The Stone Sky (The Broken Earth, Book 3)
N. K. Jemisin, 2017
Hugo winner - 2018
Premise: With the full history of the orogenes and the Earth revealed, Essun and her daughter each have the power to save the world, or to destroy it.
Powerful and beautiful and sad and hopeful. Yup, the end of this trilogy brings it together and brings it home.
We return to a triple narrative in this. First, Essun's story of survival without access to her full power (as using her power is now destroying her body and she needs to survive to finish the plan) and her attempts at reconnecting with the fractured community around her before she tries to change the world. Second, her daughter Nassun's story of trauma and how an abused child hated by her society might use unimaginable power. Third, the new story thread is Hoa's, flashing back eons to the creation of the stone eaters and the destructive Seasons, and the history of racism and genocide they are rooted in.
The deadly geologic upheavals are in some ways just the abuse that the dominant society forced onto orogenes (those who can mentally sense and affect matter/geology), amplified to affect everyone. The little snippets of history throughout are used to emphasize the history of genocide and hate against orogenes, as well as their role throughout the history of the Seasons as protectors.
The ending is just right, bringing us to the very brink. It's all the feelings. It's so good.
What else is there to say.
Hopeful and sad, and beautiful and powerful.
5 Stars - An Awesome Book
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