konphuzed3330's review against another edition
5.0
With each release I wayd find myself amazed at Jemisin's use of narrative surprises. It makes re-reading her books that much more enjoyable. It take the story to a completely new level and adds even more context to an already complex story.
mlynch133's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Murder, Sexual content, Blood, Death of parent, and Police brutality
Moderate: Ableism, Incest, and Cannibalism
Minor: War, Slavery, Torture, and Pregnancy
ladynigelia's review against another edition
5.0
I read this all at once, starting too late at night. There were several places where it would have been fine to stop, where my drooping eyelids should have won the battle. But I kept reading, because I didn't want to step out of the world at all.
There is so much love in NK Jemisin's writing. She takes the hugely powerful and complicated political situations and everything can be traced back to love. Whether it's the small love of neighbor helping care for a market stall or the grand love that created the world, everything is rooted in love.
This line from the first page I think really sets the tone of the whole book.
I can't wait to see what we get in [b:The Kingdom of Gods|7923006|The Kingdom of Gods (The Inheritance Trilogy, #3)|N.K. Jemisin|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1313690257s/7923006.jpg|11228805].
There is so much love in NK Jemisin's writing. She takes the hugely powerful and complicated political situations and everything can be traced back to love. Whether it's the small love of neighbor helping care for a market stall or the grand love that created the world, everything is rooted in love.
This line from the first page I think really sets the tone of the whole book.
“Oree," she would say whenever I sought to prove my independence, "it's all right to need help. All of us have things we can't do alone.”It's a message that I fully endorse and know that is not easy for everyone to accept. And really most character development is in learning to be okay with needing someone's help or love.
I can't wait to see what we get in [b:The Kingdom of Gods|7923006|The Kingdom of Gods (The Inheritance Trilogy, #3)|N.K. Jemisin|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1313690257s/7923006.jpg|11228805].
mermama's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
4.5
jadecity's review against another edition
4.0
Rating: 4,5/5 ⭐
I DID NOT EXPECT THAT.
I can't really form a coherent thought right now but wow, in some ways this book is better than its predecessor, especially in terms of its smoother narrative. Rtc.
I DID NOT EXPECT THAT.
I can't really form a coherent thought right now but wow, in some ways this book is better than its predecessor, especially in terms of its smoother narrative. Rtc.
cn_scott's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
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
3.5
sandralaurentino's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Gore, and Torture
anam_ali's review against another edition
3.0
I am slightly disappointed in myself that I'm giving just 3 stars to a book with an awesome WoC protagonist with a disability that did not hinder her a bit and was actually well-written in the narrative, a protagonist I grew to love over the course of the book, she was a badass. And yet here we are. It was actually the New Lights stuff, I felt like it came out of nowhere and was just not powerful enough to be the major reveal, the major antagonist of the whole thing. It felt it was just kinda there, for no reason. It was supposed to give me pause, supposed to shock me and make me wonder what might happen next, instead I was just like 'eh, okay, whatever, please move the hell on'. It didn't matter to me, like at all. And that disappointed me so much.
And then there's the matter of intimate scenes in this book, and even the previous. I hate the fact that almost every kiss/intimate scene (well, 90% of them) begin with the guy being forceful and the girl being resistant, but the guy persists despite her reluctance or protests, usually making an angry sound or statement to counter her resistance and the girl gives in and is pliant. I HATE IT! And, you know, if it was like one scene amongst many I probably wouldn't have minded that much. But it's in! Every! Scene! What the actual hell? I get that it might be some people's cup of tea but it sure as hell isn't mine. Consent is importance to me, and it is also important to me that our ladies' love interest be actual hero material enough to bloody stop and ask once in a while, if she protests at the kissing or other stuff, ask if it's okay, if he should go on, instead of just barrelling on. That was the dynamic between Nahadoth and Yeine. And it was the same between Shiny and Oree. After all the good stuff that I'd been hearing about Jemisin (and it is there, in the books, most of it) this just threw me off so bad, I read on dreading all the intimate scenes in both books and am eyeing the third one reluctantly.
But then Sieh is there and I've missed him.
And then there's the matter of intimate scenes in this book, and even the previous. I hate the fact that almost every kiss/intimate scene (well, 90% of them) begin with the guy being forceful and the girl being resistant, but the guy persists despite her reluctance or protests, usually making an angry sound or statement to counter her resistance and the girl gives in and is pliant. I HATE IT! And, you know, if it was like one scene amongst many I probably wouldn't have minded that much. But it's in! Every! Scene! What the actual hell? I get that it might be some people's cup of tea but it sure as hell isn't mine. Consent is importance to me, and it is also important to me that our ladies' love interest be actual hero material enough to bloody stop and ask once in a while, if she protests at the kissing or other stuff, ask if it's okay, if he should go on, instead of just barrelling on. That was the dynamic between Nahadoth and Yeine. And it was the same between Shiny and Oree. After all the good stuff that I'd been hearing about Jemisin (and it is there, in the books, most of it) this just threw me off so bad, I read on dreading all the intimate scenes in both books and am eyeing the third one reluctantly.
But then Sieh is there and I've missed him.
lisalark's review against another edition
3.0
Oh boy. I wanted to love this. I did love it at first. But then I solved all the mysteries within like the first 100 pages and the main character kept floundering around and became very, very tedious.
I should say I don't do well with long-term victimy and unempowered characters. I just don't. I can't relate to them at all. And that was how the main character - whose name I haven't even retained - felt to me. Le sigh.
I hope the third book is better because I loved the first.
I should say I don't do well with long-term victimy and unempowered characters. I just don't. I can't relate to them at all. And that was how the main character - whose name I haven't even retained - felt to me. Le sigh.
I hope the third book is better because I loved the first.