gardens_and_dragons's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This was very fun and well paced. Really loved listening to the audiobook version because the narrator breaths a lot of life into the unique voices of each POV.
I get that a lot may have changed for the original plan for this sequel because of the pandemic and politics IRL, but I’m glad we got the book at all. I also liked the interview in my version of the book with the author about how COVID influenced the writing of the books, as well as it’s contents.
I get that a lot may have changed for the original plan for this sequel because of the pandemic and politics IRL, but I’m glad we got the book at all. I also liked the interview in my version of the book with the author about how COVID influenced the writing of the books, as well as it’s contents.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Xenophobia
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Deportation
blewballoon's review against another edition
dark
funny
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I may revisit this rating. As I said for the first book in the series, the writing and plot often follow the rule of "subtlety is for cowards" which both works and doesn't for me. Like the author's note at the end mentions, the unfortunate events in reality make the book more painful to read even though I think this sequel overall had more hopefulness (that sometimes feels like alternate reality wish fulfillment) than the first.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Violence, and Xenophobia
Minor: Sexual content
madzobean's review against another edition
adventurous
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Xenophobia
trayslays's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- 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: Racism and Xenophobia
Moderate: Body horror and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Deportation and Transphobia
tangleroot_eli's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Here's all I can say about this book: *@(#%&_@)#*($!!!!!!! /gleeful keysmash
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism, Racism, Xenophobia, and Body horror
Moderate: Violence, Death, and Transphobia
stormeno's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
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? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing, Gaslighting, Racial slurs, Deportation, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Xenophobia, and Mass/school shootings
rainbowyeticorn's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This is the third book of the series. The first is a short story, which the following two books including this one being full length novels.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Xenophobia, War, Violence, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Stalking, Racism, Mass/school shootings, Homophobia, Hate crime, Gun violence, Confinement, and Bullying
Minor: Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Colonisation, Deportation, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Islamophobia, Medical content, Mental illness, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Sexual content, and Ableism
I really loved this series so much. The narrator does such a fabulous job bringing all the characters to life. I highly recommend reading the audiobook version over the print version or maybe reading and listening to both at the same time because in my opinion this is the best way to experience this fabulous book!therainbowshelf's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
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? It's complicated
4.75
A super fun conclusion to this epic story! I'll miss meeting all of the city avatars and watching New York fight an otherworldly entity that weaponizes hate, political unrest, and corporate stores. I feel like I wanted a little more from the ending than this whole Digimon-esque wrapup, but was not deebly disappointed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Homophobia, Police brutality, Racism, Transphobia, Gun violence, Deportation, Xenophobia, and Classism
a_kt's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I think this book builds on a lot of what made the first book so unique and interesting. It expands on the "rules" and worldbuilding of the original while also keeping things mysterious and tense. I really liked the inclusion of other cities as characters as well, even though we only got short snippets of them.
Like many other reviewers on here I did find the ending of this book to be somewhat anticlimactic, and I really wish this series was going to be a trilogy as originally planned. However, after reading the Acknowledgements at the end I understood why Jemisin felt such burnout on this series and decided to make this end instead. I really love the premise of these books, and Jemisin's writing is top notch (as usual), I can only hope that we get a spin off or some type of sequel at some point in the future, although I will be happy to read whatever she feels like publishing.
If you read and enjoyed the first in the series, I would definitely recommend giving this one a go. If you were on the fence about the first one, you can probably skip this sequel but you would be missing out in my humble opinion.
Like many other reviewers on here I did find the ending of this book to be somewhat anticlimactic, and I really wish this series was going to be a trilogy as originally planned. However, after reading the Acknowledgements at the end I understood why Jemisin felt such burnout on this series and decided to make this end instead. I really love the premise of these books, and Jemisin's writing is top notch (as usual), I can only hope that we get a spin off or some type of sequel at some point in the future, although I will be happy to read whatever she feels like publishing.
If you read and enjoyed the first in the series, I would definitely recommend giving this one a go. If you were on the fence about the first one, you can probably skip this sequel but you would be missing out in my humble opinion.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Xenophobia
Moderate: Gun violence
Minor: Body horror and Police brutality
pandact's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
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? Yes
4.5
I’m sending this straight to Alex Kasman and MathFiction, because this is some quality speculative fiction! I’d say it’s four stars for literary content, leaving me fully satisfied, and five stars for my favorite audiobook production. The ambience and voice distortions gave me chills, and the narration pretty much voice acting (similar to The Original, but 100% less Audible)! It’s packed with scenes giving every beloved character a good payoff, and all the twists had satisfying, subtle hints that readers of the Broken Earth series will be familiar with. (I love seeing Padmini and Neek interact 🤩)
I liked the references to Lovecraftian lore (including the gory colors that I know from OSP), plus the witty pop culture and self-aware social justice. Most of all, the thing that this book excels at is the reason I love fiction: The Great Cities series is fantastic at giving you a new way of seeing the world. It flawlessly pulls off blending the real world with fictional battles, while also describing concepts from social justice with optimism. Thematically, it makes sense that almost every chapter is a different person as they all build a story, just like the cities of the world are built from the interaction of every person. The World We Make is well worth your time, and I’m going to spend money on it too since I promised myself I would if my favorite character made it (no spoilers)!
Similar stories: Middlegame, Wendell & Wild, Broken Earth, Lovecraft County
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia
Moderate: Racism, Hate crime, Body horror, Colonisation, and Gun violence