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The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms

(Inheritance Trilogy #1)

N.K. Jemisin (Goodreads Author)

3.86 · Rating details · 60,103 ratings · 5,878 reviews

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.

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Paperback, 427 pages

Published February 25th 2010 by Hachette Book Group Orbit

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Aug 24, 2015 Rick Riordan rated it it was amazing

I picked up this book after reading a thought-provoking article about the author in The Guardian: http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015.... I really liked what she said about coming to fantasy with no interest in maintaining the status quo. She's right that so many fantasy books are about restoring order to a kingdom, returning a rightful heir to the throne, or getting back to the good old days by defeating some dark power that threatens to unbalance society. Jemisin, as an African American fema ...more

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Feb 28, 2016 Regan rated it really liked it

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Aug 01, 2009 N.K. Jemisin added it · (Review from the author)

Just got the ARCs. Reading for typos and errors, and also for the thrill of READING MY BOOK YAY WHOA.

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Mar 21, 2011 Patrick rated it it was amazing

Very much enjoyed it. I have a great love of fantasy that does something a little different, and this book is a little different in a whole lot of ways.

Good book. Recommended.

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Jun 19, 2020 chai ♡ rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: adult, poc-rep, trope-found-family, adult-sff, read-in-2020, trope-doomed-tragic-love, trope-it-s-about-the-yearning, fiction, lgbtq-rep, trope-political-or-court-intrigue

3,5 stars! Full review to come.

I have no idea what this book is about but when a friend pushes it into your hands and says, “this story is far angstier and sexier than it has the right to be and you should read it”, well... you just listen.

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Feb 20, 2011 Vinaya rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-ought-to-love-but-dont, mixed-vibes, fantasy, could-have-been-better, not-for-me

I think I may have read too much fantasy.

I'm always apprehensive when I read a book everyone loved and can't get worked up about it. I was expecting this book to be radical and innovative and unusual. It wasn't.

You've read this before.
You're too harsh.
This writing style-

**********

Makes no narrative sense.

Seriously, what is it about this book I'm missing? What makes it worthy of being a Hugo and Nebula nominee? The choppy writing style felt weird to me- not because I didn't understand the tra ...more

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Oct 03, 2011 carol. rated it liked it

Shelves: awards, epic-fantasy, female-lead, fantasy, multi-culti

I've just realized I'm about to give two entirely different books the exact same rating for entirely different reasons. Somehow, that is profoundly unsatisfying to my bookish need to categorize. I need a GR ratings intervention.

Something about "The Hundred" fails to digest well. Falling back on my inevitable food analogies, it felt like all those ingredients I love were there--sugar, flour, butter, vanilla, chocolate--but scrambled, fried and decorated into a concoction I wanted to love but just I've just realized I'm about to give two entirely different books the exact same rating for entirely different reasons. Somehow, that is profoundly unsatisfying to my bookish need to categorize. I need a GR ratings intervention.

Something about "The Hundred" fails to digest well. Falling back on my inevitable food analogies, it felt like all those ingredients I love were there--sugar, flour, butter, vanilla, chocolate--but scrambled, fried and decorated into a concoction I wanted to love but just couldn't.

The positives: First and foremost, themes dealt with issues of slavery, servitude, class status and divinity in a very unusual but thoughtful way. It avoided preaching, instead showing how even powerful personalities devolved and struggled under subjugation. Two, information sharing was done tolerably well and did not suffer from the common fantasy 'info-dump' syndrome. As Yeine, the narrator, is new to the city of Sky and her Arameri relatives, the process of orienting her orients the reader. Three, the author also makes a point of giving characters unconventional, multi-ethnic looks and backgrounds, including a female lead who is "short, brown and flat, with unruly curly hair." It's always a positive to see something beyond the tall/leggy or curvaceous stereotypes, and to see women capable of playing multiple roles within a book that are not dependent on sexuality. Lastly, at times Jemisin's language impressed me: "This was the sort of thing that made people hate the Arameri--truly hate them, not just resent their power or their willingness to use it. They found so many ways to lie about the things they did. It mocked the suffering of their victims."

Where Jemisin failed to turn the ingredients into deliciousness: First, it felt 'young adult' in tone; though the narrator was supposed to be 19 and heir/ruler to her tribes' lands, she acts and responds in surprisingly naive and young ways at times. She loses her temper with people she's just met. She's preoccupied with finding out what her mother was "really" like. (By the time we are three-fourths through the book, I started to flash on the children's book Are You My Mother?). She's uncomfortable with sex and refers to a pool being for "...other things." Her youth was unexpected, and perhaps started me off on the wrong foot as I was anticipating a more mature character. Second, while I appreciate the unconventionality of the female lead's looks, one of the males, Nahadoth, is immediately described as "beautiful." Oh, for young-adult romance stereotypes of the plain girl and the hot unattainable male! Of course he chases her with violent intent shortly after meeting, and of course, he kisses her shortly after they confront each other. Dark, misunderstood, and isolated male just needs to be loved to change.

