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A review by rachel_here
The City Born Great by N.K. Jemisin
adventurous
hopeful
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
3.5
After having tried to read The City We Became but failing to be engaged, I wanted to go back to the short story that became the prologue for this novel as it was the part I enjoyed the most in my reading.
Here we follow Coda (though he remains nameless in The City Born Great), a homeless young adult awakening as the avatar of New York City. Like any living creatures, great cities must be born once they are ready to, or die trying. The avatar must learn to listen to the city and help it blossom in the face of creatures who want to kill new life as soon as it emerges.
The concept of this short story is pretty interesting and makes for a solid premise for a urban fantasy series, while also tackling themes of racism among others. Having found the rest of The City We Became a bit dull when it came to character voice, I was glad that The City Born Great / the prologue gave Coda a lot of personality which bled through his narration. I had troubles picturing the fight scenes or really following the action though; but Coda's artistic soul and his drive to live, rather than merely survive, made him an interesting character to see the city of New York through.
Here we follow Coda (though he remains nameless in The City Born Great), a homeless young adult awakening as the avatar of New York City. Like any living creatures, great cities must be born once they are ready to, or die trying. The avatar must learn to listen to the city and help it blossom in the face of creatures who want to kill new life as soon as it emerges.
The concept of this short story is pretty interesting and makes for a solid premise for a urban fantasy series, while also tackling themes of racism among others. Having found the rest of The City We Became a bit dull when it came to character voice, I was glad that The City Born Great / the prologue gave Coda a lot of personality which bled through his narration. I had troubles picturing the fight scenes or really following the action though; but Coda's artistic soul and his drive to live, rather than merely survive, made him an interesting character to see the city of New York through.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism
Minor: Domestic abuse and Sexual content