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

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad 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

4.5

 I'm not usually in the habit of reading series back to back which is an indicator of how immensely intriguing and satisfying this sometimes fantasy sometimes sci-fi skewing trilogy was. After having read the conclusion I can now whole heartedly recommend it to anyone who likes darker themes in their fantasy reading, complex characters, themes of found family, parenthood (both human and cosmic), discussions of racism, prejudice and genocide mirroring our own human society. 
I'm not kidding when I say that when this trilogy gets dark, it can get DARK but the reading experience was extremely rewarding nonetheless and I may have shed some tears here and there.

Some other pros are: flawed but ultimately likable characters, great side characters that matter to the overall plot, LGBT representation and in general different types of love and relationships, POC representation, original and creative world building, and I'm sure I'm missing some other things.

Nitpicks: Sometimes the dialogue was almost too modern sounding which took me out of the story and there were times I wished the writing style had been a bit more straightforward about what was going on. And since we are talking about tiny complaints: I wish the earth had been called Mother and not Father Earth to show the vengeful love that motherhood can be as a coin of which the earth is one side and Essun is the other. But maybe there was a reason for Jemisin to write Father and I’m just predisposed to viewing earth as a mother? 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings