#kaul ru......

[devotionconsumed]

im 80% thru jade legacy.....fonda lee U have made me SOB like 6 times throughout this book There is a special place in hell for you.....

[indie-luna]

My annual reminder that the green bone saga is a masterpiece and I’m so sad that I can’t reread it for the first time again

[cronchy-dumbass]

just realized we followed ru his whole life, from his birth to his death...

[kikuism]

just finished jade legacy

[victorfrankingstein]

the Green Bone Saga is about the feud between the Mountain and No Peak clan. It ends when the feud ends. it starts with the death of one Kaul brother and ends with the death of the other.

there is no more Mountain and there are no more Kaul brothers (Ru). and so, there is no more story.

[organizationhimself]

why bero isn't important

i have to talk about this

spoilers for the entire green bone saga you have been warned

so i fucking hate bero. he's a selfish, conniving, misogynistic shithead who has never seen a single person outside of himself as a real human deserving of respect and care, and while i wouldn't say he exactly escapes the consequences of his actions he absolutely does not get caught at the worst of his bullshit.

but i love, love love, the fucking narrative genius of bero. he is nothing. he spends the entire series trying to make something out of the nothing in his soul, but it was always a useless act because he lacks even the basic fundamentals of a self. bero has no ambitions. bero has no family. bero has no name. bero has no loyalties, not even to himself. he feels entitled to power and influence and women and love and attention, sure, but he makes no real effort to achieve these things on his own behalf; he expects them to fall into his lap after enough pawing at the lever in the skinner box of whatever he's currently obsessed with. he chases jade like a dog chasing a car because it will give him that elusive, poorly defined notion of "power," but he has absolutely no aims for what he'll do when he actually gets that power other than to continue his somnolent hedonism. there are no people or ideals or even physical objects or places he's looking to protect with jade. there is nothing specific he's trying to win with jade. the only thing he can be said to desperately want is the same thing he can never, ever have: significance.

and it's because of who bero is as a person. he lives in a culture defined by loyalty. the entire series loyalties are bought and sold and won and lost and twisted and defied and broken and restored and surrendered at last and never, never surrendered, not even once. but bero lacks any capability for loyalty, and the opportunities fall at him like fucking rain; he is shunted to and fro between opposing factions of endlessly complex loyalties where every single fragmented side lives and dies by their ideals or their connections or their beliefs. every interaction he has with the kauls is absolutely wild because they always assume he is like them. lan looks at him and sees someone who needs another chance to find his place. hilo repays him for his assistance with the understanding that bero may act on gratitude or expectation of reward later. even niko first meets him for an exchange (in which bero is not the only target of the investigation or the only person with this information), and even if any of them openly or privately accuse him of not having any real allegiances, they have absolutely no concept of the black hole of empty desire that lurks behind that crooked face.

and it is because of this that bero lacks all significance. he isn't loyal to mudt, who has an ambition to avenge a fallen loyalty; instead, mudt dies the horrific death of lan's killer and experiences all the significance that will ever have. he isn't loyal to the cause of the clanless resistance; instead, hilo gets a warning that ultimately saves his life and the actually dedicated ygutanian insurrectionist is questioned (torturously) and credited (anonymously). hell, he doesn't even pursue the clan war after ru by pointing the finger at the kobens (which was a big surprise to me), and his testimony is just an add-on to the story from the person who had a real connection to ru. at no point does bero ever sit down and say "these people are my people" or even "this is the thing i want to do with my life." at no point does he earn a specific consequence as reward or retribution for an action that can be attributed to him alone.

and bero IS all the things he claims he is! he is the poisoned dart aimed at the kaul family that takes out lan and ru (ultimately accidents both), that saves hilo and woon, that bolsters and undercuts no peak's fight with the mountain at equal and opposite turns. but he never commits. so when he finally faces down niko, the person who has the right to hate him the most in the world, he can't even have the satisfaction of niko's hatred or the glory of a vengeful death at the hands of people in whose lives he was ever even once, truly, significant.

he doesn't have strange luck. his problem isn't that his fate shifts up and down. it's that he doesn't believe in anything, not even himself, so he never ends up doing anything that matters to anyone else.

bero is never the focus of anyone's strong emotion in his entire unimportant, purposeless life and i think that's beautiful.

[veritasislehq]

Welcome to the Isle, Veritas Isle that is. Your journey has only just begun. We are delighted to announce that the following have been accepted! Please click anywhere on this sentence to be redirected to the checklist. Please message the main if you have yet to receive a link to the discord server or if you have any additional questions. We're here to answer any and all concerns.

( anya chalotra. she/they. demi woman. ) the courts of veritas welcome RUHANI KAUL! it’s been said that the 27 year old GHOST is known to be HUMBLE and MELANCHOLIC. when RU isn’t working as a UNEMPLOYED, they can be found participating in STARGAZING. if you visit their home in ECHO COVE, it may remind you of dancing in a light rain with your best friend, weeping willows, and a long-forgotten lullaby. they may be your best friend or your greatest enemy. ( cairt. she&her. 26. est. )

( oliver jackson cohen. he/him. cis man. ) the courts of veritas welcome RHYS KLINE! it’s been said that the 37 year old PHOENIX is known to be ATTENTIVE and ARROGANT. when RHYS isn’t working as a GUARD, they can be found participating in RUINING HIS REPUTATION. if you visit their home in JUSTPORT, it may remind you of a tasteful but empty home, no love, custom cufflinks, broken glass. they may be your best friend or your greatest enemy. ( cairt. she&her. 26. est. )

( gugu mbatha raw. she/her. cis woman. ) the courts of veritas welcome FAYE HATLEY! it’s been said that the 40 year old HUMAN is known to be DREAMY and CAUTIOUS. when FAYE isn’t working as a PHOTOGRAPHER, they can be found participating in CROCHET. if you visit their home in ASHBORNE CITY, it may remind you of overgrown gardens, chipped teacups that don’t have pairs, maps to anywhere, golden hour. they may be your best friend or your greatest enemy. ( cairt. she&her. 26. est. )

( adria arjona. she/they. demi woman. ) the courts of veritas welcome MARISSA CORDERO! it’s been said that the 27 year old BERSERKER is known to be LOYAL and OVER-PROTECTIVE. when MARISSA isn’t working as a MECHANIC, they can be found participating in STREET FIGHTING. if you visit their home in ASHBORNE CITY, it may remind you of WRAPPED UP FISTS AFTER A FIGHT, RIPPED DENIM, WORN OUT LEATHER JACKETS, AND THE EXCITEMENT AND ANXIOUS FEELING RIGHT BEFORE THE DROP ON A ROLLER COASTER. they may be your best friend or your greatest enemy. ( abby. )

( maya hawke. she/they. genderfluid. ) the courts of veritas welcome PHOEBE ALDAINE! it’s been said that the 23 year old AIR SPRITE is known to be PLAYFUL and IMPULSIVE. when PHOEBS isn’t working as a DAYCARE WORKER, they can be found participating in STARGAZING. if you visit their home in STARDUST HOLLOW, it may remind you of LYING OUT WITH A LOVED ONE WATCHING THE SKY, THE OCEAN BREEZE, THE TWINKLING OF CHRISTMAS LIGHTS, AND THE WIND BEFORE A STORM. they may be your best friend or your greatest enemy. ( abby.)

( maxence danet-fauvel . he/they. demi man. ) the courts of veritas welcome DAMIAR SINCLAIR! it’s been said that the 27 year old PHOENIX is known to be COMPASSIONATE and NAIVE. when DAMI isn’t working as a BARTENDER, they can be found participating in ADMIRING NATURE. if you visit their home in JUSTPORT, it may remind you of GETTING COZY NEXT TO A FIREPLACE ON A COLD WINTER NIGHT, PLAYING WITH A BUNCH OF PUPPIES, THE SMELL OF FRESH BAKED COOKIES. they may be your best friend or your greatest enemy. ( abby. )

[hms-tardimpala]

Jade legacy liveblog pt 6:

Anden is NOT thirty-eight

Oh no Tar 😢😢

"I need one of my brothers to live" I'm crying

Oh fuck, Niko. That's what you get for working for a private military firm. I'm so sorry.

So Niko is gonna be even more fucked up than his father, oh dear.

Tia is too cute for this world and this family. See, I want a clanless future for her.

One thing I don't get is why we see so little of Jaya, if she's going to become the Pillar now.

Please, Ru is such a good son, I don't want him to be traumatized.

Okay, but. But. What if this epic 25-year long mafia war ends not by one side destroying the other, but by peace-making? What if. What kind of pillars will Ayt Ato and Jaya/Niko(?) be? Could the current generation end the war? Or the next? Because this war started when Ayt Mada had Kaul Lan killed. And the new generation doesn't even know Lan. He's not even a memory. What remains of this war when its protagonists die? Could peace come out of all this? Fuck, what an interesting book.

