I enjoyed this novella, but I think Lee was so taken by her concept that she neglected character building in favor of general coolness. Narrator Ester narrowly escaped a manticore attack that took half her family; her life became laser-focused towards joining the king’s mews, where rukhers tame and fly the giant rocs that are the kingdom’s only defense against the manticores. The core of the book is the dynamic between Ester’s complete devotion to her roc, and the knowledge that the roc is utterly unmoved by her affection or loyalty. The story makes occasional halfhearted forays into politics and propaganda, but Ester’s unwavering dedication to manticore murder gives her character very little room to grow. Pleasant read with very cool giant bird details, but does not feel like a complete story.
Tag: author-fonda lee
The Jade Setter of Janloon, by Fonda Lee, narrated by Andrew Kishino
Prequel novella to the Green Bone series, about a jade setter’s apprentice who chafes at his master’s conservative neutrality. Naturally there is way more going on beneath the surface of this story, which touches on how law enforcement must operate in an environment run by what are essentially superpowered mobs, as well as how bit players find ways to survive. Great reading by Kishino, who did an amazing job portraying both Green Bone thugs and quietly powerful Clan Pillars.
Jade Legacy, by Fonda Lee
An absolutely phenomenal conclusion to the Green Bone trilogy. The books started out all gangsters and power struggles, and it would have been a perfectly good ride to keep it at that level, but Lee fearlessly developed it into a story of opposing dynasties trying to outmaneuver one another on an international scale, while keeping her characters grounded in the constant struggle to balance their independence with the family honor. I’ll miss the Kaul family, with their strengths and their stubbornness, and I think the ending was bittersweet and perfect.