That's like burning the dessert right there.

Three, there's excessive use of portentous statements. My feeling is that if one has to rely on such statements as "it would occur to me shortly thereafter..." and "later I would understand that..." you are either not doing your job writing, or you are writing one seriously convoluted narrative. Lastly, and this is definitely a style choice, this story felt mythic, as in constructed like Greek myths, with relatively clear plotting with relatively clear motives implemented in an elaborately convoluted way. It was saved from excessive simplicity by the narrative voice shifting between time periods (although we don't know this at the time), oral histories, and dream-states. It lent padding, but not in the right spots. Almost lastly, it also had weird and uncomfortably sexual overtones with Yeine and a demi-god who regularly appeared in child-form and was sexually abused by her family members. Oh, lastly again, and this time I mean it, I really hate paranormal sex scenes, especially the bed-destroying type. (Prolonged eye-roll). Spare me the youthful expectations and descriptions of metaphysical sex that ends the old self and births the new, and destroys the furniture in the process.

How to rate, how to rate? Two and a half to three stars on the personal enjoyment scale. Four stars for dealing with slavery, an unusual religious set-up and language use some of the time. Three for a moderately unsurprising ending that wrapped things up well (view spoiler). Two for including an eye-rolling sex scene, the bad-boy lover, and language use the rest of the time.

...more

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May 27, 2011 Felicia rated it it was amazing

Shelves: faves, fantasy, vaginal-fantasy

Well, I really loved this book. Not since I've read Jaqueline Carey's Kushiel series have I been as enamored, in fact they are very evocative of each other, these series.

I had no expectations of this book, in fact I've had an ARC copy by my bed for like a year and a half, and for some reason couldn't get myself to pick it up. I think the cover implies a more epic fantasy feel than it is, really it would appeal to most female-driven urban fantasy fans, but again, i guess it's smart not to slap a ...more

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Jan 13, 2021 chan ☆ added it

Recommended to chan ☆ by: ˗ˏˋ aphrodite ˊˎ˗

Shelves: 2021, adult-fantasy

mayhaps we are all yeine, craving the dark embrace of demon daddy

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Mar 23, 2011 mark monday rated it liked it

Shelves: fantasy-modern

a pleasingly old-fashioned fantasy - and by old-fashioned, i mean the opposite of the dense, complicated, multiple perspective, incredibly epic mega-fantasies that have had the most popularity over the past couple decades. this is something different. the language is straightforward, for the most part, and certainly beautiful at times. although the mystery is a complicated one, and deals with rather large issues such as the making and unmaking of an entire world, it still feels somehow 'miniatur ...more

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Mar 25, 2013 Bradley rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy, cthulhu-goes-ph-nglui-mglw-nafh-ct, fanboy-goes-squee, worldbuilding-sf, reality-bending

I am and always will be a huge fan of Godpunk fiction.

There's a bit of it floating around out there, but most of it is hidden behind the cloudy minds and bodies of mere mortals, only occasionally poking its bright sunny head out to dazzle and amaze.

Sometimes it's the sun. Sometimes it's not. At the moment, I'm feeling the blaze.

Fortunately for us, we've also got authors with great and deep understanding of the greater and lesser mysteries, the writing chops to pull off an entirely new mythos tha I am and always will be a huge fan of Godpunk fiction.

There's a bit of it floating around out there, but most of it is hidden behind the cloudy minds and bodies of mere mortals, only occasionally poking its bright sunny head out to dazzle and amaze.

Sometimes it's the sun. Sometimes it's not. At the moment, I'm feeling the blaze.

Fortunately for us, we've also got authors with great and deep understanding of the greater and lesser mysteries, the writing chops to pull off an entirely new mythos that can turn those mysteries into something brand new again, even if they've been so very, very old. Jemisin has taken us right back to our very beginnings, with the worship of the sun and the void and the great life goddess and given us a truly fantastic tale of revenge, freedom, and most importantly, of love.

I sit in awe. I've been fortunate to read a number of really fantastic novels recently, and this one stands tall and proud among them, like a worldtree within a shining forest of worlds.

The opening of the novel was unfortunately the weakest part for me, but I was able to feel our heroine's hopeless plight pretty much right away, enjoying her progression of defiance to acceptance as it all became so clear that her life was forfeit no matter what happened. Did I say enjoy? Actually, that part made me squirm quite a bit, but the fact that she was able to come to grips, retain her sanity, and even lose a little more of it in the process, was, in fact, truly enjoyable. I can't believe how tight the romance was, or how cleverly it managed to pull on my heartstrings. (I'm generally not that susceptible to romance on the page. So much of it is unbelievable crap.) In this case, I sank right into it and rooted for them both with all my heart.

After finishing the novel, I can't quite see where else it might go except far away from the characters I've just enjoyed, but I've got the entire omnibus sitting right here. I was very satisfied by the end and truly floored by it. I almost want to leave it be and enjoy everything that this novel will eventually become to me.

Can anything truly top this ride? ...more

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Apr 04, 2016 Mayim de Vries rated it liked it

If this is meant to be your first Jemisin book, go away. No, seriously, off you go. Read her masterpiece and only then come back for more. I am writing this thinking that should The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms happened to be my first encounter with Jemisin's writing, it would have taken a long time to approach her again (if at all). But the reversed order allowed me to see how much she matured and developed as a writer and I admire her for this even more.

The plot is simple: a young woman is summon ...more

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Oct 28, 2010 Rachel rated it it was ok

Shelves: fantasy-high

This was a commendable first effort, but I cannot bring myself to rate it any higher. In view of all the positive reviews it has been receiving, I just expected more from this story, but, no, it fell completely short of expectations.

The writing itself is certainly readable, but when it comes to portraying emotional turmoils, the author opts for "Tell, Don't Show" too often, so some scenes are filled with rather cringe-worthy descriptions of how a character "feels". The author might have been goi This was a commendable first effort, but I cannot bring myself to rate it any higher. In view of all the positive reviews it has been receiving, I just expected more from this story, but, no, it fell completely short of expectations.

The writing itself is certainly readable, but when it comes to portraying emotional turmoils, the author opts for "Tell, Don't Show" too often, so some scenes are filled with rather cringe-worthy descriptions of how a character "feels". The author might have been going for sensual, but because the writing lacks natural lyricism, it ends up seem forced than anything else. The world-building begins somewhat promisingly, but the exploration of that world ends up being more cursory than in-depth. The palace intrigues, also, begin with a promise of complex conflicts, but end up quite shallow, and a lot of the said conflicts are resolved via deus ex machina (literally) than through the strength of the nineteen-year-old protagonist.

Not all of these issues are serious flaws (and I suppose things like world-building might occur in later volumes of this trilogy), so I might have enjoyed the story for what it is had the characters been more fully-realized. The protagonist, Yeine, does start off with lots of potential. She comes across as endearing and has strength of conviction and other right elements to become an interesting heroine, but in the end she comes off as a Mary Sue in all the wrong ways, especially when it comes to her romantic entanglements. The secondary characters were also imbued with attention-grabbing and flashy personalities, but none of them came across as truly genuine. I am sure I've read mangas with better character developments - actually, what with the detailed descriptions of characters' physical attributes, I did feel like I was reading manga in parts.

It's possible I would have enjoyed the story better without the high expectation, but now that I have finished reading it, I simply cannot agree with all the glowing reviews. For years I've been reading as much as I could in this genre, so I know exactly what I want from a fantasy novel, and this, unfortunately, isn't it. Your mileage may vary, of course. ...more

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Apr 12, 2010 Stephen rated it really liked it

Shelves: audiobook, unique-magic, ebooks, fantasy, 2006-2010, fantasy-gods

4.0 to 4.5 stars. I learned something while I was reading this excellent fantasy story by Ms. Jemisin that may seem obvious to most but still has changed my outlook on fantasy stories going forward. You see, I have always been a big fan of interesting world-building, compelling back stories and histories and unique magic systems and fantasy elements. The problem is that as you read more and more fantasy stories you start to recognize variations on all the well trod (and often trampled) ground an 4.0 to 4.5 stars. I learned something while I was reading this excellent fantasy story by Ms. Jemisin that may seem obvious to most but still has changed my outlook on fantasy stories going forward. You see, I have always been a big fan of interesting world-building, compelling back stories and histories and unique magic systems and fantasy elements. The problem is that as you read more and more fantasy stories you start to recognize variations on all the well trod (and often trampled) ground and so it becomes difficult to find something that appears unique and ground-breaking and thus I have been somewhat selective in the fantasy series I have read and if the world/backstory/fantasy elements don’t have something that really catches my eye, I don’t rush it to the top of my reading list.

With that said….here is what this wonderful book made me realize…. turns out I only THOUGHT that cool background elements were THE KEY components that drew me to read fantasy books. It turns out…and here is where everyone can smack me on the back of the head and say DUH!!!... it turns out that compelling characters and evocative writing and dialogue are the ESSENTIAL INGREDIENTS in all of my favorite stories and that the world-building, back stories and fantasy elements are just the SPICE that kick a really good story into the amazing category…BAM!!