KAUL SHAELINSAN IS FUCKING UNKILLABLE, FUCK YEAH!

Oh she might never wear jade again. From a pragmatic and clan family, that family os so damaged and weakened. The only jade warrior left in the original generation is Hilo. He's starting to be quite alone.

Also today we learned that Hilo killed the man who was supposed to have an arranged marriage with his little sister and never told her. King.

[mistwraiths]

4 stars

The clan is my blood and the Pillar is its master!!!!

Overall, this book is an excellent sequel to Jade City, with the years passing, the world expanding, and the situations the Kaul family deals with.

Personally, I liked this one a little less than the first book only because there is so much going on political and with war off-screen but being explained on how that affects Kekon and its allies and its clans. There are chunks that are just negotiating deals and talking about it that are just a bit boring.

I do think this book is a little slower in the action than the first, but there is still plenty of surprises along the way. It's very enjoyable to see this family grow as the years pass. I'm still shocked at some of the deaths.

My favorites this time were Anden, Wen, and surprisingly Hilo! Hilo has absolutely grown into the Pillar and a father and husband. Wen, ugh, I just LOVE her. And Anden, I love how he decided what he's going to do next! I really enjoyed seeing Espenia through him. Shae is still a good character and I love her, but she really went through a lot in this book. Also, Niko and Ru and Jaya, I can't wait for them to grow up! Hopefully we see that.

Definitely can't wait to finish the series!

[totaleebookedout]

does anyone else sometimes forget their favorite characters aren’t real? Just me? ok.

Sometimes I think Annabeth Chase would like this architecture documentary I saw. Or that Kaul Ru would have loved to sign petitions and help bring awareness to global warming. Maybe Addie LaRue would be first in the Ticketmaster queue for Phoebe Bridgers tickets. And I know for a fact that the Patroclus from Song of Achilles would’ve gone feral for jimin, just saying.

[hiloedits]

— jade legacy [ SPOILERS ] headers

like or reblog if you use/save.

© hiloedits on twitter.

[indie-luna]

How will I ever emotionally recover from reading jade legacy

[cronchy-dumbass]

You ever think about how Hilo almost died in the KJA bombing because he was too focused on making sure Ayt Mada would be killed instead of heeding the warning that he was in danger

and how Ru died because he kept trying to kill his opponent even after he'd conceded, making him desperate enough to dirty his blade

[rinkive]

💀💀💀💀

[wishesofeternity]

rambling thoughts on Jade Legacy by Fonda Lee

(SPOILERS)

idk how Bero has managed to survive till now but I admire his luck

I never thought I’d actually *like* reading about the economical issues of running a clan, but here we are

Wen’s showed up for half a page and she’s already made me cry

“they’d lost the ability to find solace in each other” I’m too ace for all that sex-angst, sorry

I appreciate that Hilo is a complex, flawed, deeply human character. That doesn’t change the fact that he’s an asshole.

also, the way he treated Wen was extremely fucked-up, and the book doesn't acknowledge it as well as it should have

I love that Anden’s studying medicine. Healing suits him.

celebrations! alliances! personal and professional relationships! the political situations of outside countries affecting the inner workings of the city! this is what I signed up for!

you tell him, Shae

I’m still holding out my hope for Shae x Ayt Mada

the Clanless Future Movement!!!! It adds a very distinct and inevitable feel to the story and I can’t wait to see how it goes from here

WEN!!!!!!!

Ayt Mada is hardcore

“You made us have to lie” she’s absolutely right

“you can fuck off and die” she's absolutely right (also, DAMN)

“I get upset even thinking about the problems my sister’s poor dating record has caused me over the years” lmao

god, Niko is a wonderful child.

a fridged woman for Tar (and Hilo’s) manpain. although ig it’s better that her character was developed beyond just being Tar’s “fiery” girlfriend.

yes

yes

yes

YES

It’s what Wen deserves.

Anden and Niko’s uncle-nephew dynamic is so sweet.

Anden’s whole arc in this story is also amazing.

*how* does anyone expect me to give a damn about Shae and Woon when Ayt Mada is right there?????

I love Kaul Hilo, with his “unlucky wife” and “unlucky cousin”

though it’s interesting that the Maiks have risen to the top, but have a reputation for being tragic - a disgraced former leader, a dead brother, an exiled girlfriend-murdering brother, and a sister whose marriage to a powerful clan leader is happy and loving, but who endured horrific injuries as a result of family revenge.

