Orbit
Publication date: May 5th, 2026
Hardcover. 528 pages.
About The Last Contract of Isako:
"A battle-worn corporate samurai undertakes one last mission on a merciless planet where death is always a mere breath away, in this standalone dystopian epic from the author of the modern fantasy classic Jade City.
LIVE BY THE CODE. DIE BY THE KNIFE.
Isako is a legendary swordswoman, but every legend must 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 death. But when she's offered a final mission, she can't refuse, especially when she realizes who lies at the center of it all: 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 she uncovers could forever change humanity's existence among the stars.
The Last Contract of Isako is epic science fiction like only Fonda Lee can write it—set in a world where money trumps loyalty, the elite have the power to extend life or end it, and one woman in the twilight of her calling must decide what's ultimately worth living—or dying—for."
LIVE BY THE CODE. DIE BY THE KNIFE.
Isako is a legendary swordswoman, but every legend must 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 death. But when she's offered a final mission, she can't refuse, especially when she realizes who lies at the center of it all: 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 she uncovers could forever change humanity's existence among the stars.
The Last Contract of Isako is epic science fiction like only Fonda Lee can write it—set in a world where money trumps loyalty, the elite have the power to extend life or end it, and one woman in the twilight of her calling must decide what's ultimately worth living—or dying—for."
If the phrase “corporate samurai” does anything to pique your interest--as it did mine--then this is definitely a book you’ll want to take a look at. In The Last Contract of Isako, we follow an atier who suddenly finds herself looking at the possibility of retirement until she’s suddenly roped into a mission that she couldn’t have predicted being a part of. This is a futuristic space opera-style story from an author whose previous series, The Green Bone Saga, I really enjoyed, so this was easily one of my most anticipated releases and I was eager to see what she could with some sci-fi. Fonda Lee absolutely delivers on crafting an intricate, carefully plotted, and intriguing new story, and although I can’t say it stole my interest more than The Green Bone Saga, it’s still an entirely solid new work from Fonda Lee.
Isako herself was a strong character to follow. She’s clearly incredibly capable and competent, and she has what I’d consider a very well-earned sense of confidence--no exaggeration needed around her abilities. What worked really well was how she also felt really grounded as a person and like someone you could actually know and talk to.
I also appreciated seeing some glimpses into her personal life, such as her interactions with her daughter, which I felt made her feel even more like a real person rather than some larger-then-life figure who’s just a beast at her job (even though she is!). I’m not sure I 100% connected with her, but I don’t think that’s necessary to enjoy a character, and I genuinely enjoyed her perspective and following her journey. Lee really does a great job crafting her characters in ways that make them feel both intriguing and accessible. I also really enjoyed Kob as a supporting character, and I felt that his presence added a really interesting layer to the story. I really enjoyed learning about the world and lifestyle of ronins through him and what it’s like for those who are operating outside of the more traditional and standard structures, even if not always entirely legal. He brought what I think is some really great balance and foiling to Isako’s character, and also seems like he does a great job in keeping her a bit more sane and grounded in some interesting ways.
What didn’t work quite as well for me was the middle section of the book where the POV switches to a character called Martim. While hist strolling is critical to the plot and adds some really meaningful context to the overall narrative, I didn’t find it quite as compelling as Isako’s. It just felt a bit denser and more emotionally distance, which made it much harder for me to stay as invested overall. I really appreciate what it contributed to the story, but it just didn’t grab me as much as Isako’s POV did.
The world-building was both fascinating and slightly hit-or-miss for me. On the one hand, it’s very clearly incredibly detailed (and I’d expect nothing less from Fonda Lee) and thoughtfully constructed, but on the other hand, it lacked something that would have made it feel more immersive to me. It’s almost like seeing a really gorgeous, detailed painting in the distance, but it’s too far away to really feel like you can fully experience and appreciate it’s beauty and what it can offer, if that makes sense. I could sense the incredible world, but didn’t quite feel like I was there and could visualized it fully. I think liked what this book was doing a bit more than the actual execution of it, but it’s still a very solid read.
That said, I found the overall structure of the world, such as the ways in which the corporate and political system were crafted--and, naturally, how they intertwined--really compelling. This, to me, is where Fonda Lee really shines, as she really excels with the care and precision she puts into building the different systems within her worlds. Everything felt deliberate, complex, and well thought out, even if it didn’t fully work for me on every level. I just can’t fault it.
