The Dreamblood Series by N.K. Jemisin | Review

I just want to take a moment and appreciate the covers of both books.

 

[sigh...]

Discovered: BookRiot.com

Status: Read

Purchased: BookRiot Quarterly Box; Barnes & Noble Online

Mode: Paperback

Goodreads Rating: *****

Aren't they beautifully epic?! A few posts back, I received The Killing Moon from the Book Riot Quarterly box. It was one of three books and I was instantly enamored with the cover. It's just so effin' pretty! Then I read the synopsis and was instantly hooked. 

I've never been an adventurous fantasy reader. My foray into "things beyond reality" is limited to the paranormal. My alternate reality "comfort zone" consists of vampires and a sprinkling of werewolves. So I was pretty surprised when my "need-to-read-like-now" radar perked after getting my hands on The Killing Moon. Maybe it was the excitement of receiving my first Book Riot Quarterly? Probably. I also couldn't resist the pull of the unique and seductive world of the Dreamblood.

In The Killing Moon, we have Ehiru and Nijiri, Gatherers of the Hetawa, which is the religious cult of Gujaareh. And there is Sunandi, a fierce diplomat from the neighboring and rival city-state of Kisua. In the face of a megalomaniac Prince, a Reaper, political and religious conspiracy, and world war, these three characters journey to achieve a far-reaching diplomatic endeavor to preserve the fate of humanity

The Shadowed Sun is set ten years after the conclusion of The Killing Moon. It mainly follows Wanahomen, the exiled son of the previous megalomaniac Prince, and Hanani, a Healer of the Hetawa. It also follows Tiannet, a young woman whose struggles show that power and greed are not limited to ruling political and religious bodies. Recurring characters such as Nijiri and Sunandi are also present as everyone comes together to reclaim Gujaareh from Kisuati rule. In addition to war, our characters must battle an epidemic that has crossed political lines into the dreamworld. To put it simply, Jemisin takes the world she's built in The Killing Moon and flips it upside down in The Shadowed Sun and it's pretty damn epic! 

While The Killing Moon and The Shadowed Sun are nostalgic of ancient Egyptian culture, Jemisin manages to weave a fantastical and independent world with its own culture, politics, and mysticism. The startlingly familiarity of certain aspects of the setting is thought provoking. For instance, both books present a world that is fascinatingly contradictory. In The Killing Moon, love and sexuality are presented unbound by our own traditional definitions of the norm, yet Gujaareh is governed by a monarchy and single religion. In The Shadowed Sun, the Banbarra tribe is presented as barbarian and nomadic, yet the customs are role reversing. Men wear veils, while women rule and conduct family businesses. Doesn't this just sound so cool?

Both books have opened the doors of adult fantasy for me. Whilst reading, I'm usually the voyeur peering into the world and lives of the book. Rarely do I have a book where I feel like I'm walking side by side the characters. The Dreamblood series seem to have bridged that gap between reader and book.

Young Adult, Fantasy and Everything In Between | Book Haul

Do you ever have that constant thought of meaning to buy some particular item/s? And that desire to buy those items constantly bothers you night and day? So you just go to the store and run your hands all over said items wishing you had the capacity to purchase them? Well, that happens to me A LOT (you know you do this too). And I have a love/hate relationship with my URRRRge to buy everything on my TBR pile. I love the fact that there are just so many damn good books to read out there. But I also hate the fact that I don't have them yet! 

So I went a little mega on my book haul this month and just bought most of the books I've been wanting to read. Yes, it'll take a while to read them but at least I have them in my hands, right? And I am ecstatic! 

I've already completed reading The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms before publishing this post! Don't judge me; there was a gap between the arrival of my first batch and second batch. 

Without further ado, here's my mega book haul!

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

After reading Eleanor & Park I just had to get Fangirl. It's just not enough reading just one of Rainbow Rowell's books. I see Fangirl on the shelves of every Barnes & Noble I happen to peruse and the YA BookTube community is raving about it. So Fangirl, COME. TO. ME.

How To Tell Toldeo From the Night Sky by Lydia Netzer

This is a lovely book I heard of on one of the episodes of The Book Riot Podcast, in which Rebecca Schinsky and Amanda Nelson rave about this new release. Since I trust Book Riot's recommendations I knew I would love this book as well. Also, I don't read a lot of books with an astrology premise. The last one I read was The Movement of Stars by Amy Brill and I loved it. It's about time I get lost in the stars again.

The Inheritance Trilogy by N.K. Jemisin

Speaking of getting lost in stars, let's get lost with hunky gods, goddesses, and godlings. After being sucked into the Dreamblood series, I just had to get my hands on N.K. Jemisin's other works. This trilogy was published before the Dreamblood series and it's just as good. I already finished The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms and the feels, THE FEELS! A review is well under way people!

The Blood Eden Series by Julie Kagawa

A paranormal dystopian! A vampire romance! And *drumroll* an Asian/American heroine in a YA series. Now, you don't see that often. Naturally, I had to get my hands on this series. Yes, there are many books out there with similar premises. Heck these days, the YA genre is dominated by dystopias and vampires. But a vampire + dystopia? I peruse a lot of paranormal books and I have yet to come across another series that combine both premises. If there are others, feel free to recommend. And although I've been really into fantasy lately, I've always been a lover of paranormal fiction. Since high school, I found those elements more sexy and trilling. So I just know I'll get a unique reading experience with The Blood Eden series while still dipping into one of my favorite genres. Also, hurrah to Julie Kagawa and Harlequin Teen for bringing diversity into YA literature. 

The Grisha Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo

Have you seen this trilogy everywhere? Good, so have I. I've heard of this trilogy on Book Riot, Twitter, and BookTube; and I've seen it on the YA front shelves of every bookstore. I admit, I wasn't able to jump on the boat/moment of other big name trilogies, so I didn't want to miss out on this one. But that's now the only reason why I've bought these. I'm actually a lot more interested in this trilogy than any other books that have been turned into movies. I admit (again), I'm not as excited to read this as I am of my other books, but I have a pretty good feeling that I'll end up loving them all the same. Woohoo books!