The Broken Kingdoms

A great follow up to the first book.Jemisin manages to draw you in more than before and understand that everything that happened in the first book has consequences.

I liked this story more than The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms. From the get go, Oree felt like a more interesting character than Yeine. The depictions of the world though eyes that could only detect magic made for a fascinating bit of world building. The story brought back familiar characters, yet the tale of growth and recovery felt refreshing. Rarely did I think the pacing was too slow or events were getting too muddled.I think the reason I enjoyed Oree way more as a main character was her tendency to take action regardless of her uncertainty. She felt very human and kept moving forward even when she messed up. When I think back to what I didn't connect with in the first book, a large part of it was that Yeine seemed to be largely reactionary. Here, Oree acts and reacts in a believable and compelling manner.Of course, this story would not be half as good had the first book not set up much of the rules of this world as well as the relationships of the gods. I suspect the third book will involve yet another, different main character, which is a bit disappointing because I enjoyed Oree's tale so much. That being said, N. K. Jemisin has crafted this world in such a way that I'm eager to see how the trilogy ends.

I thought I knew what to expect from the snippet I read at the end of Book 1, but wow this story just kept me on my toes. We follow only with another first person narrator, this time Oree Shoth, a blind painter from the south.It really really helps to have read the first book, and recently. BUT I could also see how watching even more mystery unfold along with Oree could be fun. And despite the tragedy and upheaval that Oree has faced before and keeps facing in this story, she is FUN. Most of what I highlighted were her wry observations and sarcastic one-liners.We have a mostly new cast of characters 10 years after the gods broke free of human Arameri domination. The one-time sun god leader, Itempas, has been in mortal form the whole time. He has become a fixture in Oree's life, despite mutual disdain. This story works as an adventure wrapped around a mystery -conspiracy. Yes, with a dash of romance that's well-designed and not distracting.I see is the star of the show, even more than Yeine was in Book 1. She is capable, strong, compassionate, and like I said before, funny. But she also makes mistakes, gets hurt and can hold a grudge. Her narration is a well-used device and frames the story wonderfully. Also, the subtle touches on hair and skin color are a welcome refresher the lily-fair fantasy of old. Gotta love author diversity!I feared up with the last page, it was just so poignant and hopeful. Jemisin just builds up characters and plots and delivers delightful twists. Ready for Book 3!

Ms. Jemisin is not a one hit wonder. I picked up The Broken Kingdoms with in a few hours of finishing the first book in the trilogy, The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms.In this book we follow a new protagonist, Oree, a blind street artist, in a new but familiar setting, the shadow of Sky. I guess in case some people haven't read The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms I shouldn't get into any more detail than that. Lets just say, the setting is as natural and as thrilling as it was in the last book, though you get to see it from a new perspective because the protagonist is blind.It was very interesting reading a blind character. I don't recall reading blind characters very often. Jemisin did a very good job of portraying this. I thought that reading only about scents and smells and touch and impressions would be confusion and oblique, but I definitely learned while reading this that there are other ways of portraying environment.One thing that bothered me is that while The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms had more interesting and complex villains, the villains in this book were more of the ordinary fare. Kind of surprising considering Jemisin's love of the extraordinary. However, given the over arcing story lines going on in the trilogy, this plot doesn't take away from the complexity of the book. It may be that Jemisin thought that if this plot was more complex it would take away from the broader action going on.I didn't mention in my review of The Hundred Thousand Kingsoms that there's some interesting sex going on. I don't mean interesting as in, sex is happening and that is interesting, I mean as in challenging to some social mores, in more interesting ways than the usual ways. (i.e. homosexuality, BDSM, kinks) I probably should have mentioned this because it could be a turn off to some people, however, if you're comfortable with being made uncomfortable by a book, then it should be very interesting to you. I felt that the way that Jemisin approached the subjects of femininity, masculinity, dominance and power were very sensitive and well informed. Usually I skim through sex scenes, but in this trilogy the sexual encounters help to inform us about the nature of the characters and how their relationships are defined, or not defined. I thought it was interesting that in one part, the willingness of one character to submit to the dominance of another during a sexual act is an equalizing gesture that doesn't make her any less important or powerful in her relationship or the story. It was an idea that I'd never been presented before in any for of media.That's just a small taste of some of the thoughtful surprises Jemisin has to give us in the interactions between her characters.

I don't normally write a review for books because reading tastes vary so much but THIS BOOK! If you like Sci Fi and fantasy you will like this series. I just finished the second book and I actually need time to process things before I pick up the next one. N.K.Jemisin is my new favorite author. I stumbled onto her books through a social media app and have been reading them all. This one though, its an amazing series full of treachery, love, sadness, revenge and her writing is so unique that I cant compare her to anyone else. Such an imagination and so much skill to make me feel sorrow for Shiny AND Nahadoth. I recommend this series.

