Review: The Kingdom of Gods by N.K. Jemisin

Title: The Kingdom of Gods

Author: N.K. Jemisin

Genre: fantasy

Series: The Inheritance Trilogy #3

Pages: 575 (mass market paperback)

Published: October 2011

Source: bought

Rating: 5/5

For two thousand years the Arameri family has ruled the world by enslaving the very gods that created mortalkind. Now the gods are free, and the Arameri’s ruthless grip is slipping. Yet they are all that stands between peace and world-spanning, unending war.

Shahar, last scion of the family, must choose her loyalties. She yearns to trust Sieh, the godling she loves. Yet her duty as Arameri heir is to uphold the family’s interests, even if that means using and destroying everyone she cares for.

As long-suppressed rage and terrible new magics consume the world, the Maelstrom — which even gods fear — is summoned forth. Shahar and Sieh: mortal and god, lovers and enemies. Can they stand together against the chaos that threatens the Kingdom of the Gods?

The Kingdom of Gods is the last book in the Inheritance Trilogy, and it is written from the perspective of Sieh, god of childhood. Sieh, lonely and seeking comfort, finds himself (much to his own chagrin) befriending the current Arameri heirs, Shahar and Dekarta. During their bonding, however, something goes wrong, and Sieh is trapped as a mortal- a true one this time, for his godly powers are slowly lost, not to mention the fact that he is truly and irrevocably growing up. In delving into this mystery, a larger conspiracy makes itself known, and it becomes clear that

The Trickster is keeping a whopper of a secret- even from himself.

In this final tale, Jemisin really grabbed onto her craft and wrestled from it a story of delight and wonder. There are no superfluous descriptions or wasted moments- every scene is essential to the whole, making The Kingdom of Gods a serious page-turner.

My favorite aspect of this book, though, is how every few pages, I could picture myself with comic-like thought bubbles like:

Sieh is such a naughty boy!
LOL @ Sieh, what an ass!
Yeine did WHAT???... Oh, clever Yeine.
HOLY CRAP I did not see that coming! Etc.

Everyone's character- Yeine, Sieh, Itempas, Shahar, Dekarta...- shows signs of maturation, both in context and as creatures of fiction. The challenge they must all step up to is a great one, and it's fascinating to see how they each handle the pressure.

The book has few faults in my eyes, but one of them seems a common concern among fellow reviewers- the deus ex machina ending. However, I find this necessary in this case- the story is about gods. The author never tried to hide that fact - it's there in the title! I think a more appropriate description might be this made up term I'm using- deus ex deus. Even this, though, is a small flaw. The characters' actions have real consequences, and the ending is not exactly "everyone lived happily ever after."

The story of the god of childhood takes many unexpected twists and turns and encompasses many varying themes, such as loneliness, friendship, and the fascinating-if-fictional evolution of the gods. It's nice to see a trilogy that ends with the strongest book! Highly recommended.