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pandact's review
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I’m sending this straight to Alex Kasman and MathFiction, because this is some quality speculative fiction! I’d say it’s four stars for literary content, leaving me fully satisfied, and five stars for my favorite audiobook production. The ambience and voice distortions gave me chills, and the narration pretty much voice acting (similar to The Original, but 100% less Audible)! It’s packed with scenes giving every beloved character a good payoff, and all the twists had satisfying, subtle hints that readers of the Broken Earth series will be familiar with. (I love seeing Padmini and Neek interact 🤩)
I liked the references to Lovecraftian lore (including the gory colors that I know from OSP), plus the witty pop culture and self-aware social justice. Most of all, the thing that this book excels at is the reason I love fiction: The Great Cities series is fantastic at giving you a new way of seeing the world. It flawlessly pulls off blending the real world with fictional battles, while also describing concepts from social justice with optimism. Thematically, it makes sense that almost every chapter is a different person as they all build a story, just like the cities of the world are built from the interaction of every person. The World We Make is well worth your time, and I’m going to spend money on it too since I promised myself I would if my favorite character made it (no spoilers)!
Similar stories: Middlegame, Wendell & Wild, Broken Earth, Lovecraft County
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia
Moderate: Racism, Hate crime, Body horror, Colonisation, and Gun violence
thewildmageslibrary's review against another edition
5.0
okay, wow. Didn't think this series could get any better, but yeah. I loved this so much.
You can't just bring up BEYONCE and then not address that again?? Or was I reading too fast and missed it?
Also, Manny's family KNEW about Cities?? AAAHHH.
Also, Manny's family KNEW about Cities?? AAAHHH.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Violence, and Gun violence
Moderate: Homophobia, Transphobia, Deportation, and Police brutality
Minor: Death
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
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
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
laguerrelewis's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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
N.K. Jemisin does it again (is anyone surprised?)! I was both eagerly awaiting this installment to see what was next for these brilliant characters and incredibly imaginative world, but I had no clue how the story would pick up from its predecessor—and wrap things up in one go. Of course, however, Jemisin is not only a master of fiction, but is also a particular talent when it comes to sequels, and this is no exception. With our avatars more sure footed in their city-powers, the fun of this book comes in their found family dynamic and creative problem solving, which now takes on a grander scale to save the entire multiverse! It’s Epic, and an excellent final return to a fantastical NYC.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Police brutality, Body horror, Classism, Colonisation, Cursing, Hate crime, Racism, Gun violence, Cultural appropriation, and Violence
travelseatsreads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The City We Became was a fantastic read which tugged at my heartstrings for all things NYC, so I was very excited to get my hands on The World We Make. While I did enjoy it, unfortunately it wasn't the long awaited page-turner I was expecting.
Pretty much all the things I loved from TCWB have crossed over into TWEM including all the boroughs and the magic of the city itself. However, the author notes in her acknowledgments that she struggled to finish this book and it can be felt within the pages. Jemisin, like us all, has been drained by the effects of the pandemic and the many other unfathomable things occurring within our world over the last couple of years and sadly this therefore story suffered. It completely makes sense why, when the reality is in ways stranger than the fiction she was trying to write.
So a trilogy became a duology and while at times this condensing can be felt, all is not lost. It was still a really enjoyable book full of emotion and tension and the quirkiness of her well-developed characters. Sure some plotlines were left unfinished but I am hoping that maybe this was a subconscious thing and that someday she will come back to fill in the blanks.
Reading both TCWB and TWEM has shown me what an amazingly skilled writer Jemisin is, especially how well she crafts her characters and her world building, so I know I will definitely be checking out her back catalogue and keeping an eye out for what's to come!
Pretty much all the things I loved from TCWB have crossed over into TWEM including all the boroughs and the magic of the city itself. However, the author notes in her acknowledgments that she struggled to finish this book and it can be felt within the pages. Jemisin, like us all, has been drained by the effects of the pandemic and the many other unfathomable things occurring within our world over the last couple of years and sadly this therefore story suffered. It completely makes sense why, when the reality is in ways stranger than the fiction she was trying to write.
So a trilogy became a duology and while at times this condensing can be felt, all is not lost. It was still a really enjoyable book full of emotion and tension and the quirkiness of her well-developed characters. Sure some plotlines were left unfinished but I am hoping that maybe this was a subconscious thing and that someday she will come back to fill in the blanks.
Reading both TCWB and TWEM has shown me what an amazingly skilled writer Jemisin is, especially how well she crafts her characters and her world building, so I know I will definitely be checking out her back catalogue and keeping an eye out for what's to come!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Violence, War, Hate crime, and Xenophobia
ok7a's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
reflective
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Hate crime, Racism, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Gun violence, Police brutality, Violence, and Classism
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