Kingdom of Gods (Inheritance Trilogy) (utgåvan 2011)

Jemisin's second book delivers all the great things that the first book of the trilogy promised. Although trilogy may not really be an appropriate term for these books. ( )

This was the worst of the trilogy for me and unfortunately also the longest. It takes a long time to ramp up and a long time to wind down, and there wasn't a whole lot to keep me going in between. It was really just unsatifsying all around. I liked getting to spend some time watching Sieh evolve, and the dynamic with the Arameri twins was pretty neat, but on the whole this was a big miss for me. ( )

Totally loved it! http://www.susanhatedliterature.net/2018/10/the-kingdom-of-gods/ ( )

I didn't get as deep into this as the other two. Partly, I think, because I didn't relate as well to Sieh, the narrator. But it was still good, and I liked the two humans Sieh is involved with.

One wonders, though, why the universe is so interested in creating gods in groups of three when groups of three are so horribly unstable.

Perhaps the reason Jemisin does.... DRAMA. ( )

The Kingdom of Gods takes place 100 years after the events of the first book in the trilogy, 90 years after book 2. While books 1 and 2 focused on (apparently) mortal characters caught up reluctantly in the events of gods and rulers, book 3 is from the POV of Sieh, the oldest of the godlings and god of childhood and an important character in book 1 (he makes a brief appearance in book 2). Told in the first person by Sieh, it follows him as he befriends two child Arameri twin heirs, and makes an oath of friendship that goes horribly wrong and somehow leaves him as mortal. He has spent eons as a child-looking god, but now finds himself growing old and losing his magic, with even his parents unable to correct his condition.

Sieh and his friends Deka and Shahar then are faced with a threat to the Arameri from a mysterious source, magic formed from masks made in the far north.

I found this book a little less entertaining than the first two. Revelations abound as the book moves on regarding the ancestry of the twins, the plans of the Arameri rulers, etc, but Jemisin tends to present these revelations obliquely, forcing the reader to think through the point along with the character, rarely spelling out the fact clearly. Sometimes I found myself not really understanding the plot point. I also found Sieh annoying as the climax comes, making poor decisions that lead to the deaths of scores of mortals.

Ultimately, the issue I have is that this world, while amazingly inventive and detailed, doesn't wholly hold together logically. The powers of the gods and demigods seem strangely limited sometimes to propel the plot, rather than the plot bending to their powers. And some major reveals don't feel earned, coming from nowhere and introducing new characters rather than making the reader exclaim "wow I should have guessed that!"

Still, a worthwhile story and book, and I'll keep reading her. ( )