OK, so I’d already mentioned the reviews by Romantic Times and Kirkus, and that the Publishers’ Weekly review was starred. Yesterday, however, brought a fresh surprise: Library Journal gave The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms a starred review too! Here’s the relevant bit: Debut author Jemisin creates a mesmerizingly exotic world where fallen gods serve as slaves to the ruling class and murder and ambition go hand in hand. VERDICT: An engaging heroine and a fresh take on traditional dynastic fantasy make this trilogy opener a delight for the fantasy reader and introduce a strong new voice to the genre. And since […]

OK, I heard about this a few weeks ago and hinted at it a few posts back. Have been gleefully sitting on the news, waiting for the folks at PW to post the review themselves before I unveiled it. It’s still not up there, so you can’t see the actual text yet. But the folks at Orbit have already spilled the beans, so that means I get to squee too — The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms has gotten a starred review from Publisher’s Weekly! Like I said, I’ve seen the actual text of the review, and it’s phenomenal; can’t wait to

Except this “et tu” is a good thing, because Kirkus’ review of 100K is fantastic: Debut fantasy features an intriguing, well-drawn mythology. At first glance, the basic plot may seem standard: A young woman, narrator/protagonist Yeine Darr, is named heir to the Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, which plunges her into a power struggle with two rival cousins. But Jemisin’s world-building and attention to detail raise this story to another level. In the novel’s complex but well-defined universe, a war between the gods took place in the distant past. The losing divinities were punished severely and forced to become the slaves of

Have heard about two phenomenal reviews from major outlets in the last few days, which have constituted the BEST CHRISTMAS GIFTS EVAR. One of them I can’t tell you about until it’s official. The other, though, my agent sent to me tonight (yes, on a Saturday, day after Christmas, is she amazing or what?), from Romantic Times Book Reviews re The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms: Top Pick! This is an astounding debut novel. The worldbuilding is solid, the characterization superb, the plot complicated yet clear. Yeine is a fantastic protagonist, and her journey toward her destiny is compelling and memorable. The