Reviews tagging 'Slavery'

Zerrissene Erde by N.K. Jemisin

200 reviews

kell_xavi's review against another edition

5.0

The wholly original fantasy series starts with a novel of three narratives that link to tell a partial recent history and present of a world where natural disasters coupled with magics of earth and stone shape the lives of all who live there. In one segment, the story has a form similar to the walled village and desperate journey of Octavia Butler's Parable of the Sower; in one, a young girl begins training in an oppressive arcane academic; in the third, two bitter strangers begin a quest that enriches and reveals more than anticipated.

Very good writing, complex and engrossing parallel plot lines, unique characters, interesting politics and world-building.  I'll reserve judgment otherwise until I've read the rest of the series. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Torture, Child death, Slavery, Xenophobia, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Classism and Bullying

Minor: Cannibalism

biobeetle's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Xenophobia, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Torture, Slavery, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Police brutality, and Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Confinement, Grief, Abandonment, Bullying, and Death

readingklee's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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

I’ll have to revisit this when I can form better sentences, but N.K. Jemison just single-handedly gave me a whole new paradigm on fantasy. Truly stunning, the story, the characters, the quality of the writing itself, so incredible. This was the fastest I’ve read a thicc book since middle school. So excited to dive deeper into her work. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual content, Slavery, Child abuse, Child death, and Violence

tired_cicada's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious reflective sad 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? It's complicated

4.75

Do you ever go into a book knowing nothing about it and it is just gut punch after gut punch? Cause apparently that's how I need to pick my books from now on casue y'all this book had me in the palm of its hand!! 

(Check trigger warning through!)

I am I sucker for nonlinear story telling, I live pick out the lies and the half truths! I am glad I didn't know anything about this though, cause if I'd know this book was told in second person I probably wouldn't have picked it up, but...
This it was just too good! 

I would recommend this book to my friends... But maybe not my mom. If you know you know.

I need book two right now!

WE ARE GOING TO STEAL THE MOON!!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Forced institutionalization, Slavery, Death, Classism, Child abuse, Child death, Blood, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Torture, and Grief

Moderate: Kidnapping, Misogyny, Fire/Fire injury, Torture, War, Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Rape, Death of parent, and Pregnancy

Minor: Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Cannibalism, Vomit, and Toxic friendship

mythicsage's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Forced institutionalization, and Violence

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Cursing, Gaslighting, Blood, Cannibalism, Grief, Classism, Colonisation, Death of parent, Murder, Kidnapping, Suicidal thoughts, and Slavery

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Fire/Fire injury, Stalking, Animal death, Medical content, Rape, Sexual violence, Transphobia, Vomit, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Torture, War, and Body horror

chloetremain's review against another edition

dark sad 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia and Slavery

Moderate: Sexual violence and Murder

Minor: Genocide and Child death

amsswim's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious 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

5.0

Anyone looking for a Hugo winning fantasy? THis was my first read by this author, but I really like her writing style. Full of details and feeling, I really felt my heart aches for what the characters go through. The plot and setting start a bit abstract, but in a way that pulled me in entirely. I'm not usually a series girl, or I haven't been in years, but maybe this will get me back into it. I have 2 more after this.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Toxic friendship, Death, Xenophobia, Violence, Child abuse, and Slavery

Moderate: Blood, Gaslighting, Sexual content, and Physical abuse

Minor: Vomit

kimia_hyperfocuser's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

Well, that was dark. 
However, N.K.Jemisin managed to tell a story revolving around her real-life values without going overboard, without being so obvious about it that the reader is pulled out of the fantasy world. Shit is subtle. 
How she managed to create something as creepy as the guardians, though, amazes me. They're not analogous to anything in the real world, as far as I can tell. Not the one-on-one relationship and the hands-off style of control, at least. 
Halfway through, my dumb ass was like

"Damaya sounds like she will grow up to have a similar personality to Syenite, I wonder what the narrative will do with two very similar women."

Haha.
And the polyamory representation... My heart! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Child abuse, Child death, Sexual violence, and Slavery

hazeln00t's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious reflective 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? No

5.0

This book rules and I can’t wait to re-read it. Throughout the book there’s passing observations that feel inconsequential and human, but no remark or reflection is accidental. Jemisin is a fantastic world builder and the ending snowballed so fast to a jaw dropping tease for the next book. All of her characters are also deeply emotionally intelligent. That’s not exactly realistic maybe for people in real life, but it makes for damn good fiction. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Vomit, Torture, Animal death, Blood, Classism, Colonisation, Grief, Confinement, Death, Abandonment, Xenophobia, Terminal illness, Violence, Sexual content, Racism, Child death, Suicidal thoughts, and Slavery

Moderate: Ableism and War

Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Cannibalism, Body horror, and Deadnaming

While races are fictional, race and bigotry are prominent themes.

chaoticnostalgia's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Slavery, Xenophobia, Animal death, Child death, Murder, Grief, Child abuse, Death, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Sexual content and Pregnancy