As I look at some of my all time favorite fantasy stories, most from very recently, they include: The First Law Trilogy by Joe Abercrombie (The Blade Itself, etc.), The Gentlemen Bastards series by Scott Lynch (The Lies of Locke Lamora, etc.) The Hari Michelson/Over World series by Matthew Stover (Heroes Die, etc.), A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin (A Game of Thrones, etc.), The Fionavar Tapestry by Guy Gavriel Kay, American Gods by Neil Gaiman, and The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss, and my newest addition, the Troy series by David Gemmell (Troy: Lord of the Silver Bow, etc.). As different as all these stories are, they all have the following in common: (1) unforgettable main and supporting characters that draw you to the story and (2) superb, emotionally evocative writing (some poetic, some gritty, some dark and disturbing, some over the top and larger than life, but all of them MAKE YOU FEEL).

Now don’t get me wrong, each of the series I mentioned above do in fact have superb world-building and back stories and that is probably what led to some of my inner confusion regarding what I was looking for in a great fantasy read. But then I had …..an EPHIPHANY. What would happen if STEPHANIE MEYER took over writing the next First Law trilogy from Joe Abercrombie? What if GRRM was unable to finish a Song of Ice and First and TERRY BROOKS was brought in to complete it? Thoughts like these caused me to lose sleep and drink WAY TOO MUCH. It also made me see pretty clearly (through blood shot eyes) that the writing and the character portrayals are what MAKE great fantasy and everything else is just a bonus. Conversely, a clever idea will not save poor writing in the execution of a story.

Okay, having gone on enough about everything other then the book I am reviewing. how about I start including it in this discussion. Well, I THOUGHT THIS BOOK WAS TERRIFIC for all of the reasons that I explained above make fantasy great for me (see, there is a method to my madness). N.K. Jemisin writes beautifully and I was drawn to the main character Yeine immediately as she was smart, strong willed and self confident. Here is a summary of the back story (which I would hasten to add was excellent and very well done) and plot.

BACK STORY/PLOT SUMMARY: In the beginning were 3 gods (for simplicity you can call them Order, Chaos and Balance). Well, by combining elements of Order and Chaos, Balance created the world as we know it and peopled it was humans as well as lesser gods. Eventually, the siblings squabbled and Order killed Balance and imprisoned Chaos (the how and why, I will leave to you to discover). Anyway, the story opens many years after the “god war” and the City of Sky is home to the Arameri who rule “The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms.” The Arameri were the most devoted servants of the god of Order and so he has given them the power to rule. This power is based on the ability of the Arameri to control and use the imprisoned god of Chaos and the lesser gods to do their bidding. These imprisoned gods (called Enefadah) are fully developed and realized individuals and are the most compelling characters in the story. Well the main character Yeine Darr, whose mother was the chosen successor to rule the Arameri and who instead abdicated and was exiled, is brought back to Sky in order to compete for the role of successor to the current ruler of Arameri (her maternal grandfather) and the intrigue, conspiracies, alliances and betrayals quickly ensue.

So, overall, I found this to be a compelling first novel in what looks to be an intriguing new series. In addition, I will always be thankful to this story for being an effective catalyst in helping me see what it is I am truly looking for in a fantasy story. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!
...more

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Jun 17, 2020 James Tivendale rated it really liked it

The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms follows Yeine, a nineteen-year-old who, at the novel's beginning, is invited to visit her family seat by her grandfather Dekarta Arameri. The family seat is the city of Sky which is the heart of The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms and includes a beautiful and impressive floating palace. The reason for Yeine's invitation is soon revealed and is a surprise to all in attendance. Dekarta names Yeine as his heir which I imagine would have been an excellent revelation if two of The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms follows Yeine, a nineteen-year-old who, at the novel's beginning, is invited to visit her family seat by her grandfather Dekarta Arameri. The family seat is the city of Sky which is the heart of The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms and includes a beautiful and impressive floating palace. The reason for Yeine's invitation is soon revealed and is a surprise to all in attendance. Dekarta names Yeine as his heir which I imagine would have been an excellent revelation if two of her cousins weren't already assigned as heirs. To explain his thinking, Dekarta states the below, which sets up the story nicely as Yeine moves to Sky with her relatives, with its political disharmony, and with its Gods that walk the palace corridors.

“It is very simple. I have named three heirs. One of you will actually manage to succeed me. The other two will doubtless kill each other or be killed by the victor. As for which lives, and which die—” He shrugged. “That is for you to decide.”

The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms is presented in the first-person perspective and follows events over a couple of weeks after Yeine arrives in Sky. As a new addition, she has to figure out how things work in Sky, try to make friends and allies, whilst also trying to uncover how and why her mother was murdered which happened prior to her arrival. In addition, she has started having frequent strange dreams and visions.

