N. K. Jemisin

First off, it's amazing how much progress one can make on a fantasy novel while one is cooling one's heels before a solar eclipse reaches totality.

Having commented a number of times on how the second book of this trilogy didn't do much for me, and I only finally got it read by dealing with it as a chore to get done, I approached the final book with a little trepidation. However, taking the godling Sieh as its prime character focus, this concluding book is far from a chore to read, and I enjoyed it quite a lot. But, did I enjoy it better than "The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms?" Perhaps not, but it's been a long time since I read that book and I'm still inclined to call it my second favorite work of Jemisin's, only esteeming "The Fifth Season" more.

Still, things blow up real good in the climax of this trilogy, in which the process of collapse started in the first book comes to its culmination point, leading to a rebirth of sorts. Also, Jemisin ends on a grace note calling out to that second book I'm not so fond of, which I personally thought turned out to be a great point to end on.… (lisätietoja)

A very intriguing read. I can definitely see why this book received the accolades that it did.

The world building is fantastic and organic - I see there are some complaints regarding 'info-dumping' in other reviews, but I did not find this particularly problematic, as the reader is thrown straight into a world that is at the same time familiar in some senses but completely alien in others without any easing in, and any details given just made me want to learn more. There is an intricate weaving of history, culture and society which forms a deep overall backdrop for the story while at the same time having a direct impact on the experiences, choices and struggles faced by the characters. The book deals with some very mature and real-world issues, and in a way that on the one hand does not shy away from its realities even if they can be confronting and horrific, but on the other hand does not wave in the face of the reader for the sake of eliciting a reaction. The use of second person and present tense was daring, and while jarring at first, it definitely grew on me and created a direct connection with Essun's point of view which made for an empathetic reading experience once I got used to it.

The three perspectives each had their strengths and weaknesses - I felt that on the whole, the Syenite storyline was the most engaging, and although I caught on quite quickly to the twist that the three different viewpoints were leading to and the pacing did feel a bit stop start in some places when jumping between perspectives, the plot kept my attention throughout. Ultimately, I didn't feel like there was an X factor to elevate this to amazing for me, so it remains a 4-4.5*, but I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this as a specimen of modern sci-fi fantasy that powerfully breaks new ground (or earth, perhaps).… (lisätietoja)

The Stone Sky brings this sci-fi fantasy cross-over trilogy to a satisfying close.

I think the strongest aspect of this book as well as the trilogy as a whole is how it dealt with tensions and interactions between characters when faced with immense societal and environmental pressures as well as having lived through harrowing and emotionally scarring experiences. The impacts that these have on the characters and their personal, familial and communal relationships are powerful and convincing. I also enjoyed the Hoa sections of this book, which provided some much desired and fascinating world building and background for the Stillness - though these interludes in the story did impact the flow and pacing of the main plot, and I would perhaps have liked more of this to appear in earlier books as I think it would have provided more meaning and context to what was going on particularly in The Obelisk Gate.

I also need to comment on the magic systems. Orogeny remains one of the most novel and creative powers that I have come across in fantasy recently, and I feel that Jemisin has managed to craft it as an ability that can be scientific and clinical in its operation and application when used in some ways, but can also be wielded instinctively and organically with novel results. This created a great balance between being able to learn how the system works, but then also being intrigued when something unexpected was achieved with it. This is in marked contrast to the other system actually called 'magic' in the book, which I found incredibly opaque - there seemed to be a similar blend of hard and soft systems like orogeny, but even by the very end of the trilogy, I could not work out how the 'magic' was used, what it was or wasn't capable of doing and how it interacted with orogeny. By the end, it felt like certain things happened with 'magic' just because they could, which wasn't very fulfilling. This definitely contributed to the 4* star score.

Jemisin's writing style continues to be a twist - I think it works well for the way that the story is told, but can also see how it is polarising. Plus points for a powerful conclusion and main character development, but docked points for some unexplained plot conveniences and pacing issues. Overall a very unique fantasy read which I am glad I investigated, but am unlikely to re-read soon.… (lisätietoja)

No es para nada lo que me esperaba y aún así me ha atrapado. Me he quedado muy loco con el universo creado por Jemisin.

Ciudades vivas, dimensiones paralelas y muy mala leche. Son ingredientes perfectos para una historia que no creo que funcionase en ningún otro formato que no fuese novela. Tengo ganas de leer la siguientes partes (y quizá es lo que menos me convence, que como novela individual podría haber quedado muy redonda). Pero con lo trepidante del final y el cariño que le coges a los distritos de Nueva York, hay ganas de saber más de esta historia.

… (lisätietoja)