Reviews tagging 'Body horror'

The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemisin

48 reviews

azariamckay's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense 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

5.0

WOW!! I officially finished the Broken Earth Trilogy and Ms. Jemisin gave us soooo much in this last book. What an epic way to end a trilogy! I can’t wait to reread this series 🩷

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Colonisation, Death of parent, Racial slurs, Body horror, Grief, Violence, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Cursing, Genocide, Pregnancy, and Ableism

tayindago's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad 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

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Body horror, War, Blood, Cannibalism, and Violence

sarasreading's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad 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

4.5

Wow, I can't believe I've finished this trilogy. What a ride it was! I feel like I've gone through something with these characters. Every step of this journey was masterful. 

I was so happy to finally get some answers in this one, and that we start getting them right from the beginning. The way Jemisin seamlessly blends multiple genres, POVs, and timelines was just so good. And the stakes just kept raising and raising while still being at its core (ba-dum-bum) an intimate mother-daughter story. 

The trilogy as a whole explores so many systemic problems from our own past and present that are mainly caused by those with power who continually chose their own interests over what's right. It's incredibly complex in its ideas, scope, and characters. Every character is layered, which just draws you in even deeper.

I got all the answers I wanted, and the ending was really satisfying to me. The first book might still be my favorite in the trilogy (that twist still has my jaw on the floor!), but the entire series is amazing. I can't wait to read more from this author!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Death of parent, Death, Body horror, Torture, Abandonment, Racism, Slavery, and Genocide

nilssjoberg's review against another edition

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? Yes

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death

Moderate: Body horror, Death of parent, Confinement, Child abuse, and Cannibalism

Minor: Pregnancy and Sexual content

abijmieds's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious 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? Yes

5.0

I rarely give a final book 5 stars, but this book wrapped up the trilogy in such a memorable and satisfying way. You have to pay attention through the final third, but it really pays off.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Child abuse, Colonisation, and Death

Moderate: Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Racism, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Cannibalism, Grief, Murder, Child abuse, Violence, War, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Pregnancy, and Terminal illness

apersonfromflorida's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional 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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Death of parent, and Death

Moderate: Body horror, Grief, and Child abuse

Minor: Sexual content, Pregnancy, and Cannibalism

onthesamepage's review

challenging dark 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? No

4.5

But there are none so frightened, or so strange in their fear, as conquerors. They conjure phantoms endlessly, terrified that their victims will someday do back what was done to them—even if, in truth, their victims couldn’t care less about such pettiness and have moved on. Conquerors live in dread of the day when they are shown to be, not superior, but simply lucky.

This series is one of the best I've ever read. The only reason I didn't give the conclusion 5 stars is because I, personally, had a much better time with the first 2 books—when everything was a mystery, and my mind was racing to try and figure it all out. This is the final book, and there isn't much mystery left, which absolutely makes sense, but it did lower my enjoyment just a smidge. That, and the pacing felt slower to me.

They’re afraid because we exist, she says. There’s nothing we did to provoke their fear, other than exist. There’s nothing we can do to earn their approval, except stop existing—so we can either die like they want, or laugh at their cowardice and go on with our lives.

If you're worried that you'll still be left with questions by the end of this, don't be. I think that Jemisin skillfully explained everything you've been wondering about, and maybe more. The writing is gripping and beautiful as always, and the ways in which the characters and relationships develop stunned me with how deep it went. The journeys that Essun and Nassun go on separately, and how that impacts the way they see each other, everything was masterfully executed. This entire series, despite being heavy on the science as well, is so rooted in humanity, and I love seeing that within SFF.

But for a society built on exploitation, there is no greater threat than having no one left to oppress.

Honestly, nothing I can say can ever fully express how I feel about this series. I can only say that it's absolutely worth picking up. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence

Moderate: Body horror, Death, Racial slurs, and Cannibalism

amyhasel's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I was in love with this series from the first page of the first book, and this finale is it. N. K. Jemisin is able to balance horror and humor like no one else - it manages to be realistic, gory, and then lighthearted in a moment. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Mental illness, Violence, Death of parent, Gore, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Emotional abuse

Minor: Child death and Physical abuse

gandalf_a's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious 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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Abandonment, Body horror, Murder, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Emotional abuse, Death, and Cursing

Minor: War, Pregnancy, Sexual content, and Slavery

martinatan's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective sad 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

4.5

Really stuck the landing on this one!!! I was so skeptical reading through the middle part that the ending wouldn’t be satisfying but it turned out to be thrilling, heart wrenching, really intriguing and only a little confusing. I felt myself a little lost in the buildup of more lore every so often but that was more because I got distracted often while reading, and I had read The Obelisk Gate over a year ago. I think all the characters’ endings felt true to their character development, although

Lerna’s death was so surprising and sad and just a twist of the knife that felt it was done to in just further push how tragic Essun’s life has been as a mother and a partner

. But idk that’s my first impression having just read that scene 30 minutes ago. In terms of actual lore and thematic development as well as experimental writing style, this was a really spectacular conclusion overall to the trilogy and helped solidify the cohesiveness of all three books.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror

Moderate: Colonisation, Death of parent, and Death

Minor: Medical content, Slavery, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, and Violence