#39 The Kingdom of Gods by NK Jemisin
This review has spoilers for previous books in The Inheritance Trilogy. There are no real spoilers for The Kingdom the Gods. 
Sieh is the god of childhood, a unique position for a being thousands of years old. One day, he runs into two children, a sister and brother named Shahar and Dekarta, and decides to becomes their friend. Only when they make a pledge of friendship, something goes wrong. Sieh suddenly finds himself not a child, but an adolescent, ageing against his will. The older he becomes, the less of his god-like abilities he possesses, and the closer he comes to a natural death.
The Kingdom of Gods is the third book in The Inheritance Trilogy by NK Jemisin. Unlike The Broken Kingdoms, which could stand alone, The Kingdom of Gods should not be read unless the reader has already experienced the rest of the series. Don’t trust the misleading description on the back of the book. This is not another story starring a woman who becomes romantically involved with the gods (although Shahar does play a pivotal role). Instead, this book is focused on the godling Sieh, who may be Jemisin’s most interesting narrator to date. Similar to Yeine and Oree, who were protagonists marked by some sort of unique contrast (Yeine was a daughter of two races, Oree was a blind woman who could see magic), Sieh is a conflicted character. He is an immortal god, eons old, with a world of experience behind him, yet he is also a very innocent child. The transformations that he goes through in this book, due to the discoveries he makes and the physical changes of his body, complicates his status of the god of childhood and innocence and makes for an engrossing read.
Under a lesser writer's pen, The Kingdom of Gods, with it's gaps in time and dozens of characters, would feel like a drawn out, convoluted mess, but Jemisin is a competent enough writer to handle such a large story, balancing out larger than life events with more intimate moments. As someone who has been reading the series since book one, I found it interesting to see how the world has changed. Thanks to the events at the end of The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, the Arameri have developed into a culture that is less cruel and domineering than in the past, although they have not been completely defanged. I also found it interesting how Itempas (aka “Shiny” from The Broken Kingdoms) has grown from the domineering, inflexible villain of The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms to someone much more interesting.
The Kingdom of Gods is a fitting conclusion to a strong fantasy series, with a really powerful ending. As far as personal enjoyment goes, I would place it in the middle, as I liked it a little more The Broken Kingdoms but not quite as much as The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms. I am planning to read other books by Jemisin in the future.
Rating: four and a half stars
Length: 613 pages
Source: Lewiston Public Library
Other books I've read by this author: The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, The Broken Kingdom
Next I will be reviewing Divergent by Veronica Roth
xposted to temporaryworlds, bookish, and goodreads
Sieh is the god of childhood, a unique position for a being thousands of years old. One day, he runs into two children, a sister and brother named Shahar and Dekarta, and decides to becomes their friend. Only when they make a pledge of friendship, something goes wrong. Sieh suddenly finds himself not a child, but an adolescent, ageing against his will. The older he becomes, the less of his god-like abilities he possesses, and the closer he comes to a natural death.
The Kingdom of Gods is the third book in The Inheritance Trilogy by NK Jemisin. Unlike The Broken Kingdoms, which could stand alone, The Kingdom of Gods should not be read unless the reader has already experienced the rest of the series. Don’t trust the misleading description on the back of the book. This is not another story starring a woman who becomes romantically involved with the gods (although Shahar does play a pivotal role). Instead, this book is focused on the godling Sieh, who may be Jemisin’s most interesting narrator to date. Similar to Yeine and Oree, who were protagonists marked by some sort of unique contrast (Yeine was a daughter of two races, Oree was a blind woman who could see magic), Sieh is a conflicted character. He is an immortal god, eons old, with a world of experience behind him, yet he is also a very innocent child. The transformations that he goes through in this book, due to the discoveries he makes and the physical changes of his body, complicates his status of the god of childhood and innocence and makes for an engrossing read.
Under a lesser writer's pen, The Kingdom of Gods, with it's gaps in time and dozens of characters, would feel like a drawn out, convoluted mess, but Jemisin is a competent enough writer to handle such a large story, balancing out larger than life events with more intimate moments. As someone who has been reading the series since book one, I found it interesting to see how the world has changed. Thanks to the events at the end of The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, the Arameri have developed into a culture that is less cruel and domineering than in the past, although they have not been completely defanged. I also found it interesting how Itempas (aka “Shiny” from The Broken Kingdoms) has grown from the domineering, inflexible villain of The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms to someone much more interesting.
The Kingdom of Gods is a fitting conclusion to a strong fantasy series, with a really powerful ending. As far as personal enjoyment goes, I would place it in the middle, as I liked it a little more The Broken Kingdoms but not quite as much as The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms. I am planning to read other books by Jemisin in the future.
Rating: four and a half stars
Length: 613 pages
Source: Lewiston Public Library
Other books I've read by this author: The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, The Broken Kingdom
Next I will be reviewing Divergent by Veronica Roth
xposted to temporaryworlds, bookish, and goodreads