Review: The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms – N.K. Jemisin

Series: The Inheritance trilogy #1
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 398
Published: 2010

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 with cousins she never knew she had. As she fights for her life, she draws ever closer to the secrets of her mother’s death and her family’s bloody history. With the fate of the world hanging in the balance, Yeine will learn how perilous it can be when love and hate – and gods and mortals – are bound inseparably together.

My thoughts:

This will again be a hard book to review. Why is it that the good ones are always the hardest ones to review?

There was just something about this book. At times I felt like I should be confused by the writing, by the characters or by how it was narrated, but I never was. I was swept away in a dream and experienced this book as the tale it was. It is being narrated by Yeine as she looks back on what has happened and it just feels so good. The writing is flawless and the tone is just right for this kind of book. It is also different on other levels as I usually go for epic quest kind of fantasy. This one takes place during a short period of time. There are a lot of questions regarding her mother’s death and why she left her place as heir to the throne, questions about the Gods that are imprisoned and used as toys for the high and mighty, and questions about why Yeine is there. Politics, love and mysteries is what this book is about.

The book is a part of a trilogy but there is an ending in this book as the next book will be about someone else. I did wonder how there could be an ending as everything pointed to her death. There are two cousins who want the throne, her grandfather does not like her and she spends time with the Enefadeh. That is the Gods who are slaves. You just have to read and find out.

The world, I wanted more. And what I liked the most was the Gods. One rules now after he killed his sister and made the rest slaves to the ruling king. It was horrible. They who once were mighty now have to do everything they are told. And some people are not nice at all. I felt sorry for them; even though I knew they were deadly. Fascinating tale of the gods. 

 I realized that did no even talk that much about the characters because I was so in love with it all. But I should not forget the cast, Yeine who was so strong and would not back down. And the Gods, like the Nightlord, oh he was dark, horrible and wonderful and the same time. Sieh, the god who is a child, the trickster who was so fun and many more that made the book what it is.

Conclusion:

There you have it. A great fantasy story that was not like any I have read before. In this world of plenty she delivers a fresh story. I highly recommend it and I will certainly read more by this wonderful author. I could not put the book down and I had to keep on reading. 

Rating: 
Go and read it 

Cover:
Ok