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3.98 AVERAGE
3.98 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
funny
tense
fast-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
This book is f**king PERFECT. I'm literally vibrating, and that sensation started literally in the first pages. The concept, the worldbuilding. The characters, their personalities and biases and conflicts and deep wells of inner strength (their identities as boroughs). The allegory. The DETAILS! I know NYC somewhat well, not like a native would for sure, but wow this really brought the city to life... in more ways than one.
I read this along with the audiobook and I have to say the audiobook performance enhanced it a whole LOT, but even without that I'm sure I'd be just as excited by the story. Thrilling, fun, thoughtful, complex. I'm just completely stunned by how good this book is.
I read this along with the audiobook and I have to say the audiobook performance enhanced it a whole LOT, but even without that I'm sure I'd be just as excited by the story. Thrilling, fun, thoughtful, complex. I'm just completely stunned by how good this book is.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Racial slurs, Racism, Xenophobia
Moderate: Homophobia, Misogyny, Cultural appropriation, Sexual harassment
Minor: Animal death, Domestic abuse, Abortion
Fascism, White Supremacy
I found the premise to be lacking. Also, it seems like a ripoff of Hawksmoor from Wildstorm comics who had “city powers” and was like a god of cities. Loved Jemesin’s other series, but this one isn’t doing it for me.
dark
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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:
Complicated
Fantastic characters, perspectives that taught me something.
The ending of the last book in the series is somewhat rushed for reasons out of the author's control, but still absolutely worth reading.
The ending of the last book in the series is somewhat rushed for reasons out of the author's control, but still absolutely worth reading.
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
hopeful
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
Characters – 9.5/10
Imagine if the cast of The Avengers was made up of queer metaphysical constructs arguing over zoning rights. That’s the vibe. Every avatar is a walking personification of their borough—literally a Genius Loci—and Jemisin makes them work. Manny, the sugar-and-ice Manhattan avatar with Wall Street magic and mob enforcer muscle, gave me emotional whiplash. Brooklyn rolls up with Grandmaster Flash and councilwoman gravitas and immediately becomes your new problematic fave. Bronca? Butch lesbian grandma who once stomped a cop at Stonewall and now stomps tentacle monsters in steel-toed boots. Padmini’s mathematical magic and quiet asexual brilliance made me want to take a calculus class just to feel close to her. Even Staten Island, a bigoted shut-in with a literal “Get Off My Lawn” shield, felt painfully real. And then there’s Veneza, the surprise MVP who pulls a magical Surprise Checkmate by becoming Jersey City and saving everyone’s ass. These characters aren’t just memorable—they’re mythology with personality disorders, and I loved them for it.
Imagine if the cast of The Avengers was made up of queer metaphysical constructs arguing over zoning rights. That’s the vibe. Every avatar is a walking personification of their borough—literally a Genius Loci—and Jemisin makes them work. Manny, the sugar-and-ice Manhattan avatar with Wall Street magic and mob enforcer muscle, gave me emotional whiplash. Brooklyn rolls up with Grandmaster Flash and councilwoman gravitas and immediately becomes your new problematic fave. Bronca? Butch lesbian grandma who once stomped a cop at Stonewall and now stomps tentacle monsters in steel-toed boots. Padmini’s mathematical magic and quiet asexual brilliance made me want to take a calculus class just to feel close to her. Even Staten Island, a bigoted shut-in with a literal “Get Off My Lawn” shield, felt painfully real. And then there’s Veneza, the surprise MVP who pulls a magical Surprise Checkmate by becoming Jersey City and saving everyone’s ass. These characters aren’t just memorable—they’re mythology with personality disorders, and I loved them for it.
Atmosphere / Setting – 10/10
New York is sentient, cranky, queer, multiracial, and under attack by Cthulhu in a pantsuit. The atmosphere swings between cosmic horror and block party, and somehow it all lands. The city breathes through these pages—graffiti pulses with magic, gentrification is literally an invading eldritch force, and macrospace (that interdimensional city-only subway system) is weird enough to make R’lyeh blush. The Enemy’s whiteness—clinical, uniform, aggressively “civilized”—makes for a villain that feels both otherworldly and nauseatingly familiar. And the villain's plan? Villainous Gentrification. It’s like if Lovecraft got dunked on by Spike Lee and then had to take the 6 train.
