Reviews tagging 'Slavery'

The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemisin

36 reviews

diken's review against another edition

adventurous fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Pregnancy, Death of parent, Death, Toxic relationship, Body horror, Cannibalism, Genocide, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Slavery, Violence, and War

omnisyncd's review

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Blood, Slavery, Death of parent, Genocide, Pregnancy, and Grief

Moderate: Sexual content, Cursing, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Death, and Cannibalism

Minor: Excrement

kaimetcalfe's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Death, Death of parent, Torture, Cursing, and Slavery

Moderate: Murder, Child abuse, Mental illness, Child death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, and Sexual content

cryosphinx's review

adventurous emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

When the Earth speaks, it is not in words.

What a damned good conclusion to this series. A lot of the mysteries get explained as well so this was just a thrilling ride that had me questioning what the ultimate conclusion would be up until the end. I will forever scream from the roof tops about Jemisin's writing being some of the most beautifully written prose I've experienced. Because at the end that's what this is, an experience. Some of my favorite, most heart wrenching moments are in this book. I am beyond happy I read this trilogy.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Death, Genocide, and Violence

Moderate: War, Death of parent, and Slavery

Minor: Child death, Sexual content, and Cannibalism

abitbetterbooks's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

Brilliant conclusion to a brilliant trilogy. I really had no idea where this was going and Jemisin absolutely nailed the finale with remarkable precision. So inventive and truly unlike any other fantasy series I’ve ever read. Everyone who loves fantasy must read this trilogy; an absolute masterclass in set up and pay off. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Racism, Slavery, Death, Death of parent, Genocide, and Murder

Moderate: Pregnancy

Minor: Confinement and Sexual content

deedubb's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This series is nothing short of a masterpiece. Social commentary, fantasy, great world building, interesting magic system, emotional moments, multiple POVs female main characters, POC characters. It’s got I all.

ending is bittersweet and satisfying.  All loose threads are tied up.  Not a wholly happy ending, Jemisin let’s us mourn with Nassun

this work will continue to resonate with me for many years to come. I definitely  have a book hangover after finishing the series 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Child abuse, Child death, Classism, Emotional abuse, Death, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, and Slavery

Minor: Child death, Cursing, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, Racism, and Racial slurs

readingelli's review

challenging dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Body horror, Death, Cannibalism, Violence, Death of parent, and Slavery

drips's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

a few tiny plot holes nagged at me but overall it's a beautiful heart wrenching conclusion to the trilogy. what a pleasure to raze through a series in a week again (and so much food for thought to boot! i'll probably read these again one day, maybe in paperback)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Violence, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Murder, Mental illness, Grief, Gore, Genocide, Body horror, Blood, Child abuse, War, Suicide attempt, Slavery, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Cannibalism, Terminal illness, Sexual violence, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Animal death, and Colonisation

Minor: Cursing and Vomit

studydniowka's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

I couldn’t think about better end of this epic story. Everything we learn about Hoa 🤯

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Toxic friendship, Violence, War, Forced institutionalization, Torture, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Xenophobia, and Genocide

Minor: Torture, Blood, and Cannibalism

yourbookishbff's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

After finishing The Stone Sky, the final installment in NJ Jemisin's Broken Earth trilogy, I MARVEL at how she pulled off these story arcs across three books. How she managed to examine slavery, motherhood, intergenerational trauma AND a climate crisis - without ANY of these layered allegories feeling incomplete or forced in any way - is genius. 

And while Jemisin deals in BIG global themes, she is also incredibly intimate. She gives such grace to each character that we are consistently pushed to reevaluate our sympathies and our own assumptions. I appreciate that while the fall-out for each character is complex, leaving each in morally grey spaces, the evil at the root of all this tragedy is very clear. Jemisin doesn't leave our interpretation to chance here - she (Hoa) will interject frequently, and we're reminded that for every single crime committed, other choices were always possible.

This series is HEAVY with lots of on-page trauma (please check content warnings!). But I highly recommend. I will be carrying these characters in my heart.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Body horror, Racism, Torture, Murder, Abandonment, Death, Racial slurs, and Genocide

Moderate: Death of parent

Minor: Cannibalism