queenie_ofthe_void's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
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? Yes
4.5
NKJ is a continuous safe go-to for great stories. Of course I loved Nahadoth, but Yeine and Sieh were amazing protagonists. Even the villains were great, although I would've liked it just a touch more if Yeine had had at least one positive female relationship in the story. With that said, the men (and/or male presenting) on her side were diverse in personalities and enjoyable. Can't wait to read more!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Violence, Sexual content, Blood, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Racism, Murder, Injury/injury detail, and Grief
Minor: War, Vomit, Death of parent, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Slavery, Sexual violence, and Pedophilia
anxiousnachos's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
5.0
So mad at myself and the world for the fact I didn’t know N.K Jemisin had a god/monster fucking book ARE YOU KIDDING. And it’s amazing. Of course it is, it’s N.K Jemisin. Okay so this is a fantasy romance (ish) between a monster god who is enslaved alongside his god children and a mortal girl who is forced into the plans to free his family by the scheming of her dead mother. This is one of those books where you will have no idea what is going on at times but you will love it and if you just go along with it, it will all begin to make sense. There is a mystery as Yeine tries to work out the truth behind her mother’s death and the slavery of the gods, there is an absolutely incredibly interesting religion that is built wonderfully (I do think worldbuilding is always one of the things N.K Jemisin does best), and there is just an amazing sexy, kinky dynamic between Nahadoth and Yeine, in this god/mortal romance. I LOVED IT. Inject this trope into my veins please and thank you. There is such an interesting parallel to the behaviour of the gods and the behaviour of the human characters, made clear by a line one the gods says ‘we made you in our image’, and just, gah, it’s so clear where the passion and selfishness and ambition of the human characters come from. SO WELL DONE. I read 50 pages of this book and immediately went out and bought the sequels to prepare, because I knew I’d need to read them as soon as I finished, it was that good.
Content warnings: violence, murder, death, incest, torture, body horror, blood, gore, slavery, sex, consensual violence during sex, cannibalism, pedophilia, death of a parent, alcoholism, war
Content warnings: violence, murder, death, incest, torture, body horror, blood, gore, slavery, sex, consensual violence during sex, cannibalism, pedophilia, death of a parent, alcoholism, war
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Gore, Murder, Body horror, Death, Torture, Death of parent, Blood, and Slavery
Moderate: Incest, Rape, Alcoholism, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Pedophilia, and War
coffinfinite's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
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? It's complicated
5.0
After struggling to find a book that gripped me for some time, The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms was a welcome re-discovery. I vaguely remembered reading it in 2015 and enjoying it, so I picked it up again and was swept away in a fast paced, vivid adventure set in a terrifying fantasy world where a single family wields power with an iron fist bestowed upon them by the "true God" of the Bright. The depiction of enslaved Godlings and political machinations set against a backdrop of the Sky, a beautiful but deadly seat of power, kept me entranced from start to finish. Our heroine, Yeine, is dropped into an impossible-to-win power struggle for the throne of Sky, and her only allies are the unpredictable and at times unfathomable Enefadeh, broken Godlings who have a plan of their own when it comes to the succession of power. As the story unfolds with flashbacks and dream sequences alongside the fortnight of terror Yeine must endure as the day of the succession draws near, Jemisin's beautiful prose kept me spellbound to the very end. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fantasy - and perhaps even to those who find the genre dubious.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Incest, Physical abuse, Rape, and Slavery
Minor: Cannibalism, Death of parent, Alcoholism, Murder, and Religious bigotry
abbajane's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This book is unlike any fantasy I've read! It was exhilarating, thrilling, terrifying, and moving all at once. The characters were complex, ambitious, and all-too-human. The plot was exciting and managed to keep pace the entire time even while backstories and side-plots were unraveling. If you like your anti-heroes tall, dark, cloaked in night, and as terrifying as they are sexy, Nahadoth will be right up your alley. If you like your heroines with a lot of fight, emotional complexity, and a heart that won't quit, you'll fall for Yeine as quickly as I did. Jemisin is a master of writing -- the entire book was so precisely and poetically written, filled with interesting scene and POV breaks, and provided an overall satisfying conclusion. It's sexy, it's dark, and it's a masterpiece of fiction.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Death, Death of parent, and Violence
Moderate: Sexual content, Slavery, Grief, Body horror, Blood, Addiction, and Alcoholism
Minor: Incest and Pedophilia
This book does have a lot of violence and a lot of torture. There is a code of slavery for both the gods and for the humans. There are mentions of incest and pedophilia but they are only mentioned and not displayed.
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