FINALLY GETTING AROUND TO THE REVIEW OF THIS WONDERFUL BOOK: By N.K. Jemisin

N.K. Jemisin is my favorite Sci-Fi/Sci-Fantasy novelist. I was introduced to her writings by a fellow blogger, S. Higsbee, of Brainfluff, in her review of Jemisin’s Broken Earth Series many years ago. Reading Jemisin’s trilogy was one of my best reading experiences ever. Starting The Great Cities Series this past year with The City We Became, was one of my greatest pleasures to date. (I reviewed this novel on PWR earlier–use the search bar.)

The Avatars of New York who finally found each other and came together in the first book, The City We Became, are ready to take on The Woman in White and her minions. They “join together with the other Great Cities of the World to take her down and protect their world from complete destruction.”

The action, the plot the twists and turns keep the reader turning the pages and staying up well past bedtime. Twists and turns occur as the solutions found become temporary and even create other situations to solve. It is a battle between good and evil which is fought out in the most creative of ways. What reader would have dreamt that spoken verse could be used as a weapon? The women characters/boroughs/avatars of New York have stronger roles than ever, and their love-hate relationships with each other are beautifully drawn.

Usually, I recommend novels as stand alone even when in a series, but on this one, it is necessary to read the first book to enjoy the second. I promise you will like it too. Both books are darned good reads.

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THE CITY WE BECAME by N.K. Jemisin

This book, which I ordered from an independent bookstore, complete with a bookplate signed by the author and virtual attendance at an interview/event held by the bookstore was one of my favorite reads of 2022. Published in 2020 by my favorite science fiction writer, N. K. Jemisin, this sci fi novel takes place in New York City. Many of you who have followed my blog know about my fascination with NYC, so you can imagine how fast I ordered this book after reading about it coming out. It was everything I had hoped for and more.

The opening chapters alone are enough excitement and thrilling action for any sci fiction novel!

The City We Became is Jemisin’s first book in The Great Cities Trilogy. Neil Gaiman declares it to be “Glorious,” and, indeed it is.

“Every city has a soul. Some are ancient as myths; others are as new as children. New York? She’s got six–and all six will be called to arms in the greatest battle the city has ever fought.” The story opens with an exciting, terrifying scene where a young man, later identified as Manhattan, encounters monsters and catastrophic activity in “The Battle of FDR Drive” in chapter one. Each of New York’s boroughs makes up a team of individuals who must fight creatures from an alternate universe who seek to destroy NYC and eventually the Earth.

Set in contemporary NYC, this “modern masterpiece of culture, identity, magic, and myth,”has just whetted my appetite for the second book in the series, presumably set in Paris; then I think it’s on to London for the final book in the series. I can hardly wait!

WRITE FASTER, N.K. JEMISIN !

BOOK BUDDY/ACCOUNTABILITY PARTNER WANTED

I need a friend, one who has a taste for urban fantasy and is a fan of NYC. Seriously, I have bought a signed copy of N.K Jemisin’s The City We Became, and need to MAKE time to read it. I first read this author in the Broken Earth series a few years ago when I bought the trilogy after its recommendation by blogging friend Sarah of Brainfluff. As a summer project, My Better Half and I took turns reading it aloud to each other. When fall schedules made an appearance again, we started Book Two, but soon he had less time to read than did I, so with his permission, I continued to read the book to the end, finishing my mid-semester. I put off reading Book Three for almost two years, making several false starts before finally finishing the trilogy during the Christmas Holidays that year.

The author is simply amazing, and when I saw that a Houston bookstore was offering a signed bookplate and a copy of the book as part of their online conversation with Jemisin, I jumped at the opportunity. So, now I have a copy of the book but do not have the self-discipline to begin the book and not be distracted by finishing library books first, finishing books for challenges first, etc. This is a book I want to read for myself, but I need someone to keep me accountable to reading x number of pages or chapters per day or week to check in with to assure that I stick to a schedule.

This “latest” promises to be a fabulous read!

Who will read this book with me and discuss it after we finish. I am open to how much or little we read at a time and how often we check in to keep each other updated on whether we are on track?

Here are its opening lines:

“PROLOGUE

See, What Happened Was

I sing the city.

F***ing city. I stand on the rooftop of a building I don’t live in and spread my arms and tighten my middle and yell nonsense ululations at the construction site that blocks my view. I’m really singing to the cityscape beyond. The city’ll figure it out.”

The book is described as “Glorious” on the cover by Neil Gaiman. It was a New York Times Bestseller and Jemisin is a four-time Hugo award-winning author. Interested yet? This 2020 publication is the first in The Great Cities Trilogy, but you don’t have to commit to all three books–just this one.

Anybody interested? Say so in the comments/reply box below.

THANKS!

RAE