Bookish Thoughts

The second book in NK Jemisin's Dreamblood  duology picks up ten years after the end of the first one. It follows a mostly new cast of characters, primarily the son of the deposed king and the first woman allowed to train as a priest. The characters from the first book do appear, though they are older and more cynical this time around. This book sets aside many of the questions of the previous book, notably the discussion around end of life care and assisted death. Instead it focuses on the way cultures change with time, how they deal and fail to deal when that change is imposed from the outside, and how they go about reclaiming themselves. This book is about a revolution. The people of Gujaareh have been under Kisuati rule for a decade now, in the wake of their corrupt prince's death. They have begun to chafe under that rule and are looking for a way to reclaim their city, even if it means returning to the system that so recently failed them. Jemisin is fantastic at crea...

This book was amazing. I shouldn't be surprised, since I've been hearing about NK Jemisin for years, and I really enjoyed The Inheritance Trilogy . But I had such a hard time finding this book and it's sequel that I was worried it had gone out of print. Which isn't always the best sign when a book's been out for less than five years. Then again, who knows how the book industry works and why stores decide to stock what they stock. Jemisin takes a slightly different approach to fantasy than I'm used to seeing. Most high fantasy, especially most popular high fantasy, draws it's inspiration from European history and mythology. At least in the United States. But Jemisin makes an effort to draw inspiration from different places in the world, and to be as respectful of those sources as possible (She actually has some great commentary about JK Rowling's recent foray into American Indian folklore). I'm sure there are other authors who do this, but very few...