Reviews

La Lune tueuse by N.K. Jemisin

ajahax's review against another edition

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4.0

Okay read. Really 3.5 out of 5 stars

hrhhayley's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious reflective 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

luca_zordan's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective 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

carliecope's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective 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

re_saxy's review against another edition

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adventurous dark 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

4.5

milili's review against another edition

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adventurous 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? No

2.5

blicksam's review against another edition

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4.0

This is fantasy for people who are sick of the prescribed high fantasy formula. Powerful women? Check. Abandoned gender stereotypes? Check. Non-Eurocentric approach to fantasy's typical historical/mythological elements? Check.

Jemisin has woven a beautiful, incredibly detailed world, full of lovable and flawed characters. Plus, it's just a really, really good story. BRB, about to find everything else she's written and devour it.

timinbc's review against another edition

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4.0

With 80 pages to go this was still a five-star book. Great world-building, a variety of characters, a plausible framework of magic and politics, some good guys who turn out not to be, and an excellent sequence of one-choice-leads-to-another for the lead characters. And like the Inheritance series, the text just flows along effortlessly.

Then the Prince started to amp it up. I am still trying to recall which book I read recently with a dragon and a very evil Prince-type character, all bwah-hah-hah, look how I wield evil power but oh, only for good! Twirls mustache, explains his entire plot to the hero, then -- OK, didn't expect that, well played Jemisin.

Then we saw where the Reaper thing was going. Oh dear, no, that's a bit over the top. And Jemisin must have realized that, because it doesn't completely go there. Bit of a cop-out, really.

And then suddenly it was over. It was like going for a nice weekend drive at 45 mph, and finishing up with a wild set of curves at 80, and suddenly we're back on the edge of town and doing the speed limit.

And a big downmark for the use of twine - you know what I mean. Is there an award for clumsy foreshadowing? Imagine a giant bank vault, foot-thick steel walls, earthquake-braced ... and the door is a bead curtain. Like that.

Still a very, very good book - but it could have been great.

tregina's review against another edition

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3.0

While it is certainly a very technically well done book, I just didn't connect with it, particularly when compared to the Inheritance Trilogy. I felt emotionally distanced and the action seemed to spin its wheels for a while. What is is in evidence, though, is her gift for worldbuilding, for grounding it in real-world cultures and mythologies but transforming and combining it into something completely new, not just different from its inspiration but genuinely new in terms of the genre.

grahamclements's review against another edition

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4.0

I bought this book by accident as I aimed to buy one of her novels which had one the Hugo award. Jemisin, won the Hugo three years in a row from 2016 for Broken Earth trilogy so that sparked my interest. I was also interested because she was a Black writer too. Having said that I had "Grown" out of reading sword and sorcery novels years ago, prefering fantasy such as American Gods. Killing Moon is set in an Eygpt type world which helps get rid of the cliches inherent in many novels set in a medieval English type world, ie there are no trolls, elves or wizards. It is about a Gatherer and his apprentice who help release the souls of the dying to their version of heaven or nirvana. They discover a conspiracy to start a war. I was expecting a different sort of style or attitude because of the author's background, but I can't say I noticed one. The writing though is very descriptive, especially of emotions, but not flowery. Knowing there was a second book set in the same world, I expected it might have a hanging ending, but instead it had a very conclusive ending. A very enjoyable read.