“My name isn’t Kaul, and yours isn’t Ayt, so personally, I don’t see why we shouldn’t work together on this, even if nothing else changes between our clans.” LMAO

“She must be letting them fuck her” go fuck yourself, Bero

the way time is just flowing is done so well, especially with the POV changes.

we’ve seen Niko, and we’ve seen Ru. WHERE IS JAYA?

also, Ru is a sweetheart

see, this is why Wen is probably my favourite character in the story (tied with Hilo). She embodies some classic, enjoyable tropes, but she’s also savvy and perceptive and sees the world differently from other characters, not despite the fact that she’s a stone-eye but because of it.

“our new weapon against the clanless will be garden parties” I think that would make life easier for everyone

I love that although Wen x Hilo aren’t back to how they were before, they’re slowly healing their wounds, and are stronger because of it, but I’m still too ace for them.

no fucking way, Shae

my girl Wen has personal bodyguards!!!

Wen’s speech was 10x better, for the record.

WHERE IS JAYA?

Ayt Atosho is kinda sexy

can Ema slap Bero, please?

HOLY SHIT

wait, is he actually dead? he can’t actually be dead. I refuse to believe he’s dead

“There’s too much suffering here”

Ayt Mada, though. She raged and fought and clawed her way to the top, became the strongest and most dangerous of them all. And her story has been the most tied to Shae, and I’m so curious to see how it develops from here.

HE’S ALIVE

Anden made the right choice. Not the most beneficial choice, but the right one.

Wen is the matchmaker of this series, and she has very good taste. Jirhuya is gorgeous.

oh god, someone tried to make a movie on Wen and Hilo’s love story

fucking hell, the kids are twenty

“Ayt Mada had purportedly forbidden her twenty-seven-year-old nephew from dating until he completed his university degree” LMAO

it’s interesting to see the shifting political and personal dynamics over time, especially the push-and-pull one between the city and the forces outside.

Ru is a treasure, Niko is the moody annoying eldest brother who breaks my heart, and Jaya is the fiery troublemaking warm-hearted badass I knew she’d be

YOU TELL HIM, ANDEN

“a ruling clan family where nearly everyone was a jade warrior or a businessman” yikes

“By the way, I’m opposed to everything your clan stands for” LMAO

but actually, it’s really nice how all these societal issues that have engulfed the world, across cities and continents, are just being ... discussed earnestly and in good faith in a college support group. It feels ... hopeless, but also hopeful, if that makes sense.

Tia’s softness should be celebrated. 

“Only children and gods are arrogant enough to judge what they can’t understand.”

all this discussion on clan-running is making me remember how much I fucking hated business

JAYA. This reckless, foul-tongued, wild-hearted girl who’s too damn talented for her own good. who wears leather jackets and defends her friends and stabs asshole guys in the groin. who cares deeply about others and thinks deeply about the world and her place in it. who wants to be the first woman Horn. who is very much her father’s daughter.

Jaya: *passionate ranting* 

Hilo: idk what’s going on but I support you!

also, she’s a skateboarder. 

in conclusion - Jaya is a spectacular person and I adore her with all my heart.

Maik Tar, you’re stressing me out

I get Niko, tbh. Especially that feeling of growing up in a place where a deadly feud between two clans dominates your life, and then leaving that place and realizing there’s a whole wide world out there.

Niko, you fucking idiot

maybe it’s just me, but aren’t these people ... tired? they spend almost all their time going back and forth trying to run the clan, stay at the top, make sure they stay alive. don’t they ever wonder how exhausting it can all be?

Wen really has overcome all the obstacles in her life in such a quiet but resolute way, and it’s powerful.

“I’m Nonreactive to Bullshit” FUCK YEAH

what the fuck???

yeah, this feels very real and terrifying and bewildering.

it also feels like a very typical “threaten a powerful man by kidnapping the women in his life” situation and it’s not a problem, obviously, but it’s still irritating. 

yeah, this is much better. Wen is released, as a misleading sign of cooperation, and Shae is with them because 1) she’s a Kaul by birth, I think they’d be far more inclined to hate her, and 2) as the Weather Man (and the one who decided to expand to Shotar), she’s the one who’s likely to have more information, which is more valuable to them. And Wen’s brilliant to have figured that out.

god, this is terrifying

Does avenging the dead matter more than loving the living? Hilo clearly doesn’t think so

H O L Y    S H I T

WHAT JUST HAPPENED?

