Fonda Lee is a Canadian-American science fiction and fantasy author best known for the Green Bone Saga. Her work also includes young adult science fiction, martial arts fantasy, short fiction, fantasy novellas, and the standalone space opera The Last Contract of Isako.
Her bibliography contains several separate continuities. The Green Bone Saga takes place in Kekon and the wider world shaped by jade. The Exo Duology follows an alien-occupied Earth. The Breathmarked Duology, co-written with Shannon Lee, uses its own martial arts fantasy setting.
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Zeroboxer, Untethered Sky, and The Last Contract of Isako are standalone stories.
The Four Shelves in Fonda Lee’s Bibliography
Readers can separate the books into four groups:
- The Green Bone Saga: An adult fantasy trilogy, one prequel novella, and four prequel short stories.
- The Exo Duology: Two connected young adult science fiction novels.
- The Breathmarked Duology: Two martial arts fantasy novels co-written with Shannon Lee.
- Standalone books: Zeroboxer, Untethered Sky, and The Last Contract of Isako.
No series must be read before another. The principal order question concerns the Green Bone books, where the prequel fiction should usually be saved until after the trilogy.
Where Should You Start?
Jade City (2017): Begin here for clan politics, family conflict, organized crime, martial arts, and a modernizing island where jade grants trained warriors enhanced abilities.
Zeroboxer (2015): Begin here for a self-contained young adult sports story about a fighter whose career depends on fame, sponsorship, and a secret capable of destroying his identity.
Exo (2017): Begin here for young adult science fiction about a teenager raised to support the alien government ruling Earth.
Untethered Sky (2023): Begin here for a shorter fantasy about a young woman who bonds with a giant roc and hunts the manticores that destroyed her family.
Breath of the Dragon (2025): Begin here for a martial arts tournament, family separation, personal discipline, and a young fighter trying to prove himself without magical advantages.
The Last Contract of Isako (2026): Begin here for adult science fiction about corporate swordswomen, life extension, espionage, duty, and one final assignment.
The best overall starting point is Jade City. Readers seeking a single-volume commitment should choose Untethered Sky or The Last Contract of Isako.
The Green Bone Saga Books in Order
The Green Bone Saga takes place primarily on Kekon, an island where jade enhances the physical and mental abilities of trained Green Bones.
The main trilogy follows the Kaul family of the No Peak clan as it competes with the Mountain clan for political influence, economic control, and the future of Kekonese society.
Jade City
Jade City (2017): The death of No Peak’s aging patriarch leaves the Kaul siblings responsible for a clan facing the aggressive expansion of Ayt Mada and the Mountain, while a new drug threatens to change who can safely use jade.
The novel introduces Kaul Lan, Kaul Hilo, Kaul Shae, and their adopted brother Anden. Their personal loyalties are inseparable from clan leadership.
This is the required first book of the trilogy.
Jade War
Jade War (2019): The conflict between No Peak and the Mountain expands beyond street violence as foreign governments, smugglers, businesses, and military interests compete for access to Kekonese jade.
The second novel broadens the setting beyond Janloon. It also follows the Kaul family through marriage, parenthood, exile, diplomacy, and the pressures of maintaining clan authority.
Read it immediately after Jade City.
Jade Legacy
Jade Legacy (2021): The Kaul family confronts decades of political, economic, and personal change as jade becomes an international resource and the rivalry between No Peak and the Mountain shapes a new generation.
The final novel covers a much longer period than the first two books. Children grow into adults, alliances change, and decisions made in Jade City continue producing consequences years later.
Jade Legacy completes the main Green Bone Saga.
The Safest Green Bone Reading Order
For a first reading, use:
- Jade City (2017): Meet the Kaul family and enter the clan struggle through the generation forced to inherit No Peak.
- Jade War (2019): Follow the conflict as jade becomes part of international politics and criminal trade.
- Jade Legacy (2021): Complete the multigenerational story and the long rivalry between the two great clans.
- The Jade Setter of Janloon (2022): Return to an earlier period for a smaller crime story involving jade craftsmanship and clan patronage.
- Jade Shards (2023): Read four prequel stories about Ayt Mada and members of the Kaul family after their later lives are already known.
This sequence protects character revelations and allows the prequels to work as retrospective portraits.
The Jade Setter of Janloon
The Jade Setter of Janloon (2022): Apprentice jade setter Pulo Oritono has three days to recover a stolen jade weapon before the theft destroys his career, endangers the people around him, and exposes corruption beneath Janloon’s clan economy.
