Reviews tagging 'Racism'

The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemisin

34 reviews

abitbetterbooks's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional 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? It's complicated

4.75

Brilliant conclusion to a brilliant trilogy. I really had no idea where this was going and Jemisin absolutely nailed the finale with remarkable precision. So inventive and truly unlike any other fantasy series I’ve ever read. Everyone who loves fantasy must read this trilogy; an absolute masterclass in set up and pay off. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Racism, Slavery, Death, Death of parent, Genocide, and Murder

Moderate: Pregnancy

Minor: Confinement and Sexual content

deedubb's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful sad 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

This series is nothing short of a masterpiece. Social commentary, fantasy, great world building, interesting magic system, emotional moments, multiple POVs female main characters, POC characters. It’s got I all.

ending is bittersweet and satisfying.  All loose threads are tied up.  Not a wholly happy ending, Jemisin let’s us mourn with Nassun

this work will continue to resonate with me for many years to come. I definitely  have a book hangover after finishing the series 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Child abuse, Child death, Classism, Emotional abuse, Death, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, and Slavery

Minor: Child death, Cursing, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, Racism, and Racial slurs

ecmbeanie's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Death of parent, Kidnapping, Murder, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Abandonment, Bullying, Colonisation, Grief, Physical abuse, Racism, Child abuse, Classism, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal death

Minor: Pregnancy

jessthanthree's review against another edition

adventurous emotional slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia, Child death, Death, Racism, and Child abuse

Moderate: War, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, Medical content, Death of parent, Grief, Terminal illness, Adult/minor relationship, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Sexual content, Pedophilia, Cannibalism, Racial slurs, Miscarriage, and Genocide

kathyreadsalot's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Racism, Death of parent, and Murder

Moderate: Cannibalism

studydniowka's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

I couldn’t think about better end of this epic story. Everything we learn about Hoa 🤯

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Toxic friendship, Violence, War, Forced institutionalization, Torture, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Xenophobia, and Genocide

Minor: Torture, Blood, and Cannibalism

yourbookishbff's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad 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

After finishing The Stone Sky, the final installment in NJ Jemisin's Broken Earth trilogy, I MARVEL at how she pulled off these story arcs across three books. How she managed to examine slavery, motherhood, intergenerational trauma AND a climate crisis - without ANY of these layered allegories feeling incomplete or forced in any way - is genius. 

And while Jemisin deals in BIG global themes, she is also incredibly intimate. She gives such grace to each character that we are consistently pushed to reevaluate our sympathies and our own assumptions. I appreciate that while the fall-out for each character is complex, leaving each in morally grey spaces, the evil at the root of all this tragedy is very clear. Jemisin doesn't leave our interpretation to chance here - she (Hoa) will interject frequently, and we're reminded that for every single crime committed, other choices were always possible.

This series is HEAVY with lots of on-page trauma (please check content warnings!). But I highly recommend. I will be carrying these characters in my heart.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Body horror, Racism, Torture, Murder, Abandonment, Death, Racial slurs, and Genocide

Moderate: Death of parent

Minor: Cannibalism

some_random_person_hi's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

As the ending of the series, it more than delivered, with some of if not the best worldbuilding I have ever seen in my life (the other books in the series also had really good worldbuilding but this one took it to the next level) and everything is wrapped up better than I thought possible. The character arcs & relationships between characters are really well written and I got emotional at quite a few points. Only issue with the book was that a couple chapters dragged a little but overall one of the best books I have ever read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, Abandonment, Genocide, Racism, Forced institutionalization, Confinement, Death of parent, and Grief

Moderate: Stalking, Murder, Child death, Medical content, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Blood, Pregnancy, Torture, Hate crime, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Vomit, Excrement, Colonisation, Cursing, and Sexual content

fongyay's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Racism, Child abuse, and Genocide

savvylit's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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

(Review is for the whole trilogy but still spoiler-free:)

This series was absolutely riveting and compelling. The Broken Earth trilogy is not only a sci-fi/fantasy epic but also a centuries-spanning mystery. Jemisin's characterization and world-building are perfection. Personally, I do not usually enjoy books with heavily detailed world-building, but my interest in the characters kept me invested long enough to accept and eventually delight in the setting of Broken Earth. Syenite, Alabaster, Essun, Lerna, Innon, Tonkee, Hoa, Nassun, Ykka... I truly fell in love with each of these often deeply flawed humans being stretched to the limits of survival.

This trilogy is stunning for its honesty and nuance regarding the spectrum of humanity. Among the known characters, there is no strict good vs. evil dichotomy. There are just humans with or without the knowledge to make the right decisions. Even characters who seem to be enemies are more complex than that. Additionally, Jemisin's characters often challenge the gender binary and celebrate love in all forms. Lastly, beyond the multi-faceted people, this series contains disturbing and thought-provoking analogies for real world oppression and hatred. The subject matter is heavy but realistically and compassionately portrayed. I can't wait to read more of Jemisin's work!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Child death, Death, Grief, Violence, Racism, and Pregnancy