Name: Sarah Sammis's review of The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms NK Jemisin
Item: The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms NK Jemisin
Rating: 2
Author: Sarah Sammis

The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms NK Jemisin

Abby Finer

N. K. Jemisin

After her mother's mysterious death, a young woman is summoned to the floating city of Sky in order to claim a royal inheritance she never knew existed in the first book in this award-winning fantasy trilogy from the NYT bestselling author of The Fifth Season. Yeine Darr is an outcast from the barbarian north. But when her mother dies under mysterious circumstances, she is summoned to the majestic city of Sky. There, to her shock, Yeine is named an heiress to the king. But the throne of the Hundred Thousand Kingdoms is not easily won, and Yeine is thrust into a vicious power struggle with cousins she never knew she had. As she fights for her life, she draws ever closer to the secrets of her mother's death and her family's bloody history. With the fate of the world hanging in the balance, Yeine will learn how perilous it can be when love and hate - and gods and mortals - are bound inseparably together. The Inheritance Trilogy The Hundred Thousand KingdomsThe Broken KingdomsThe Kingdom of Gods The Inheritance Trilogy (omnibus edition) Shades in Shadow: An Inheritance Triptych (e-only short fiction) The Awakened Kingdom (e-only novella) For more from N. K. Jemisin, check out: Dreamblood DuologyThe Killing MoonThe Shadowed Sun The Broken Earth The Fifth SeasonThe Obelisk GateThe Stone Sky

The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms

Sarah Sammis

Steven Universe goes back to home world where he is eventually poofed and Rose reforms. 

http://pussreboots.pair.com/blog/2017...

Vicky  Nuñez 

I am not as I once was. They have done this to me, broken me open and torn out my heart. I do not know who I am anymore. 
I must try to remember.
  


Yeine Darr gets summoned to the Hundred Thousand Kingdom, the kingdom that rules the world. They achieved this because they have taken hostage all of the gods and used them against any kingdom that tries to rebel. The ruler of this kingdom is Yeine's grandfather and he plans on making her his heir.

The book is told in first person as a memoir. Yeine is narrating the story to remind herself of the events that led to her death. 
Most of my issues with this book are because of the narration. 
Yeine is trying to remember all of this events and she sometimes interjects herself in the narration, referencing things that will happen in the future. She also would narrate as things came to mind, so if she remembered the event that led to a scene she would backtrack, which was really confusing.
She also would correct herself. Making her very unreliable.

Another thing I dislike was the creepy abusive relationship brewing between characters. (view spoiler)[Also, don't even get me started on that sex scene.  (hide spoiler)]

I felt confused most of the time. And it wasn't until I read the last chapter that everything started making sense.

I think The Hundred Thousand Kingdom is a very complex story with an unique fantasy setting that you will need to read more than once to fully absorb.

Prashanth Srivatsa

Jemisin is a gift to the fantasy genre. Not because this is a perfect book, which it isn't, but because this story reminds us of how engrossing and inventive fantasy can get. Each character in this work is memorable, their qualities etched out of Jemisin's playful indulgence. Her imagination soars like her castle in the sky, as she chains gods to the whims of their mortal masters, distorts social classes and customs, and builds a powerful myth behind what is essentially a family business. First person narratives are difficult to pull, but here, from the eyes of the wonderful Yeine, it is a treat.

Rachel Kanyid

3.5⭐⭐
I really enjoyed the overall storyline, and found the underlying story about the gods very engaging. I had a hard time caring very much about the main character but I very much enjoyed the side characters. The writing was engaging but I found I continually wanted more from it-- it seemed so simple compared to what you might expect for a story with do much going on.
I find myself wishing the author had taken just a bit longer to put more details in as they wrote.

Ilse

This was a fantasy book a little like yet also wholly unlike anything I’ve read before. The setting and storytelling I thoroughly enjoyed and to my shame I must admit it took me a little while to get why the protagonist seemed to talk against herself every now and again. The climax was amazing, making me hunger to read the rest and N.K. Jemisin’s prose was easy to read. Plot-wise the climax made me think of another book, but the execution and everything around it makes it so unique that I can’t quite place it yet. Definitely a recommendation for any fantasy lover though!

Natalie

Zoey Mikalatos

Not as good as The Fifth Season, but still intriguing. I liked the premise of the book.

"In a child's eyes, a mother is a goddess. She can be glorious or terrible, benevolent or filled with wrath, but she commands love either way. I am convinced that this is the greatest power in the universe."

Shay Henrion

This book left me thinking "what the...?" at the end and, honestly, throughout most of the story. Yet I couldn't put it down...

Bambi Ard

This was a pretty okay book. It had an interesting plot and cool concepts and good characters. The most compelling thing for me were the Gods, especially Nahadoth. Overall, though, my experience felt pretty average— the writing style wasn’t my favorite, and the plot and characters, while good, didn’t grip me.

I’m glad I read Jemisin’s Broken Earth trilogy before this one because if I had read this first I probably would not have bothered to read anything else by her, and therefore would have missed out on how amazing the Broken Earth trilogy is. I may continue with this series but don’t have any plans to do so at the moment.

Three stars, not much to write home about but not a waste of time either.

The debut novel from the double Hugo Award-winning N. K. Jemisin, author of The Fifth Season ***WINNER of the Locus Award for Best First Novel*** ***WINNER of the RT Reviewer's Choice Award*** ***Shortlisted for the Tiptree, the Crawford, the Nebula, the Hugo, the World Fantasy, the David Gemmell and the Goodreads Readers' Choice Awards*** Yeine Darr is an outcast from the barbarian north. But when her mother dies under mysterious circumstances, she is summoned to the majestic city of Sky - a palace above the clouds where gods' and mortals' lives are intertwined. There, to her shock, Yeine is named one of the potential heirs to the king. But the throne of the Hundred Thousand Kingdoms is not easily won, and Yeine is thrust into a vicious power struggle with a pair of cousins she never knew she had. As she fights for her life, she draws ever closer to the secrets of her mother's death and her family's bloody history. But it's not just mortals who have secrets worth hiding and Yeine will learn how perilous the world can be when love and hate - and gods and mortals - are bound inseparably. The Inheritance Trilogy begins with The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, continues in The Broken Kingdoms and concludes in The Kingdom of Gods.

Book 1 of the Inheritance Trilogy

Sara Borden

parts of this book were great, but i found myself asking, “where are we headed?” many times. i didn’t feel like anything interesting happened in the main chunk of the book; the most engrossing part was the last 25%, with a brief section of the beginning. i think many of the characters are written well and certain relationships have potential, so i’m hoping the next book goes a little bit deeper now that we have the background information!

Vilde

Fraser Simons

This was alright, but coming off of the Broken Earth Trilogy, it feels like a collection of interesting ideas that haven’t quite coalesced in the communication of world building. Some of the characters stand out well and are what propelled it for me, despite having a lot of questions that weren’t answered about the world and the somewhat strange plot delivery that makes it feel like not much happens.

After her mother's mysterious death, a young woman is summoned to the floating city of Sky in order to claim a royal inheritance she never knew existed in the first book in this award-winning fantasy trilogy from the NYT bestselling author of The Fifth Season. Yeine Darr is an outcast from the barbarian north. But when her mother dies under mysterious circumstances, she is summoned to the majestic city of Sky. There, to her shock, Yeine is named an heiress to the king. But the throne of the Hundred Thousand Kingdoms is not easily won, and Yeine is thrust into a vicious power struggle with cousins she never knew she had. As she fights for her life, she draws ever closer to the secrets of her mother's death and her family's bloody history. With the fate of the world hanging in the balance, Yeine will learn how perilous it can be when love and hate - and gods and mortals - are bound inseparably together. The Inheritance Trilogy The Hundred Thousand KingdomsThe Broken KingdomsThe Kingdom of GodsThe Inheritance Trilogy (omnibus edition) Shades in Shadow: An Inheritance Triptych (e-only short fiction) The Awakened Kingdom (e-only novella) For more from N.K. Jemisin, check out:Dreamblood DuologyThe Killing MoonThe Shadowed SunThe Broken Earth The Fifth SeasonThe Obelisk GateThe Stone Sky.

Sophia 

This book was…interesting. I don’t even know how to review it. Complex politics with scheming from royals and exiled gods. It was nothing I expected.

Wow.

Very original. The main character was fantastic. The supporting characters were fantastic. The plot was fantastic.

Yes. Good.

You guys should all read this.

What more can I say?

Jade DeArmond

While this book was enjoyable and an easy read, it wasn’t engaging enough for me to love. I won’t be reading the sequel. I did really like the main character - she’s very well-rounded. I found myself rooting for her in spite of her flaws.

Shafel McDowall

She took my heart and pulled it out of my chest, stomped it and set it on fire. One of the best fantasy books I've read all year so far, I'm really happy I decided to give her books a try.

Laura Kehoe

OH MY GOSH THIS BOOK! I don't know why it took me this long to read it. N.K. Jemisin is a freaking amazing writer. Why aren't more people talking about this book?! You all are missing out.

Samiha Tasnim

There were lifetimes in those eyes, none of them happy.


"I've found it useful," I replied, "to be underestimated."


... strength has always been the marker of beauty in my eyes.


We can never be gods, after all--but we can become something less than human with frightening ease.


Theres truth even in tainted knowledge, if one reads carefully.


When he was free, he was all things beautiful and terrible.


"MAELSTROM"


"Nothing can stay the same forever," she said. "We were not made to be still."


Age means nothing to us. What matters is staying true to ones nature.

"I'm tired of being what everyone else has made me," I said. "I want to be myself."

Arden Kowalski

Oh my God, the amount of effort this book to finish. Worse than active dislike is boredom, and unfortunately I found The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms wholly uninteresting.

Imane

3.5 stars - ultimately quite interesting but it had its really weird moments. with the way everything wrapped up I'm wondering whether or not I'll pick up the next volume but I somehow feel compelled to read N. K. Jemisin's entire œuvre in order to fully appreciate her growth as an author. I enjoyed this first venture into her imagination although I did have to suspend my disbelief for a number of things I would normally tolerate with difficulty.

Becky

There is a lot to say about this book and I don't have the right words to do it justice now, but I can safely say this book was everything I wanted to read and nothing like I expected.

It was my third attempt at beginning this book, and the third time was most certainly the charm.

The story is gripping, if slightly confusing, and the way which the book is written and narrated gives the best impact for the story within. It does appear a bit offputting as it is written as if you are being told a story and occasionally your narrator interrupts as if remembering a significant event or as ig they are talking to another. It makes it confusing, but I liked that.

This is also a book filled with very real characters, and that means they are not the most likable people in the world, they make bad and foolish choices and that makes them easier to like in some ways.

As a whole this book is not easy to describe, but I would most definitely recommend it. There is a very good reason for people saying good things about it, it is just a perfect read and I enjoyed every moment of it.

Sahi K

I didn't realize that this was N.K.Jemisin's debut novel until later on during my reading, so I guess it was too much of me to expect a brilliant book like The Fifth Season. This book was enjoyable enough, especially the world building and some good characters.

This book is the story of Yiene Darr, the outcast granddaughter of the ruler of the hundred thousand kingdoms who has been summoned to the capital city of Sky as named one of the three heirs. We understand early on that this is going to turn into a tale of political intrigue, scheming and plotting. What surprised me is that I got more than I bargained for. In bits and pieces, we get to know the story of the God's war, the winners and losers and the enslaving of the Night Lord and his godling children who now serve the ruling Arameri family. How their lives get interconnected with Yiene and her quest for truth and freedom forms the remainder of the book.

Yiene is equal parts fierce, timid, impulsive and cautious whereas the Night Lord comes across as a clichéd brooding bad turned good hero of a romantic novel. The childlike godling Sieh is probably the most fascinating and fun in the book. This book is clearly established as the first of a trilogy and it looks like the intention was for extensive mythical world building, which is done quite well rather than well developed characterizations. The series shows promise and I hope the sequel is much more satisfying.

Jennifer

An intriguing and whimsical read. Complex human themes and explorations into the subconscious headspace are explored through the narrative of a strong female protagonist. While there is a lot of names / terms to keep up with (given I didn't skim through the Glossary at first), imaginative worldbuilding kept me engaged in the reading experience. The unique perspective shifting and explorations of human nature amongst the gods in the novel redeemed this a promising trilogy. I would be interested to know what happens in the sequel!

Lisa W.

I want vengeance and blood to rain from the sky in Yeine’s honor... that is what I want. I did not want the perfectly wrapped up conclusions I received. I needed hell to be unleashed on earth for someone to have to rebuild but yet the world still turns. Maybe it’s just I needed more than what this book could give me which is the problem with falling into the hype. 

I think I completely misread this books entirely. When I first read the idea of sky, I didn’t know this was an earthly kingdom. I literally thought this was about Yeine being a Sky (up above) princess... would that have been something. Also, I assumed that the characters I were reading about were black possibly in an African country. I wasn’t until I was 70% in or so that I actually grasped these people were white. Blew my entire mind. *someone please tell me I’m wrong but i can’t be... pale = white* 

Honestly this wasn’t the book for me. I contemplated giving it a 2 but I think that would judging it too harshly. However I can say for certain I don’t plan on finishing the series. It’s just not my jam. Redeeming quality, the sole reason for 3 stars is the Nightlord. His wrath, his suffering, his mystery... yes, yes and more yes!

Abby Finer &
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms NK Jemisin

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The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms NK Jemisin