogue universally stiff and needlessly formal, and all too often clearly expository ("As you know, Bob, ..."). Sometimes this was certainly intentional, like in corporate interactions, but it was equally lifeless in what should have been personal moments. The writing is rife with repetition too, like there's no trust in the reader to understand the significance and context of things, so everything has to be spelled out and re-spelled out again to make sure no one is left behind, no matter their level of reading comprehension. This ties into dialogue when the characters include all the context for their own statements to other characters who would clearly already understand all of that.
Fonda Lee, man. I DNF'd Jade City early because it wasn't doing it for me at all and I wonder if it was for similar reasons then unidentified. But hey, she's a celebrated author and this was a brand new thing and a standalone, so why shouldn't I give it a whirl? I don't think I'll try Lee again any time soon, except for the sequel to Breath of the Dragon which I mostly enjoyed, so maybe it's just her adult books that are my problem.
There were good moments in this book: the action scenes, in which the samurai actually used their goddamn swords. This happened three times in 530 pages. They were intimately tied to the story and one particular pivotal moment was excellently written.
I found the story somewhat predictable, never a great sign because I'm just not that bright and thoughtful about such things, so when I predict a major thing it's because it was plainly telecast. Like, when a certain off-screen character is frequently discussed and then we're told they're dead but they're still a central part of the story for a long time ... I think we all know what that means because we have read books and/or seen movies before. I made a major prediction at page 200 that proved almost true by page 400; I was off only slightly laterally, and I think my idea would have been more interesting had it turned out to be the case, but that's not what the story was and it's okay. In any case, the gist of that twist was, I think, obvious for all those pages and so much of the experience of the book was simply watching it unfold to the point that was clearly coming, with a lot of writing along the way, every beat written out, the writing taking you from point A to B to C and then point W where wouldn't it be satisfying to end the novel with some ambiguity left to the minor details, but that's not the writerly way so instead there's more writing as points X, Y, and Z get their requisite number of words across 60 pages of denouement because you wouldn't ever want to not clearly and professionally write out the moments the plot requires to close up every moment previously written, would you?
May 15, 2026
4,5 ⭐
On est loin d'un Green Bones - clairement ça sera difficile à détrôner mais j'ai beaucoup aimé d'avoir un personnage féminin de 50 ans, les questions que cela apporte, ses interrogations quant à son avenir, son devenir et le chemin parcouru ainsi que la "concurrence" plus jeune. On est pas sur un Paladin des Âmes de Loïs Mcmaster Bujold mais les thèmes se ressemblent. J'ai beaucoup apprécié de même que retrouver le côté "Code" / "Code d'honneur" en clin d'oeil aux Green Bones même si... Encore une fois, The Last Contract of Isako n'égale pas l'éclat de l'Emeraude... 👍
En tout cas, je suis tombé amoureux de ce livre pages après pages 💝
On est loin d'un Green Bones - clairement ça sera difficile à détrôner mais j'ai beaucoup aimé d'avoir un personnage féminin de 50 ans, les questions que cela apporte, ses interrogations quant à son avenir, son devenir et le chemin parcouru ainsi que la "concurrence" plus jeune. On est pas sur un Paladin des Âmes de Loïs Mcmaster Bujold mais les thèmes se ressemblent. J'ai beaucoup apprécié de même que retrouver le côté "Code" / "Code d'honneur" en clin d'oeil aux Green Bones même si... Encore une fois, The Last Contract of Isako n'égale pas l'éclat de l'Emeraude... 👍
En tout cas, je suis tombé amoureux de ce livre pages après pages 💝
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
੭୧ 3 stars . ۫
“ no one has beaten quickblade and strikebreaker together. not yet. ”
overall thoughts — the SHEER amount of energy, mental thinking, and intentionality it must have taken to write this book is so evident. the world-building, the setting, the characters, the plot, the action are all so insanely intricate and carefully woven together that i am in awe. fonda lee, the woman you are. she has said herself that this is her most difficult work yet, and for many reasons i completely agree. although, subjectively, i still preferred jade city, mainly because of the unmatched characters and family dynamics, it would be a lie to deny the apparent level of hard work, intelligence, and precision that went into this novel. the plot twist!! holyfreakingshit. genuinely the gag of the century.
i truly don't think i have ever, in all my years of book reviewing, been this conflicted about what rating to give a book. objectively, this is a five star read. but i read subjectively (always try to be as transparent as possible) and because of that, i find myself wanting to place this in the 3 to 4 star range. let me explain. firstly, i am not the biggest fan of pure sci-fi. however, with the right author, i can be convinced to try, and fonda lee is one of those authors. because of this, i struggled at times to fully enjoy the overarching idea, especially in the beginning, and found myself zoning out during certain parts of the novel. another reason the beginning was so difficult for me was because of how challenging it initially was to grasp the world-building and sci-fi concepts. if you go into this book and feel the same way at first, i urge you to push through. you will NOT regret it. everything eventually clicks into place, starts to make sense, takes form, and suddenly you are having the time of your life.
