Jemisin, N.K. - The Broken Kingdoms

[oyceter]

(Book 2 of the Inheritance trilogy. Write up of book 1)

Disclaimer: I know and like the author and got a copy of the book from her with the agreement that I'd write it up (favorably or unfavorably)

Oree Shoth, a blind artist with a street stand in the city of Shadow, finds a god in a trash heap one day. Unsurprisingly, this wreaks quite a bit of havoc on her life.

Thankfully, this is one of the trilogies in which you can read each book on its own; book 2 will spoil book 1 but it doesn't depend on book 1 for understanding. This is both good and bad, as I read this directly after a reread of book 1. Warning ahead of time! There is going to be a lot of comparison with the first book, part because of the direct reread and part because I loved book 1 so much.

Oree isn't fully aware of everything that has happened in book 1, so new readers get clued in with her, but people who have read book 1 may be a bit frustrated by her realizing what we already know. Also, because book 2 stands alone, Jemisin doesn't do the massive infodump in the first chapter that many epic fantasy series do.

Also, while book 1 was about court intrigue and the powerful Arameri family that rules the hundred thousand worlds, book 2 is far more commonplace. We get a better sense of Shadow the city as opposed to staying in the palace of Sky most of the time, and although it's fun to see different neighborhoods and how the rules of the Arameri affect the citizens of the world, it doesn't quite hit the same buttons for me as book 1. And the narrative of the book doesn't feel nearly as tight as book 1.

I am not sure if it was a great choice to stay with the digressive first-person narrative, particularly when book 1 has such a neat twist in the middle when you realize exactly why the narrative is so digressive, what's actually taking place, and who Yeine is talking to. Here, the reveal at the end as to who Oree is talking to isn't nearly as interesting or as big of a twist.

I think book 2 is also more difficult than book 1 because Itempas is much less sympathetic than Nahadoth or Sieh, and as I mentioned before, it's much less focused than book 1. There's the demons and the godlings and the New Lights and etc., and although it all fits back together in the end, there were definitely times when I got lost or distracted from the main narrative. There's also a bit of a pacing issue, where the big plot is resolved, but then there are a few chapters of follow-up, and putting the Itempas/Oree romance in the back felt a bit odd. Even though the relationship between the two has been developing through the entire book, the shift to romance followed right up with Yeine and Nahadoth's visit followed right up by Itempas leaving followed right up by the pregnancy reveal felt like it should have had more room throughout the book, rather than just being shoved in the end.

I don't know... there are pieces that connect it with the main narrative, such as the reveal of why Itempas killed Enefa and his demon son with the pregnancy and Oree the demon, but it felt much messier and much more sprawling.

Also also, I was not as invested in the Oree/Itempas relationship partially because Itempas isn't particularly sympathetic (although I do actually like him in a weird sort of disliking him way), but largely for me because it echoes a lot of fairly traditional romance archetypes, with the woman teaching the man how to love, the man being stoic and powerful and controlling, etc.

So... YMMV? I know I complain a lot above, but the book itself is well written and engaging. It's just that it doesn't hit a lot of the same things book 1 did for me. I'd be really curious to hear from people who have only read book 2 to see how it worked for you.

ETA: Also, I would be curious to see what people thought about the handling of Oree's blindness. I was a bit disappointed that she got the superpower to compensate trope, although I did like the little bits Jemisin put in here and there with Oree snarking at people. (Ex. "Oh! Did you know it was me because you have super senses?" "Uh, no. It is because I have common sense and you smell funny.")

Links:
- sanguinity's review (brings up good points re: multiracialness in the books)
- coffeeandink's not a review
- troisroyaumes' review

Comments

[coalescent]

Yes, I'm with you. I thought The Broken Kingdoms much the more interesting novel of the two in just about every way. The only thread I wasn't wild about was the romance, but even that I preferred to book one's relationship.