Can I just say, I adore that what made these two assholes ally was Shae. The one who’s affected both their lives, in such different ways.

“drowning in blood and jade”

god, this ... is haunting. The clans used to being at the very top - invincible and indomitable. Now they’ve taken a huge hit, both in terms of their clans, but also in terms of their psyches. The Weather Man of No Peak was kidnapped and tortured like it was nothing. Ayt Mada, who flaunted her strength, now requires bodyguards to ensure it for her. For the first time, Shae is noticing Hilo’s silver hair. The years are going by, times are changing, it’s all different, and yet their love remains.

“What will I do? My job. As Weather Man of No Peak.” FUCK YES

although it is quite irritating that Shae and Wen have pretty much gotten the same arcs. This book isn't too great when it comes to its female characters - it kills and sidelines too many of them.

Ru is still a sweetheart, and should definitely pursue public policy like he wants to.

god, Bero’s forty. that’s unnerving

“I’m not going to stand here and listen to those kids fucking“ you have my complete sympathy 

oh no

oh no

oh, Ru. he was a sweet lovely cinnamon roll and he didn’t deserve anything that happened to him

how does Bero keep getting involved in drama and keep getting out unscathed?

and that’s twice now a girl has been killed by her boyfriend :/

“Even if we win, we suffer”

“Maybe we can forgive each other”

this HURTS

oh, Lula. she’s someone who just appeared out of nowhere, and then after realizing who she was, what she had to do, the horror of this whole situation just sinks into you

 Ayt Mada, you’re freaking me out.

Bero dissolving into a self-righteous, self-pitying, and self-inflating rant talking about how he killed Niko’s father and tried to ruin their lives, hoping to go off in glory, only for Niko to say “Move on”

Bero is obliterated

more talk of clan running and different political interests!!!! Niko finding his place and making his mark! Hilo honoring his son’s memory by taking interest in social causes he hadn’t before, finding strength in compassion, healing the world one step at a time, because he wanted his son to know that he was loved, and mourned, and remembered.

Jirhu has my complete respect. He’s his own person with a life that’s completely seperate from the clan drama, so it’s very refreshing and relaxing to see.

Did I mention that I adore Tia? She’s warm and artistic and full of life, the radiant young child of the family. 

... oh no

This plan is ingenious and Ayt Mada is terrifying

“We don’t handle this world. We make it handle us.” this is actually really inspiring lmao

IT’S JAYA

“don’t be cocky” Hilo, I really don’t know what else you expected from your daughter

Jaya has a wild friend group with their own kickass name, and she’s infinitely cooler for it.

“How did I look on TV?” Jaya has her priorities straight.

although I do think that she’s more of a caricature than a character, especially when you look at how her brothers both got complex arcs with internal conflicts, while Jaya, while definitely having emotional depth, is still the generic “cool action girl” trope rather than a fully realized person in her own right. Like I said, this series isn't too great with its female characters.

still, she’s also a mini-Hilo, and I adore her for it

“We’re old now. We’ve tried to kill each other for so long and instead by some cruel luck we owe each other our lives. Maybe it’s time we stepped away and let the next generation try to do better than we did.”

“Sparing Ayt Mada’s life has become a bad habit of yours, Shae“ I’m not complaining

 I’m curious about Koben Ato and what his view is in all this.

Koben Ato??? doesn’t seem bad???  he’s a chill dude, perceptive and progressive, and clearly hot as fuck. I tentatively like him.

Ayt Mada is an enemy who will be feared and revered for generations to come, and it's one hell of a legacy

... fuck

fuck

FUCK

I knew this would happen, I knew it

and it still fucking hurts

but it’s a relief to know that Hilo will see his son and brother again

“Kaul Hiloshudon, a man as dramatic in death as he had been in life”

but honestly ... he had a good long life. They all did.

“Can you see this, from wherever you are? We did it at last. We kept our clan. We made it stronger and passed it on.

I miss you”

[oldyears]

finished jade legacy by fonda lee last night and i thought i would change my mind about how much i disliked it but. i am still here. like i loved the focus on family and the kauls being able to rely on one another and to have each other and have that fierce devotion to each of their own but for the most part i thought the writing was choppy, focused too much on hilo and the older generation of the clan, and could have fleshed out other characters like niko, ru, and jaya instead of chalking up their personalities as being similar to their parents and other authorative figures :(