by N.K. Jemisin

I moved a little slower through this one, mostly because I found a lot of the Nassun chapters tough (not in a bad way, just in an "I'm nervous for her" way).

There was a lot of lore to get through and resolve since it's the conclusion. Sometimes it felt like it was speeding through things, but by the end I was really happy with the full picture. Most of my questions were answered. it's still very small slices/vignettes from a much larger history. There's a world where I would have been interested to read more chapters from more perspectives, including more slice-of-life stuff, but that's also a different book.

I don't think I have a comprehensive understanding of the stone-eaters' story, which is probably the biggest lore introduced in this one. But the big resonant thing is that Hoa starts as this mysterious figure, extremely powerful and sort of inscrutable, and then his past is revealed as similar to Essun's and Nassun's - put into a situation they don't understand and that they try to change for the better with unintended consequences. It makes him empathetic and accepting of other people's mistakes, while also still attempting a plan to change things because what else is there to do (give in to despair and guilt, I guess). It humanizes him and the other stone eaters which was an interesting direction to take them. Near immortality and still flawed and with plenty of regrets.

Despite it being hard for me to read at times I ended up really liking Nassun's arc as well. I like Hoa's aside where he says (iirc) don't judge her actions so much because they are down to her circumstances, but look at how she can love so fiercely, and who did she learn that from. That's that thread that runs all the way through from the first book: an unflinching look at the pain caused by your actions but also empathy and understanding and acceptance of them.

The lore and mechanics of the society and the Earth's role in fighting back - I would say I didn't object to any of that, but it wasn't that feeling of "oh I love how this is fitting together". I still really enjoyed the texture of things and lots of the little touches.

Great series. Probably my favorite fantasy in terms of combining interesting texture and world ideas with characters that I care about and think about regularly. Maybe I'll read it again in another 5-10 years.