New out May 5, 2026
The Last Contract of Isako
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Our view
“The Last Contract of Isako” is a tense science-fiction thriller about the final job of a legendary swordswoman. Fonda Lee sets it on a frozen planet run on corporate lines, down to the jargon, and builds that world with real invention. Some readers, expecting something groundbreaking, find it entertaining without being new to the genre. The intrigue that draws Isako toward Martim, the worst of her apprentices and the last, supplies the suspense.
The view of the BookRank editors, written from readers’ ratings and comments. It does not affect the score or the book’s place in a ranking.
About the book
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.
Where the score comes from
The sources average 7.9 across 110 ratings — not yet many, so the reader vote carries 43% of the weight and the rest pulls toward the Fantasy average of 8.0. That is how 7.9 comes out.
| Source | Average | Ratings | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hardcover | 7.9 | 110 | 100% |
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