# The Last Contract of Isako

**Author:** Fonda Lee

**Overview:**  
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.

## Posts about this title from Ronnica Reads

**Ronnica Fatt**  
May 4  
May is looking to be a great month for new releases. Here are some May 5th new book releases on my radar (and should be on yours!).
- **_Saturn Returning_ by Kim Narby** 4.25/5 stars  
Put this on your TBR if you enjoy character-forward stories about messy lesbians who face real-life struggles.  
- **_Homebound_ by Portia Elan** 3.5/5 stars  
Put this on your TBR if you like a book that explores both the path and the future. The 1980s queer coming of age story was especially intriguing.  
- And the ones I haven't gotten my hands on yet:
- **_Seek Immediate Shelter_ by Vincent Yu**  
Why it interests me: explores the aftermath of a ballistic missile warning on a community that was a false alarm.  
- **_The Girl with a Thousand Faces_ by Sunyi Dean**  
Why it interests me: diverse fantasy.  
- **_One Leg on Earth_ by 'Pemi Aguda**  
Why it interests me: it's said to explore coming of age and motherhood, set in Nigeria.  
- **_Now Then_ by Morgan Radford**  
Why it interests me: a multigenerational novel exploring a Cuban American family.  
- **_The Last Contract of Isako_ by Fonda Lee**  
Why it interests me: everyone loves Fonda Lee's writing, and I think I will too.  
- **_Republic of Memory_ by Mahmud El Sayed**  
Why it interests me: it's compared to _A Memory Called Empire_.  
- **_Honey_ by Imani Thompson**  
Why it interests me: a feminist rage novel.  
- **_John of John_ by Douglas Stuart**  
Why it interests me: it sounds like a quiet novel exploring queerness in a rural, traditional setting.

### Books Mentioned
-  [**Link**](https://ronnicareads.binderybooks.com/book/4GE7repd58QKr3fnnUHD/)  
-  [**Link**](https://ronnicareads.binderybooks.com/book/4GZ1Tvk8opHHIwda7muk/)  
-  [**Link**](https://ronnicareads.binderybooks.com/book/4GZ1Tvk8opHHIwda7muk/)  
-  [**Link**](https://ronnicareads.binderybooks.com/book/UxeAU7xWlShGMswStLbU/)  
-  [**Link**](https://ronnicareads.binderybooks.com/book/9j5hNqU3bKzZpeyWRTuq/)  
-  [**Link**](https://ronnicareads.binderybooks.com/book/9j5hNqU3bKzZpeyWRTuq/)  
-  [**Link**](https://ronnicareads.binderybooks.com/book/rN7604kiOlisjwZwDKMH/)

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