Helpful Score: 2
I had pretty mixed feelings in the first chapter or so, but it grew on me. (Realizing that there was a glossary in the back definitely helped!) Before reading, all that I knew of Jemisin's writing was of her fantastic world-building skills, and she deserves the praise: I really got a feel for Gujaareh, and even secondary characters seemed very distinct.
The only warnings I'd give are some borderline disturbing/repulsive imagery, but otherwise I'd give it a PG-13 or so.
The only warnings I'd give are some borderline disturbing/repulsive imagery, but otherwise I'd give it a PG-13 or so.
Helpful Score: 1
It took a while to get into it but the wait was worth it. The world Jemisin created is amazing! All the characters were well done and I ended up feeling for every single one. The writing style was also good. It was a much better written than The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms. She improved well over the time. Read it. The ending is gorgeous. Most things about this book are gorgeous actually.
After a slow and confusing start, this story really picked up and I began to enjoy the intricate world Jemisin describes. At the end of this edition is a glossary. It would have helped enormously to know that ahead of time, as I spent a lot of time confused and flipping pages to refresh my memory on terminology.
This book works fine as a standalone (hooray for no cliff hangers!) but leaves open the possibility of a series.
This book works fine as a standalone (hooray for no cliff hangers!) but leaves open the possibility of a series.