My favourite aspect of this story was the Gods and the way they mingle with and converse with the inhabitants of Sky. There are four of these Gods and they are essentially prisoners of a great God War. They could be considered slaves or weapons and have to abide by the demands and requests of the ruling family. Yeine included. The way these Gods are presented is similar to the Gods in Malazan Book of the Fallen. I adore it in stories when the Gods have human qualities and characteristics all whilst being much more powerful, intimidating, mysterious and even mischievous. It's interesting here that the Gods, although still formidable beings, are restrained by mortals. My favourite scenes involved Nahadoth (the Nightlord) and his son Seih. The lore and history surrounding the Gods was a joy to read. This is presented to readers through Yeine discussing what she learnt in history books or from the mouths of the Gods themselves in conversations with her.

“We can never be gods, after all--but we can become something less than human with frightening ease.”

The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms is an enchanting and majestic fantasy read. The novel is written in an eloquent manner and is engaging in the way that it focuses on Yeine's relationships with her family, the people of Sky, and the Gods. Her cousins make fine characters although I didn't see as much of her drunken cousin Relad as I'd have hoped, but I do have a soft spot for drunks in fiction. With a title as grandiose as The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, it was surprising that the majority of the events take place in Sky alone and we are witness to little that happens elsewhere. As Sky is the centre and controlling nation of these Kingdoms though, the title does make sense yet I do hope that in the following books of the series we do visit other cities and sections of Jemisin's crafted world. Overall, I had an extremely positive experience with this book, my first time reading Jemisin. The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms was an addictive tale that I devoured within four days and I am definitely planning to continue this series and to check out more of the author's back catalogue.

“In a child's eyes, a mother is a goddess. She can be glorious or terrible, benevolent or filled with wrath, but she commands love either way. I am convinced that this is the greatest power in the universe.” ...more

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Feb 01, 2010 Brent Weeks rated it it was amazing

[This review is based on an Advanced Reading Copy:]

What if gods were real…and walked among us…enslaved…and were used as weapons…and were really pissed off about it?

N.K. Jemisin is a gifted storyteller and The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms is a satisfying tale built on intriguing ideas. Buy this book if you love the flights of imagination only possible in fantasy. Buy it if you love stories of betrayal, murder, hard truths, and being in way over your head.

The book is written in the first person. To b ...more

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Feb 27, 2011 Geoffrey Dow rated it did not like it

For the record, my copy of N.K. Jemisin's The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms came courtesy of a contest conducted by the writer Tricia Sullivan, whose novel, Maul, I read a few years back and which which has since stayed with me far more strongly than most. I wish I could say the same about The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms.

Stormwinds over a cardboard world:
Nebula-nominated first novel is epic failure

I opened N.K. Jemisin's (now Nebula Award nominated) first novel, The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, ha ...more

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Jul 20, 2020 Phrynne rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 5000-2020

I have read a few books by this author now and all of them worth five stars. I am pretty sure she can do no wrong as far as I am concerned.

The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms had me gripped from beginning to end. Great world building with a promise of much more to come in the rest of the trilogy. Fantastic characters, especially the gods who I also hope to see more of in the next two books. An intriguing story with an excellent twist at the end which provided a totally satisfactory conclusion.

Loved it ...more

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May 20, 2015 Hannah rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, loved-it

Books like this one are the reason why I read and love fantasy. N. K. Jemisin has a way of creating believable and exciting worlds that make me think about my own in a way that I haven't before. While the world in this series is (so far/ for me) not as impressive as the one created in The Fifth Season, it is still highly original and a wonderful basis for the type of stories she excells in.

Set in a world where after a war between the gods some of those gods are enslaved by humans and one is reve ...more

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Apr 22, 2017 Chris rated it liked it

Shelves: read-owned-part-of-collection, scifi-fan-group, specfic-group-reads, 2017-sffbc-challenge, 2017-read-owned

Original impression (April 2017): 2 stars - Meh...I'm burned out on spending a lot of time on stuff I don't want to spend time on.

Revised impression (July 2017): 3 solid stars. It turns out this book wasn't finished with me yet. I thought I had put it behind me, but it kept creeping back to my mind and I couldn't help but want to see where it would go....All in all, I was pretty impressed by the end, and I might even continue the trilogy....if it calls to me again.. ...more

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Aug 23, 2011 Gergana rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

First read in 2010
Last read in 2016

All images are drawn by me, for higher resolution visit gerynh.tumblr.com

GODS! Yep, this series is about Gods.

100 000 Kingdoms was my first "what-the-hell-there-are-no-dragons-here-and-it's-not-Harry-Potter" type of book. It was the first novel that introduced me to fictional politics and quiet mysterious dudes with power over darkness... that turned out to be one of my many many weaknesses...

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... damn you sexy shadow-wielding-men!

There are a f ...more

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Jul 04, 2016 Matthew Quann rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: fantasy fans, adventure-seekers, change of pace

Shelves: favourites

Man, oh man, oh man, oh man...this book was PHENOMENAL.

