The Stone Sky is the third and last installment in the Broken Earth Trilogy. This book is split between Essun and Nassun in the current day and Hoa in the past, which gives us context for how we got to where we are. We know that Essun and Nassun are on a collision course of sorts – they have the same general goal in mind, but with vastly different outcomes. Regardless, this Season and the Seasons in general cannot continue if humans are to survive. So, they are both seeking to end the Seasons. Jemisin does an excellent job of articulating why each character is championing the solution that she is, and makes both cases equally compelling. I knew who I was rooting for, but it seemed equally possible, at least to me, that either character could be triumphant until the final chapters.
As with the rest of the trilogy, the reader is rewarded for their patience. The continuation of Nassun’s story and the inclusion of Hoa’s voice in addition to Essun’s story help to create a deeper, richer world full of a diversity of experiences and ideas about what it means to change the world.
Overall, The Stone Sky is a bit more heavy-handed than the previous two books, but I am grateful for that. Sometimes in fiction it can be easy to enjoy the ride and miss the message, Jemisin works to ensure the reader gets both.
- Community is a necessity for survival.
- We cannot live without (the cooperation of ) the Earth.
- Oppression is never necessary and always wrong.
- The hubris of man knows no bounds.
- What has existed does not have to endure.
- Imagination and hope will help us find our way.
