Quick-take: Interesting, but just barely.

Dan's Review

WARNING: Mild spoilers if you have not read the first book.

• I completely reject the premise of this series.

As I was reading this one, I was struggling to empathize with the characters. One of the main classes is called Orogenes. They are basically demigods, manipulating the world (collapsing volcanoes, quelling earthquakes, and on) by pure will. After the devastation concludes, the only thing missing is adding a nosebleed to show their internal strife. That may be a bit harsh. I would not classify this power purely a trope. It is decently well designed and original.

However, I do take issue with their place in society. People with power of Orogenes are considered outcasts and misfits who are at times murdered or enslaved. I propose this is completely incorrect. Any individual who had the power to decimate an entire army (freezing them into ice) with a skillful thought would immediately rise to the ranks ruler of the global elite. Even if one is not skilled at politics, they would be fabulously wealthy with accepting mercenary contracts.

It is hard to do, but I am willing to set that major plot misfire to the side.

While book 1 jumped around in the timeline, book 2 stayed entirely in what I suppose is "the present". It is fairly evenly split middle aged Essun, which, annoyingly, the book still refers to as "You". She is somewhat bitter and broken just like most 40-somethings in the books I read. As a 40-something myself, am I bitter and broken? I'd like to think not. The other major focus is with Nassun, her daughter (or perhaps I should say "Your" daughter). Essun spends all her time in the geode-based Comm rapidly rising in leadership ranks due to being a very powerful Orogene. Nassun is in training of her own powers with a father that secretly hates her and a new father figure which happens to be Essun's former mentor. I'm sure that will be quite the reunion in book 3.

Score 3/5. The book was mostly world-building and lore and explanations of things that happened in the previous book. Overall, I felt it was a weak entry that seemed to mostly to exist to prepare for the final book. I would normally walk away, but this is a completed trilogy. Apparently, each entry in the entire trilogy won Hugo awards, so I kinda feel obligated to read them all.