Wow... That was amazing. This is a fantastic book. 2012 continues to prove a fertile year for fantasy with the first in a new series by NK Jemisin. So far, it appears that there will only be two books, this volume and the next, titled The Shadowed Sun, which I'll be acquiring as soon as it comes out, which is thankfully on a payday for me.

Overall, I enjoyed this book more than The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms. The growth in her writing is extremely evident. Her distinct authorial voice is still there, but sharpened and honed into the tool of a seasoned storyteller. The characters are well-wrought, especially Nijiri.

I was first struck with the cover art, I have to admit. It's gorgeous, and Orbit did a fantastic job with the printing. The glossary is extremely helpful. This is definitely one of those books where the reader is dropped into the world and expected to start picking up on things, though the fall isn't as jarring as with Gardens of the Moon. Factions, paths, bloodlines, and nations are referenced by their names right away, with none of the over-explanation I've grown to dislike in fantasy. One of the nice benefits of this is the ability of the storyteller to keep the story about the characters, and not about the world. The scope of the story is told within two related countries, relieving us of the need for a map, and having to familiarize ourselves with endless nations, kings, cities, etc Don't get me wrong, I love a good map, but it's nice to just read something without trying to remember which king ruled which place or what god was in charge of which area blah blah blah blah. She offers bits and pieces of the history, mythology and law through the book which help familiarize the reader without ever veering into "Well, Bob..." territory.

The magic system is well-imagined and draws on many different ideas which might be familiar to readers already. She combines the physical body, dreaming and sleeping, divine power and emotional power into one succinct system and ably demonstrates the good and bad sides of the magic. She explores the addictive nature of magic and power, which I found very compelling.

She delivers the same deft exploration of two cultures, the Guajareen and Kisuati, which are just similar enough to be enemies. Jemisin's chops in this regard are one big reason I am a fan of hers. She really understands how a culture works, right down to the food, and how it shapes interactions between members of the culture and outsiders.

The only possible criticism I have is that there could have been more action. Though it's easy to view her as a Serious Author Writing Serious Things, she actually handles action scenes very well. I hungered for more after it ended. Add action to the list of things Jemisin writes very well, in addition to romance (The Broken Kingdoms), culture shock, food, art, and tweets.

In short, highest possible recommendation for this book and this author! I look forward to the release of Shadowed Sun, and anything else she writes.