Picking up where Jemisin’s The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms left off, The Broken Kingdoms continues the story of the gods and the world they inhabit, but through the eyes of a new character, Oree Shoth. Oree is blind and yet no less competent and capable for her lack of sight, with a sharp sense of wit and a good dose of compassion to go with it.It took a bit of getting used to Oree as the first-person narrator, since in many places her tone was quite similar to Yeine’s in the first book of the trilogy. It was a little bit frustrating at times, but as the book progressed, it was easy to see how Oree and Yeine stood on their own as unique characters. They weren’t without their similarities and parallels, however, the least of which being the style in which they narrate. Though Yeine did have more of a habit of getting sidetracked than Oree did. It’s interesting that they both have a real purpose in narrating the way they do, though, unlike many books that are written from the first-person viewpoint. It’s worth pointing out as a comparison to the sheer amount of first-person POV novels around these days, because while most of them stick to that perspective as a way to get the reader to relate more to the protagonist, the method of narration itself is a part of the story here, adding another little bit of depth to the story as a whole.I also found it interesting that where the gods are major players in the first book, here they appear mostly as cameos. There are a few exceptions, of course, but most of them are characters that weren’t mentioned in the first book, or who only made brief appearances themselves.Though I confess to a thrill of glee when Nahadoth was around. I’ve got a real soft spot for him. And Sieh. They’re quite possibly my favourite characters in the series thus far, and I’m glad they got a little bit of screentime here, so to speak.Jemisin weaves a wonderfully complimentary story in this book, expanding on what she established in The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, and once again doing an amazing job of making the gods real and accessible, understandable and yet still apart from humanity. I enjoyed the chance to get to know Itempas as something other than a distant and controlling mythological figure. Here, he’s as real and touchable as any other character, equally as flawed, and in some ways just as much a sympathetic character as any of the gods were while they were bound and chained. The issue and history of the demons was also quite fascinating, and something I hadn’t expected to see dealt with. But weaving around all these issues was the equally intriguing and terrifyingly simple concept of nobody being as dangerous as a madman with a vision and the power to carry it out. It all combined into a smoothly-paced adventure that kept me turning pages at a fierce rate, seeing how it would all play out.The hardest part about writing this review is that if I took the time to talk about everything I enjoyed about it, every scene and section that I loved, then I’d essentially have to rewrite the entire book. Aside from some initial trepidation about the narrative tone before I settled into Oree as a character, this book was simply fantastic, and pinning down the best parts of it is exceedingly difficult.Many people told me that if I enjoyed the first book of the trilogy, then I would love this one even more. I’m not sure if I enjoy it more, but it certainly ranks just as high as the previous book did, and makes me hungry for the last one, to see how it all ties together. Jemisin is a masterful storyteller who isn’t to be missed, and if you haven’t read any of her works thus far, then I heartily recommend this trilogy. You won’t be disappointed.

Much more realistic than the first novel- or maybe the first novel whet my appetite for this one? Loved the ending;)

This series just keeps getting better!Everything Jemisin has written is on my wish list.Time for the next one.

Jemisin is second to none in world-building: the setting of the Inheritance trilogy is amazingly well developed in every aspect. And it is a living world, developing and changing in response to events. We see that progression very clearly in the way things have moved on since the first book - the things that have changed, and the things that haven't.The gods and godlings have changed most. Their human aspects, their struggles with love and guilt are accentuated by their power and made vividly authentic. It makes it possible for human readers to identify with them and appreciate the terrible dilemma their inherent nature leads them into - not so different from us, perhaps?The flow of words is flawless, smoothly bringing the reader into the story and keeping them involved throughout, while the mystery elements - who is killing the godlings, and how? What is the source of Oree's strange power? Who is the man she rescues? - are effectively wielded hooks to catch and hold the attention.At the end, mystery's are solved and conflicts resolved in a bittersweet but effective way - but with plenty of scope left for the third novel of the series, which I am certainly looking forward to.

Carrying on into book two of the Inheritance Trilogy, after what I considered was an okay but slightly derivative first tome, I am pleased to announce that the story has opened out into something far more original.Still full of rich and independent characters, they now occupy a tale worthy of their crafting. The journey of one of the main characters, Oree Shoth, is a pleasure to share as is the development of the love affair between a mortal and a godling. I do think the climax is slightly rushed but the end of the tale is a well constructed compromise of politics and emotion.I enjoyed this second book far more than the first and am looking forwards to seeing if this trend continues with the finale.Fleecy Moss, author of the Folio 55 SciFi fantasy series (writing as Nia Sinjorina), End of a Girl, Undon , and 4659 now available on Amazon.