The Inheritance Trilogy - Book 2 Discussion 10/1/17

I've finished Book 2, just been really busy with work, I'll try to get back soon and leave my thoughts on it.

I just finished this one this week. I have to say I enjoyed it a lot more than Book 1. Like lojzelote, I found Oree a much more likeable character than Yeine. Maybe it was because of the way Jemisin had to describe her perceptions in such detail to convey her blindness and magical sight, but I felt a lot more connected to her. I also like Itempas/Shiny a lot more than Nahadoth. I think it's because of Itempas basically being a mortal - it's easier for me to sympathise with his plight, and I just cared about him more. It probably also helped that he was silent most of the time, rather than flinging darkness around melodramatically all the time like Naha. I also enjoyed his relationship with Oree.

I personally think they shouldn't have made Itempas leave Oree. That was a foreseeable flaw with their punishment and too bad for them that they got it wrong, they should just live with their mistake...who does that sound like? It appears I am more of an Itempas than a Nahadoth. I would have liked to know a bit more about Oree's magic eyes, and what it meant with the way they were covered up. It made them sound almost like they were flower buds, which I thought might lead somewhere interesting with Enefa.

I found it interesting seeing T'Vril again although it came with an unwelcome reminder of just how sadistic the Arameri are. The godlings were also fun, they had that same childlike sense of fun that made Sieh such a great character in Book 1.

Looking forward to see what book 3 has in store.

Yup. The somewhat detached narration didn´t endear me to Yeine overmuch, but I understand why it would be that way - she is either dead or she is a goddess at the time when she tells the story. The problem I had with Yeine in general was that her background had these unique features like her being a chieftain and coming from a misandrist society - but I felt that none of that portrayed how her character was portrayed. Plus, I didn´t even get to know her properly. For example, how much of her killing Kurue was Yeine´s true personality and how much of it was Enefa´s influence? We know that Yeine had been trained to kill, but would she had been able to kill a person with a smile on her face in such a soothing manner? Personally I found that scene pretty disturbing, although I think that what Jemisin meant to convey was that Yeine doesn´t act out of spite, but because it was justice or some such. But, if she acted angry or judgemental, it would have felt more human to me. That last bit may be intended dubiousness, but nevertheless I think that it is a problem if I am not able to tell what the protagonist of the novel was truly like before she became a goddess. OTOH I am more or less sure when I stand with Oree.

Itempas. Do I dare to say it? His way of being an unbendable git reminds me of Stannis. I´m not sure I like him, but I certainly like reading about him.

I believe it was wrong to change the terms during his punishment when he was near meeting them. Imho Yeine should not have added her condition about Itempas being released sooner if he learns to love humans. He put the Enefadeh through enslavement and torture in mortal bodies for thousands of years, so he should spend thousands of years as a mortal as well... at least in his case serving humanity wouldn´t translate to enslavement. In comparison he would still have gotten off better than his victims. And if it came to it, Yeine and Nahadoth could have chosen to shorten his sentence after a couple of centuries.

Another thing is how Itempas and Nahadoth would get along once Oree died and Itempas returned to the Gods´s Realm. Depending on how much they would come into contact, it may really be better to wait a bit longer until Nahadoth deflates and heals some more.

On Nahadoth: I wonder how much we really know the real Nahadoth. Most of what we see of him in Book 1 is trough Yeine´s eyes, and of course he has a soft spot for her and wants her to like him because she is important for his plan and reminds him of Enefa. From what we see of Enefa´s memories, he appears... much more carefree, much less angry? At least that was my impression. In Book 1 he says to Yeine that once he´s free he will choose he will shape him, and we actually see him several times changing his physical appearance according to the expectations of people near him. In Book 2 Yeine tells him that he doesn´t want to be like people imagine/believe him to be due to the Itempan propaganda, but he answers that he chooses to be angry himself. From what I gather, he does not act bitter and angry solely because he is bitter and angry due to what Itempas and the Arameri had done to him, but in part because he´s by nature exteremely moldable and humans´ believes shape him. If they believe him to be dangerous and evil, he will be inclined to act in dangerous and evil ways.

This is a bit of a glitch in regards to the relability of characters, imo. I mean, we can´t really judge Itempas or Nahadoth by mundane standards. Even if they are both mass murderers, the world cannot exist without them. Plus, there´s the question of culpability, since loneliness was apparently Itempas´ antithesis and devastated him in a way that wouldn´t a mortal. That said, it doesn´t fully absolve him either. For that matter, I didn´t understand why he acted as he did with Shahar Arameri. I mean, she killed their son that he had obviously loved. She betrayed him in a far more literal sense than Enefa. Why did he murder his sister and made Shahar the first Lady Arameri? The only scenario that makes sense to me that when Shahar killed their son, he returned to his original view that humans are infestation and she is the worst, but instead of killing her decided to use her as an instrument to make Nahadoth see Enefa and her creation his way.

Some more on Nahadoth, I read Shades in Shadows: An Inheritance Triptych, and the first story is the prequel to Book 1 from the Enefadeh´s early years after the Gods´s War. I will put information from there under the spoiler tag. (For that matter, the second story - and probably the third one as well - are spoilerous for the entire trilogy, so don´t read those yet - not like me lol). The first one about Nahadoth is not spoilerific in the same way. But it has a sort of a twist in regards to who Nahadoth is in Book 1.

I meant to post that I finished the book about two months ago. This was a very difficult book for me to read, I just couldn't get into it. I need a little time before I can read the last book in this series.

Wow, that's really impressive. She is a gifted writer.