The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms

By: N. K. Jemisin

Narrated by: Casaundra Freeman

Length: 11 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's summary

In this brilliantly original debut fantasy, a young woman becomes entangled in a power struggle of mythic proportions.

Yeine Darr is an outcast from the barbarian North. But when her mother dies under mysterious circumstances, she is summoned to the majestic city of Sky. There, to her shock, Yeine is named an heiress to the king. But the throne of the Hundred Thousand Kingdoms is not easily won, and Yeine is thrust into a vicious power struggle with cousins she never knew she had. As she fights for her life, she draws ever closer to the secrets of her mother's death and her family's bloody history.

With the fate of the world hanging in the balance, Yeine will learn how perilous it can be when love and hate - and gods and mortals - are bound inseparably together.

The Inheritance Trilogy:

• The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms
• The Broken Kingdoms
• The Kingdom of Gods
• The Inheritance Trilogy (omnibus edition)
• Shades in Shadow: An Inheritance Triptych (e-only short fiction)
• The Awakened Kingdom (e-only novella)

For more from N. K. Jemisin, check out:

Dreamblood Duology:

• The Killing Moon
• The Shadowed Sun

The Broken Earth:

• The Fifth Season
• The Obelisk Gate
• The Stone Sky

©2010 N. K. Jemisin (P)2018 Hachette Audio

Critic reviews

"In The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, N.K. Jemisin has created a smart, passionate heroine and an extraordinary world. Marvelous work from a marvelous storyteller!" (Carol Berg, author of Breath and Bone)

"Many books are good, some are great, but few are truly important. Add to this last category The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, N.K. Jemisin's debut novel.... This is the must-read fantasy of the year." (Booklist)

"The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms is the provocative and exciting debut novel by a writer whose work I hope to be reading for a long time to come." (Kate Elliott, author of Shadow Gate)

Loved every aspect!

An original and complete story. The twists and turns are enjoyable throughout. And the story is restless in it's expansiveness. Freeman does a fantastic job at narration and brings life to each character and their respective intricacies.

Entertaining from start to finish

Excellent story by an excellent author, brought to life by a superb reader.

At no time does the story lag, no time was the feeling elicited for me to scan over bulky descriptions that weighed the story down.

Murder investigation during succession

N K Jemisin's The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms is a fantasy tale revolving around a young girl whose mother was murdered for unknown reasons. She is the granddaughter to the current ruler, but her mother abdicated her inheritance to marry a commoner from a distant land. She is now summoned to the Sky city to play a part in the succession ritual which she accepts partly out of duty, but also to investigate her mother's murder. In the Sky city, she must navigate the odd rituals of the ruling Arameri class as well as the tenuous relationship with gods and godlings who are under some measure of control, all while recognizing that her role in succession is to be the sacrificial lamb.

Jemisin crafts a complex origin tale for the gods, along with their semi-imprisonment by the Arameri. The gods and godlings are rather stereotypically constrained arbitrarily along with semantic confusion. At the same time, the Arameri have evolved a rather convoluted and confusing series of rituals that are whimsical at best. Finally, the home territory of Yeine displays a total role reversal for genders without any explanation for this state of affairs which seems at odds with the rest of the world. It's hard to envision how a technologically primitive society can survive when child bearing females are the ones dying in battles.

The narration is well done with a solid range of voices. Pacing is relaxed.

ahhhh Sooo good!

The whole story was so well thought out and the narrator was perfect. The ending tied everything up, I honestly wouldn't change a thing

Thoroughly Enjoyed This

I read The Broken Earth trilogy first, so I knew what to expect with NK's writing. What I didn't expect was Cassaundra's performance. Wow!!!
I'm starting the next book immediately! A very enjoyable story, with multilayered characters and a pretty solid plot.
DEFINITELY recommend.

Highly recommended

I was going to say it was a fresh, extraordinary take on a common premise, but considering how long ago it was published, maybe it was new at the time. Either way, it's a remarkably well-written and imaginative story with great world-building and fascinating characters. The narrator is also very talented. Looking forward to the next book.

So worth it!

This was the first of N. K. Jamison I've listened to. The book and narration by Casaundra Freeman were great. Can't wait to listen to the next book in the trilogy!

Fabulous!

Loved it, beautiful story and writing. I especially enjoyed the first person narration and how it truly contributed, a character and realistic storyteller.

I absolutely adore this book.

I love the story, the interesting turn of tropes (men are to be protected), and the outcome. I can't recommend this enough.

Jemisin does not disappoint!

beautiful and ignigmatic and a beautiful beginning. Compelling from beginning to end. I already downloaded the next book!