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scrubsandbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
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
I am absolutely baffled to know that this book was a rush job, Jemisin deciding to turn it into a duology instead of a trilogy, because holy shit, it was GOOD. The Great Cities duology reads like a love letter to NYC and it touches my heart as someone who grew up in Queens (and is also from India just like Padmini! Does that mean I could be an avatar of Queens? I would love to think so!), but the stakes were even higher in this book than the last that I flew straight through this book on my day off. So much happens, I just couldn't put it down!
While I was reading the physical copy, I also had the audiobook and Robin Miles does such a superb job that I listened to the audiobook AND read the physical hardcover at the same time. If you're a fan of a book with special effects and background noise and even the BOSS BATTLE MUSIC during action-packed scenes, go for the audiobook, for sure.
N.K. Jemisin's writing is absolute magic. This addresses a lot of topic Real Life Situations like deportation threats from ICE, white supremacy and racism built into systems such as real estate and policing, gentrification, even family dynamics that are rough to deal with like a bigoted father and an ultimatum-setting mother. While it was rough going reading through some of it, other aspects like the dialogue, and introductions to other city avatars were a delight to read. I mean, she even gives NYC subway rats dialogue: "We caused the Black Plague, bitch, who the fuck you think you are?"
Even if it seems like the second book was rushed (I couldn't tell but others could?) I highly recommend this duology if you love: amazing narration in audiobooks, NYC, found family tropes, QUEER found family even, stories featuring amazing middle-aged women, BIPOC stories, anything that gives a middle finger to racist ass Lovecraft.
While I was reading the physical copy, I also had the audiobook and Robin Miles does such a superb job that I listened to the audiobook AND read the physical hardcover at the same time. If you're a fan of a book with special effects and background noise and even the BOSS BATTLE MUSIC during action-packed scenes, go for the audiobook, for sure.
N.K. Jemisin's writing is absolute magic. This addresses a lot of topic Real Life Situations like deportation threats from ICE, white supremacy and racism built into systems such as real estate and policing, gentrification, even family dynamics that are rough to deal with like a bigoted father and an ultimatum-setting mother. While it was rough going reading through some of it, other aspects like the dialogue, and introductions to other city avatars were a delight to read. I mean, she even gives NYC subway rats dialogue: "We caused the Black Plague, bitch, who the fuck you think you are?"
Even if it seems like the second book was rushed (I couldn't tell but others could?) I highly recommend this duology if you love: amazing narration in audiobooks, NYC, found family tropes, QUEER found family even, stories featuring amazing middle-aged women, BIPOC stories, anything that gives a middle finger to racist ass Lovecraft.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Violence, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Gun violence, Deportation, Police brutality, and War
catapocalypse's review against another edition
adventurous
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
4.0
A good conclusion to the duology, though it does show that it was a bit rushed to its conclusion. Jemisin notes in her Acknowledgements that reality took the wind out of her sails by the end, which is very understandable. But being Jemisin, it's still good, and there's still a sense of the fun she had writing the first one.
Looking forward to what she does next, as ever!
Looking forward to what she does next, as ever!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Xenophobia, and Violence
Moderate: Deportation and Police brutality
aileeniris's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
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
NK Jemisin is one of my favorite authors. I love how she tells a story by building her characters and their worlds simultaneously. This duology is exactly what I hoped for, a tribute to the New York I love. It brought me home and reminded what I missed about the diversity and the strength of a city. I can’t express enough how much I enjoyed this.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Racism, Misogyny, Deportation, Transphobia, and Xenophobia
<“I am New York. Damn it.”>zone_a3's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Although I love Jemisin's body of work as a whole, and I enjoyed The City We Became, this book missed the mark for me. I understand and sympathize when the author's expressed difficulties in tackling this series' premise given the state of the real world at the time of writing, but I would be lying if I didn't acknowledge that it clearly negatively impacted the book.
While there were certainly elements I enjoyed, (every glimpse at other Cities was excellent), when I look back at this book and compare it to its prequel, its faults become very apparent.
While there were certainly elements I enjoyed, (every glimpse at other Cities was excellent), when I look back at this book and compare it to its prequel, its faults become very apparent.
In Book 1, there is clear, pervasive, present danger. In Book 2, any time danger starts cropping up, it is immediately resolved with no consequences. In Book 1, a lot of effort is made to humanize all sides of the conflict. Jemisin makes it very clear that the villain doesn't "turn people evil", but rather people with certain (bigoted, hateful) beliefs are susceptible to evil influence. Useful idiots, if you will. If the villain disappeared in Book 1, many of the problems facing the heroes would persist. In Book 2, however, this nuance is completely gone. Useful idiots have been replaced with brainwashed zombies; and when the villain is defeated, it magically fixes all of the massive institutional problems the heroes were facing. A large portion of the conflict in this book stems from mature (in many cases, literally multiple centuries old) adults deliberately failing to communicate. This is attempted to be justified, but I don't think it worked. And of course there's the issue of pacing and the unavoidable plot rush of crunching a planned trilogy down into a single (significantly shorter) sequel. There just wasn't time to explore the ideas Jemisin had set up in Book 1 before Book 2 was over. It really felt like we gasped over the finish line; or maybe more accurately, we stopped short and just moved the finish line up.
I've been really harsh in the spoiler tags, so I want to pull back a bit and reiterate that the book does have good qualities; it just wasn't what I've come to look for from Jemisin as an author.
