★★★★½

I tore through this 4-book fantasy series over the holidays. (It’s a trilogy, yes, with a bonus novella #4.) I enjoyed the worldbuilding, characters, mythology, and mystery-soaked plots. And I loved Jemisin’s thematic work on power, especially the delicate necessity of balance and the urgency of laying down long-held privilege. The reading experience was also plain fun and had a strong element of mischief. It had been a while since I embraced a new series, and I’d forgotten how satisfying it can be to become fluent in another person’s imagination. I’m excited to explore more of Jemisin’s writing.

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“I can’t be what everyone wanted me to be. I can’t even be what I want to be. I’m going to have to find a way to live with what I am, I guess.”

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★★★ ½

I liked this Stephen King quest novel, which to me reads like a love child of his Dark Tower series and 11/22/63. It’s longer than it needs to be, and at times the prose is sloppy. But this story and the (wild!, imaginative, flawed but likable) characters kept me on the edge of my seat. A really enjoyable read. 

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“A brave man helps. A coward just gives presents.”

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