N.K. Jemisin is a master storyteller, and there is a lot to love in this collection. The worldbuilding is vivid even in short glimpses and some of the food descriptions in particular left me hungry. There are definitely worlds I would have loved to see more of; I know “The City Born Great” and “The Narcomancer” both take place in or are forerunners to two of her duologies (which I am now definitely interested in checking out). And 22 stories is a lot — there were a couple I bounced off of, which is not unexpected with that much variety, and some with more experimental forms.
A few standouts for me personally, not counting the two I've already mentioned:
This is a gorgeously written puzzle of a book, and I really loved the way it all came together. I really enjoyed the frame; and how the empress's story was told not just through Rabbit's remembrance but also through the objects found in her home-in-exile, because all of the little details were so illuminating. You do see the worldbuilding mostly in story form, in this volume, which gives it a kind of fairytale vibe — and those details, like ghosts walking a royal road, women turning into kingfishers, and the subtle dystopia of 50 years of summer — all definitely suit that. It's a story about rage but it's also a eulogy of sorts, and that built up to an ending that had me near tears.
Cleric Chih and Almost Brilliant were fun characters to follow, and I look forward to getting to know them better in future volumes. Definitely recommend.
The writing of this novella is beautiful, and I really enjoyed the way the political situation was drawn in only a few words and implications the characters were grappling with. In particular, the quietly oppressive situation Thanh is in is well drawn, and her complicated feelings are the driving force. I also enjoyed how low-magic the setting was (fire elemental aside), because of the way it drew the focus onto the real situation of an encroaching empire and what might be doable against it.
This does focus on a toxic relationship as a metaphor for imperialism and it is well done — I definitely felt Eldris's appearance set off warning bells, but it was subtle until it wasn't in a way that really worked for me. I do feel like there were a few sections that could have used a little more room to breathe, since 100 pages is not much, but it was on the whole a tightly paced and satisfying story I devoured in a few reading sessions.
The first chapter of this book is a lot of fun and one where you can tell the author was having a great time, and that sets the tone. Guet Imm, the nun, in particular was easy to fall in love with, and Tet Sang and the rest of his band of roving contractors grew on me as the story progressed.
The plot does take a few chapters to kick off but I enjoyed the time to get to know everyone, and once things start moving it moves at a good clip. I enjoyed discovering the political situation with Guet Imm but there were some other worldbuilding aspects I felt I never got a good grasp on.
I loved the way gender identity was handled in the text — both the day to day and the philosophy of the Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water. It's accepted in its complexity and that was very comforting to read. I also enjoyed the ambiguity in the ending; it brings the character arcs to a resting point but how romantic it is is up to the reader. I really enjoyed the story.
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