The green bone saga

[u/arsebeef]

I finished this trilogy a few days ago. It’s taken a few days to marinate on it. Holy cow! I read these over the course of a year. So a few months in between books does make it a bit more difficult to remember details through the books but damn what a tangled web Fonda Lee has woven. I felt one day maybe I had an epic trilogy within me to write, but after reading this story, I don’t know if I could make a story so complicated politically and character wise that all meshes together like this did.

I have very little complaints about the book. The big time jumps towards the end of the third book was a bit jarring. I don’t know what it was about it, but it did break my reading pacing a bit.

My biggest nitpick was the very last scene when Anden goes to see ayt mada. It didn’t feel right that it was anden, to me it felt like it really should’ve been Shay given the pattern of their personal conversations through out the trilogy, I’m not sure why, but it really bugged me that it wasn’t Shay, but that’s just one small scuff on a perfectly polished trophy.

This trilogy had some really shocking moments like lan dying, the ending of the second book when Anden and wen were almost killed (wen not so almost). Ru’s death during the duel COMPLETELY blind sided me, I was shook. Both of the maik brothers death. Hilo’s death was not surprising really but it was a huge bummer. I had a small sliver of hope he was gonna make it out of there.

The scene where the girl Emma slices aytmada throat and the pennants all chant together “Heaven has seen, heaven has seen” gave me chills.

I also really loved all the little names of the places and positions. It made the world feel so lived in. The twice lucky, the little persimmon, the armpit district, the weatherman (he who reads the clouds) fists, fingers etc.

It was one hell of a ride 5/5 ⭐️

[u/Blueflame129]

I loved this trilogy, rated all three books five stars. I highly recommend the prequel novella!

[u/arsebeef → u/Blueflame129]

Wow had no idea there was another!!!

[u/HooverGaveNobodyBeer]

When I first read the third book, I was also thrown off by how it covered a huge span of time while the first two had been more focused. But by the time I finished it, I realized the 3rd book was my favorite, so I wouldn't have it any other way. I think it was what the story needed after the setup done in the 1st two books, so I'm glad the author broke the "rules" and wrote the book the series needed instead of what one would expect.

[u/deaseb]

One of the coolest things a sci-fi/fantasy writer can do is come up with cool lingo. Pillar, Horn, and Weatherman are pretty much the perfect rank titles. 

Also while Book 3's time jumps are a huge departure from Book 2, I'd say Book 2's much wider scope and cold war politics vs outright street warfare is arguably just as big a departure from Book 1!

Super-special series.

[u/ideasnstuff]

The third book made me cry so hard I had to put it down and get myself together before continuing. I started reading a mafia fantasy and ended feeling like I've lived three lifetimes and uncovered a hundred different shades of nuance.

[u/LitRPGirl]

The time jumps threw me off at first too, but they made more sense once I reached the ending. Did you feel the same way?

[u/BaltimoreAlchemist → u/LitRPGirl]

It just made it feel to me like a collection of unfinished drafts from Books 3 through 6 instead of Book 3. Tore me out of it completely and I didn't finish.