I honestly can't remember the last book that kept me so fastened to the couch, ignoring social calls and daily rituals just to read one more chapter. Okay, maybe just one more...you get the picture. This book is relentlessly fun, and for a first novel in a trilogy it moves at an unrelenting clip. I kept saying that I'd put the book down, only for the end of a chapter to beg a bit more reading. This book gave me a much needed defibrillation t ...more

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Jan 25, 2019 Charlotte rated it really liked it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. "It is blasphemy to separate oneself from the earth and look down on it like a god. It is more than blasphemy; it is dangerous. We can never be gods, after all—but we can become something less than human with frightening ease."

So What's It About?

Yeine Darr is summoned to the magnificent floating city of Sky by her grandfather, the ruler of the known world. To her shock, he names her as one of his heirs, a naming that is virtually a death sentence given the bloodthirsty nature of Arameri politics ...more

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Jun 06, 2013 Emma Deplores Goodreads Censorship rated it it was ok

Shelves: fantasy, 2-stars

This book had a lot of hype when it was first released, followed by a backlash that seemed primarily motivated by the fact there is romance in it. Now that I’ve gotten around to reading this, I did not enjoy it, but that had less to do with the fact that the protagonist hooks up with a dark god than that the story just isn’t very interesting.

Yeine is a young woman who travels to a distant land and gets caught up in court politics over her head – standard fantasy stuff. The story is told through This book had a lot of hype when it was first released, followed by a backlash that seemed primarily motivated by the fact there is romance in it. Now that I’ve gotten around to reading this, I did not enjoy it, but that had less to do with the fact that the protagonist hooks up with a dark god than that the story just isn’t very interesting.

Yeine is a young woman who travels to a distant land and gets caught up in court politics over her head – standard fantasy stuff. The story is told through Yeine’s first-person narration, looking back on events, and her voice is the one aspect of the book I sort of liked. On the one hand, it is strong and assured, and the digressions and circling back to add new information and asides to the reader give the sense of a person actually telling a story. On the other hand, this voice – reflective, detached, polished – clearly belongs to a writer, while our 19-year-old Yeine is supposed to be the warrior queen of a female-dominated barbarian tribe.

I say “supposed to be” not only because she doesn’t sound anything like that, but also because she doesn’t act like it. In her actions she is astoundingly passive, a Generic Female Protagonist used as a pawn by everyone around her, who spends most of the book waiting for events others have set in motion. Such passivity not only leaches interest from the story, but prevents me from even classifying it as epic fantasy. The defining characteristic of that subgenre is a struggle between good and evil. There’s evil here, thanks to the gratuitous acts of brutality that are apparently required in all fantasy novels in the Game of Thrones era (I say this as someone who loves the Song of Ice and Fire series, but could do without the often out-of-place attempts at grittiness in every other fantasy novel). But there’s no struggle. Yeine doesn't try to fight back. She's an object of others' actions, lacking goals of her own; she quickly gives up even on the modest aspiration of surviving her royal family’s backstabbing, hoping only to accomplish with her death an act suggested to her for their own benefit by some characters she’s just met, who have then agreed to assist her people, who are never even introduced. Now tell me that sounds like a rousing plot.

Other than Yeine, there are fewer than a dozen characters in the book, most of whom are plot devices with at best one character trait. And although there are supposedly a hundred thousand kingdoms, all the action takes place in the bland, white imperial city of Sky. Jemisin develops the world’s mythology, but not its present; there’s no sense of life in it. Back to poor Yeine: she’s supposed to have come from a matriarchal society in which the government and army are all female, but upon arriving in Sky, where almost everyone in power is male, has no reaction to or comment on this difference. An easy mistake to make in a setting lacking sufficient culture for anyone to be a convincing product of it.

Yes, you can find fantasy much worse than this, but I found nothing here to hold my attention: not the plot, not the characters, not the world. I’m glad other readers enjoy Jemisin’s work, but after reading a book and a half (the half was The Killing Moon, which I finally set aside because while technically better than this one, it had not inspired even minimal interest), I have to conclude that it is not for me. ...more

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Nov 12, 2010 Janina rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

What did I expect from The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms? Honestly, I can’t tell. When I saw the translation of book two in a German bookstore some weeks ago, I simply was drawn in by the blurb on the back of the book. It sounded like a stand-alone – or at least like the first book in a trilogy – so when I went looking for the English version, I was surprised to find out that it was in fact not. Now, the summary of book one didn’t sound as intriguing to me at all, but I figured I would maybe not be What did I expect from The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms? Honestly, I can’t tell. When I saw the translation of book two in a German bookstore some weeks ago, I simply was drawn in by the blurb on the back of the book. It sounded like a stand-alone – or at least like the first book in a trilogy – so when I went looking for the English version, I was surprised to find out that it was in fact not. Now, the summary of book one didn’t sound as intriguing to me at all, but I figured I would maybe not be able to enjoy the second instalment in its entirety if I didn’t read it. Let me tell you, the summary does not do this novel justice. It makes it sound pretty average in the field of epic fantasy:

Parent dies under mysterious circumstances? Check.
Heroine is thrust into a completely new and unfamiliar situation? Check.
Heroine is presented with a seemingly impossible challenge? Check.
You don’t know who is to be trusted and who plays fair? Check.
And, most importantly, the summary includes the words political intrigue or power struggles? Check.

