The Killing Moon

The Killing Moon by N.K. Jemisin

I REALLY liked this book. I picked it up because I saw it recommended on an "if you liked Tolkein" bookstagram post. And while it's not very like Tolkein, it is a terrific, well-written fantasy based on a unique mythology.

A couple things I particularly enjoyed was the practice of narcomancy, or dream magic, and how that factored into everything the society does: living, dying, healing, even some forms of fighting all rely on different unique humors of the dream magic. And two of our main trio are practicers of this narcomancy, while the third is a foreign diplomat. When Ehiru and his newly appointed apprentice Njirii are sent to gather Sunandi, she reveals the corruption of the system, setting in motion a chain of events that has them fighting to restore balance.

Jemison is a masterful writer and world builder, so the city and society of Gujaareh are so fully fleshed out and understood that you can feel them form around you as you read. I'm always so happy to find new-to-me fantasy writers that I will really look forward to reading more of, and Jemison is definitely on that list, I'll be looking next for The Shadowed Sun, sequel to The Killing Moon.

“Four are the tributaries of the great river. Four are the harvests from floodseason to dust. Four are the great treasures: timbalin, myrrh, lapis, and jungissa. Four bands of color mark the face of the Dreaming Moon. Red for blood. White for seed. Yellow for ichor. Black for bile.”

 “True dreamers are both geniuses and madmen. Most lands can tolerate only a few, and those die young.”

“There is peace in submission, but sometimes greater peace—lasting peace—in resistance.”