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3.97 AVERAGE
3.97 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
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
really enjoyed the themes, vibes and worldbuilding! lush and immersive. it reminded me a lot of the Jedi from Star Wars. wish Sunandi had more to do in the plot though
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
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
Incredibly thought-provoking. Characters with radically different worldviews disagree vehemently over the ethics of ending a life. The Gatherers use their dream magic to guide souls into peaceful death… often voluntary, akin to assisted suicide, while other times more like capital punishment or assassination. Hefty material, handled beautifully!
The action and adventure elements were fantastic, too, but what really stood out to me were these idealogical confrontations and the way EACH of the main characters give ground and adjust their views as they uncover the truth (corruption in one’s own house), traveling and struggling together, and ultimately broadening their perspectives.
Note there is a queer love/attraction element here between a rather young apprentice and a much older man, someone the younger man has long idolized who at the start of the story has just become his mentor. The love between them is something more than platonic, celibate but not not physical/sensual, and in the end it is left largely undefined. I thought it was a fitting element given the rest of the story and all the messy questions being explored. I also thought it was quite beautifully told, but I’m sure the underage age-gap dynamic will be too squicky for some readers. YMMV.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Torture, Violence, Blood, Murder
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, War
dark
emotional
reflective
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
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
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
I struggled to get through the first 4-6 chapters of this book. Jemisin doesn’t coax you into the world she has created, she drops you in it and provides little context or background for the setting, characters, or plot she creates. Rather, as the story picks up the world unfolds. It’s an interesting dynamic because as you begin to understand and see the created world more, the characters are almost learning things with you. As a reader, you both explore the world created and witness the characters as they discover secrets and go through various experiences on their quest. The imagery is nothing short of ethereal and the emotion conveyed makes you feel as though you are right there in the moment. I would absolutely read this book again and look forward to reading the rest of the series.
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Maybe read before The Broken Earth trilogy. It's not bad, but it didn't grab me as much as that series. There's something a bit flat with the plot and character motivations, hoping the second book resolves.
As always, N.K. Jemisin has written a lush world with complex characters and an interesting magic system. While it did take a little bit to get into, I became really invested about a third of the way through the book. I still think the Broken Earth Trilogy is the best out of what I've read from this author, but I enjoyed this more than the Inheritance Trilogy. Very underrated!
This book is...fine. It's perfectly fine and it's interesting and it seems like something I'd be super into, given the world, the culture, and so on.
I can't really put my finger on why, but I just never really found it in me to care that much about the characters. They seem more like symbols than people, I guess. Part of it might be that the novel never slows down enough to let us get to know these people. They're always in high pressure situations, so they all have a kind of single-mindedness to them that made them really forgettable to me.
And then the overarching plot itself--corrupt nobility has been done better in a lot of places and by a lot of people, including NK Jemisin! The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms handles that aspect much better and in a more interesting way. Even the motivations behind these characters was done better in the Hundred Thousand Kingdoms.
Maybe it's my fault for hoping for more because I know Jemisin can write stellar novels with complexity and incredible imagery, but this mostly fell short of her first trilogy. The world and the magic are interesting but I found the characters mostly boring and the motivations mostly boring.
That being said, if you like stories about court intrigue, this is probably a good fit for you. The world is atypical in that it's more Egyptian than European, so that also might be enough to keep you going.
I'm going to try out the sequel but I guess I don't expect much anymore.
I can't really put my finger on why, but I just never really found it in me to care that much about the characters. They seem more like symbols than people, I guess. Part of it might be that the novel never slows down enough to let us get to know these people. They're always in high pressure situations, so they all have a kind of single-mindedness to them that made them really forgettable to me.
And then the overarching plot itself--corrupt nobility has been done better in a lot of places and by a lot of people, including NK Jemisin! The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms handles that aspect much better and in a more interesting way. Even the motivations behind these characters was done better in the Hundred Thousand Kingdoms.
Maybe it's my fault for hoping for more because I know Jemisin can write stellar novels with complexity and incredible imagery, but this mostly fell short of her first trilogy. The world and the magic are interesting but I found the characters mostly boring and the motivations mostly boring.
That being said, if you like stories about court intrigue, this is probably a good fit for you. The world is atypical in that it's more Egyptian than European, so that also might be enough to keep you going.
I'm going to try out the sequel but I guess I don't expect much anymore.
