Unfortunately, the only person who believes them is Sinandi, a foreign spy who would prefer to see the whole city crumble to the ground. When Ehiru and his apprentice, Nijiri, find themselves torn between their faith, their Prince, and the truth, they'll go to any length to do what's right. He believes in his city and his goddess, but nothing, even the holiest organization in Gujaareh, is immune to corruption. Collected by the Gatherers and given to the Sharers, it is used to heal, soothe, and control.Įhiru is a gifted Gatherer, a paragon of faith and purpose. From those last moments comes dreamblood, tithe to the goddess and her servants. Each night her Gatherers go forth, bringing the gift of a peaceful, dreaming death to those corrupt of thought and deed. Ruled by oligarchy, the city's reigns are held by the Prince and the Hetawa - the dreaming goddess Hananja's clergy. In the city-state of Gujaareh, the only law is peace. The result is a plot oriented novel that will appeal to traditional fans of high fantasy as well as those tired of reading recycled characters and worlds. In Killing Moon the focus is more on the first two, eschewing the more complex narratives of her past work. Whether that means non-western cultures, strong female characters, or more challenging narrative structures, she's practiced what she preaches. To anyone paying attention to genre scuttlebutt, it's common knowledge that Jemisin is one of the more outspoken proponents of bringing new points of view to the fantasy lexicon. While I haven't managed to read the subsequent two volumes in her Kingdom of the God's trilogy, the outstanding nature of the first novel put The Killing Moon on my radar as soon as it was announced for 2012 release. I said a lot of other things about it too, not all of which were terribly smart (I was just starting!). It is beautifully written and brims with emotion.' I often felt like a voyeur lurking on the outskirts of something I shouldn't be seeing. 'Jemisin presents a style that is uniquely intimate.

The Killing Moon by N.K. Jemisin