The Inheritance Trilogy

I need to go back and re-read this incredible trilogy, but as it stands it is my all time favorite trilogy and in my top 3 all time favorite books. Jemisin writes fantasy from outside the confines of western fantasy, and my god is that an incredibly fresh take. Don't get me wrong, there are numerous other fantastic authors out there writing fresh takes, but Jemisin stands on her own mountain, weaving the most wondrous, breathtaking, powerful stories I've ever read. The Inheritance Trilogy is also her most unapproachable work, but shines so much brighter for it. We can't always be spoon fed.

I can probably count on one hand the number of books I've read that were so overwhelmingly stunning that upon ending I just sat there trying to show more digest the experience of reading it. I don't think I've ever read so many pages with such a rewarding culmination.

I understand it will probably be her least popular work, and she's obviously having fun with her latest series, but I hope she might one day delve into another alien world filled with such stunning depth and characters. And of course with many parallels to our world. show less

It would appear there is a new star in the celestial body of my favourite authors, and that is N.K. Jemisin.

Having been impressed with her Broken Earth trilogy, I was curious about her other works, and delved into The Inheritance Trilogy. I am very glad I did. Here is a fantasy unlike any other.

Jemisin, who has now received three Hugo Awards, three years in a row, the first author to have captured that trifecta, amid jeers from many male counterparts (which is another whole story in which I repeatedly mutter WTF?! in her defense), has crafted a world in which gods and demigods walk among mortals of questionable morals and intentions.

Her world-building is rich and dense with detail. Her characters are utterly believable. The pacing sings show more with tension. Her prose is delicious. You will be swept away into a tale which, like any good story, rises beyond genre to become stunning literature. There is allegory here. There is escapism.

I read the omnibus edition, which includes The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, The Broken Kingdoms, The Kingdom of Gods, and The Awakened Kingdom.

In the first novel, Jemisin introduces her readers to a world in which a morally bankrupt ruling family are about to determine their successor. The story is filled with the betrayal of sacred trusts, of the powerful rendered powerless, of the enslavement of gods, of love, bitterness and vengeance at any cost.

The second continues to explore these themes, now in a world in which demigods are hunted for the extraordinary qualities of their blood, all in the hope of an apotheosis of select members of that depraved ruling family who attempt to recoup and strengthen their power. Heroes arise in the most unlikely of characters, in the most unlikely of places.

In the third novel there is an unlikely and tempestuous cooperation between the last scions of the ruling family and a god who takes the form of a child, but a clever, trickster and mercurial child who has lost all his power because of an act of love, all in an attempt to prevent the devolution of existence into chaos.

The delight of the omnibus edition is Shades in Shadow, in which Jemisin explores the birth of a god, and weaves a first-person, stream-of-consciousness breathless narrative which brings the entire series to a sated, perfect conclusion.

Highly recommended. show less

Jemisin superbly balances world-building, character, and plot in this trilogy of three novels. They are not exactly "self-contained", as I can't imagine reading a later book without the prior ones, but each novel is satisfying in their own right as they basically skip ahead a couple hundred years and focus on different characters.

(The charge recently made by some on social media that George R. R. Martin ruined things for other fantasy novelists by failing to complete his "Game of Thrones" series I think is belied by these books since they each have satisfying endings and do not rely on cliffhangers as I suspect most other "epic fantasy" novels do.)

In May I was called for jury duty and sat in a room the entire day with nothing to do but show more read, and I just read chapter after chapter in the first book, Hundred Thousand Kingdoms and I never grew tired of it. However, I do think I should have given myself a break between each novel as I found my attention flagging with the last book Kingdom of Gods and I found myself resenting the concluding novella, Awakened Kingdom, for its huge number of characters and lore dumping. show less

Three fantasy novels and a novella from N.K. Jemisin, her first books. What I liked about these is the handling of gods. Most fantasy writers shy away from including gods; here they are embraced with vigor, busy mating with humans and otherwise interfering with mortal affairs; sort of like the Greek and Roman divinities. If you are an old white male of a certain political bent, you might be upset, the bad guys (well, they’re not really that bad, they’re just complicated) are pale imperialists. (Disclaimer: I am an old white male of a certain political bent). You might want to Google “Sick Puppies Hugo Awards” to see some of the controversy associated with Jemisin. For me, every Jemisin book I’ve read has been pretty good (for show more another review, see The City We Became). show less

I quite wanted to really enjoy this book, and there were parts of it that I found very compelling, but after a while I found it got repetitive and a bit boring. Still, I'm looking forward to trying some of Jemisin's other books, because her writing is excellent and there's a lot of fascinating world-building on display.

This trilogy is some of the most unique writing I've had the pleasure to read. I recommend starting with the third book to see if you like it, and then reading the first and second book. It will be out of order, but the third book is the only one written in chronological order, and it's the most engaging narrator. That makes it the easiest to get through. The first two books require more of an investment, and that investment is more rewarding if you trust the author and commit to what you're reading.

Jemisin is an extraordinary author, and this was an extraordinary series.

N.K Jemisin is a talented author, and The Kingdom of Gods is a strong finish to her Inheritance Trilogy. But it was my least favorite of the three books. I would have liked it better with 150-200 pages of bloat removed. And with a few more likable characters.

Like the others, this story takes place in a world where multiple Gods and godlings exist. Humans live and die at the whim of the gods, and there is one human family with more power than the rest. And like the second book, this one incorporates both new characters and those we have met before. It takes another jump forward in time as well.

Unlike the first two books, the main character is a godling rather than a human. And he’s a fickle, immature godling who spends most of the book show more whining about how terrible his life is. In fact, he has been banished to nothingness for a thousand years. I’d imagine that’s pretty terrible. However, the book includes none of this banishment. Instead it focuses on his struggles with returning to a different world and in different condition.

Then we get into the politics of the world, since the various countries are attempting to best each other. Throw in a few pissed off godlings, and you’ve got the picture. The humans are primarily reprehensible. The godlings I enjoyed in the other books aren’t in this one. And the situation seems to bring out the worst in the Gods as well.

All in all, I found this a tedious read. It wasn’t until page 500 (500!) that the pace moved with speed and I felt anticipation. If this hadn’t been the third book, and I hadn’t wanted to know the trilogy’s end, I wouldn’t have finished. As a side note, my ebook included a novella epilogue. I read about four pages and had to stop due to another insufferable main character.

It pains me to say all this because I think N.K. Jemisin is a terrific writer overall. Her imagination is unique. And her vision of alternate universes has depth and creativity. The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms and The Broken Kingdoms were captivating and fun. Please join me in singing the chorus of Meat Loaf’s song Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad. I will definitely pick up and read more Jemisin. I’ll even look forward to it. But I’m not sure I can forgive her for this flat and joyless book.

More reviews at TheBibliophage. show less