The Kingdom of Gods, by NK Jemisin

[sophia_sol]

Hey look, it only took me a year to get to the third book in this trilogy, after the five years it took between the first and the second; amazing, go me!

Unfortunately I think this is my least favourite book in the trilogy though. I think my feelings about the viewpoint character matter a lot in my enjoyment of these books! And Sieh is just not my character type at all. I was bored and impatient through much of the book, and I just didn't really ever get emotionally attached to him. Which is too bad, because there WAS interesting stuff happening! It's just...I would have preferred to see it from the point of view of almost any other character.

Sieh also seems to me like a choice that doesn't fit the pattern of the books. The other two are both narrated by mortal women who love a god, and this one is narrated by a god who loves some mortals. And the book's marketing description even makes you think it's going to fit the pattern of the other two books by focusing on the mortal woman Shahar, but she turns out to be just one of several important secondary characters. And instead I'm stuck with Sieh. (Sorry, Sieh!)

I am glad I read it, and I'm glad to know where the story went, but the second book is still unquestionably my favourite, and I think I'm unlikely to ever feel called to reread this one.

Comments

[chestnut_pod]

The second book is definitely my favorite too! "Trickster gods" are always something of a tough hang, I think.

[sophia_sol]

yeah I think you're right about that!

I also think it was hindered by not being a traditional story shape for a trickster. Usually it's either "trickster tricks everyone, isn't he so clever" or "trickster goes too far and gets his due comeuppance" but instead this tried to be like...a sad or bittersweet story about a trickster, which doesn't quite fit well together, imo

[luzula]

It's been ages since I tried to read this, but going back to my review this is what I thought: Trying to articulate why this didn't work for me, I think it might be because the first two books were from a human POV, and this is from the POV of a god with the mindset of a child. That would be really hard to write, and I'm not sure the POV felt convincing to me.

So yeah, seems similar to your issues.

[sophia_sol]

yeah I definitely agree with that analysis of yours also!

[schneefink]

This book is my favorite of the trilogy, but it is almost entirely because of Shahar and Deka. I got a great Yuletide fic for it last year: Innocent

[sophia_sol]

Deka and Shahar are definitely interesting! I wanted more of them tbh, but found it difficult to see them and connect with them through the lens of Sieh's pov. Having the book through Deka or Shahar's pov instead would have been way more my thing!

[lokifan]

Sieh is exactly my kind of character (obviously, lol, check out my username) and the second book is still my fave, too.

[sophia_sol]

haha, I guess the second book is just that powerful! It truly is amazing.