New York is sentient, cranky, queer, multiracial, and under attack by Cthulhu in a pantsuit. The atmosphere swings between cosmic horror and block party, and somehow it all lands. The city breathes through these pages—graffiti pulses with magic, gentrification is literally an invading eldritch force, and macrospace (that interdimensional city-only subway system) is weird enough to make R’lyeh blush. The Enemy’s whiteness—clinical, uniform, aggressively “civilized”—makes for a villain that feels both otherworldly and nauseatingly familiar. And the villain's plan? Villainous Gentrification. It’s like if Lovecraft got dunked on by Spike Lee and then had to take the 6 train.
Writing Style – 9/10
Jemisin writes like she’s daring you to keep up, and honestly, I respect that. The prose bounces between poetic, punchy, and meme-adjacent, and it somehow works. The narration never forgets the stakes, but it also isn’t above clowning on the situation—because if you can’t joke about a metaphysical colonizer from beyond the stars, what can you joke about? My only gripe: sometimes the exposition wears tap shoes and insists on doing a little number mid-scene. But most of the time, the rhythm of her voice is so good I didn’t care. She even gives the audiobook credits section to the Woman in White, which is the literary equivalent of breaking the fourth wall and giving the audience the finger.
Jemisin writes like she’s daring you to keep up, and honestly, I respect that. The prose bounces between poetic, punchy, and meme-adjacent, and it somehow works. The narration never forgets the stakes, but it also isn’t above clowning on the situation—because if you can’t joke about a metaphysical colonizer from beyond the stars, what can you joke about? My only gripe: sometimes the exposition wears tap shoes and insists on doing a little number mid-scene. But most of the time, the rhythm of her voice is so good I didn’t care. She even gives the audiobook credits section to the Woman in White, which is the literary equivalent of breaking the fourth wall and giving the audience the finger.
Plot – 8.5/10
The basic premise? New York is being born as a sentient city, and like all new births in this universe, it threatens to annihilate thousands of parallel dimensions. Oops. The Prime avatar collapses from a Heroic RRoD right out the gate, so it’s up to the boroughs to get their act together, find each other, and keep the city from being turned into a suburb of R’lyeh. The pacing sometimes meanders—there are moments where the plot takes a smoke break and lets the characters riff—but when it hits, it hits. Tentacles exploding out of Starbucks? Rap battles as combat magic? Staten Island unleashing an Accidental Murder earthquake out of racism and daddy issues? Absolutely unhinged, absolutely earned.
The basic premise? New York is being born as a sentient city, and like all new births in this universe, it threatens to annihilate thousands of parallel dimensions. Oops. The Prime avatar collapses from a Heroic RRoD right out the gate, so it’s up to the boroughs to get their act together, find each other, and keep the city from being turned into a suburb of R’lyeh. The pacing sometimes meanders—there are moments where the plot takes a smoke break and lets the characters riff—but when it hits, it hits. Tentacles exploding out of Starbucks? Rap battles as combat magic? Staten Island unleashing an Accidental Murder earthquake out of racism and daddy issues? Absolutely unhinged, absolutely earned.
Intrigue – 9/10
This book sunk its claws into me with the opening line and didn’t let go until I ran face-first into the epilogue. I had to know how these avatars would deal with their impossible situation—and more importantly, whether they’d survive each other. Watching them slowly cohere as a team despite their wildly different identities and traumas was just as compelling as any tentacle-smashing showdown. And every new bit of worldbuilding—macrospace, avatar politics, secret city summits—was like candy-coated madness. I tore through it like I was late for a meeting with eldritch destiny.
This book sunk its claws into me with the opening line and didn’t let go until I ran face-first into the epilogue. I had to know how these avatars would deal with their impossible situation—and more importantly, whether they’d survive each other. Watching them slowly cohere as a team despite their wildly different identities and traumas was just as compelling as any tentacle-smashing showdown. And every new bit of worldbuilding—macrospace, avatar politics, secret city summits—was like candy-coated madness. I tore through it like I was late for a meeting with eldritch destiny.
Logic / Relationships – 9/10
Yes, this world is weird. Yes, it involves city avatars battling sentient gentrification using the power of DJ sets, math, and property ownership. But internally? It tracks. Personality Powers feel like an extension of each character’s psyche, and the relationships—fraught, tender, punchy—evolve believably. I especially appreciated how Jemisin handles systemic power and interpersonal tension without softening it. Staten Island doesn’t get a redemption arc, because she doesn’t want one. Manny’s Champion complex for Neek is a fascinating blend of devotion and projection. Even Bronca and Brooklyn’s mutual respect-through-sniping rang painfully true. These dynamics are messy, but they’re real.
