The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin
OKAY, so it's NOT FAIR that every book (series) I read by Jemisin is one of my favorites. But this one is, yet again.
So. It's weeeIRD. At first. The first chapter is confusing and hard to follow, but then chapter 2, things start getting explained (sorta) and making sense. The whole premise of the book is extremely interesting, and the magic system of the book is wholly unique (in my experience).
I don't spoil much here. I will tell you a nickname of the enemy. I will tell you about the premise of the book, which you learn in the first ... 50 pages? Maybe less. I will yap a little about the characters. AND I SUPPOSE, some of the details about how the ... premise works ... are spoiled here, whereas they are sprinkled throughout the book.
Discovering WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON is part of the joy of this book. So maybe don't continue reading this if you wanna read it. But there is so much more to the book, so starting it out knowing what it's about ... you'll still love it.
SO.
Cities are alive. Well. Some of them. New York has been birthed, and there is an avatar who is an individual person but also the embodiment of the entire city. Then there are also 5 boroughs, and for each borough of new york (Manhatten, Brooklyn, Bronx, Staten Island, Queens), there is another avatar.
The borough-people are suddenly discovering that they are now A CITY and navigating the mess that comes with that.
It. is. INTERESTING. It. is. WEIRD. It. is. GOOD.
I find all the characters likeable in their own ways, and some of them can be pretty frustrating and unlikeable at times too (though, likeable wins out).
I think Jemisin is a great character writer. I mean her plots are excellent, and the fantasy is super interesting. But I am genuinely impressed with her characters.
I recently read A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett, and one of my biggest issues with that book is the characters. They just don't feel complete enough. Not enough character development, not enough backstory, not enough emotional depth.
But Jemisin's characters FEEL LIKE PEOPLE, whom I can connect with - Some more than others, but this is because of WHO THEY ARE and WHO I AM, not because of HOW THEY'RE WRITTEN.
She just fucking rocks dude. GO READ SOME JEMISIN. You can start with any of her series. My favorite is still Fifth Season, but The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms is excellent too, and this one is also fantastic.
I started reading the 2nd book of this series, too, and am loving it so far (50 or so pages in)
Oh and they call the enemy SQUIGGLEBITCH and it fucking cracks me up.