The Stone Sky

I can walk away from this one feeling largely satisfied. There is the twinge of wanting more--but that in itself speaks to a level of satisfaction. I would like the story to continue... But I'm okay stopping here too.

I don't think either of the last books will ever be able to match the first book in terms of pure artistry. There are aspects of the world building introduced in Book 2 that I wasn't a huge fan of, and that carries into this book as well. But this one is where all the questions get answered, and I can't rate it any less for satisfactorily answering them.

I enjoyed the trilogy, but didn't find it particularly outstanding overall.

Great conclusion to a very well done trilogy. There's a bit of a rush and inconsistent planning to explain some of back story elements, but in the end it falls together nicely. Jemison's afterword brings some clarity to some of her character development, and is worth the few minutes it takes read. I'm definitely rooting for this to take a Hugo as well, and have added Jemison to my short list of authors who's books I buy automatically.

And thus it is over, the best trilogy I have read this year, or possibly in years.

The Stone Sky seamlessly continues the story from The Obelisk Gate, without much of a time-jump. The survivors of Castrima move north, towards the equator, with Essun who feels torn between saving the comm, finding her daughter Nassun, and doing that last favor for Alabaster, to return the moon and end the Seasons. Inevitably, it comes to a grand finale in Corepoint where mother and daughter finally meet again, and the fate of the world lies in their hands.

The Broken Earth is a thought-provoking series. Especially in this last book it comes to a head that there's always been systemic oppression in human history. In this fictional version of our far-future planet, we meet multiple groups who are oppressed and used by the powers-that-be, hated and controlled. "But for a society built on exploitation, there is no greater threat than having no one left to oppress."

The characters in The Broken Earth are all broken, damaged people, living in a world that throws nothing but hardship and tragedy at them. So there's the final decision to make here, at the hands of mother and daughter. In a world that is so terrible, would you rather end and destroy it or try to change it?

It's a moving, poignant end. It didn't answer all my questions, because I still do not understand how the Guardians came about, or how the Fulcrums were created after the end of Syl Anagist. But it's nevertheless a satisfying conclusion full of sorrow, loss and hope. The Stone Sky didn't blow my mind like The Fifth Season did, but it's still everything I could have hoped for.

I seriously cannot recommend this series enough. N.K. Jemisin is amazing.