carolined314's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery, Grief, and Torture
Moderate: Death of parent, Stalking, Colonisation, Death, Sexual content, Racial slurs, Toxic relationship, Incest, Violence, Confinement, and Bullying
Minor: Genocide, Cannibalism, Pedophilia, and Child abuse
ashleighmo's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
A little disappointed with the ending. It also describes a much bigger world, but the setting for the story is very small. Perhaps the remaining books in the series will explore that further. Wanted to love it, but it fell a bit flat for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Emotional abuse
Minor: Rape
ramskick's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-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
4.5
Last year I read N.K. Jemisin’s ‘Broken Earth’ trilogy and was incredibly impressed. They are some of my favorite fantasy books of all time and a big reason why was Jemisin’s unique style and creative choices. Naturally after reading them I wanted to check out more of Jemisin’s work. Her ‘Inheritance’ trilogy was a natural place to go, and thus I decided to read The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, the first book in that series.
I do not think that this book is as good as any of the entries into the ‘Broken Earth’ trilogy. This is her debut novel and you can tell. It feels like Jemisin isn’t quite as confident in herself and her writing feels a bit less refined than it does later. With that said, this is still an excellent fantasy book that shows off some of the talent and potential that would be fully realized in her second trilogy.
What stands out in particular is just how creative Jemisin is. Her settings are always really unique and set up some truly fascinating scenarios. Here, we go to a city called Sky that is above everything (a sharp contrast to the ‘Broken Earth’ trilogy, which takes place exclusively on the ground). Sky serves as the capital of the world and is led by a family that has control over 100,000 gods. This is an interesting idea that is backed up by some really strong world-building that allows the concept to truly make sense. While I do think that the plot of this book is a bit more convoluted than Jemisin’s future work, everything makes enough sense that I don’t get lost in trying to follow the narrative.
Of course, a good world can only take you so far. For a fantasy book to be truly great, the characters that live in said world need to be interesting as well, and Jemisin delivers on this front as well. Our protagonist Yeine is a really fun character to follow as she gets used to Sky and the politics that take place within it. Making her somewhat of an outsider is a solid choice as it allows the reader to learn as she does. Her supporting characters are also very captivating, none more so than the god Nahadoth, who is a true surprise in terms of just how complex and interesting he is. The interactions between him and Yeine are the best parts of the book. There really aren’t any weak characters here. Even the small ones make a good impression in their limited time on the page.
The world and characters combine to make a truly great book that shows how strong of a writer Jemisin was from the jump. This book is exciting. It’s funny. It’s intriguing. It’s sexy. It’s captivating. And above all, it’s never boring. I am very excited to read its follow-up The Broken Kingdoms.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Violence
seadeepy's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Sexual content, Incest, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Violence and Sexual violence
Minor: Pedophilia
mossgoblins's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Although N.K. Jemison’s Broken Earth trilogy is one of my all time favorite series, I didn’t resonate strongly with this book. It is one of her first books, so perhaps it is simply that she has grown so much as an author since, but I found the characters less complex in The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, the plot confusing, and the setting merely satisfactory. I can’t recommend this book as more than just a mildly entertaining read, but I do highly recommend Jemison’s later works- in particular: The Fifth Season.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol, Death of parent, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, War, Blood, Emotional abuse, Incest, Torture, Confinement, Body horror, Death, Violence, Injury/injury detail, Gore, Grief, Murder, Religious bigotry, and Slavery
Minor: Pedophilia and Rape
kingsteph's review against another edition
challenging
dark
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Racism
Minor: Rape, Death of parent, Sexual violence, and Pedophilia
laguerrelewis's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
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? Yes
5.0
Is anyone surprised? This book has all the hallmarks of why we love Jemisin: a rich, exciting, creative world, compelling characters, and a narrative voice unlike any other I’ve read period, much less in this genre. I have the whole trilogy, and I’m excited to see where the story builds from here. It’s great to see where Jemisin began to carve out her place in the line of great novelists, and she popped out almost fully polished and ready to go.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Religious bigotry, Torture, Grief, Slavery, Body horror, Gore, Blood, Classism, Colonisation, Death of parent, Incest, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, War, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Pedophilia and Rape
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
readingelli's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Religious bigotry, Violence, Incest, Blood, Injury/injury detail, Murder, Death, Sexual content, Slavery, War, and Torture
ruthlessreads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This was one of the best fantasy novels I've read in a long time. It is spectacularly written with characters that you love & grow close to quickly and some that you hate. It has a plot that would satisfy even the most discerning of readers and I can't wait to read the next book & find out where the story is going next.
When Yeine Darr's mother dies, she is called to the throne of the king & given the shock of a lifetime: she is the granddaughter of the king & he has named her heiress, throwing her into the middle of a vicious & brutal competition for the throne of the Hundred Thousand Kingdoms. However, as her relationship with the Enefadah (gods who were enslaved by the ruling class after losing a cosmic war against their sibling) deepens & begins to change, Yeine learns more secrets about the throne than she ever could have imagined. When she finally learns something about herself that shakes her to her core, she must decide how to use this new discovery to her advantage before time runs out & the next heir to the throne is chosen!
When Yeine Darr's mother dies, she is called to the throne of the king & given the shock of a lifetime: she is the granddaughter of the king & he has named her heiress, throwing her into the middle of a vicious & brutal competition for the throne of the Hundred Thousand Kingdoms. However, as her relationship with the Enefadah (gods who were enslaved by the ruling class after losing a cosmic war against their sibling) deepens & begins to change, Yeine learns more secrets about the throne than she ever could have imagined. When she finally learns something about herself that shakes her to her core, she must decide how to use this new discovery to her advantage before time runs out & the next heir to the throne is chosen!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Death, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Confinement, Death of parent, Slavery, Sexual violence, Religious bigotry, Classism, Alcohol, Violence, and Sexual content
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, War, Abandonment, Alcohol, Toxic relationship, Grief, Bullying, and Drug use