But The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms is anything but average. It is fresh and original, and surprisingly different. I really don’t want to say too much about the actual plot because I think it’s best to go into this book not really knowing what to expect. I have to admit that some concepts were a bit difficult for me to grasp, to relate to entirely, but nevertheless, I enjoyed this book immensely.

A special trait surely is the narration. The book is told in first person, as a kind of giant flashback with shifts in time every now and then. The style is somehow informal, with Yeine, the main character, addressing the reader directly from time to time. There are hints at what will happen later, dreams and conversation with unknown people thrown in where they don't seem to fit, flashbacks to events some days previous. So yes, I think you can kind of get an idea of what happens in the end, but for me those passages were a little too cryptic to figure out. They are clearly distracting and might leave you more than a little confused – but I think they are meant to be that way.

Even though the full potential is not always realized, this novel is amazingly carved out in both characterisation and world building for a debut. It clearly differs from the We-are-on-an-important-quest-to-rescue-mankind-so-let’s-be-solemn-and-stern kind of books to be found in the genre. It represents more an inner struggle than an epic war fought out on the battlefield, but for me that was just right. I tend to get bored by battles pretty quickly. Also, you won’t find any characters here that are only good or only bad. Mostly, they are refreshingly ambivalent.

Recommended for everyone looking for a different kind of fantasy who is not weirded out by the idea of gods and mortals mingling – in every possible sense ;).
...more

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Dec 31, 2010 Ashley rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, lgbtqia, sexytimes, romantical, class-gender-race, speculative, murder-most-foul, not-quite-five-stars-but-sooo-close, you-wrote-about-what-now, award-winners

You can always tell when you come across something and know you've never quite read anything like it before, because afterwards, your brain won't know quite how to file it away. It has to create new paradigms to fit stuff into. I was in that stage for quite a while after reading this weird, sensual, dark, joyful book.

Our main character Yeine lives in a world where belief in the gods is not an option. The gods walk among them. It's a world where one nation, the Arameri, have all the power because You can always tell when you come across something and know you've never quite read anything like it before, because afterwards, your brain won't know quite how to file it away. It has to create new paradigms to fit stuff into. I was in that stage for quite a while after reading this weird, sensual, dark, joyful book.

Our main character Yeine lives in a world where belief in the gods is not an option. The gods walk among them. It's a world where one nation, the Arameri, have all the power because 2,000 years before when the God's War sundered their world, they landed on the winning side. There are many gods and godlings, but only three main gods. The winning god, Itempas, killed his sister, who had betrayed him, and now imprisons his brother and the children who fought on their side. It is this that makes the Arameri powerful. Itempas gave them the defeated gods in human form, imprisoning them at the will of the Arameri. For 2,000 years they are used as playthings and world-destroying weapons.

Yeine's mother was Arameri, but was exiled when she married Yeine's father, a man from a "barbarian" culture. But now Yeine's mother has died under mysterious circumstances, and she has suddenly been made heir to her grandfather, the leader of the Arameri. Yeine is thrust into a fraught situation with very little knowledge, and has to play power games and figure out the complicated mysteries of the Arameri and their godling playthings in order to survive.

The whole thing turns into this mystical, surprisingly sexy, twisted journey of spirituality and power, and it was soooo hard to put down. It was also really weird, and in parts, I had to keep reminding myself it was fiction so my brain would calm down.

Jemisin has a beautiful way with words, and the characters she creates feel very real. She also peoples her worlds with diverse cultures and races of people, and her world is one of fluid and surprising sexuality. If you're a fantasy fan and you haven't tried this series yet, I highly highly recommend that you do. It's epic in a way I've never seen fantasy be epic before. I am definitely a fan of this author now (especially after reading the second book in the series, which was my favorite). ...more

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Dec 20, 2013 Lazaros rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: epic/high fantasy lovers

Shelves: high-fantasy, fantasy, epic-fantasy, sci-fi, magic, all-time-favorites

“We can never be gods, after all - but we can become something less than human with frightening ease.”

Such a pleasant, pleasant surprise. I loved this so much.

There may be some minor spoilers in this, so, go ahead & read at your own volition. No big, spoily spoilers, though! Just explaining things a little.

