The Last Contract of Isako

★ AN INSTANT USA TODAY AND INDIE BESTSELLER! ★

“Lee's best work yet.” —James S. A. Corey, author of The Expanse series

“This is a must read.” —John Gwynne, author of The Shadow of the Gods

A battle-worn corporate samurai undertakes one last mission on a merciless planet where death is always a mere breath away, in this standalone science fiction epic from the author of the modern fantasy classic Jade City. 

LIVE BY THE CODE. DIE BY THE KNIFE.

On the merciless planet of Aquilo, where your job determines your worth, legendary swordswoman Isako commands the highest price. But every legend must come to an end. When her longtime client unexpectedly retires, she plans to follow—to walk out into Aquilo's frozen wasteland with her head 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 its center: 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.

★ “Lee brings effortless world building and heartfelt characters to a visually slick space opera that fans of the Green Bone Saga are going to eat up.” —Rebecca Roanhorse, bestselling author of Black Sun

★ “A knife-sharp dystopian masterpiece.” —Tasha Suri, World Fantasy Award-winning author of the Burning Kingdoms trilogy

★ “Dazzlingly inventive and pure fun. Highly recommend!” — Shannon Chakraborty, NYT bestselling author of The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi