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lysalum's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
4.5
timinbc's review
5.0
Five stars = perfect? No. But one a 1-5 scale the author has reached for a 6, and nearly made it. There is so much that is wonderful here that I just have to overlook any imperfections and Think Big, as Jemisin obviously has.
This time we have yer basic quest x2, where the plot requires a long trek through hazards. But it's as good a way as any to, ahem, walk us through the explanations of all the detailed worldbuilding we've been through in the first two books. This one drags a bit in the middle where there just has to be a bunch of explaining, but I pardon it exactly because Jemisin has built a world in which all that is necessary, and once explained it really does hang together.
You got your magic, AND you got your EarthPower/orogeny, and you have a giant Problem To Be Solved. And as we go through this in three books, we are looking at a world that is physically vastly different from ours, but socially similar in its group-vs-group hate and many other things. And we are also looking at individual relationships: male-female, parent-child, individual-community, etc.
The plot also has Two Powerful Figures Who Must Meet At The End, and we all know how often that goes Pblfft and ruins the whole series. Not this time. The final showdown is fast-paced, emotional, and believable.
And Jemisin's a good writer. Tells a story that flows, doesn't get in the way, can go elegantly descriptive when necessary, and emotional when that's needed. Maybe a little too much of the Hollywood trope that whenever anything happens you just shout the person's name over and over.
This series raises the bar for fantasy, not least because it does it mostly without raging armies with spears, swords, wizards and dragons and bad guys with Oxbridge accents. The magic and orogeny are weird, and I liked the fact that all the practitioners are learning as they go, no matter how advanced. Also that the magic & orogeny are limited, as they must always be or anything is possible. (Jemisin agrees with the weird but doesn't accept limits: read )
If this isn't at least a finalist for all the awards, then someone should pull the obelisks together and blow up the awards.
This time we have yer basic quest x2, where the plot requires a long trek through hazards. But it's as good a way as any to, ahem, walk us through the explanations of all the detailed worldbuilding we've been through in the first two books. This one drags a bit in the middle where there just has to be a bunch of explaining, but I pardon it exactly because Jemisin has built a world in which all that is necessary, and once explained it really does hang together.
You got your magic, AND you got your EarthPower/orogeny, and you have a giant Problem To Be Solved. And as we go through this in three books, we are looking at a world that is physically vastly different from ours, but socially similar in its group-vs-group hate and many other things. And we are also looking at individual relationships: male-female, parent-child, individual-community, etc.
The plot also has Two Powerful Figures Who Must Meet At The End, and we all know how often that goes Pblfft and ruins the whole series. Not this time. The final showdown is fast-paced, emotional, and believable.
And Jemisin's a good writer. Tells a story that flows, doesn't get in the way, can go elegantly descriptive when necessary, and emotional when that's needed. Maybe a little too much of the Hollywood trope that whenever anything happens you just shout the person's name over and over.
This series raises the bar for fantasy, not least because it does it mostly without raging armies with spears, swords, wizards and dragons and bad guys with Oxbridge accents. The magic and orogeny are weird, and I liked the fact that all the practitioners are learning as they go, no matter how advanced. Also that the magic & orogeny are limited, as they must always be or anything is possible. (Jemisin agrees with the weird but doesn't accept limits: read )
If this isn't at least a finalist for all the awards, then someone should pull the obelisks together and blow up the awards.
karenclare's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
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
5.0
zazine's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
gentleladybug's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
sad
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
5.0
mabelwood's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
laura_clarinets's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
4.75
caleyir's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
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? Yes
5.0
melasija's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5