Cal’s Reviews > The Last Contract of Isako > Status Update
Cal
is 24% done
More hot competent female protagonists in their 50s! Isako is that grizzled cool character that normally only gets like 15 minutes of screen time but we get to spend the whole book with.
— May 14, 2026 03:45PM
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Cal’s Previous Updates
Cal
is 60% done
A few chapters ago when we switched POVs, I thought it was a weird choice to pad out the narrative. But now I am deeply invested and desperate to see where this goes.
— 20 hours, 47 min ago
Cal
is 38% done
This book is doing a really good job adapting the samurai code of honor into the corporate sci-fi setting. A lot of cyberpunk and sci-fi stops at "katanas are cool" but Lee really thought about how to translate so many layers of who the samurai were into this narrative. And I think it's pairing really well with this slower paced "one last job" mystery narrative. It feels very cinematic.
— May 14, 2026 10:23PM
Cal
is 17% done
So far this is really hitting the mark for a "one last job" sci-fi story. There's a good amount of sci-fi jargon which I'm enjoying. Fonda Lee has also done a really good job of making Isako actually feel like a very competent and seasoned protagonist. Very excited for the rest of this one.
— May 13, 2026 10:22PM