If you are largely discouraged/depressed by the state of the world, and want to have a bit of escapism to a version of reality where bad people get what's coming to them and evil is an external force which can be defeated, you'll probably have a good time with this book. If you prefer a more difficult, nuanced view of humanity and the nature of evil, with fewer clean, easy answers, you're probably better off sticking with Jemisin's other works.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Deportation, Antisemitism, Colonisation, Genocide, Hate crime, Misogyny, Cultural appropriation, Gun violence, Homophobia, Police brutality, Xenophobia, Racism, and Violence
Minor: Acephobia/Arophobia
apersonfromflorida's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
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
Graphic: Xenophobia, Violence, and Racism
Moderate: Police brutality and Deportation
Minor: Transphobia and Injury/Injury detail
grets_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Xenophobia, Antisemitism, Hate crime, Racial slurs, and Racism
Moderate: Gun violence, Classism, Police brutality, Cursing, Mass/school shootings, and Colonisation
Minor: Deportation, Mental illness, Car accident, and Injury/Injury detail
azrah786's review against another edition
4.25
[This review can also be found on my BLOG]
**I received a copy from Orbit Books UK in exchange for an honest review**
CW: violence, gun violence, blood, gore, body horror, hate crime, police brutality, racism, racial slurs, xenophobia, transphobia, homophobia, deportation, toxic friendship
--
Another Jemisin gem, The World We Make is an action packed finale to the wonderfully whacky Great Cities duology.
The conflict between the boroughs of New York and the eldritch being that is hellbent on destroying them comes to its head, and with the Woman in White’s chaos putting the entire planet at stake the other Great Cities of the world are called upon to join the fray.
I loved being back with the avatars and with them being together more in this sequel we get a chance to appreciate the little found family they have formed. There are a lot of moving parts to the plot around the ongoing dispute at the heart of the saga including a dash of modern day politics, some character backstories, a continuation on the apt commentary on real world social issues, as well as multiverse shenanigans. It all makes for an entertaining conclusion to the story.
As ever Jemisin’s writing and storytelling immediately transports you, immersing you right back into the colour and noise of "the city that never sleeps". I mentioned in my review of The City We Became that being someone who has never visited New York myself I didn’t feel like I was able to appreciate all the nuances and allusions to the place but you definitely get a very vivid picture.
I absolutely loved that even more city avatars from around the world were introduced! Tokyo, Turkey, London – the handful of pages in the perspective of these other cities were so much fun and further displayed the vibrancy of Jemisin’s imagination. I just wish we could have had more time with them.
The only major let down for me was the final showdown that occurs as a result of everything that went down. It felt a little lacklustre and rushed.. However, considering the fact that the length of the series was reduced and the direction of the overall story was shifted (a completely understandable decision made by the author) I feel like everything was adequately wrapped up.
If you liked book 1 then this one is just as enjoyable! And if Jemisin ever decides to return to this series or world in the future I just want to put it out there again that this kind of story would be pretty cool in graphic novel form.. 👀
Final Rating – 4.25/5 Stars
**I received a copy from Orbit Books UK in exchange for an honest review**
CW: violence, gun violence, blood, gore, body horror, hate crime, police brutality, racism, racial slurs, xenophobia, transphobia, homophobia, deportation, toxic friendship
--
Another Jemisin gem, The World We Make is an action packed finale to the wonderfully whacky Great Cities duology.
The conflict between the boroughs of New York and the eldritch being that is hellbent on destroying them comes to its head, and with the Woman in White’s chaos putting the entire planet at stake the other Great Cities of the world are called upon to join the fray.
I loved being back with the avatars and with them being together more in this sequel we get a chance to appreciate the little found family they have formed. There are a lot of moving parts to the plot around the ongoing dispute at the heart of the saga including a dash of modern day politics, some character backstories, a continuation on the apt commentary on real world social issues, as well as multiverse shenanigans. It all makes for an entertaining conclusion to the story.
As ever Jemisin’s writing and storytelling immediately transports you, immersing you right back into the colour and noise of "the city that never sleeps". I mentioned in my review of The City We Became that being someone who has never visited New York myself I didn’t feel like I was able to appreciate all the nuances and allusions to the place but you definitely get a very vivid picture.
I absolutely loved that even more city avatars from around the world were introduced! Tokyo, Turkey, London – the handful of pages in the perspective of these other cities were so much fun and further displayed the vibrancy of Jemisin’s imagination. I just wish we could have had more time with them.
The only major let down for me was the final showdown that occurs as a result of everything that went down. It felt a little lacklustre and rushed.. However, considering the fact that the length of the series was reduced and the direction of the overall story was shifted (a completely understandable decision made by the author) I feel like everything was adequately wrapped up.
If you liked book 1 then this one is just as enjoyable! And if Jemisin ever decides to return to this series or world in the future I just want to put it out there again that this kind of story would be pretty cool in graphic novel form.. 👀
Final Rating – 4.25/5 Stars
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Transphobia, Racism, Violence, Hate crime, Body horror, Racial slurs, Gun violence, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Gore, Deportation, and Blood
bi_n_large's review
adventurous
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
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Xenophobia, Classism, Deportation, Gun violence, and Racism
Moderate: Violence, Toxic friendship, Transphobia, and Mental illness
Minor: Sexual content and Emotional abuse
laurareads87's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
4.5, rounding up because I love Jemisin and this series. I did find this installment a bit unevenly paced, but this series is what I want in an urban fantasy: well written, creative, exciting, with the cities -- here simultaneously settings and characters -- coming alive (in the most literal way in this case). Without a doubt, Istanbul is a highlight here, as are the relationships between the borough-avatars. Cannot wait to see what Jemisin comes up with next.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Xenophobia, Racism, and Violence
Moderate: Homophobia, Police brutality, Transphobia, and Deportation
rmperezpadilla's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racial slurs and Racism
Minor: Police brutality, Hate crime, Deportation, Gun violence, and Deadnaming
Re: deportation, there is a scene early on where
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