The Broken Kingdoms (The Inheritance Trilogy) [Paperback]

N. K. Jemisin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 3, 2010 | Series: The Inheritance Trilogy (Book 2)

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. . .

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. New authors often falter when following up on a noteworthy debut, but Jemisin proves more than up to the challenge. A decade after the events of March 2010's The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, artist Oree, blind to reality but able to see magic, sells trinkets to tourists in Sky, a city filled with supernatural entities and happenings in a world slowly emerging from doctrinaire authoritarianism. After she discovers the corpse of a murdered godling, Oree is pursued both by fanatic religious officials looking for scapegoats and by the ruthless conspirators behind the murder. Hesitant, impoverished Oree is very different from Jemisin's previous heroine, politician–princess Yeine, and she proves just as compelling as she investigates the murder and her own mysterious heritage. Returning fans will especially appreciate certain details, but this novel stands on its own and is worth reading purely for its own strengths. (Nov.) (c)
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From Bookmarks Magazine

In The Broken Kingdoms, N. K. Jemisin expands her worldview from the Arameri Palace of The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms to include the richly drawn tapestry of Shadow, introducing new and interesting characters and layering plot to build anticipation for the trilogy’s finale. Critical consensus deems The Broken Kingdoms even better than its predecessor—unusual for the middle book of a trilogy—and Jemisin, who had previously published short fiction, is poised to make a name for herself in fantasy circles (evidenced as well by Hugo and Nebula nominations). Although The Broken Kingdoms works as a stand-alone novel, readers familiar with the first book will recognize and appreciate Jemisin’s deftly constructed world. Readers new to the series, however, may wish to start with the first book.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Orbit; 1 edition (November 3, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9780316043960
• ISBN-13: 978-0316043960
• ASIN: 0316043966
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 1.1 x 8.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (50 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #518,497 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

N. K. Jemisin is an author living and writing in Brooklyn, NY. This is fortunate as she enjoys subways, tiny apartments, and long walks through city parks. Her short fiction has been published in a number of magazines and podcast markets, and has been nominated for the Hugo and Nebula award. THE HUNDRED THOUSAND KINGDOMS and THE BROKEN KINGDOMS were also nominated for (collectively) the Hugo, the Nebula, the Tiptree, the Crawford, the Gemmell, the... hell, I lose track. I actually won the Locus Award for Best First Novel and the Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award (twice). Blah blah blah, the usual.

Look, I like to write. In particular I like to write about ordinary people in extraordinary situations, preferrably in non-Earth worlds which nevertheless reflect our own concerns. By now I've published five novels, many short stories, and I'm currently working on my next trilogy. I'll occasionally talk about that here, and also my cat.

If you really like what I have to say and want to hear more, feel free to check out my author blog at nkjemisin.com .

Oh, and buy my book!

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 34 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Better than the first book, and not November 20, 2010

By David

Format:Paperback

I really wanted to like this book more than I did. It wasn't bad. I'll probably read the next book in the trilogy. But while the first book held promise despite some rough writing and annoying bumps in the narrative, I was hoping the second book would really suck me in, and... it didn't.

"The Broken Kingdoms" flows more smoothly than the first book, but Jemisin still has that annoying habit of inserting "* * *" in the middle of the narrative as the main character breaks her train of thought and decides to talk about something else. And a lot of the writing still struck me as something I'd see in a writer's workshop.

While I liked seeing a bit more of the world of the Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, we don't get to see a lot more. Most of the action still takes place in or under the cloud city of Sky.

More disappointing to me is that while this series is supposedly "epic fantasy," if not for the secondary world setting and the bigger scope of the supernatural love interests (gods, rather than vampires or werewolves or fairies), this would be sitting on the shelf next to all the other paranormal romances.

There is a little bit of forward motion in terms of the series arc, but if there is anything truly world-shaking that's going to occur, it will have to wait until book three.

What I really, really didn't like was the passive heroine and the undifferentiated nature of the characters, and worse, that this was what I didn't like in the first book. So I really hope Jemisin ups her game in book three. I'm teetering right on the edge of "Is this trilogy worth finishing?"

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The Broken Kingdoms November 12, 2010

By Alexandra Cenni VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

Like the first book, this was a richly realized world with characters who did nothing without a future goal in mind. Set ten years after the end of Book 1, we follow Oree Shoth, a blind artist with a unique magical gift that draws the attentions of the wrong people in the city known as 'Shadow'.

The ending is no less bittersweet then the first book, nor does it not come without a form of sacrifice. Familiar faces appear from time to time, mostly with unfortunate tidings or actions, but Oree is a different girl from Yeine. Oree is certain of herself, of what she will and will not do. She falters only when that belief is tested because she feels guilty for a wrong-doing not committed at her hands, but came about because of her.

She changes, she brings about change. There was times when I thought that she was being too passive, too willing to let things just happen and content to wait for a better moment to act. She made bad decisions, or she made decisions too late or too in the heat of the moment. She forgot important details and motivations. I liked her for her flaws however. Liked that her blunders didn't always translate into perfect action. Yeine sometimes irritated me because even her mistakes became useful.

Shiny, who anyone who read the first book will certainly guess his true form, was damaged and arrogant and stubborn. Whatever he was he could no longer be and whatever he could become he refused. Everything is a plot within a plot. Everyone is someone they're pretending at. Even Oree does this, to moderate success, from time to time. Sieh shows up, mischievous and cruel, all emotion and no control. I love him; he is my favorite kind of character. He acts without real thought, but is loyal when you earn his trust.

Yeine and Naha show up, though Naha has only a small part in the book and Yeine appears more than once. And its because of Yeine many of the events of this book are set into place--well what Yeine brought about 10 years previously. She is...much changed. Though perhaps its less that her personality is different and more that what she exhibited as a mortal has become more clarified. No longer diluted.

Hado shows up! It took me a lot longer than I care to think about to remember who he was and if he hadn't practically spelled it out I don't think I ever would have. T'vril, now a decade into his reign as the Lord of the Arameri, also appears and he is everything that is wrong with the Arameri, but also better then those before him. Fairer, if not less cut-throat.

The narrative isn't quite as disjointed as the first book. At least Oree doesn't get as distracted, or for as long, as Yeine did. There was very little downtime once events were set into motion and I will admit to quite a few tears on my part.

Book 3, The Kingdom of Gods, isn't to released until next September (2011), but that's okay. While reading The Broken Kingdoms I felt I understood some of the events and people from The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms a little more. Or maybe a better appreciation is the right phrase? Either way I greatly enjoyed this book and can't wait to see how this all turns out. Sieh is the one focused on in Book 3, something I am greatly looking forward to.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing - really something new and fresh! November 11, 2010

By Bjorn E

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

So this year is my 30th anniversary reading Fantasy. These days I very rarely come across a book that feels new and fresh. Even the excellent "A Song of Fire and Ice" doesn't feel fresh. Its just good.

However, the two first books of N.K. Jemsin's Inheritance Trilogy really do bring something that's both new and fresh. A great story involving gods and humans and believable magic. That is no mean feat to pull off; when gods become involved in a story, their omnipotence usually destroy the story and the suspense. I.e. if the gods are all powerful, why didn't they just set everything right to begin with?

I'm also really impressed with the character development. It takes turns and twists that are unpredictable but in retrospect logical.

Very well done, now please finish the third part soon!