A review by bookph1le
The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemisin

4.0

Whew. This trilogy is such a richly detailed, fully drawn epic that it's hard to wrap my head around it in its entirety. And while I did like this book, in a way it made me feel like the trilogy itself was longer than it needed to be, since this book gets to the heart of what the story is really about, and it was something I wasn't expecting. Don't click the spoiler tag unless you want it all spoiled for you.

Spoiler

Ultimately, I feel this trilogy can be summed up this way: It's about a mother and daughter struggling to understand one another and using that new understanding to effect profound changes on their world. While I loved this theme, I'm not completely satisfied because the buildup seemed to suggest something else, so I felt a bit like there was some bait and switch going on.

Honestly, I wasn't in the mood for a heavier series at the moment, which isn't the book's fault, but I feel like it didn't have the same impact on me it would have had if I had been in the mood for something meaty. In other words, don't read this if you're looking for a light adventure romp, but *absolutely* read it if you're looking for a thought-provoking work that will stick with you far longer than most books do.

Regardless, I remain blown away by this author's talent, and the fantasy genre is much strengthened because of books like this one. It cannot be emphasized enough that when readers are offered a greater breadth and depth of storytelling from a wide variety of authors from all ethnic and gender backgrounds, the entire genre is enriched.