Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Last Contract of Isako by Fonda Lee Published by Orbit on May 5, 2026
Genres: Science Fiction Fantasy
Pages: 523
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
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Isako is a legendary swordswoman, but every legend has to 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 legacy. But when a competitor offers her a final mission, it's one she can't refuse. Soon, she's thrust deep into a world of corporate espionage, duty-bound duels, and shadowy secrets. What she uncovers will change humanity's existence in the stars forever.
The Last Contract of Isako is a completely fresh story set in a brand-new sci-fi world from Fonda Lee. I read her series The Green Bone Saga a few years ago and was absolutely floored by it, so I couldn’t wait to dive into her next book.
Imagine a remote corporate settlement on a distant planet where traditional city or national borders don’t exist, only corporation lines and zones of control. Resources are scarce, and terraforming is tightly rationed based on your rank in the company and how well your division is hitting its goals. Once you’re no longer an asset, you’re “retired” and expected to walk willingly into the void.
“Sometimes, the winds shift so strongly that even the best pilot can’t hope to steer against them,”
Isako is an elite Atier, a corporate samurai. At fifty, she’s reached the end of her shelf life. She served her client honorably according to the Code, but her side just lost the latest corporate war. In a final twist, the rival company that defeated her has given her one last contract. With only a month left to live, Isako plans to follow the Code, earn a bonus for her daughter, and then fall on her proverbial sword.
What she discovers is a tangled mystery involving her former apprentice, Dragonfly Martim, and Sanbar Uchi, the powerful leader of SoCon GasPro. As an Atier, Isako is both sword and strategist—an elite advisor and executioner to her client. She was proud when Martim took on one of the most notorious clients in the system, but the corporate war kept them out of touch. Now she feels a deep obligation to solve his murder and stop Sanbar Uchi before he can be confirmed to the elite board that rules the entire terraforming community.
Isako is a character I deeply understand. She has lived by a strict code of conduct her entire life. The story asks a powerful question: what happens when the “religion” you’ve devoted yourself to begins to crack? What if you pull back the curtain and realize the life you built isn’t what you thought it was? Working again with her former partner Kob the Strikebreaker forces Isako to see the society she helped create, and the Agency Code she followed so faithfully, in a harsh new light. Kob has stepped outside the system entirely; he’s now badgeless, a Ronin. Together, they chase redemption for very different reasons, each hoping to save the other in the process.
She wanted to bring him back into the edge life; he wanted to bring her out. They tried to save each other. What a couple of idiots.
The pacing felt a little uneven. The story starts slowly as it introduces this complex world and the people who run it. (It definitely helps if you’ve worked in manufacturing or any high-pressure corporate environment and understand how KPIs and divisional goals can dominate your life.) There are a few solid action scenes, but this is primarily a mystery set in space settlement. About midway through, the perspective shifts from Isako to Martim, flashing back over the previous eighteen months to a pivotal moment. While it confirmed some of my suspicions, the switch pulled me out of Isako’s story for a while and left me feeling unexpectedly closer to Martim than I’d intended.
I’m still not entirely sure how I feel about the ending. This isn’t a happily-ever-after book. It’s the kind of story that leaves you thinking hard about the choices we make near the end of our lives. I wasn’t happy about everything that happened, but I was completely satisfied with Isako’s character arc and the final decision she makes. This story is going to work for people who like a slower paced story that focuses on characters and motivations.
About Fonda Lee
Fonda Lee is the World Fantasy Award-winning author of the epic Green Bone Saga, beginning with Jade City and continuing in Jade War and Jade Legacy. She is also the author of the acclaimed science fiction novels Zeroboxer, Exo and Cross Fire.
Fonda is as a three-time winner of the Aurora Award (Canada’s national science fiction and fantasy award), and a multiple finalist for the Nebula Award, the Locus Award, and the Oregon Book Award. Her novels have garnered multiple starred reviews, been included on numerous state reading lists, named Junior Library Guild selections, and appeared on Best of Year lists from NPR, Barnes & Noble, Syfy Wire, and others.
Fonda is a former corporate strategist and black belt martial artist who loves action movies and Eggs Benedict. Born and raised in Canada, she currently resides in Portland, Oregon.
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Ooooo the ending. I had one like that. I’m still unsure.
I’ve thought about reading this author before. Sounds like this was only so-so for you. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!