REVIEW: The Broken Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin

The Broken Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin
Book 2 of The Inheritance Trilogy
Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: Orbit (4 Nov 2010)
ISBN-10: 1841498181
ISBN-13: 978-1841498188
Reviewer: Cara
Copy: Bought at book signing event

From the back of the book:
Gods and mortals. Power and Love. Death and revenge. She will inherit them all.

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 homeless man on an impulse - a decision she begins to doubt when she realises there are hidden depths and powers at work in him.

This act of kindness engulfs Oree in a nightmarish conspiracy. Someone, somehow, is murdering godlings, leaving their desecrated bodies all over the city. Oree's particular guest is at the heart of it, his presence putting her in mortal danger - but is it him the killers want, or Oree? And is earthly power of the Arameri king their ultimate goal, or have they set their sights on the gods themselves?

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The Broken Kingdoms is set ten years after the events of The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms and we have a new central character in Oree, and a new location. This time the action takes place in Shadow, the city beneath the World Tree. I was initially wary of the significant changes from the first book in this trilogy, as I loved Yeine, Nahadoth and the gothic feel of the Arameri Palace. But my misgivings were unrealised and I was quickly absorbed in a plot that kept me reading well into the small hours; I didn't want to put the book down.

Oree Shoth is an intriguing character. Not only is she blind, but she is from a people, the Maro or Maroneh, whose homeland was destroyed by the god Nahadoth and the small number remaining mostly live in the Nimaro Reservation. Being dark skinned, they stand out among the dominant race, the Amn, especially in Shadow. This, I felt was an interesting aspect of The Broken Kingdoms as the subtleties of rascism were explored in a way that made me think about how difference is perceived in reality. As a blind woman who leads a very independent life Oree shows a remarkable degree of inner strength and resourcefulness, yet at times she can be annoyingly indecisive. Although blind, Oree can 'see' magic and has some magical ability that manifests through her paintings. She has been involved with Madding, a godling, in the past, but it is when she 'rescues' a homeless man she names Shiny that the plot really gets going. For he is not who he at first appears to be. To say much more about him would possibly give away significant plot developments, but he is a fascinating mix of character traits, some kind and gentle, others very selfish and arrogant.

Where much of The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms took place within the Arameri palace, The Broken Kingdoms has a much wider setting. The city of Shadow is well realised, with locations such as Easha, (the eastern part of the city in the shadow of the World Tree) where Oree has her trader stall in Art row, being described in such detail that I could almost picture it in my mind's eye. We also find out more about the world and its history. The godlings too feature more prominently, as the Interdiction imposed by Itempas ended at the events in the conclusion of the the first book. These are the offspring of the gods and humans, immortal and with magical powers. Not all are benign, however, but they are an integral part of the changed world in which Oree lives. One thing is certain, the godlings are imaginative creations and represented varying aspects of human behaviour to me. A major strand in The Broken Kingdoms is to discover who has been killing godlings (something believed impossible) and for what reason. Madding, Ina and Lil are new characters, but some familar names from before also appear, including Yeine, Sieh and Nahadoth, which pleased me as I loved them in the previous book.

The Broken Kingdoms could be read as a standalone novel, but I think that it is probably best to read The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms first as the events detailed there are very relevant to Oree's story. This book was not what I expected, however, this is not a negative comment. The world has expanded outwards from the palace environs into a wider urban setting yet the characters are not diminished by this. Magic is more commonplace and with the presence of the godlings there are religious conflicts, mainly with those who continue to worship Itempas and look to suppress the use of magic. This is a city undergoing a transition this is mirrored in Oree. Once Shiny enters her life, things can never be the same again.

N.K. Jemisin is fast becoming a writer to watch. As well as enjoying both her books, I have read some of her short stories (check out On the Banks of the River Lex at Clarkesworld) and she is a talented author who will most likely appear on award winners lists in the near future, I hope. For fantasy lovers, she has breathed new life into the genre with her imaginative worldbuilding, sharp dialogue and exciting plotlines. There is little evidence of the usual stereotypical tropes to be found here, in my view, and The Broken Kingdoms explores the issues of religion, race and disability in a positive and interesting way.

Plot: 9
Characters: 9
Style: 10

Overall rating 9.5/10