Reviews tagging 'Racism'

The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemisin

34 reviews

albernikolauras's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark funny 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

What a conclusion. I can't even really wrap up my thoughts throughout this trilogy other than excellent. All of the questions I had in the back of my head got answered - including the reason for the second person. And I loved it.

I had a nice long review of this, but then deleted it, so you just get this telling you to read it.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

chilu_esquivel08's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional reflective 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

4.0

"Quiero que ARDA, quiero quemarlo todo, que se acabe todo, todo, que no quede NADA, que no haya más odio ni más muertes, que no haya nada, p-por el óxido, nada, nada PARA SIEMPRE.."

"La magia deriva de la vida."

"Pero para una ciudad creada a partir de la explotación no hay mayor amenaza que no tener a nadie a quien oprimir."

Sobreviví. Logré llegar hasta el final. Pero no sin quedar malherida.

Creo que con este libro pude ver con más claridad la función que tiene El portal de los obeliscos en toda la trilogía, además se me aclararon las dudas que tenía en cuanto a todo. 
Me sorprendió bastante que el tema de la opresión fuese a tener muchísima más profundidad (literal) en cuanto al pasado de la Quietud y también me sorprendió la rapidez en la que transcurrió toda mi lectura.

A lo largo de toda esta trilogía he de admitir que me surgieron varias crisis existenciales y llegué a disociarme también, supongo que fue por los temas tan duros que toca toda esta historia (también hay mommy issues aquí). En definitiva, no es una lectura alegre, pero bastante increíble y única; el mundo que ha creado Jemisin ha sido uno que no había visto antes jamás y como he leído antes, llegué a la conclusión de que tiene muchos elementos de fantasía y ciencia ficción pero no logra encajar en ninguno de los dos por completo, lo cual lo hace bastante original.

Lo único que puedo decir del final es que es agridulce, no había forma de que terminara de otra manera.

Esta fue la primera historia que he leído que ha sido escrita por una mujer negra, N.K. Jemisin ha sido la única escritora en obtener el premio Hugo a la mejor novela por tres años consecutivos y también el premio Nébula y Locus a la mejor novela con El cielo de piedra. Es algo de admirarse muchísimo, no es cualquier cosa.

Les invito a que le echen un vistazo y se adentren en este mundo, no se quedarán indiferentes. Yo por mi parte espero volver a esta historia en un futuro (pero no próximo).

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

emzhay's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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 don’t blame her. 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

steveatwaywords's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional inspiring sad tense 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

4.75

The conclusion of Jemisin's work faces the problematic trope of any fantasy novel or series: how to end without staging a predictable "magical" monumental climax where good triumphs over evil. While the plot walks markedly towards this climax, I was relieved and grateful for her staying true to the characters and methods she had established in the first two books: and in doing so she creates a conclusion which is satisfying and (fairly) unpredictable. And this is what I appreciate from Jemisin, the first fantasy or SF writer I have found in decades who understand how people function: that we are complicated, conflicted, and rarely wholly rational. Yes, we believe in principles, in ideals, but how easily our choices (and our mistakes) feed and compromise them, even while we feel we are walking a certain course. Jemisin creates heroes, but not ones that fulfill their quests by subscribing to external conflicts of good and evil, creation and destruction. What a rewarding read from the genre!

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

boglord's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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

4.75


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

lilifane's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective 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

This was probably the most epic story I've ever read in my entire life. 
I don't... I don't understand how N.K. Jemisin pulled this off. How the hell did she come up with ... all of this?!?!? She's a genius and definitely a new fav author now. 
If I didn't have so many other books to read, I would reread this whole trilogy immediately. 
And... the plot is not even that interesting. I would understand if people find parts of it really boring. But the story is still epic and full of emotions. And the world building?! WTF was that?! It's SO wild and perfect? And I already miss the characters. 
And the way the story is told? It's my favourite thing when authors use unconventional methods to tell their stories. And it seemed so random at first, but in the end... it all makes SO SO SO much sense.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

drkshadow's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

iordanmoore's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional 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? Yes

4.5


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

bodagirl's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective slow-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

4.0

Jemisin's world-building is a gradual puzzle, with pieces fed to you chapter by chapter from different points of view until the picture finally comes into focus. I started this trilogy a few years ago and finally got my hands on the last book. I tried just diving in, but found I needed to read some synopses in order to remember/understand what was going on in. In the earlier books, you knew that Jemisin's world had some issues with racism and colonialism, but in this final installment the puzzle is complete and you see exactly how the Stillness became so still.

Are Essun and Nassun the most loveable characters? No, but they are complicated characters and their journey is thought provoking just the same.

Some of my favorite quotes:
 "But breathing doesn't always mean living, and maybe... maybe genocide doesn't always leave bodies." 

 "But there are none so frightened, or so strange in their fears, as conquerors. They conjure phantoms endlessly, terrified that their victims will someday do back what was done to them - even if, in truth, their victims couldn't care less about such pettiness and have moved on. Conquerors live in dread of the day when they are shown to be, not superior, but simply lucky." 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

rubybastille's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-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

These were challenging reads, both thematically and structurally, but well worth it. I did not expect such a satisfying ending. My heart broke so many times reading this and yet there were so many grains of hope scattered just where they were needed.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings