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I have a fondness for fantasy that’s got a good, complicated plot. Some of my favorite authors in that regard are Robin Hobb, Jacqueline Carey, and Fiona McIntosh. But now I have to add another name to that list: N. K. Jemisin. Her outstanding The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms combines intriguing characters, stellar worldbuilding, and enough beefy plot for the most ardent reader.
Yeine Darr has been called from her homeland to the court in the city of Sky. But upon her arrival, she’s dumbfounded to realize that she’s been named as one of the heirs to the throne. Just as shocking is the fact that she’s not expected to survive the experience.
She finds allies in the most unusual of places—among the cadre of fallen gods who exist as slaves to the royal family. From them, she finds out about the circumstances of her own conception, the politics swirling around Sky, and the truth about the gods. As the time to confirm her as heir looms closer, Yeine must use all her wits and knowledge to survive, but even all that she can muster may not be enough.
Jemisin performs a delicate balancing act in this novel. She must allow Yeine to discover the secrets of Sky and its gods, and she must allow readers to discover those secrets as well; however, she has to make sure that readers find out at the same time as Yeine without it feeling like she’s pulled something out of left field to accomplish this. I’m happy to report that Jemisin manages this with an expert and deft touch. This is partly due to the choice to make this novel a first person narrative. Yeine narrates her own story as if telling it to a live audience, weaving together the threads of her experience to form a vibrant and complete tapestry.
While Yeine is a fully developed character, the background characters are drawn well too. The other two heirs are a little less developed, but their general natures are sketched out and well defined. The author truly shines in her portrayals of the gods. Of them all, I fell in love with Sieh, the childlike trickster god. He’s invested with the knowledge of the ages, but the needs and wants of a child. It makes for a charming and somewhat melancholy character.
As for the setting, even though the novel is called The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms and is set in this location, the reader shouldn’t expect to see more than brief glimpses of these varied lands. The book contains so much more than a single world; with so many gods involved, the action spreads out to encompass the entire universe. But I return to the tapestry image: all the threads come together to form the larger picture. And readers must also remember that this is the first book of a trilogy, one in which great events set the tone of the tale.
And that tone is somewhat different than your “normal” fantasy novels. There’s a flow to the prose that defies description, but can be likened to the old bard’s tales of ancient days. The words beg to be read aloud, their charm as much in their sound as in their sense.
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms is lyrical, heartbreakingly beautiful, and mesmerizing. Within the first few pages, I knew that this one was a winner. It easily became one of my favorite books of 2010, and I can’t wait to dive into the sequel, The Broken Kingdoms.
This book was provided by the publisher.
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