Yes, this world is weird. Yes, it involves city avatars battling sentient gentrification using the power of DJ sets, math, and property ownership. But internally? It tracks. Personality Powers feel like an extension of each character’s psyche, and the relationships—fraught, tender, punchy—evolve believably. I especially appreciated how Jemisin handles systemic power and interpersonal tension without softening it. Staten Island doesn’t get a redemption arc, because she doesn’t want one. Manny’s Champion complex for Neek is a fascinating blend of devotion and projection. Even Bronca and Brooklyn’s mutual respect-through-sniping rang painfully true. These dynamics are messy, but they’re real.
Enjoyment – 9.5/10
This book was a hot slice of New York chaos served on a plate of tentacles and civic pride. I cackled. I gasped. I cheered. I wanted to fight white supremacy and hug Brooklyn’s daughter. It scratched every itch I didn’t know I had: cosmic horror with social commentary, found family with municipal trauma, queer metaphysics, math magic, and a literal King Kong moment. Would I reread it? Absolutely. Would I recommend it? I’ve already screamed at half my friends. It’s weird, bold, deeply heartfelt, and gloriously angry—in short, it’s New York, baby.
This book was a hot slice of New York chaos served on a plate of tentacles and civic pride. I cackled. I gasped. I cheered. I wanted to fight white supremacy and hug Brooklyn’s daughter. It scratched every itch I didn’t know I had: cosmic horror with social commentary, found family with municipal trauma, queer metaphysics, math magic, and a literal King Kong moment. Would I reread it? Absolutely. Would I recommend it? I’ve already screamed at half my friends. It’s weird, bold, deeply heartfelt, and gloriously angry—in short, it’s New York, baby.
Final Score: 9.2/10
Like if Welcome to Night Vale got unionized and then gentrification tried to kill it. I’ll be thinking about this one every time I walk past a closed bodega or see a suspicious new condo complex with no soul. Bring on The World We Make.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Violence, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Sexual harassment
Moderate: Ableism, Alcoholism, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Sexual violence, Transphobia, Antisemitism, Islamophobia, Religious bigotry, Gaslighting, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Minor: Addiction, Animal death, Child abuse, Confinement, Gun violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Blood, Stalking, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Cultural appropriation, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, War
This book tackles systemic oppression through a speculative lens where urban personhood meets Lovecraftian horror. The violence is often metaphoric but viscerally rendered—tentacles crash through gentrified neighborhoods, and racism literally weaponizes itself through eldritch means. Staten Island’s plotline in particular involves intense depictions of fear-based bigotry and abuse. Despite all this, there’s humor, catharsis, and moments of pure hope that shine through. But if you’re sensitive to real-world bigotry, especially when it’s mixed with supernatural horror, know that this book doesn’t flinch.
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Utterly weird and yet it utterly works. I was skeptical of this book at first just because it got off to what felt, to me, like a slow start—Jemisin is a wordsmith, and reading her beautiful sentences is a delight, but I definitely would not classify this as a fast-paced story. But the absolute scope and wonder of this version of our world, with its cosmic horror, its living cities, and its conversation-critique of Lovecraftian cosmic horror specifically just sucked me in but good. A Starbucks in a gentrified neighborhood literally turning into a hideous bird-monster-thing absolutely should NOT, let me say it again, work. But Jemisin—whom I've never read before, but whom I also recognize as being a powerhouse in science fiction—is kind of a genius. Her characters are all super interesting, the ones who are likable as much as the ones who aren't: while I loved Bronca, the cranky old Lenape art gallerist who becomes the living embodiment of the Bronx, the best, I appreciated the deft hand with which Jemisin writes Aislyn, the horrible character who embodies Staten Island. I thought the way Aislyn's hideous racism was shown as both something she learned from her father (a racist police officer strongly hinted at being both a neo-Nazi and an abusive husband to her mother) and something she's not really interested in examining or critiquing, despite being given opportunities to do so/being aware of some of her father's less savory qualities. I appreciated the fact that her behavior was given a root cause that did not, for one second, let her off the hook, and I'm especially interested to see where the sequel takes her.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I didn’t enjoy this book. My main complaints are that the character development took way too much time instead of having them be developed throughout the plot. Personally I had a difficult time picturing a lot of the imagery and so with that and the large chunks of background on each character, it took a lot of energy to get into the book. I will note, from that, I added an extra star because once I got through that, towards the middle of the book, the drama picked up, the story began to progress more and it was easier to keep my attention. The ending was not satisfying to me and I realize this book is part of a series but it did not convince me to want to read the next one.
adventurous
emotional
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
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