AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: The Shadowed Sun
Title: The Shadowed Sun
Author: N.K. Jemisin
Audiobook Narrator: Sarah Zimmerman
Series: Dreamblood
This review has spoilers for The Killing Moon, the first book in the Dreamblood series. There are no real spoilers for The Shadowed Sun.
Ten years ago, The City of Gujareeh fell under Kisuati control after their prince succumbed to homicidal madness. Now Gujareeh remains a land under occupation of a foreign power, and it's people yearn for freedom. Perhaps this freedom can be found in a new prince, Wanahomen, who has spent his life in exile as a member of the Banbarra tribes. But the City of Dreams develops more problems when it's people begin to succumbs to a strange sickness. Without exception, all victims fall into nightmares then die. The future of Gujareeh now rests on the shoulders of two: Wanahomen and Hanani, the first female healer to study at the Hetawa.
The Shadowed Sun is the follow up to The Killing Moon, a fantastic epic fantasy novel by NK Jemisin. The gap of ten years between the novels makes it possible for new readers to pick up the book without being familiar with the first one. Still, I wouldn't necessarily recommend that, as there is a lot of back story to digest at first. Those who have read The Killing Moon will find a lot to enjoy with The Shadowed Sun. Although it took me a little longer to get into this book than I did it's prequel, once I did I found myself really enjoying it. Much like it's predecessor, The Shadowed Sun is a rich fantasy novel filled with unique worldbuilding, and memorable characters that you really care about.
Fans of the series will be happy to see the return of the two surviving protagonists of The Killing Moon, Sunandi and Ijiri. Still, the bulk of the book really belongs to Hanani and Wanahomen. I was immediately drawn to Hanani and her desire to become a Sharer (Healer) despite the fact that women never become Sharers in Gujareeh. I loved the fact that she was a strong character, and that her strength wasn't from physical prowess. Hanani is an emotionally strong character, and the fact that she may have doubts and moments of extreme weaknesses do not rob from this strength at all. Another thing I really liked about The Shadowed Sun is how it expanded the readers knowledge of the Hetawa. The Killing Moon was all about The Gatherers, the few figures who send the corrupt to a peaceful death in their dreams. The Shadowed Sun is all about the Sharers, and I really enjoyed learning about their place in this world. We also get to learn a lot about the Banbarra Clans who's culture appears to be a lot richer than the typical Barbarian clans we see expressed in fantasy literature. It was especially interesting to watch the clash between the Hetawa and the Banbara, as it gave the reader an opportunity to learn about their differing customs, such as those related to gender and sexuality.
Thoughts on the Audiobook: The Shadowed Sun was narrated by Sarah Zimmerman. Although she doesn't put quite as much effort into providing a variety of voices as some other narrators, I was actually really happy with her performance. I especially appreciate how she was able to seemingly effortlessly pronounce the complex names of people in places in this novel.
Final Thoughts: The Shadowed Sun is a worthwhile follow up to N.K. Jemisin's The Killing Moon. If I had to chose between the two, I would pick The Killing Moon as my favorite, but The Shadowed Sun is such a moving story. It's impossible not to fall in love with it's cast of complex characters, especially Hanani, who makes a very likable protagonist. I don't think Jemisin is planning on writing any more books in this series, but if she changes her mind, I would be very excited to read more about this world. Four and a Half Stars
Author: N.K. Jemisin
Audiobook Narrator: Sarah Zimmerman
Series: Dreamblood
This review has spoilers for The Killing Moon, the first book in the Dreamblood series. There are no real spoilers for The Shadowed Sun.
Ten years ago, The City of Gujareeh fell under Kisuati control after their prince succumbed to homicidal madness. Now Gujareeh remains a land under occupation of a foreign power, and it's people yearn for freedom. Perhaps this freedom can be found in a new prince, Wanahomen, who has spent his life in exile as a member of the Banbarra tribes. But the City of Dreams develops more problems when it's people begin to succumbs to a strange sickness. Without exception, all victims fall into nightmares then die. The future of Gujareeh now rests on the shoulders of two: Wanahomen and Hanani, the first female healer to study at the Hetawa.
The Shadowed Sun is the follow up to The Killing Moon, a fantastic epic fantasy novel by NK Jemisin. The gap of ten years between the novels makes it possible for new readers to pick up the book without being familiar with the first one. Still, I wouldn't necessarily recommend that, as there is a lot of back story to digest at first. Those who have read The Killing Moon will find a lot to enjoy with The Shadowed Sun. Although it took me a little longer to get into this book than I did it's prequel, once I did I found myself really enjoying it. Much like it's predecessor, The Shadowed Sun is a rich fantasy novel filled with unique worldbuilding, and memorable characters that you really care about.
Fans of the series will be happy to see the return of the two surviving protagonists of The Killing Moon, Sunandi and Ijiri. Still, the bulk of the book really belongs to Hanani and Wanahomen. I was immediately drawn to Hanani and her desire to become a Sharer (Healer) despite the fact that women never become Sharers in Gujareeh. I loved the fact that she was a strong character, and that her strength wasn't from physical prowess. Hanani is an emotionally strong character, and the fact that she may have doubts and moments of extreme weaknesses do not rob from this strength at all. Another thing I really liked about The Shadowed Sun is how it expanded the readers knowledge of the Hetawa. The Killing Moon was all about The Gatherers, the few figures who send the corrupt to a peaceful death in their dreams. The Shadowed Sun is all about the Sharers, and I really enjoyed learning about their place in this world. We also get to learn a lot about the Banbarra Clans who's culture appears to be a lot richer than the typical Barbarian clans we see expressed in fantasy literature. It was especially interesting to watch the clash between the Hetawa and the Banbara, as it gave the reader an opportunity to learn about their differing customs, such as those related to gender and sexuality.
Thoughts on the Audiobook: The Shadowed Sun was narrated by Sarah Zimmerman. Although she doesn't put quite as much effort into providing a variety of voices as some other narrators, I was actually really happy with her performance. I especially appreciate how she was able to seemingly effortlessly pronounce the complex names of people in places in this novel.
Final Thoughts: The Shadowed Sun is a worthwhile follow up to N.K. Jemisin's The Killing Moon. If I had to chose between the two, I would pick The Killing Moon as my favorite, but The Shadowed Sun is such a moving story. It's impossible not to fall in love with it's cast of complex characters, especially Hanani, who makes a very likable protagonist. I don't think Jemisin is planning on writing any more books in this series, but if she changes her mind, I would be very excited to read more about this world. Four and a Half Stars