In the city of Shadow, beneath the World Tree, alleyways shimmer with magic and godlings live hidden among mortalkind. Oree Shoth, a blind artist, ...
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Jun 19, 2011
Vinaya
rated it: 
I've thought a lot about why N.K. Jemisin's writing doesn't appeal as much to me as it should. Undoubtedly, The Broken Kingdoms was an infinitely better book than The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms. You could almost see Jemisin grow as a writer and as a person, as the world becomes more vivid and more real to her than the scattered pieces of lore she inserted into the first book. The writing style and characterizations, too, felt smoother and more personal. All in all, The Broken Kingdoms was a bette
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Feb 05, 2012
Tanja
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This isn't a bad book. It just had one major problem: it never evoked a single emotion in me except occasional flashes of boredom. I read 2/3 of it in a single sitting, certain that if I left it, I wouldn't have picked up again.
This is the second book in the inheritance trilogy and sequel to "The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms". It has been ten years since the events in the previous book took place. There is a blind artist, Oree, who takes in a stranger on a whim. Oree has a spe More...
This is the second book in the inheritance trilogy and sequel to "The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms". It has been ten years since the events in the previous book took place. There is a blind artist, Oree, who takes in a stranger on a whim. Oree has a spe More...
Feb 03, 2012
Ambrosio
rated it:
First of all, sorry if my english seems a bit off. I am mexican.
It is a testament to the author's strength that I started with the first book (The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms) and could not stop until I finished the trilogy.
I really liked how she handles relations between the protagonist, when someone loves in this story, you really feel it, no matter how difficult for the character may be.
Now, concerning the books... Along the whole series, N.K. Jemisin takes us thro More...
It is a testament to the author's strength that I started with the first book (The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms) and could not stop until I finished the trilogy.
I really liked how she handles relations between the protagonist, when someone loves in this story, you really feel it, no matter how difficult for the character may be.
Now, concerning the books... Along the whole series, N.K. Jemisin takes us thro More...
Jan 01, 2012
Bissfan
rated it: 
Zehn Jahre sind vergangen, seit die junge Oree Shoth ihre Heimat Nimaro verlassen hat, um sich in der Hauptstadt ein eigenes Leben aufzubauen: Ein Leben als Straßenkünstlerin. Leicht hat des Oree dabei sicher nicht, denn sie ist blind. Doch wie um diesen Mangel auszugleichen, besitzt sie eine Gabe, die ihr vor allem in Elysium bisweilen sehr nützlich ist: Sie ist in der Lage, Magie zu sehen. Dies ist einer der Gründe, der sie in die Hauptstadt gezogen hat. Denn dort schillern die Straßen von Mag
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Dec 03, 2011
Courtney
rated it:
It might just be that pure fantasy isn't my thing (even though Jemisin eschews the swords and quest side of fantasy in favour of more personal stories).
I enjoyed the first book in the series, largely for its unusual, time-jumping narrative. In her second book, Jemisin makes the brave move of largely abandoning the original characters and setting, in order to flesh out more of her imagined world: the city of Shadow, rather than Sky, of the poor and rural rather than powerful and urban, More...
I enjoyed the first book in the series, largely for its unusual, time-jumping narrative. In her second book, Jemisin makes the brave move of largely abandoning the original characters and setting, in order to flesh out more of her imagined world: the city of Shadow, rather than Sky, of the poor and rural rather than powerful and urban, More...
Oct 05, 2011
Em
rated it:
Oh for goodness sakes, all of you people just commenting "comment" to win the Twitter thing.
I read this and Hundred Thousand Kingdoms back to back, and Broken Kingdoms is actually my favorite of the two. Oree's viewpoint provides a very unique counterpoint to Yeine's -- she has a community memory that fears Nahadoth and loves Itempas, she's urban poor rather than a country noble, she explores the city rather than the palace, she gets to know demigods before gods, she's exp More...
I read this and Hundred Thousand Kingdoms back to back, and Broken Kingdoms is actually my favorite of the two. Oree's viewpoint provides a very unique counterpoint to Yeine's -- she has a community memory that fears Nahadoth and loves Itempas, she's urban poor rather than a country noble, she explores the city rather than the palace, she gets to know demigods before gods, she's exp More...
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Sep 25, 2011
Anne
rated it:
I realized at some point this summer that I was putting off reading this book because I was so impressed by The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms and I was afraid the sequel would disappoint me.
