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bodagirl's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-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? Yes
4.0
Jemisin's world-building is a gradual puzzle, with pieces fed to you chapter by chapter from different points of view until the picture finally comes into focus. I started this trilogy a few years ago and finally got my hands on the last book. I tried just diving in, but found I needed to read some synopses in order to remember/understand what was going on in. In the earlier books, you knew that Jemisin's world had some issues with racism and colonialism, but in this final installment the puzzle is complete and you see exactly how the Stillness became so still.
Are Essun and Nassun the most loveable characters? No, but they are complicated characters and their journey is thought provoking just the same.
Some of my favorite quotes:
Are Essun and Nassun the most loveable characters? No, but they are complicated characters and their journey is thought provoking just the same.
Some of my favorite quotes:
"But breathing doesn't always mean living, and maybe... maybe genocide doesn't always leave bodies."
"But there are none so frightened, or so strange in their fears, 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."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness and Violence
Moderate: Colonisation, Racism, and War
rubybastille's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
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
5.0
These were challenging reads, both thematically and structurally, but well worth it. I did not expect such a satisfying ending. My heart broke so many times reading this and yet there were so many grains of hope scattered just where they were needed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness, Xenophobia, Murder, and Medical content
Moderate: Pregnancy, Death of parent, Genocide, Self harm, and Racism
Minor: War
fiveredhens's review against another edition
dark
emotional
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? Yes
4.75
favorite serious quotes:
Hoa says to your slumped back, "I can't die."
You frown, jarred out of melancholy by this apparent non sequitur. Then you understand: He's saying you won't ever lose him. He will not crumble away like Alabaster. You can't ever be surprised by the pain of Hoa's loss the way you were with Corundum or Innon or Alabaster or Uche, or now Jija. You can't hurt Hoa in any way that matters. "It's safe to love you," you murmur, in startled realization.
"Yes."
She draws up her feet and wraps her arms around her knees, curiously vulnerable for someone whose presence within the strata is as deep and dense as a mountain. I reach up to touch her ankle, greatly daring, and she blinks and smiles at me, reaching down to cover my fingers with her hand. I will not understand my feelings for centuries afterward.
The onyx says, in its ponderous, wordless way:
Execute Y/N?
And in the cold stone silence, alone, Nassun chooses.
YES
"It might take some time."
"I don't think I'm very patient."
But you take my hand. Don't be patient. Don't ever be. This is the way a new world begins.
"Neither am I," I say. "So let's get to it."
It's almost like the old days, except that now Hoa appears as you walk, gets left behind as you keep walking, then appears again somewhere ahead of you. Most times he adopts a neutral posture, but occasionally he's doing something ridiculous, like the time you find him in a running pose.
Remwha crouches to run a hand along the wooden slats of the floor. I don't know why he does anything.
Asked Tinimony to take me into the hole today and she said no. What's in the hole, huh? What's in the hole.
complex mother-daughter relationships fraught with abuse and they have tocatch the moon ? sign me up
Hoa says to your slumped back, "I can't die."
You frown, jarred out of melancholy by this apparent non sequitur. Then you understand: He's saying you won't ever lose him. He will not crumble away like Alabaster. You can't ever be surprised by the pain of Hoa's loss the way you were with Corundum or Innon or Alabaster or Uche, or now Jija. You can't hurt Hoa in any way that matters. "It's safe to love you," you murmur, in startled realization.
"Yes."
She draws up her feet and wraps her arms around her knees, curiously vulnerable for someone whose presence within the strata is as deep and dense as a mountain. I reach up to touch her ankle, greatly daring, and she blinks and smiles at me, reaching down to cover my fingers with her hand. I will not understand my feelings for centuries afterward.
The onyx says, in its ponderous, wordless way:
Execute Y/N?
And in the cold stone silence, alone, Nassun chooses.
YES
"It might take some time."
"I don't think I'm very patient."
But you take my hand. Don't be patient. Don't ever be. This is the way a new world begins.
"Neither am I," I say. "So let's get to it."
It's almost like the old days, except that now Hoa appears as you walk, gets left behind as you keep walking, then appears again somewhere ahead of you. Most times he adopts a neutral posture, but occasionally he's doing something ridiculous, like the time you find him in a running pose.
Remwha crouches to run a hand along the wooden slats of the floor. I don't know why he does anything.
Asked Tinimony to take me into the hole today and she said no. What's in the hole, huh? What's in the hole.
complex mother-daughter relationships fraught with abuse and they have to
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Death of parent, Genocide, Grief, Violence, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Abandonment, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Excrement, Gore, Medical content, Slavery, Suicide attempt, Torture, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Confinement, Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Violence, and Vomit
troisha's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
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? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Genocide, Xenophobia, and Racism
Moderate: Blood, Body horror, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Confinement, Death of parent, Grief, Murder, Slavery, Terminal illness, Torture, and Violence
Minor: Ableism, Child death, Drug use, Excrement, Infertility, Medical content, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Vomit
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