The pacing felt even and steady throughout. There were moment that moved more quickly, such as some of the action scenes, but overall it was fairly consistent. The middle section is probably what I would say came the closest to slowing things down a bit, but I wouldn’t really consider it too have dragged in any way, just maybe slowed some of the initial momentum, though as it progressed it built it all back up.
Much like in the The Green Bone Saga, I find Lee’s writing to lean more on the technical side than the emotional side or with heavy purple prose, and this worked really well for the story. There’s a lot of clarity in the tone and writing, which fit the structure well. I also found that everything in this book worked really well in building up towards the ending, which I think worked really well for this story and made me really curious to read more. I’m not 100% sure if there will be a sequel (someone let me know if there is something planned that has been announced already!), but I think there should be because I’d definitely check it out!
Overall, The Last Contract of Isako is a great new sci-fi exploration from Fonda Lee. If you liked The Green Bone Saga or find any part of this premise intriguing, then you should absolutely give this one a read. It’s not necessarily a new favorite for me and doesn’t outshine the Green Bone Saga, but it’s definitely worth the read.
Isako herself was a strong character to follow. She’s clearly incredibly capable and competent, and she has what I’d consider a very well-earned sense of confidence--no exaggeration needed around her abilities. What worked really well was how she also felt really grounded as a person and like someone you could actually know and talk to.
I also appreciated seeing some glimpses into her personal life, such as her interactions with her daughter, which I felt made her feel even more like a real person rather than some larger-then-life figure who’s just a beast at her job (even though she is!). I’m not sure I 100% connected with her, but I don’t think that’s necessary to enjoy a character, and I genuinely enjoyed her perspective and following her journey. Lee really does a great job crafting her characters in ways that make them feel both intriguing and accessible. I also really enjoyed Kob as a supporting character, and I felt that his presence added a really interesting layer to the story. I really enjoyed learning about the world and lifestyle of ronins through him and what it’s like for those who are operating outside of the more traditional and standard structures, even if not always entirely legal. He brought what I think is some really great balance and foiling to Isako’s character, and also seems like he does a great job in keeping her a bit more sane and grounded in some interesting ways.
What didn’t work quite as well for me was the middle section of the book where the POV switches to a character called Martim. While hist strolling is critical to the plot and adds some really meaningful context to the overall narrative, I didn’t find it quite as compelling as Isako’s. It just felt a bit denser and more emotionally distance, which made it much harder for me to stay as invested overall. I really appreciate what it contributed to the story, but it just didn’t grab me as much as Isako’s POV did.
The world-building was both fascinating and slightly hit-or-miss for me. On the one hand, it’s very clearly incredibly detailed (and I’d expect nothing less from Fonda Lee) and thoughtfully constructed, but on the other hand, it lacked something that would have made it feel more immersive to me. It’s almost like seeing a really gorgeous, detailed painting in the distance, but it’s too far away to really feel like you can fully experience and appreciate it’s beauty and what it can offer, if that makes sense. I could sense the incredible world, but didn’t quite feel like I was there and could visualized it fully. I think liked what this book was doing a bit more than the actual execution of it, but it’s still a very solid read.
That said, I found the overall structure of the world, such as the ways in which the corporate and political system were crafted--and, naturally, how they intertwined--really compelling. This, to me, is where Fonda Lee really shines, as she really excels with the care and precision she puts into building the different systems within her worlds. Everything felt deliberate, complex, and well thought out, even if it didn’t fully work for me on every level. I just can’t fault it.
The pacing felt even and steady throughout. There were moment that moved more quickly, such as some of the action scenes, but overall it was fairly consistent. The middle section is probably what I would say came the closest to slowing things down a bit, but I wouldn’t really consider it too have dragged in any way, just maybe slowed some of the initial momentum, though as it progressed it built it all back up.
Much like in the The Green Bone Saga, I find Lee’s writing to lean more on the technical side than the emotional side or with heavy purple prose, and this worked really well for the story. There’s a lot of clarity in the tone and writing, which fit the structure well. I also found that everything in this book worked really well in building up towards the ending, which I think worked really well for this story and made me really curious to read more. I’m not 100% sure if there will be a sequel (someone let me know if there is something planned that has been announced already!), but I think there should be because I’d definitely check it out!
Overall, The Last Contract of Isako is a great new sci-fi exploration from Fonda Lee. If you liked The Green Bone Saga or find any part of this premise intriguing, then you should absolutely give this one a read. It’s not necessarily a new favorite for me and doesn’t outshine the Green Bone Saga, but it’s definitely worth the read.
*I received a copy of The Last Contract of Isako courtesy of the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This has no effect on my rating or enjoyment.*
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