A review by dayday_reads
The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemisin

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious 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

What a spectacular ending to this series! Stellar writing, incredible world building and the themes! Motherhood, love, loss, grief, regret, the journey from childhood to adulthood, found family, acceptance. I initially found myself not liking Nassun but by the end of this book I came to like her and understand her and (of course) remember that she IS a child. Her character arc was sad and yet I loved it despite that. She was everything that Essun wasn't and it wasn't until the final showdown that I could see that. Speaking of Essun ... still my favorite character. Even though I knew the direction her story was going, I was still hoping for a different outcome. She experienced so much growth throughout all of the stories and I loved how she finally, finally understood her daughter and how her actions set her on the path she ultimately walked. Essun's story was so fraught with pain and heartbreak that it was nice to see her redemption. The side characters weren't as prevelant in this story and that's okay because we got the back story and context re: the Shattering and the Stone Eaters and how the current world came to be. We also saw glimpses of how the dehumanization of the Orogenes began. I also found it interesting that we know Hoa is the narrator of this tale, at the end we find out why and I thought that was a nice touch. My only dislike is that after using the Obelisk Gate, the ability to use orogeny was taken away from Nassun and Essun. That in no way detracts from the story in my opinion, it was just a consequence that seemed unfair.
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