The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms (Inheritance #1) by N.K. Jemisin ★★★★☆
Yeine Darr is an outcast from the barbarian north. But when her mother dies under mysterious circumstances, she is summoned to the majestic city of Sky. There, to her shock, Yeine is named an heiress to the king. But the throne of the Hundred Thousand Kingdoms is not easily won, and Yeine is thrust into a vicious power struggle.
This was a really excellent read. I'd been wanting to try Jemisin's work for a while now and the combination of the praise for her new series and my happening across a short story of hers in a collection I was reading really put things in motion for me.
There was just something about this book. I had a hard time putting it down. And when I did, I found myself constantly thinking about the characters. I really like politically driven fantasy--navigating the court, unraveling the secrets, figuring out who is scheming with whom. Parts of it really reminded me of Kushiel's Dart, especially in tone, though I couldn't tell you exactly why. They're very different books.
Still, the worldbuilding was spectacular, the characters were complex and interesting and I enjoyed myself every time I sat down to read. Some of the writing was a bit clunky at times, but given that this is Jemisin's debut, it didn't bother me much. I can't wait to read more from her.