The novella takes place before Jade City. It follows a character outside the Kaul family and presents Green Bone society from the perspective of a craft worker dependent on clan patronage.
It can technically be read first because its central theft is self-contained. Reading it after the trilogy is better because the importance of jade weapons, clan protection, Abukei labor, and Janloon’s social hierarchy will already be clear.
Status: Included, best after Jade Legacy.
Jade Shards
Jade Shards (2023): This collection contains four prequel short stories about the Kaul and Ayt families before the events of Jade City.
The stories are not a fourth Green Bone novel. They fill emotional and historical gaps rather than continuing the timeline beyond Jade Legacy.
The Witch and Her Friend
The Witch and Her Friend: A young Ayt Mada forms a friendship with Aun Ure, a feared teenage assassin who longs for a life beyond the role others have chosen for her.
The story adds vulnerability and personal history to the future Pillar of the Mountain clan.
Not Only Blood
Not Only Blood: Kaul Lan challenges his grandfather’s decisions while trying to help a boy who has lost his family and protection.
The story examines the values that later shape Lan’s leadership of No Peak.
Better Than Jade
Better Than Jade: Kaul Hilo and Maik Wen attempt to preserve their relationship despite clan expectations, family reputation, and the social barriers surrounding a stone-eye woman.
It provides earlier context for a marriage that becomes central to the trilogy.
Granddaughter Cormorant
Granddaughter Cormorant: A young Kaul Shae acts as a secret informer for a foreign country while remaining the favored granddaughter of No Peak’s patriarch.
The story explains more of Shae’s decision to leave Kekon and her complicated relationship with clan duty.
Status: Included for Green Bone readers, best after the main trilogy.
Green Bone Saga Chronological Order
A strict chronological route would place most of the prequel fiction first:
- Selected stories from Jade Shards
- The Jade Setter of Janloon
- Jade City
- Jade War
- Jade Legacy
This is not the preferred first-reading order.
The Jade Shards stories assume that readers already understand who Ayt Mada, Lan, Hilo, Wen, and Shae become. Their emotional effect comes from comparing younger versions of the characters with the choices they later make.
Can You Read The Jade Setter Before Jade City?
Yes. The novella explains enough about jade, Janloon, Green Bones, and clan patronage to function independently.
The tradeoff is that readers encounter Kekon through a side story before meeting the Kauls and the Mountain, whose rivalry defines the principal saga.
Choose The Jade Setter of Janloon first only when you want a shorter test of the setting. Choose Jade City when you are ready for the complete story.
Is the Green Bone Saga Complete?
Yes.
The central trilogy is complete:
- Jade City
- Jade War
- Jade Legacy
The Jade Setter of Janloon and Jade Shards are prequel works. They do not indicate that the main trilogy is unfinished.
No fourth Green Bone novel has been officially announced with a confirmed title and publication date as of August 7, 2026.
The Exo Duology Books in Order
The Exo Duology is young adult science fiction set approximately a century after Earth lost a war against the zhree, an alien civilization that now governs the planet.
Some humans accept alien rule as the price of peace and technological advancement. Others support Sapience, a resistance movement willing to use violence to end the occupation.
Exo
Exo (2017): Donovan Reyes, the son of Earth’s Prime Liaison, is abducted by Sapience after a routine security patrol and must reconsider the alien government, the resistance, and the exocel technology fused to his body.
Donovan begins the story expecting a career within the collaborationist security system. His captivity exposes the human cost of both resistance and obedience.
This is the required first book.
Cross Fire
Cross Fire (2018): Donovan faces another crisis as Earth’s political future, alien alliances, and extremist violence place pressure on the fragile order established after the first novel.
The sequel expands the conflict beyond Donovan’s initial abduction. His position between human and alien institutions becomes increasingly difficult to maintain.
Cross Fire completes the duology.
Exo Reading Order
- Exo (2017): Donovan is taken by Sapience and begins questioning the society that raised him.
- Cross Fire (2018): The struggle over Earth’s place within the alien alliance develops into a larger political and military conflict.
The duology is complete. There is no third Exo novel.
Is Exo Connected to The Last Contract of Isako?
No.
Both books involve future societies, powerful institutions, technology integrated with the human body, and characters trapped between competing political systems. They do not share planets, aliens, corporations, history, or characters.
The Last Contract of Isako is a separate adult science fiction continuity.
The Breathmarked Duology Books in Order
The Breathmarked Duology is co-written by Fonda Lee and Shannon Lee.
