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3.98 AVERAGE
3.98 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
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:
Complicated
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
funny
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
This book was so completely unique and creative!! Every character was multifaceted and relatable, even the ones I kind of hated (looking at you Aislyn!!!) I was genuinely kind of upset when it was over because the world is easy to get sucked into. Plus I’m visiting NYC next month for the first time in a very long time so this was a perfect read in preparation.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I read this for an upcoming book club, and I’m so glad I did! The powerful language and mythic storytelling caught me from the start, and although it took time to gel with the multiple viewpoint characters (but really, can I expect to identify with the living avatars with the boroughs of New York City?), I got there by the end. Recommended!
i can see why jemisin’s writing resonates with people, but this novel was not it. i felt like she used stereotypes and tokenism in place of character development. the plot for the first half was just an origin story on repeat (5 times). i found myself rolling my eyes more often than i was rooting for these characters.
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
adventurous
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Can't believe this sat on my shelf unread for so long.
This combines elements I love and serves them perfectly. The whole concept of god-avatars of cities is great, not just that it's a fun twist on telling a superhero story, but that it dissects what a city truly *is*. It's a critical mass of people and architecture and infrastructure and culture but it's also distinct. If a city is like any other is it really a city? True cities can be conveyed in a snatch of sound, a smell, a vehicle, a drink.
It's perhaps my favourite depiction of eldritch horror in a book. Eldritch/cosmos horror can suffer from literally being indescribable, but Jemisin does a great job of drawing in the alien and unknowable and more familiar threads in the way it's portrayed. There's also something great about taking the bleakness of true existential horror and weaving it in with global chains, conservatism, xenophobia. Cthulhu is cold and uncaring but so is Starbucks.
The characters are great personalities, the developing mythology is fun and fathomable. This is simultaneously an exciting urban fantasy book and a piece of storytelling that reminds us what culture is, why it matters, and how it dies.
This combines elements I love and serves them perfectly. The whole concept of god-avatars of cities is great, not just that it's a fun twist on telling a superhero story, but that it dissects what a city truly *is*. It's a critical mass of people and architecture and infrastructure and culture but it's also distinct. If a city is like any other is it really a city? True cities can be conveyed in a snatch of sound, a smell, a vehicle, a drink.
It's perhaps my favourite depiction of eldritch horror in a book. Eldritch/cosmos horror can suffer from literally being indescribable, but Jemisin does a great job of drawing in the alien and unknowable and more familiar threads in the way it's portrayed. There's also something great about taking the bleakness of true existential horror and weaving it in with global chains, conservatism, xenophobia. Cthulhu is cold and uncaring but so is Starbucks.
The characters are great personalities, the developing mythology is fun and fathomable. This is simultaneously an exciting urban fantasy book and a piece of storytelling that reminds us what culture is, why it matters, and how it dies.