It did not; in fact, i liked this book better than the first one. Both have vivid imagery but I found this one even more visually evocative, perhaps because different kinds of sight figure keenly in the plot, which is about a blind artisanwhi _can_ see, but only by the light of magic. I also thought th More...
It did not; in fact, i liked this book better than the first one. Both have vivid imagery but I found this one even more visually evocative, perhaps because different kinds of sight figure keenly in the plot, which is about a blind artisanwhi _can_ see, but only by the light of magic. I also thought th More...
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May 27, 2011
Forrest
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What a difference a book makes. When I reviewed Jemisin’s freshman work, The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, I noted that while she had an eye for interesting subject matter, but was exceedingly hampered by a lack of practical experience. Just one book later, Jemisin has successfully cast off her reliance on an irregular narrative, and crafted a compelling plot that doesn’t rely on an enormous plot twist to wrap its story up. Broken Kingdoms pulls together the best aspects of its prequel, and disc
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May 26, 2011
Djinnjer
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This solid second book in the Inheritance Trilogy, The Broken Kingdoms, expands upon the interesting world introduced in The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms. I love the details in this book. The way the inhabitants of the city below the palace called Sky refer to their city as Shadow. The number of godlings running about. The pilgrims asking to be taken (mild) advantage of by locals. The addition of new cultures. The offhand mention of a 'triple' (as in a couple, but with three people).
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May 08, 2011
Alex
rated it:
Although I’ve never thought about writing epic, god-infused, politcal/family intrigues, I love reading them when well done. Part drama, part soap opera, part mystery, and part commentary on society, all with a fantasy sheen. What’s not to love?
N.K. Jemisin’s debut novels The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms and The Broken Kingdoms offer it all. And what’s more, they’re accessible because the main character is a (relatively) normal person thrust into something they neither understand nor parti More...
N.K. Jemisin’s debut novels The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms and The Broken Kingdoms offer it all. And what’s more, they’re accessible because the main character is a (relatively) normal person thrust into something they neither understand nor parti More...
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Apr 25, 2011
Katie
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This book is equally as delightful as The Hundred Thousand, although you can see the similarities. This is also told as one character telling a story to another, it's also about a girl who figures out she has power she didn't know about, a mortal who falls for gods, and so on. In a lot of ways it seems similar, but what drew me to it was that I liked Oree a lot more than Yseine.
I liked that she seemed "normal" and scared and in love and that she was empathetic, but also had More...
I liked that she seemed "normal" and scared and in love and that she was empathetic, but also had More...
Apr 22, 2011
Tim
rated it:
Can't wait for #3! This is well done. Book 1 showed us a fascinating world with great characters. Book 2 shows the same world about ten years later, and it's like looking at the same world through a window on a different side of the house. The key gods are still the backbone, but everyone else is new. The implications of the existence of godlings and magic are rolled out in an inexorable logical way.
The protagonist is blind but can see when magic is active. I did stall a few times whe More...
The protagonist is blind but can see when magic is active. I did stall a few times whe More...
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Apr 07, 2011
Lightreads
rated it: 
So when I heard that the sequel to The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms was about a blind woman who could see magic and who was a painter . . .?
. . . I made A Face.
A blind woman who sees magic and paints. I mean, seriously, this is the disability equivalent of the magical negro, you guys, and my face was not impressed.
After reading the book, I’m mostly puzzled. Because it was a pretty good book, full of win on several measures, and I just didn’t care all that much. More...
. . . I made A Face.
A blind woman who sees magic and paints. I mean, seriously, this is the disability equivalent of the magical negro, you guys, and my face was not impressed.
After reading the book, I’m mostly puzzled. Because it was a pretty good book, full of win on several measures, and I just didn’t care all that much. More...
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Apr 02, 2011
Jamie
rated it:
The second book in the Inheritance Trilogy, The Broken Kingdoms, was way better than the first.
This book was amazing! So great, in fact, that I finished the book in one sitting, all four hundred pages of it. My eyes are puffy and my back hurts, but I couldn't put the book down.
Specifically, I love the main character of the book, Oree. What a well built, interesting character. Surprisingly enough, my favorite part of the book was in the beginning as the reader gets to kno More...
This book was amazing! So great, in fact, that I finished the book in one sitting, all four hundred pages of it. My eyes are puffy and my back hurts, but I couldn't put the book down.