The series draws inspiration from martial arts traditions and the philosophy of Bruce Lee. It follows Li Jun, a young fighter who is not breathmarked and therefore lacks the dragon-scale mark and enhanced abilities possessed by chosen warriors.
Breath of the Dragon
Breath of the Dragon (2025): Sixteen-year-old Jun secretly enters the Guardian Tournament, hoping victory will restore his family’s honor and prove that discipline and skill can overcome the magical advantages of breathmarked competitors.
Jun’s father forbids him from competing, but the tournament offers a path toward the family and homeland from which they were exiled.
The contest gradually becomes part of a larger struggle over the Scroll of Heaven and the political future of the realm.
Mark of the Warrior
Mark of the Warrior (Expected October 27, 2026): Exiled after the Guardian Tournament, Jun travels east to recover the stolen Scroll of Heaven, find his mother, and confront the twin brother who now protects the Scroll of Earth.
The second book is announced as the finale of the Breathmarked Duology.
As of August 7, 2026, it remains upcoming.
The Correct Breathmarked Order
- Breath of the Dragon (2025): Jun enters the Guardian Tournament and challenges the assumptions surrounding birth, magical privilege, and worthiness.
- Mark of the Warrior (Expected October 27, 2026): Jun’s search for his family and the two Scrolls brings the duology’s personal and political conflicts to their conclusion.
The second book should not be treated as published until October 27, 2026.
Who Wrote the Breathmarked Books?
Both novels are credited to Shannon Lee and Fonda Lee.
Shannon Lee is the daughter of Bruce Lee and the steward of his philosophical and cultural legacy. Fonda Lee is not related to Shannon Lee or Bruce Lee.
The books belong in Fonda Lee’s bibliography, but they should be identified as collaborations rather than solo novels.
Zeroboxer
Zeroboxer (2015): Carr Luka becomes a celebrity in zero-gravity prizefighting, but a secret about his identity threatens his career, sponsorships, relationships, and place in an Earth-Mars rivalry.
The novel combines science fiction with the structure of a professional sports story. Training, branding, contracts, public image, and competition matter as much as the mechanics of fighting in zero gravity.
Zeroboxer is a standalone young adult novel.
It has no sequel and does not share continuity with Exo or The Last Contract of Isako.
Untethered Sky
Untethered Sky (2023): Ester joins the King’s Royal Mews and bonds with a giant roc named Zahra, hoping to hunt the manticores responsible for killing her mother and younger brother.
The novella follows Ester’s progression from grief to professional purpose, then examines the cost of devoting her life to a powerful animal that can never love her in human terms.
It is a complete standalone fantasy.
Readers do not need the Green Bone Saga before starting it.
The Last Contract of Isako
The Last Contract of Isako (2026): Legendary corporate swordswoman Isako loses the client she expected to serve until death and accepts a final contract that draws her into espionage, duels, radical politics, and secrets concerning humanity’s future.
The novel takes place in a distant society where corporations control work, status, security, and access to extended life. Isako’s personal code is tested by people who define duty, loyalty, and freedom differently.
It was published on May 5, 2026.
The story is officially presented as a standalone adult science fiction novel. Its world could support further stories, but no sequel has been confirmed.
Fonda Lee Standalone Books in Order
The standalones may be read in any order.
- Zeroboxer (2015): A zero-gravity fighter’s hidden past threatens his professional career and public identity.
- Untethered Sky (2023): A manticore hunter forms a demanding partnership with a giant roc.
- The Last Contract of Isako (2026): An aging corporate swordswoman accepts a final mission in a society shaped by employment and life extension.
Publication order shows Lee moving from young adult science fiction to fantasy novella and then adult space opera, but no continuity connects the three.
Fonda Lee Short Fiction
Lee has published science fiction, fantasy, horror, and speculative stories outside her novel series.
Most of these works are independent. Jade Shards is the principal exception because all four stories belong to the Green Bone setting.
Universal Print
Universal Print (2015): A speculative technology involving creation or replication becomes the center of a story about access, consequence, and the social effects of innovation.
This is standalone science fiction.
Spectral
Spectral (2016): Technology and perception intersect in a story that questions whether apparently impossible experiences can be dismissed as illusion.
The story does not belong to Exo or Zeroboxer.
Old Souls
Old Souls (2017): A woman able to recognize reincarnated souls confronts the emotional burden of remembering relationships that other people no longer share.
This is an independent fantasy story.