I'm not sure where to begin. Should I may begin by how much well-written this was? N. K. Jemisin is one hell of an author, that is most certain. It was detailed without being tiring, it ha
“We can never be gods, after all - but we can become something less than human with frightening ease.”

Such a pleasant, pleasant surprise. I loved this so much.

There may be some minor spoilers in this, so, go ahead & read at your own volition. No big, spoily spoilers, though! Just explaining things a little.

I'm not sure where to begin. Should I may begin by how much well-written this was? N. K. Jemisin is one hell of an author, that is most certain. It was detailed without being tiring, it had many characters & each of them was well-made. I loved the world, it was nicely-crafted. The history was breathtaking & I loved every part of it. From Godswar to how it all came down to the Enefadeh being prisoners of the Arameri.

Yeine Darr is an Arameri. Her mother was one & she's one by inheritance. She's called to the 'Sky' (a floating palace, that's a sight to build in your head) by her grandfather who's, in a way, the King though the Hundred Thousand Kingdoms are not ruled by just one person. There we'll see what a nice person her grandfather is & I'm sure you'll all despise him. Yeine is one of the three contenders for her grandfather's position. Two cousins of her are also in the run. The problem is that she is in danger, from the moment her grandfather got her in the competition. Her cousins are dangerous & will stop at nothing to destroy - kill - her.

In her first day at the palace she meets the Gods. Let's go back a minute. It all stars when the God of Light, the Bright Itempas, killed Enefa, the Goddess of Twilight & Dawn & punished his brother, the Nightlord, Nahadoth & all the lesser Gods by confining them in human bodies. Let's just say that all the Gods, except for Bright Itempas, are bound to do whatever the Arameri want & must obey them at all costs. Scimina, Yeine's cousin, unleashes Nahadoth, one of the Three & the firs to be created for he is the very embodiment of darkness & chaos, & another God, Sieh saves her. Sieh is the God of Mischief.

Yeine, at first, isn't even aware of who they are but when the feeling sinks in & they make her an offer she has to decide whether she should side with those who are prisoned or those who want to kill her. Though, the decision is easy to make she must not be quick to do so because she really doesn't know why the Enefadeh want to assist her.

I won't delve more into this. I'll just say that Yeine is an amazing character & I loved her thoughts & I loved being inside her head & I loved the relationship she built with all of the Enefadeh, how she loved them & found friends & lovers in them. The romance was not a usual one, it was unusual, it was all about attraction & lust at first & it felt kind of weird but then I grew accustomed to it & the romance showed itself.

From the Gods, I must say I loved Nahadoth the most. He was just so mysterious, he had so many aspects. He has lost all of his compassion towards any human and he's vulgar & hard at first & it's difficult to understand him. He's all kinds of fucked-up & there's so much to him. Including how at night, when the sun goes down, he goes into full kickass mode & loses every bit of humanity he has during the day. It's nice to see how Yeine gets through to him. Also, Sieh, that little boy-man, may be the cutest thing ever. He always wanted to hug & cuddle & he developed the most beautiful friendship with Yeine.

The ending was satisfying & I can't wait to get into the second book & read more of this amazing, broken world & the characters.

Don't be doubtful about reading this. Just grab & read it, I'm sure you'll relish this.

Thanks for reading my review, bookworms. :) ...more

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Oct 14, 2020 Sofia rated it it was ok

Shelves: disappointments, well-that-was-a-cheap-plot, mary-sue, what-just-happened, lost-interest

*yawn* Booooooriiiiing.

Maybe I have a short attention span (true) or I'm just not that into epic fantasy anymore (also true), but this was so unbearably slow that I nearly put it down three times before finally deciding to banish it to the DNF zone.

I've heard wonderful things about N.K. Jemisin, but this style of narration didn't really suit the mood. In the middle of an intense action scene, we would be pulled away for a history lesson on the culture and religion of Sky. And while I liked this ...more

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Sep 06, 2017 Rusty's Ghost Engine (also known as.......... Jinky Spring) marked it as dnf

Shelves: high-fantasy

DNF @ 155 pages

One of the most boring fantasy books ever that focuses almost entirely on politics.

RTC

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Feb 02, 2016 Kells Next Read rated it it was amazing

Shelves: magic, ebook

My Ratings

This was my first read from N. K. Jemisin and I can safely say this about her writing style:

photo this pleases me gif_zpsmmgahqsm.gif

My head is still fried from this mind blow of a read. The characters, storyline and world building is fantastic. I can't think, write or speak properly at present. I will most certainly have to come back at a later period and ramble about this book. For now:

...more

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What's the Name o...: SOLVED. Adult fiction book about someone in a city which is inhabited by royals and their pets which are enslaved gods. [s]	5	30	Aug 26, 2020 02:05PM
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