Specifically, I love the main character of the book, Oree. What a well built, interesting character. Surprisingly enough, my favorite part of the book was in the beginning as the reader gets to kno More...
Mar 24, 2011
Anika
rated it:
This series is just getting better and better. I liked the first book in this series, but this one was even better; the world that Jemisin has created is even more fleshed out, and it's fun to see characters from the first book in a totally different perspective, in addition to the plot points that you already suspect as a reader having the background from the first book, but have yet to be discovered by the protagonist.
Speaking of, once again the lead is a spunky independant woman, t More...
Speaking of, once again the lead is a spunky independant woman, t More...
Mar 08, 2011
Kawaiiwriting
rated it:
Hopefully I made it clear enough how much I loved the first book in the Inheritance Trilogy (The Hundred Thousand Kindgoms by N.K. Jemisinin) in my earlier review. This book, The Broken Kingdoms, is the next book in the Inheritance Trilogy, and it is just as splendid as the first book. In fact, I pretty much ignored everything except the most basic needs while reading it because I was so loath to put it down. I will be re-reading books again soon because I love the visceral reaction I have to th
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Feb 17, 2011
Jean
rated it:
With every great debut book there is always a risk of a really disappointing follow up. This is not a disappointment.
The point of view switches to another character and there's a bit of a skip in time, so we get to see the world from a new angle and all the changes that have come about since the last book.
A smooth read with good narrative flow, I probably would have enjoyed this book a lot more if I had not encountered several spoilers. Even without the spoilers I still m More...
The point of view switches to another character and there's a bit of a skip in time, so we get to see the world from a new angle and all the changes that have come about since the last book.
A smooth read with good narrative flow, I probably would have enjoyed this book a lot more if I had not encountered several spoilers. Even without the spoilers I still m More...
Feb 03, 2011
Sumeria
rated it:
This trilogy is amazing so far. I have no words for how much I enjoyed the first book, but since it basically hits every major (and most minor) trope I love, that's not surprising.
Don't think this is really a *spoiler*, but in case...
<spoiler>
I am (pleasantly) stunned and amazed that this book is delighting me just as much. It's easy to make me love the story of a dark god maligned by supporters of a more photogenic sibling/rival. Easy.
Make me More...
Don't think this is really a *spoiler*, but in case...
<spoiler>
I am (pleasantly) stunned and amazed that this book is delighting me just as much. It's easy to make me love the story of a dark god maligned by supporters of a more photogenic sibling/rival. Easy.
Make me More...
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Jan 12, 2011
Ithlilian
rated it:
Unlike many fantasy series out there, the Inheritance Trilogy changes main characters with each book. This could be potentially bad for someone that may not enjoy the main character each time, and it is also a bit strange to be called a trilogy when there isn't complete continuity between each book. For instance, The Broken Kingdoms is set 10 years after The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, and while events from that book are mentioned, it's not completely necessary to have read it to understand or en
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Jan 11, 2011
Terri
rated it:
Our new heroine is Oree, a blind artist living in Shadow, a city where all the gods many children, known as godlings, live among the mortals. (The cover image is the city of Shadow: after the events of book 1, this World Tree sort of took over the city, and now all the houses and streets and things are up in the branches.) Oree can’t see with her eyes, but she can see magic, and so she can see godlings, even when they’re trying to hide from her. She begins her narrative with the lamentation t
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Dec 17, 2010
Yune
rated it:
I avoided this one for a while because the premise sounded a little too cleverly constructed, too contrived. Blind girl can see magic in a world where gods wander about! But at some point I idly picked it up and opened it, and once I passed the first chapter or so I was relentlessly drawn in.
I liked the first book of this trilogy, although I found it unsatisfying in some aspects; I much prefer this one, but can't imagine reading it without all the layers of background from the first. More...
I liked the first book of this trilogy, although I found it unsatisfying in some aspects; I much prefer this one, but can't imagine reading it without all the layers of background from the first. More...
Nov 16, 2010
Matthew
rated it:
Just wow. This book sucked me in more so than Book 1 - the Hundred Thousand Kingdoms - which is saying a lot because of how good Book 1 was. Astoundingly, Jemisin tells the story with a whole new protagonist and series of characters (though many of Book 1 show back up and some play a big role), providing an intriguing and uniquely different perspective of the main city, Sky.