Welcome to the Legion of Six
Welcome to the Legion of Six (2019): A superhero team and the culture surrounding public heroism are examined through the expectations placed on people with extraordinary abilities.
The story is separate from Lee’s novel continuities.
I (28M) Created a Deepfake Girlfriend and Now My Parents Think We’re Getting Married
I (28M) Created a Deepfake Girlfriend and Now My Parents Think We’re Getting Married (2020): A man invents a digital girlfriend to satisfy family expectations, then loses control of the lie when his parents begin planning for a marriage that cannot happen.
The story uses humor and near-future technology to examine social pressure, intimacy, and constructed identity.
The Eternal Cocktail Party of the Damned
The Eternal Cocktail Party of the Damned (2022): An endless gathering of compromised or condemned guests becomes the setting for a dark speculative story about status, punishment, and social performance.
This is standalone short fiction.
Fonda Lee Books in Publication Order
The following list covers the novels, novellas, and principal Green Bone collection.
- Zeroboxer (2015): Carr Luka’s zero-gravity fighting career is threatened by the truth about his identity.
- Exo (2017): Donovan Reyes is captured by human rebels opposing alien rule.
- Jade City (2017): The Kaul family inherits a clan war over jade and the future of Kekon.
- Cross Fire (2018): Donovan returns as the conflict over Earth’s relationship with its alien rulers expands.
- Jade War (2019): The Green Bone struggle becomes an international political and economic conflict.
- Jade Legacy (2021): The Kaul family faces decades of change in the conclusion of the Green Bone Saga.
- The Jade Setter of Janloon (2022): A stolen jade weapon draws an apprentice craft worker into a dangerous investigation.
- Jade Shards (2023): Four prequel stories reveal earlier periods in the lives of Ayt Mada and the Kaul family.
- Untethered Sky (2023): Ester bonds with a roc and pursues the manticores that destroyed her family.
- Breath of the Dragon (2025): Co-written with Shannon Lee, the novel follows Jun into the Guardian Tournament.
- The Last Contract of Isako (2026): A corporate swordswoman accepts one final assignment in a distant human society.
- Mark of the Warrior (Expected October 27, 2026): Jun searches for his family and the stolen Scrolls in the conclusion of the Breathmarked Duology.
This sequence should not be treated as one narrative order. It alternates among unrelated settings and age categories.
A Better Order for Reading Everything
A continuity-based route keeps each story complete.
Read the Green Bone Saga First
- Jade City (2017): Enter Kekon through the Kaul family and the opening clan conflict.
- Jade War (2019): Continue as the struggle spreads internationally.
- Jade Legacy (2021): Complete the family and clan saga.
- The Jade Setter of Janloon (2022): Return to an earlier Janloon through a jade worker’s investigation.
- Jade Shards (2023): Finish with four prequel portraits of established characters.
Continue with the Exo Duology
- Exo (2017): Meet Donovan inside alien-governed Earth.
- Cross Fire (2018): Complete the political and military conflict.
Read the Breathmarked Duology
- Breath of the Dragon (2025): Follow Jun through the Guardian Tournament.
- Mark of the Warrior (Expected October 27, 2026): Complete his search for family, the Scrolls, and the meaning of warrior identity.
Finish with the Standalones
- Zeroboxer (2015): Read a self-contained science fiction sports novel.
- Untethered Sky (2023): Read a compact fantasy about grief, obsession, and partnership with a roc.
- The Last Contract of Isako (2026): Read an adult science fiction novel about corporate loyalty and one final mission.
The standalones can be moved anywhere without causing spoilers.
Which Fonda Lee Book Is Best for Adult Fantasy Readers?
Choose Jade City.
The Green Bone Saga combines family drama, urban fantasy, martial arts, crime, business, politics, and international conflict. Its trilogy structure also provides the broadest view of Lee’s long-form character development.
Choose Untethered Sky when you want a shorter fantasy completed in one volume.
Which Fonda Lee Book Is Best for Science Fiction Readers?
Choose according to tone:
Zeroboxer: Sports, celebrity, biotechnology, and identity.
Exo: Alien occupation, resistance, collaboration, and political violence for young adult readers.
The Last Contract of Isako: Adult corporate science fiction, sword combat, espionage, and longevity.
None of the three shares continuity.
Which Fonda Lee Books Are Young Adult?
The principal young adult books are:
- Zeroboxer (2015): A teenage and young adult sports science fiction story.
- Exo (2017): The first novel of the alien-occupation duology.
- Cross Fire (2018): The conclusion of Exo.
