Book Review - The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, by N. K. Jemisin

The Inheritance Trilogy, by N. K. Jemisin
1. The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms    12/13/2012    * * * *
2. The Broken Kingdoms                      12/31/2012    * * * *
3. The Kingdom of Gods                       01/26/2013    * * * *

From Goodreads:

"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."

My Thoughts:
The Arameri family rule the world with an iron fist.  Any dissent or heresy is quickly and brutally stamped out of existence.  For you see, the ruling family has an advantage - they control the gods, who must bow to the whim of anyone in the family.

When Yeine arrives at the elevated city of Sky, she is somewhat naive about what awaits her, even though she is used to ruling a country herself.  But the political intrigue, the silent battles fought between her various relatives, and the casual cruelness that she encounters all combine to throw her off balance as she tries to learn how to survive in what seems to be a mad house.

Luckily she has some help.  One of the captive gods has taken an interest in her, and seems to have plans that involve her participation - whether she wants to or not.  And the world will pay for her choice, no matter what decision she makes.

N. K. Jemisin has created an amazingly beautiful and unique world filled with interesting and colorful characters.  The prose is dreamy, and often surreal.  The story moves quickly and there is never a dull moment as Yeine is thrust from one impossible situation to another, until she at last begins to understand her situation and takes control of her own life and future.  Yet the story never feels rushed.  Fantasy, action, politics, family, and a small amount of romance all collide and create a whole that is greater than the sum of its' parts.

I truly enjoyed reading The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, and highly recommend it to anyone.  I gave it four stars.  This is the first books in a trilogy, but at the same time is a complete story in itself, making it easy to try out.  But I'm willing to bet that if you try The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, you'll be instantly hooked, as I was.

If you've read The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, leave a comment below and let me know what you thought!  If you haven't read it yet - well, what are you waiting for?