The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms Book Review
I was desperate to like this book, and I had extremely high expectations going in but boy was The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms slow off the mark. I actually had to restart this book multiple times because I either lost the thread of the story or had no idea what was going on and wondered whether I missed something.
Characters in The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms
This book had all of the makings of a brilliant intrigue and a powerful main female character. But ultimately The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms let me down, I struggled to keep a track of all the names and people and there wasn’t enough to differentiate them all. What was most disappointing was the fact that I still don’t know the different gods and the parts they played in the story. All of this I think accumulated into a massive disconnect to both the plot and the characters.
One thing I would have loved to have seen more off would have been the internal politics of the court. Especially with the twins and their grandstanding in an attempt to get on the throne. I just felt as though all the effort to make Yeine interesting was lost as the focus moved to this confusing and badly written romance. There were just moments all the way through this story that could have done with either more explanation or just more time spent with them.
The Bad Bits
For me I was expecting a book that was going to blow me away and The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms just didn’t. I think there was so much going on and I had no idea who was who and what the point of them was that my confusion really clouded my enjoyment of this book. Plus, the pacing really threw me, I had to struggle through the most of it and I couldn’t wait for it to end. To be honest I still don’t know what the hell happened at the end or what the conclusion to the story was. I think it is supposed to make you want to read the sequel but actually it’s put me off.
The Good Bits in The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms
It may sound like this entire book was a mess to read and I wish it would have been better. However, the world building and mythology was beautifully rich all the way through this book. I feel like The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms would have been a five star read for me if there had been more time spent on the world and the political system. I did enjoy aspects of the romance, not that it all made sense but it was well written and there was a great level of intrigue.
What’s next?
I was really hoping that I was going to be running all the way through this series but unfortunately I don’t think I’ll be picking the next one up which is just a shame. There is just too much going on and it would mean having to reread this one before getting into the others which I don’t think I could face.
What did you think of this one? Let me know in the comments!