Broken Kingdoms follows the happenings after Yeanne frees Nahodoth, the God of Night, from the imprisonment o More...
Broken Kingdoms follows the happenings after Yeanne frees Nahodoth, the God of Night, from the imprisonment o More...
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Nov 05, 2010
Zuleika
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I’m going to keep this declaration of my love ‘review’ short and a rambling mess, because in my ‘this-story-is-so-good’ high (It’s a day later and I’m still basking in that special glow you get from reading a very satisfying book) I can’t think of anything bad (or coherent) to say.
WOW, THIS BOOK BLEW MY SOCKS OFF. It’s was a completely different story than its prequel, yet managed to complement it perfectly and I honestly can’t say which one I preferred. Before starting I thought I More...
WOW, THIS BOOK BLEW MY SOCKS OFF. It’s was a completely different story than its prequel, yet managed to complement it perfectly and I honestly can’t say which one I preferred. Before starting I thought I More...
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Oct 26, 2010
Catherine
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Jan 23, 2012
mangoesnkiwis
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Oct 01, 2011
Marian
rated it:
I actually purchased "The 100 Hundred Thousand Kingdoms" and "The Broken Kingdoms at the same time. I read the first one and started the second one and then decided to put the second aside for awhile.
Perhaps, not remarkably, the reason that I put the second aside is a reflection of the plot line in the novel. One of the lead characters in the first book is reviled by the protagonist and I came to share that viewpoint. Then I got to the second book and part of the pl More...
Perhaps, not remarkably, the reason that I put the second aside is a reflection of the plot line in the novel. One of the lead characters in the first book is reviled by the protagonist and I came to share that viewpoint. Then I got to the second book and part of the pl More...
Mar 25, 2011
Cris
rated it:
Jemisin used first person again to great effect. Oree's retelling is less fractured than Yeine's story was. I've never experienced blindness, but I think Jemisin did an excellent job of expressing the differences in life that Oree experiences.
It was really interesting to see a few of the characters from Ten Thousand Kingdoms and to hear about those events, and the events of the Gods' War, from a different point of view. I was reminded of the scene from the Star Wars movies when Luke More...
It was really interesting to see a few of the characters from Ten Thousand Kingdoms and to hear about those events, and the events of the Gods' War, from a different point of view. I was reminded of the scene from the Star Wars movies when Luke More...
Feb 21, 2011
Ala
rated it:
After finishing The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, I moved on directly to this book. I couldn't wait to return to this wonderful world Jemisin had created. Not really to find out what the characters had been up to, but because I enjoy the world and it's people so much.
I didn't just read this book, I inhaled it.
In one night.
That's a rare thing for me, nowadays. Few are the books that will make me want to keep reading into the wee hours of the morn, still turning p More...
I didn't just read this book, I inhaled it.
In one night.
That's a rare thing for me, nowadays. Few are the books that will make me want to keep reading into the wee hours of the morn, still turning p More...
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Apr 04, 2011
Tara
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Just wow. If I thought the first book in the series was good, this was so much better.
This book focusses on what happens when Bright Itempas is sentenced to being a mortal following the freeing of his brother, Lord Nahadoth, and the other gods, as well as the rise of Yeine, the Grey Lady. The storytelling is done through the eyes of Oree, a blind artist living in Shadow, the city created during Yeine becoming a goddess. In this city godlings and mortals live alongside each other, More...
This book focusses on what happens when Bright Itempas is sentenced to being a mortal following the freeing of his brother, Lord Nahadoth, and the other gods, as well as the rise of Yeine, the Grey Lady. The storytelling is done through the eyes of Oree, a blind artist living in Shadow, the city created during Yeine becoming a goddess. In this city godlings and mortals live alongside each other, More...
Nov 28, 2010
Jenny
rated it:
I promise a more thorough review later, but for now all I can say is this is how you write a novel.
As she did in book 1, The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, Ms. Jemisin has created characters that are more than the sum of their magical abilities and weaknesses. Our heroine, Oree, a young artist, is blind, but this characteristic does not define her--the story hinges instead on her compassion, perseverance, and strength.
Oree associates regularly with godlings (children of More...
As she did in book 1, The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, Ms. Jemisin has created characters that are more than the sum of their magical abilities and weaknesses. Our heroine, Oree, a young artist, is blind, but this characteristic does not define her--the story hinges instead on her compassion, perseverance, and strength.
Oree associates regularly with godlings (children of More...