- Breath of the Dragon (2025): The first martial arts fantasy co-written with Shannon Lee.
- Mark of the Warrior (2026): The conclusion of the Breathmarked Duology.
Untethered Sky is suitable for teen and adult readers but is generally published as an adult fantasy novella.
The Green Bone Saga and The Last Contract of Isako are adult fiction.
Latest Fonda Lee Book
The Last Contract of Isako (2026): Published on May 5, 2026, this is Fonda Lee’s latest released novel as of August 7, 2026.
It is a standalone adult science fiction story and does not begin a confirmed series.
The newest previously published collaboration is Breath of the Dragon, released on January 7, 2025.
Next Fonda Lee Book
Mark of the Warrior (Expected October 27, 2026): The second and final Breathmarked novel is Fonda Lee’s next confirmed release.
It is co-written with Shannon Lee and continues directly from Breath of the Dragon.
As of August 7, 2026, no later solo Fonda Lee novel has been announced with a confirmed title and publication date.
Series Completion Status
The Green Bone Saga
Complete: Three main novels, ending with Jade Legacy.
The prequel novella and story collection add background without reopening the main plot.
The Exo Duology
Complete: Two novels, ending with Cross Fire.
The Breathmarked Duology
Concluding in 2026: Breath of the Dragon is published. Mark of the Warrior is scheduled for October 27, 2026 as the finale.
Zeroboxer
Complete standalone: No sequel has been published.
Untethered Sky
Complete standalone: Ester’s central story ends within the novella.
The Last Contract of Isako
Complete standalone: The novel resolves its central mission, although further stories in the setting remain possible.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Fonda Lee book should I read first?
Start with Jade City for the most complete introduction to her adult fantasy.
Choose Untethered Sky when you want a shorter commitment.
What is the Green Bone Saga order?
Read Jade City, Jade War, and Jade Legacy.
Continue with The Jade Setter of Janloon and Jade Shards for prequel material.
Should I read The Jade Setter of Janloon first?
Not for the strongest first experience.
It takes place before Jade City, but the trilogy provides better context for jade, clan patronage, and Janloon’s social structure.
When should I read Jade Shards?
Read it after Jade Legacy.
The stories concern younger versions of characters whose later choices give the prequels their meaning.
Is Jade Shards a novel?
No. It is a collection of four Green Bone prequel stories.
Is there a fourth Green Bone Saga book?
No fourth main novel has been announced.
The principal saga ends with Jade Legacy.
Is the Green Bone Saga complete?
Yes. All three main novels have been published.
What is the Exo series order?
Read Exo and then Cross Fire.
The duology is complete.
Is Zeroboxer part of Exo?
No. Both are young adult science fiction, but they take place in separate futures.
Is Untethered Sky part of the Green Bone Saga?
No. It has its own fantasy world, creatures, culture, and protagonist.
Is The Last Contract of Isako connected to Green Bone?
No. Isako’s corporate science fiction setting is separate from Kekon.
The presence of sword combat, codes of honor, and powerful organizations does not establish a shared world.
What is the Breathmarked order?
Read Breath of the Dragon before Mark of the Warrior.
The second novel directly continues Jun’s story.
Is Mark of the Warrior already published?
No. It is scheduled for October 27, 2026.
Who co-wrote Breath of the Dragon?
Fonda Lee co-wrote the novel with Shannon Lee.
They are not related.
Is Breathmarked complete?
The duology will be complete after Mark of the Warrior is published.
What is Fonda Lee’s newest published book?
The Last Contract of Isako, published May 5, 2026, is her newest released novel as of August 7, 2026.
What is her next book?
Mark of the Warrior is scheduled for October 27, 2026.
The Order That Preserves the Strongest Reveals
Begin the Green Bone Saga with Jade City, not with its prequels. Continue through Jade War and Jade Legacy before returning to The Jade Setter of Janloon and Jade Shards.
Read the Exo and Breathmarked books as separate two-volume sequences. Exo comes before Cross Fire. Breath of the Dragon comes before Mark of the Warrior.
The three standalones can be read whenever their premises appeal to you. Choose Zeroboxer for sports science fiction, Untethered Sky for a concentrated fantasy tragedy, and The Last Contract of Isako for adult corporate space opera.
The central recommendation remains Jade City. It opens Fonda Lee’s largest completed work and introduces the family, clan, and cultural conflicts that define her best-known series.
Frank is the editor of BookSeries.blog, focusing on publication order, chronological timelines, and spoiler-free reading guides for book series and fictional universes.