The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms (2010) is the dazzling debut novel of N.K. Jemisin and the first book in her Inheritance Trilogy, introducing a world where gods walk among mortals and politics is divine. The story follows Yeine Darr, a mixed-race outsider from the barbarian north, who is summoned to the opulent sky-city of Sky after her mother’s mysterious death. Thrust into a lethal succession battle for the throne of the Arameri—the ruling family that enslaves gods as weapons—Yeine becomes entangled with the Nightlord Nahadoth and the trickster Sieh, childlike deities bound to serve her enemies.
Jemisin’s prose is lush and incisive, blending court intrigue with existential theology. The novel explores themes of power, identity, and the cost of worship, as Yeine uncovers her own connection to the enslaved gods and the bloody history of her world.
For similar reads, try The Broken Kingdoms (2010), the trilogy’s second book, or The City of Brass (2017) by S.A. Chakraborty for another divine-political fantasy.
Awards & Honors:
- Nebula Award Nominee (2010)
- Locus Award for Best First Novel (2011)
- Hugo Award Finalist (2011)