i also want to add that i didn't immediately click with the characters. relatability is something that is very important to any reader, so having characters mostly in the 40 to 70 age range was new and unfamiliar. but honestly, fuck relatability, because the comfort i ended up finding in these characters mattered so much more. once i got past the beginning, i completely fell in love with isako, martim, kob (not uchi), and their dynamics. the ending deserves its own moment because wow. it perfectly tied everything together and left my heart hurting just a little. i will miss isako and kob. my quickblade and strikebreaker <3
final thoughts — if you enjoy sci-fi even the slightest bit, this book is absolutely for you. fonda lee is one of my favorite authors, but i can also recognize that i might not be the target audience for this particular story. still, i consider myself a sensible person who can appreciate writing objectively, so please do not let my below four star rating dissuade you from picking up this gem!!! this book is also the reason i have such a fear of dnf'ing novels. my stupid hopeful self always believes a book that starts off badly might surprise me, and 99% of the time, that never happens. but this time, it actually did.
“ what freedom can people like us ever really have? ”
thank you to the author and publisher for the arc!
CW: intense/graphic violence, body horror, death, murder, blood
────
finished: 01/28/26 𖥻𓈒 ꒱ ੭
i'm spiraling. this was insane.
pre read: 01/25/26 𖥻𓈒 ꒱ ੭
oh fonda lee how i've missed your writing ☹ been waiting for this book for forever, it's beyond surreal that i get to read it early !! hoping this fills the void in me left by jade city.
“ no one has beaten quickblade and strikebreaker together. not yet. ”
overall thoughts — the SHEER amount of energy, mental thinking, and intentionality it must have taken to write this book is so evident. the world-building, the setting, the characters, the plot, the action are all so insanely intricate and carefully woven together that i am in awe. fonda lee, the woman you are. she has said herself that this is her most difficult work yet, and for many reasons i completely agree. although, subjectively, i still preferred jade city, mainly because of the unmatched characters and family dynamics, it would be a lie to deny the apparent level of hard work, intelligence, and precision that went into this novel. the plot twist!! holyfreakingshit. genuinely the gag of the century.
i truly don't think i have ever, in all my years of book reviewing, been this conflicted about what rating to give a book. objectively, this is a five star read. but i read subjectively (always try to be as transparent as possible) and because of that, i find myself wanting to place this in the 3 to 4 star range. let me explain. firstly, i am not the biggest fan of pure sci-fi. however, with the right author, i can be convinced to try, and fonda lee is one of those authors. because of this, i struggled at times to fully enjoy the overarching idea, especially in the beginning, and found myself zoning out during certain parts of the novel. another reason the beginning was so difficult for me was because of how challenging it initially was to grasp the world-building and sci-fi concepts. if you go into this book and feel the same way at first, i urge you to push through. you will NOT regret it. everything eventually clicks into place, starts to make sense, takes form, and suddenly you are having the time of your life.
i also want to add that i didn't immediately click with the characters. relatability is something that is very important to any reader, so having characters mostly in the 40 to 70 age range was new and unfamiliar. but honestly, fuck relatability, because the comfort i ended up finding in these characters mattered so much more. once i got past the beginning, i completely fell in love with isako, martim, kob (not uchi), and their dynamics. the ending deserves its own moment because wow. it perfectly tied everything together and left my heart hurting just a little. i will miss isako and kob. my quickblade and strikebreaker <3
isako + kobㆍ“ she wanted to bring him back into the edge life; he wanted to bring her out. they tried to save each other. what a couple of idiots. ”
final thoughts — if you enjoy sci-fi even the slightest bit, this book is absolutely for you. fonda lee is one of my favorite authors, but i can also recognize that i might not be the target audience for this particular story. still, i consider myself a sensible person who can appreciate writing objectively, so please do not let my below four star rating dissuade you from picking up this gem!!! this book is also the reason i have such a fear of dnf'ing novels. my stupid hopeful self always believes a book that starts off badly might surprise me, and 99% of the time, that never happens. but this time, it actually did.
“ what freedom can people like us ever really have? ”
thank you to the author and publisher for the arc!
CW: intense/graphic violence, body horror, death, murder, blood
────
finished: 01/28/26 𖥻𓈒 ꒱ ੭
i'm spiraling. this was insane.
pre read: 01/25/26 𖥻𓈒 ꒱ ੭
oh fonda lee how i've missed your writing ☹ been waiting for this book for forever, it's beyond surreal that i get to read it early !! hoping this fills the void in me left by jade city.
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