Description

Get ready to be blown away by this searing standalone science fiction epic where corporate samurai fight beneath merciless stars, and death is always a mere breath away.

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 the sci-fi you didn’t know you needed: corporate samurai… in space. This is the first adult science fiction novel from the award-winning author of Jade City.

‘A knife-sharp intense dystopian ride – this is Fonda Lee at her very best. A gritty, heartfelt, and explosive masterpiece’ Tasha Suri, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Isle in the Silver Sea

‘Dazzlingly inventive and pure fun, this Rashomon-esque story of a jaded corporate swordswoman kept me guessing until the last twist. Highly recommend!’
Shannon Chakraborty, author of The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi

Publisher Review

A knife-sharp intense dystopian ride-this is Fonda Lee at her very best. A gritty, heartfelt, and explosive masterpiece — Tasha Suri, author of The Isle in the Silver Sea Fonda Lee has outdone herself. The Last Contract of Isako is totally gripping — the work of a master at the top of her game — Sarah Gailey, Hugo Award-winning author Dazzlingly inventive and pure fun, this Rashomon-esque story of a jaded corporate swordswoman kept me guessing until the last twist. Highly recommend! — Shannon Chakraborty, author of The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi The Last Contract of Isako proves yet again that Fonda Lee is an author at the top of her game. Flawed, hardscrabble characters stalk across a harsh landscape, through an intricate plot that twists and turns with deft precision. An absolute masterpiece! — Andrea Stewart, author of The Bone Shard Daughter In a far-flung dystopia, Isako is a swordswoman bound by a code of honor, who finds herself caught between competing interests–where corporate powers, semi-immortal elites, and disgruntled radicals clash over an uncertain future. Released unexpectedly from her contract and made a ronin, Isako must plunge into the scheming underbelly of a hostile world to uncover a secret that might change everything. Fonda Lee has once again written a tale full of intrigue, nuanced characters, unexpected surprises, and action that keeps you on the edge of your seat! — P. Djeli Clark Like the best scifi should, The Last Contract of Isako holds up an incisive mirror, with a world where life is the Company and a person’s value lies in employment. A corporate space samurai twist to the classic hero on one final mission, this sleek, action-packed mystery asks: who do you choose to be with the last job of your life? No one brings blades to a boardroom like Fonda Lee. I was hooked till the end — Wen-yi Lee, author of When They Burned the Butterfly A masterclass in concise world building, incisive characterisation, and a classic action plot that highlights honour, competency and compassion against a background of betrayal, dazzling fight sequences, and secrets that must not be told — Kate Elliott A cinematic cyberpunk novel that gripped me from the first page and never let go. Flawlessly plotted, each reveal is another twist of the knife deeper into a world of corruption, codes of honour and no easy choices. A modern science fiction masterpiece — Eliza Chan, author of Fathomfolk Brilliant space opera … Lee enhances her vivid worldbuilding and riveting plot with evocative prose. The story stands alone, but readers will be left hoping for future visits to this gorgeously crafted world — Publishers Weekly, starred review