Reviews

I really loved this book. I grew very attached to all the characters, and felt like "The Stone Sky" brought their stories to a satisfying, hopeful end.

The way I cried through all of "Syl Anagist: Two". Like when Hoa says "I have been content. But now I see the way these normal people look at us, and my heart aches. I don't understand why. Perhaps all the walking has damaged me."

After all the build up of what we know of the Stillness and how it treats those considered less-than-human, it was heartbreaking to watch Hoa and the other stone-eaters-to-be realize their place in that world. The imagery of the makeup caked on their face that Kelenli tenderly washes off, having to pretend they feel no pain as their hair is tugged into more "human-like" braids, realizing their rooms are just jail cells, the briar patch. It's an extension of the painful awakening Essun experiences in book 1 and Nassun in book 2.

This book had a lot of powerful messages about resistance and revolution. For example, "there are none so frightened, or so strange in their fear, as conquerors." The backstory behind the empire, the fulcrum, and the guardians all feel true to life. Those in power work hard to maintain the status quo and conjure up convoluted stories to turn the oppressed against each other. Lorists in the Stillness, just as in real life, play an important role in telling the truth.

bookber's review against another edition

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4.0

3.5 / 5

I'm so disappointed that I didn't love this book as much as I had hoped! I had just finished my re-reads of [b:The Fifth Season|19161852|The Fifth Season (The Broken Earth, #1)|N.K. Jemisin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1386803701l/19161852._SY75_.jpg|26115977] and [b:The Obelisk Gate|26228034|The Obelisk Gate (The Broken Earth, #2)|N.K. Jemisin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1660867781l/26228034._SY75_.jpg|46213537] (which I gave 5 stars) in preparation for this book and unfortunately I don't think it quite lived up to its predecessors.

I found this one quite slow, and ended up "soft DNF'ing" it around 150 pages in before picking it up again a few weeks later and still struggling to push through certain sections.

I liked how the series wrapped up and brought all of its ideas together in a clever way, and I still love this series as a whole, but I didn't love the 3 separate POVs in this book as I wanted to spend more time with Essun. I understand what the new POV was trying to achieve but I don't think it needed to span across the entire book, and I found it difficult to sympathise with Nassun's extreme rage or her intense love for Schaffa. I feel like I missed the Essun x Alabaster duo and nothing else quite matched that for me.

The last 100 or so pages were really good and it felt like an achievement to finish this trilogy after initially starting it in 2020, but I couldn't help but feel a little underwhelmed after expecting another perfect 5 star.

alicebme's review against another edition

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5.0

I definitely want to get these on audiobook. Such an intricate and completely badass story.

kaamezcua2's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional inspiring 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? Yes

5.0

lowkeymarie's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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

3.5

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