Imagine me, standing up, doing a slow clap standing ovation. That is how I feel about this trilogy. It’s been a while since a series has gripped me so thoroughly, and this coming from someone who doesn’t ready a lot in the genre of epic fantasy science fiction. And I guess this book is all of these? But it also transcends definition in a lot of ways because it is SO MANY THINGS. And how does she do all of these things well? I DON’T KNOW.
I’m already into book 3 so I don’t want to go into too much, lest I get ahead of myself but, our main character is still trying to suss (sess? heh) what her role is as everything unravels at the onset of a fifth season, the time at which the weather and atmosphere of the planet is unforgiving, and lawlessness reigns as survival becomes the focus. Essun is still on a quest to find her daughter, Nassun, who is on her own path, traveling with her father who wrestles with the fact that she is an orogene, and the fact that he killed his own son for exactly the same reason. But she is his baby girl, so she seems safe for now, as long as she can manipulate him and the situation, but let’s not forget that she is freakin’ TEN YEARS OLD and thus ill-equipped for such a task. Or is she?
And now the moon is involved? And Alabaster is back, and wants her help with righting the world. But can she do it? Does she even want to do it? And what do the stone eaters want? Whose side are they on, the earthling/orogenes? Father Earth? Their own?
I clearly am struggling to define and explain this book because it is beyond definition and so freakin’ creative and amazing that I struggle to give it a synopsis. Just do yourself a favor and READ IT.
Your enthusiasm is infectious. I’ve added book one to my TBR.
YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY
This trilogy was way up there on my list of favorite things I read last year. I can’t wait for your review of the third one! I raved about the series on a zoom work book club call, enough so that one of the attendees asked for (and received) all three for Christmas. She hasn’t started them yet, and I’m so nervous! These book club folks are definitely more of the “businessy self-help” type readers, so this could backfire badly. But I loved them so much and was recommending to everyone – I couldn’t help myself!
Bothari: I bought the series for a friend too and then found out it was on his to read list, so that was validating. I think this series transcends genres a bit and is really approachable (though very cerebral) so I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you that they like it!