Lindsay's Reviews > The Broken Kingdoms

This review is from my reread of the book in October 2015.

This was my favorite book of this trilogy when I initially read the series, and so far that continues to be the case. This is largely down to the main character, Oree Shoth, a blind artist who can see magic and perform some small acts of magic herself. In the Shadow of the World Tree of Sky magic and godlings are common, and Oree herself is friends with many of them. Her ex-lover is the God of Obligation. So she doesn't have any problems with taking in a strange mortal who keeps dying and resurrecting as well as glowing like the Sun with the dawn. Anyone who has read the first book should know exactly who that is.

When the book starts "Shiny" has been living with Oree for months without incident, but at the start of the book Oree literally stumbles over a dead godling and the story starts with trying to work out how this is possible and who would do such a thing. Other godlings get involved including Oree's ex-lover and also the Order of Bright Itempas as well as the sects that have popped up since the events of the first book.

Oree is a compelling character. Her strengths are clear, simply in the things she has overcome in her life and even her willingness to help people in worse situations than she is like Shiny. Even when she finds out who Shiny is and the crimes he has committed to leave him in his current state, her quiet acceptance of him is like a breathe of fresh air. And characteristically, she puts others before herself right to the end of the story.

There's also a great expansion of the mythos of this series in this one with all the godlings and even demons, what has become of many of the characters from the first book and exploring the life of the common people in this world. It's all great filling in of stuff that Yeine's obsessive week in Sky in the first book left no room for.

Fantastic book. All the stars. Looking forward to the next one.