The Shadowed Sun (The Dreamblood, 2)

I dragged my feet on starting this book, because I felt pretty lukewarm toward its predecessor, The Killing Moon. Once I finally started on this one, however, I just really wanted to know what was happening.This one is about so many things. I will talk about it as best I can without spoilers. There's a heavy theme of being a fish out of water, getting to know other cultures and unlearning some prejudices. The author is deeply talented at creating a setting and a complex, alien culture that makes sense to the reader and feels believable. Thinking more deeply about right and wrong, and considering that the things that are right within one person's culture can be horrifying to an outsider. There is a lot about gender roles, exploring if a person can take on a role typically seen as belonging to the other gender, while maintaining one's on gender identity.There is a love story between two complicated, emotionally damaged characters who are still discovering their own needs and feelings. It also felt believable to me. There was melancholy in it, but this author does not seem to write typical happily ever after stories.Another major theme in this book, I'd say the most important one, is coping with abuse, and trying to heal from it. Horrific abuse is alluded to in this story, involving a small child, and particularly sensitive readers may find it deeply upsetting. It isn't graphic, but it doesn't need to be to get across the sadness and horror.I have not been so emotionally destroyed by the ending of a book since I gave up reading John Steinbeck. But unlike what turned me away from Steinbeck, not every outcome in this book is negative. There is a great deal of tragedy and sorrow, but there is also forgiveness, understanding, and hope.

Seriously, read her stories with a highlighter in hand. Her characters are alive, you will miss them, hate them, cheer for them and yearn for them long after you've finished the story. She also seamlessly weaves relevant, very present themes of social justice into her narrative in striking ways. Some that are obvious, some that will catch you slipping, bringing tears to your eyes. Long story longer, read this author. Everything. Everything she's ever written. This, here, is the second book in the Dreamblood duology. As of 2/16/19, I have not yet begun reading this story because I am still reading the first. And I am excited to get to part two. And I am already mourning the duology's close ("PLEASE NEVER END") ...Ahem. Get this book after you get the first book and read it from cover to cover. Then read yet another book by NK JEMISIN. Never stop reading NK JEMISIN. When you complete all her stories (and essays and blog entries and online stories), read them all again. And don't forget your highlighter!

It’s been probably a few years since I read book one and I was not as lost as I feared. 10 years after the Gatherer Ehiru saved Hananja’s City at the cost of his own life and their occupation by outsiders, the son of the of Prince, gathers an army to reclaim it. But in the City of Dreams, a new sleeping sickness spreads even as the nobility gathers to overthrow their protectors. I loved this story, not least because of poor Hanani, who reminds me too much of myself, and Wanahomen, brave and fiercely loving. I wish I could have followed their story for longer. It’s a shame to let this universe go but it has been a good run. Totally recommend.

From my Goodreads review: An excellent follow-up to "The Killing Moon," set in the same world but about 10 years later. Much has changed in the world, and the book mostly follows characters who were only ancillary in TKM, so there are plenty of new ideas and new stories to tell while keeping the flavor and the writing style of the first book. Jemisin's system of dream magic is explored from a different, and equally fascinating, angle. Her characters continue to feel genuine and their relationships respond to the harrowing challenges (and a few silly human foibles) of their world in interesting ways. There is no idealized society or perfect hero in this story, as easy as it would have been to make either one. The climax is exciting and the denouement is gratifying. I had no idea how Jemisin could follow TKM, which I thought was unique and remarkable, and while TSS isn't quite as tight it is a very satisfying successor. 4.5 stars

This is a deep, thought provoking, imagery based novel which opened up deep questions about the power to heal, the power of self, dealing with grief, finding of self and acknowledgement and acceptance of gifting. This novel had the reader hooked from the beginning, having read Book 1, I could not see where the author would go next but in reading The Shadowed Sun I saw how the author looked at Gujareet ten years hence, the division, the turmoil but the underlying desire to get it back to its original standing by fair means or foul. An excellent read, totally enjoyable for me, highly recommended!!

