Sunday, 8 January 2012

Review: The Broken Kingdoms - N.K.Jemisin

Series: The Inheritance Trilogy #2
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 411
Published; 2011
Publisher: Orbit
Source: My own


In the city of Shadow, beneath the World Tree, alleyways shimmer with magic and godlings live hidden among mortalkind. Oree Shoth, a blind artist, takes in a strange homeless man on an impulse. This act of kindness engulfs Oree in a nightmarish conspiracy. Someone, somehow, is murdering godlings, leaving their desecrated bodies all over the city. And Oree's guest is at the heart of it.

My thoughts:
I will try to make this short. Book 1 was filled with what I felt was magical prose and seductive dark sentences. This book sadly was not. It was still a good book, but yes not as good as book 1. I did not root for the characters like I did with book 1 either, neither did I feel the deep ache I felt while reading book 1. I will still give book 3 a go because I hope the magic will come back. It was just so wonderful.

The thing that did not make this book as good was that the beautiful prose was gone for me. It was still a rich and wonderful world. Where godlings now lived among humans, and where so much had changed since the "emergence" of two new gods. She is still such a  good storyteller. But for me, well sure I liked Oree, but I did not always care for Oree. And Shiny, no, sadly not for him either. The only person I did really like was the godling Madding.

So for me it is the case of 2nd book blues, still good, just not as great.

Conclusion:
I will try book 3, but only because I loved book 1 so much. Still this was a good book.

21 comments:

  1. Oh, the sequel curse is working in this case...pity!

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  2. Aw... darn. I believe I have the first on my tbr, so at least I have the good one. ;D

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  3. Ana
    It is sure in full swing, ok i should not say that. the book is perfectly good..just not as good


    Melissa
    The first book is awesome, and this one is still good. SO do read them

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  4. I wasn't as impressed as everyone else with book 1 and had no real desire to read the sequel. Sorry, though, to hear that it disappointed you.

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  5. Sounds good, even if book 1 was better.
    Hopefully the next in the series is good too.

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  6. I liked the first book as well, I'm very sorry to hear that the second book isn't all that :(

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  7. Shame it didn't live up to the first.

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  8. I read the first book in this series and it was over my head!

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  9. eh. I may have to pass up this one, BUT the first one did sound pretty epic.

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  10. Ah, sorry to hear the sophomore hex struck this series. Hopefully, the 3rd will redeem this let down.

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  11. You must be the fastest reader alive!

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  12. Sorry about this one but hopefully the spark will rekindle in #3!

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  13. Shame it didn't live up to your expectations :(

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  14. Simcha
    Then I do fear that you would not like this one :/


    Naida
    *fingers crossed* i really need it to be just that.


    Mari
    I hope you still will enjoy this one, I just missed the magic of her prose.


    Carol
    Sigh, it does happen

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  15. Bermuda
    I loved it, I was lost in the words.


    Carole R
    Read book 1 ;)


    Steph
    It is an evil evil curse. Damn that curse!


    Chris
    Lol, I have no life ;)


    Alyssa
    I hope so too!


    Elysium
    It does make me sad

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  16. What is with book 2 syndrome that is hard to get right?

    I hope book 3 is much better for you.

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  17. That's the downfall of reading a series or trilogy!!

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  18. Missie
    I have no idea, but I come across it so often

    Staci
    I know :/ It does not always make you keen on the next book

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  19. It's always sad when the second book doesn't live up to the first. I hope the third one will be better. On another note I do think that's a great cover.

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  20. Dang. Sorry to hear that. I have this one here, but have not read it yet. Sounds like, maybe it'll wait? But sadly, it was going to wait anyway with all the review books I have here. Thanks for the thoughts on it.

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  21. Oh, sorry to hear that! Hopefully book 3 gets better...

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