Reviews with content warning for Pedophilia - The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms

After having N.K. Jemisin's books recommended to me multiple times, I was thrilled when my book club chose The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms as our next read. I was not disappointed—this book was both unique and deeply intriguing. While it’s definitely a slow-burn, I found myself fully engaged in the world Jemisin built. The blend of gods, demigods, and mortals creates a fascinating backdrop for the story, and I loved following Yeine, the protagonist, as she navigates the dangerous dynamics of her world.

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saobuddette's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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electrachet's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? N/A
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

I wish we were given a world map or other world building elements to help better define some of the countries outside of Sky. The city itself was beautifully written, but some of the minor godlings fell flat. I think I generally expected more from this book. I'm not sure yet if I will continue the trilogy.

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trizk's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

It is important to appreciate beauty, even when it is evil.

I'm unsure if I'll keep my rating the same, but I just want to say that the summary for the book doesn't really match the reading experience.

The "power struggle" with her cousins is not a huge part of this book imo. Especially if you thought the political machinations were going to be similar to other political fantasy novels.

The romantic relationship that forms between the MC and her love interest isn't believable to me. Because of circumstances, you have to sift through so many layers of the LI that by the time you figure out his true nature/personality, it feels like the book is damn near over.

Now onto the things I enjoyed. I liked seeing how even early on, Jemisin played around with POV. I liked how it felt like I needed to get to the very end of the book to fully understand where things were going. The writing kept me engaged from the first page, especially by 30% when things felt like they sped up a bit more. The setting of Sky itself was incredibly interesting with its presentation as a pristine building that contradicts the happenings going on within it. I also really adored Sieh and Yeine, both as characters, and their relationship with one another which was incredibly sweet.

I liked that the novel touched on colonialism, however things felt a little too on the nose for me. I probably would've thought the book was better if I hadn't read a bit of Fifth Season way before. I'd recommend people to start there first because the author has truly improved since this debut!

P.S. For any of my fellow sexual trauma survivors, there is a scene where

the characters very casually discuss the rape of the mc that triggered me, so if you might be sensitive to this, I'd recommend skipping this one or just being cautious.

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chrisljm's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I’ve become disillusioned to fantasy recently but I found myself really enjoying The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms and N.K. Jemisin’s writing.

The mythology she created and the way it tied to their current world system was fascinating. So beautiful and tragic. I also really liked the narration, how fragmented and nonlinear it was, and the way it gave the prose a cosmic dreaminess.

Of course the story itself wasn’t perfect and I found it a bit lacking, particularly the competition to be heir. With so much riding on the ceremony, as well as Yeine’s pride to win the competition, Yeine didn’t put in much effort. I also found the resolution/the most pivotal moments of the climax to lack a real sense of tension.

I will be tuning into the sequel based solely on how intriguing the god and godling lore was.

I truly loved the idea of the Three and how they must exist together, and I hope to see if they eventually work their way back to this throughout the series.

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arreana's review against another edition

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Loveable characters? No

1.5

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kllyholt's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

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maritareads's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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