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darthval's review against another edition
3.0
Jemisin follows her usual fantasy writing style with The Killing Moon. The book includes mythology that is vague in detail, but has vivid and savage associated imagery. She includes concepts that bend the lines between platonic and sexual love and her worlds are ruled and magically controlled by religion that can and has been manipulated by corruption. The tone of mysticism that she uses acts an effective smokescreen to cover the areas in which her mythology is hollow.
The concept of narcomancy was fresh and interesting, and yet, at times confusing and conflicting. Throughout the book she continued to plant the seeds in the reader's mind that there was some form of untruth and underlying corruption in the religion of Hetawa. Toward the end, there was evidence and confessions leading further to this conclusion, yet at the very last minute this concept appears to drop from the story. This was baffling, and weakened a conclusion that already had an abrupt feel to it.
The pacing throughout most of the book was consistent, if a tad slow. The author slowly and carefully crafted her plot and then, BAM! It felt almost like a leisurely meal among friends and then abruptly being handed dessert to go and being ushered out the door. It just felt rushed.
There were not many deeply drawn characters, but both Ehiru and Nijiri stand out. I got frustrated at times about Ehiru's naivete, but felt this played true to his depth of faith. Nijiri, on the other hand, had so much more depth. I loved he embraced his faith, despite the practicality of his soul and that he was willing to accept the consequences when faced with a conflict between duty and morality. Also, his love for Ehiru was beautiful and poignant.
Oddly enough, I was also drawn toward the Prince and wish we had more of his back story. I could not help but draw comparison's between Eninket and Veidt from Watchmen. I am intrigued by the idea of the psyche that pursues pure intentions through monstrous methods.
Finally, I totally appreciated the lack of a romantic plot. To me, that was a small bit of awesome.
The concept of narcomancy was fresh and interesting, and yet, at times confusing and conflicting. Throughout the book she continued to plant the seeds in the reader's mind that there was some form of untruth and underlying corruption in the religion of Hetawa. Toward the end, there was evidence and confessions leading further to this conclusion, yet at the very last minute this concept appears to drop from the story. This was baffling, and weakened a conclusion that already had an abrupt feel to it.
The pacing throughout most of the book was consistent, if a tad slow. The author slowly and carefully crafted her plot and then, BAM! It felt almost like a leisurely meal among friends and then abruptly being handed dessert to go and being ushered out the door. It just felt rushed.
There were not many deeply drawn characters, but both Ehiru and Nijiri stand out. I got frustrated at times about Ehiru's naivete, but felt this played true to his depth of faith. Nijiri, on the other hand, had so much more depth. I loved he embraced his faith, despite the practicality of his soul and that he was willing to accept the consequences when faced with a conflict between duty and morality. Also, his love for Ehiru was beautiful and poignant.
Oddly enough, I was also drawn toward the Prince and wish we had more of his back story. I could not help but draw comparison's between Eninket and Veidt from Watchmen. I am intrigued by the idea of the psyche that pursues pure intentions through monstrous methods.
Finally, I totally appreciated the lack of a romantic plot. To me, that was a small bit of awesome.
bananasinorbit's review against another edition
reflective
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? No
5.0
sierra21's review against another edition
4.0
i had NEVER read a book that had such creative magic. like WHAT. and the writing is so good and the characters are so good and i love n k jemisin.
moniquejonath's review against another edition
4.0
let me start off by saying that N.K. Jemisin is one of the best fiction writers i have ever had the privilege to read. this woman knows how to build a world that is detailed, wondrous, ugly, cruel, and so REAL. she writes about issues with clear analogs in our current early world without being heavy-handed or too beholden to some big metaphor or moral of the story. she writes flawed characters so well and makes them so complex in a way that is accessible to the reader and so humanizing. i devoured this book (and had dreams about it) and will definitely be coming back for round 2. i will say, this one did hurt to read at times. i give it 4 and not 5 stars because i've read the Broken Earth Trilogy and know what Jeminsin is capable of. i also loved the way sex, sexuality, and sexual orientation worked in this book and felt Nijiri's desire right along with him. i definitely recommend this book for people who like good world-building without necessarily being die-hard fantasy buffs.
azket1965's review against another edition
5.0
I think this is my favorite in NK Jemison’s series of books so far. Thank goodness for the glossary at the end. Had to refer that several times throughout the reading. The only thing lacking was a map of this world.
xrega's review against another edition
5.0
Wonderful
This second book in the series is even better than the first. I was drawn so completely into the ending I missed my bus stop. Jemisin is an amazing storyteller who creates fascinating and complex worlds that you wish you could explore endlessly.
This second book in the series is even better than the first. I was drawn so completely into the ending I missed my bus stop. Jemisin is an amazing storyteller who creates fascinating and complex worlds that you wish you could explore endlessly.
sowalsky's review against another edition
4.0
N.K. Jemisin's work is a treasure, not least because it deftly sidesteps so many of the cliches that bog down much of the fantasy genre. Anyone who has followed my reviews knows that I can be a fickle reader when it comes to fantasy, but no one has to twist my arm to pick up the next Jemisin book. Many of the elements I enjoyed in her previous books are present here. The character development, fluid dialogue, and intimate and inviting style of the writing all help draw the reader in compellingly. The author's world-building is first-rate too. The settings, social structures, cultural norms, political systems, and supernatural elements are woven together expertly and seamlessly.
Where this novel falters—just a bit—is on two fronts. First, it took me too long to orient myself within the world that Jemisin created. Let's face it: any book that requires you to reference its accompanying glossary over and over again for the first hundred pages or so presents the reader with a daunting challenge that only faith in the author and determination to push through can overcome. But this is really a quibble. More troublesome is the predictability of the climax, if not the denouement. I was able to see the ending of this tale coming from a wide mile away, and while that did not deter me from enjoying the ride, I had a strong sense of what the destination was going to be.
Are these flaws sufficient to sink the novel? Certainly not! They do, however, prevent it from reaching the level of a five-star novel in my opinion. That having been said, I won't hesitate to read the second volume in this series at some point.
Where this novel falters—just a bit—is on two fronts. First, it took me too long to orient myself within the world that Jemisin created. Let's face it: any book that requires you to reference its accompanying glossary over and over again for the first hundred pages or so presents the reader with a daunting challenge that only faith in the author and determination to push through can overcome. But this is really a quibble. More troublesome is the predictability of the climax, if not the denouement. I was able to see the ending of this tale coming from a wide mile away, and while that did not deter me from enjoying the ride, I had a strong sense of what the destination was going to be.
Are these flaws sufficient to sink the novel? Certainly not! They do, however, prevent it from reaching the level of a five-star novel in my opinion. That having been said, I won't hesitate to read the second volume in this series at some point.
phoebe_bluestar's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting worldbuilding, except for the sexism and racism...
ithinktfiam's review against another edition
3.0
Author says the faiths of the two nations are based on a couple of this world's older religions, but it doesn't really matter. Bad corrupt people facing off against good, conflicted, people. I've loved other of her books, but this was very simple.
heej's review against another edition
4.0
this world is heady and unique and perfect, and the otp just wants to hold hands even if the world is collapsing, and I love magic. that's all.