Not only is N. K. Jemisin‘s The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms one of the most beautiful books I’ve seen for a while, it’s had some of the most stunning reviews too:

‘Jemisin’s first novel has a wistful, lyrical tone, and the intrigue – both romantic and political – is skilfully handled. Book one in the Inheritance Trilogy is sensitive, restrained high fantasy.’ – The Guardian, Eric Brown

‘…a story that manages to be both fantastically grand and very personal. Definitely recommended.’ – Waterstone’s Books Quarterly

‘More than the sum of its parts… Jemisin is well worth keeping an eye on.’ – SFX, Guy Haley [also included in the SFX books of 2010 round-up]

‘Extremely well-written, imaginative, emotionally gripping, and featuring a compelling narrator, The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms is an almost perfect debut… and could end up being one of the best fantasy releases of the year.’ – Fantasy Book Critic, Robert Thompson

‘Convoluted without being dense, Jemisin’s engaging debut grabs readers right from the start… a complex, edge-of-your-seat story with plenty of funny, scary, and bittersweet twists.’ – Publishers Weekly

‘Debut author Jemisin creates a mesmerizingly exotic world where fallen gods serve as slaves to the ruling class and murder and ambition go hand in hand… an engaging heroine and a fresh take on traditional dynastic fantasy make this trilogy opener a delight for the fantasy reader and introduce a strong new voice to the genre.’ – Library Journal

‘A similar blend of inventiveness, irreverence, and sophistication — along with sensuality — brings vivid life to the setting and other characters… The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms definitely leaves me wanting more of this delightful new writer.’ – Locus

‘Wonderfully filled with family secrets, brutal betrayals, a remarkable romance and the mystery of a mother’s love, the book rises above others of its type not only by creating a complex world and mythology, but by populating the former with characters of many different skin colors.  In this reviewer’s opinion, this is the must-read fantasy of the year.’ – Bookpage

‘The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms is an impressive debut, which revitalizes the trope of empires whose rulers have gods at their fingertips.  It feels suitably big, and yet incredibly intimate as well.  And we can’t wait to read the other two volumes of the Inheritance Trilogy.’ – io9.com

‘The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms is an excellent novel… brilliantly weaves the themes of revenge, patience, justice, love, and power into an original fantasy setting that will hook you until the end, and leave you wanting more… A highly recommended read… one of the most captivating new voices in fantasy. I eagerly await the next novel in the trilogy.’ – Civilian-Reader.blogspot.com

‘I was not prepared for how GOOD this book turned out to be… Damn Near Perfect debut novel that is a great blend of fantasy and romance, religion, mythology, politics, gender and race. The writing is lovely, the plot is superb (with a few surprises) and the characters made a hole in my heart the size of a volcano. The only thing that can fill it now is book 2’ – The Book Smugglers.com [9/10]

‘One of the strongest debuts I’ve read for a while… A confident, mature, powerful, feminist, and entertaining debut in fantasy. And in the running for The Reads Top Five 2010.’ – NextRead.co.uk

‘Author NK Jemisin pulls off an astounding feat in managing to combine fantasy, romance, political intrigue, and superb writing… high recommendation to all.’ – TheBookBag.co.uk

‘This volume should be enjoyed as one of the freshest new fantasy voices we have had for quite some time. (It’s also the first book that’s ever made me miss my stop on the London Underground, so immersed was I!)’ – BookGeeks.co.uk

‘…there does seem to be something for just about every type of fantasy fan in here… all woven together into a vigorous whole and there are plenty of surprises along the way. If you find other fantasies predictable and overlong try this one – it might remind you what you are missing. A treat.’ – MyShelf.com

‘An enthralling read… you wouldn’t have thought that The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms was Jemisin’s debut… I’ll definitely be reading the sequel.’ – Graeme’s Fantasy Book Review [9.25/10]