The second and final book of the Dreamblood series is as captivating as the first. Set ten years after the first it uses different protagonists to the first but retains many of the familiar characters. It explores many of the same themes - the nature of power, how societies scorn different cultures by labelling them as other, the clash of genders and many other thoughtful and thought-provoking ideas all contained within an exciting, enthralling story that grips one from beginning to end.Jemisin writes in a captivating way, bringing her world into life in a immersive, cinematic manner and plots exquisitely. I found it very refreshing that she weaves a story that is unexpected and difficult to second guess. As a keen reader of history I find she manages to incorporate events that ring true into her tales, virtue is not necessarily rewarded and uneasy compromises abound which is the complete opposite of much mainstream fantasy and far more satisfying to read. This is intelligent, thought provoking stuff from a new voice whose world-building skills are excellent and whose imagination is phenomenal.Although this was published later than the Inheritance trilogy it was written earlier and is well worth reading. However deeply you wish to ponder the ideas she explores this is still an extremely good page-turner and a really good read.

I've had the two books in this duology sitting on my bookcase for a while and decided I'd finally get round to reading them both - I know from reading interviews with NK Jemisin that these two books were actually written before the Hundred Thousand Kingdoms series, which was published first, and I think it shows in the overall structure and characterisation.Both books are set in the city of Gujaareh and its surrounding deserts, a city where dreams have power and are used as the basis for both killing and healing - our protagonist in The Killing Moon is a Gatherer, whose job it is to both help the terminally ill or injured to cross over to the next life as painlessly as possible, or to be an executioner of those found to be 'corrupt'. One of the main characters in The Shadowed Sun is a Sharer, whose job it is to use dreams to heal rather than kill, again within a very structured religious setting.The events of the two books take place ten years apart, with the focus of The Killing Moon being on an attempt by the ruler of the city to make himself immortal by the deaths of countless others. Our protagonist, Ehiru, realises too late that he has been used to put down political opponents of the prince (who also happens to be his half-brother) and that the system he has been working within is itself corrupt. His only choice, he feels, is to enlist the help of the Kisuati to overthrow the current system.In The Shadowed Sun, our focus is split between Hanani, who is the first woman to try and become a Sharer, and Wanahomen, son of the prince who was at the centre of things in the previous book. He has sought refuge with one of the desert tribes and discovers that his father was not the man he'd always believed him to be. His attempts to regain the throne are undertaken against a backdrop of a terrible plague, as well as general dissatisfaction with the way things are under Kisuati occupation.NK Jemisin is one of my favourite authors, so it's a shame to discover that she's written something I'm unlikely to want to read again. I liked The Killing Moon much better of the two, as there was much less of a redemption arc being pushed for Ehiru than there is in The Shadowed Sun for Wanahomen. The world-building in both books is excellent, though that should come as absolutely no surprise - this is not medieval-Europe-with-dragons, as is often the case with so much fantasy.It's a sign of how good a writer NK Jemisin is that she actually manages to almost redeem Wanahomen for me, given that quite early on he engineers a sexual assault on the other main character. I just couldn't get past that, even though Hanani apparently managed to do just that, which was even less believable for me given that (to save herself) she's forced to use her healing powers to kill. There's also an element of the magic healing penis too, as soon after Hanani is grieving for her mentor and decides this would be a really good time to get rid of that pesky virginity she's been hanging on to as a result of her religious vows.So, all in all, glad I've read them but doubt I'll re-read them. Maybe I'm setting the bar too high though and there was a sense of disappointment there for me too - NK Jemisin's other books are so good, so powerful and affecting, that these felt like they were part-finished in comparison. Not bad per se, although there were things I definitely didn't like about them, but just not quite as good as other things she's written...

In all the Sci-fi\SF books I have read, never have I come across illustrations of the real harm done to people by others as reflections of today; not only do we get the wonders of alternative family structures but divergent societies, core beliefs again within a desert environment. The shock, subtly written but at the centre of the narrative, is the abuse of a daughter by her father and the related damage caused. A thoroughly worthwhile read, excellent storyline and beuatifully written.

excellant book from a really professional writer.Waiting for the next book!

This book is a disappointment in it's complexity of language and plot. Not a light or satisfying read.