Clearly I must be missing something because this book got such promising praise and reviews but I found it to be an unreadable mess.

The only positive that can be said about this book is the representation and the way in which it challenges patriarchal norms and subverts gender roles, creating a narrative that is unique and pushes the boundaries of the fantasy genre.

*Spoilers ahead;

Beyond the sentiment of this novel, I'm sorry but the story itself was pure tedium. I didn't care about any of the characters because the development was non-existent. I didn't feel like I learnt enough about Yeine or what life was like for her growing up in Darre to care about her struggles. Same goes for characters like Relad, who was just kind of there without any substantial contribution to the plot, besides three scenes. Scimina was just evil for the sake of it, she was a very one-dimensional villain who's only purpose was to antagonise the main character but beyond that, her characterisation, like with several other characters was skeletal at best, so I couldn't fully appreciate their importanceto the story. 

I know that this is a plot-driven story and it seems like the author intended for it focus more on the action, which is fine but it came at the cost of adequately fleshing out her characters and compelling the reader to empathise with them, because without that, there's no incentive to remain invested in the action.

Also, it seems like Jemisin's idea of world-building constitutes heavily laden, sleep-inducing, page length exposition. There were also moments of exposition in places where it felt incongruous. For example, I didn't enjoy the section of the story where bits of dialogue was broken up in order to explain what scriveners are or some boring-as-hell history about some earth stone.

This book was nothing short of overly dramatic to the point where it felt like a parody that I couldn't take seriously. It tried too hard to sound dark and dire and convey the feeling of imminent doom. For example, Yeine learns that she has been fated to die as part of the ritual for succession of the new leader of Sky, and all throughout the book (after learning of this fate) we read about her lamenting her plight. We're reminded constantly of her fatal destiny, the repetitiveness of which felt absolutely jarring and it felt like we were supposed to mourn for her, we're meant to believe that she truly is in danger and really high stakes are involved but I didn't believe it at all. I've read too many books to know that either; 

(a) some ass-pull of a deus ex machina will appear magically and save her or 
(b) if she does die, then she will be resurrected. 

As it would turn out, Yeine dies. But after her death she continues to narrate the story..? (at least try to shock us by making us believe she's actually dead) in a supposedly disembodied form and as predicted she gets resurrected and ascends to the universe of some shit with the other Enefadeh.

Finally let's talk about those god-awful sex scenes. Firstly, Yeine and T'vrill? Prior to their consummation, there was nothing to suggest this development in their feelings toward one another beyond a polite camaraderie and then they just have sex out of nowhere..? I'm not convinced. Also Yeine and Nahadoth, the latter an enigmatic god who's actions never made any sense to me whatsoever because the book so wanted to create this feel of mystery concerning his character. Their love affair felt inauthentic and unnecessary. It was supposed to feel like some sort of all-encompassing, desperate love but it had no bearing on the advancement of the plot, just purposeless heat to spruce up a sub-story.

I could go on but I've gone on long enough. A Hundred Thousand Kingdoms was sadly a melodramatic, underdeveloped, predictable and incredibly boring read.