Book Review: The World We Make, The Great Cities Book 2, N.K. Jemisin
Fantasy: The World We Make, The Great Cities Book 2, N.K. Jemisin
The Great Cities started as a trilogy. It is ending as a duology, instead. It seems that life has come too close to imitating art and N.K. Jemisin has determined that this will be the last book of the series. I am slightly bummed, but it’s her vision and her decision and I am not about to question the wisdom of this extraordinary writer. I am just sorry I won’t get to live in this world for a third time.
The Woman in White remains a threat to the city and her avatars. Ensconced on Staten Island, she has enthralled Aislyn, avatar of New York’s smallest borough, and continues to probe the other boroughs for weakness or inattention. But a new threat has risen against the city, one of a much less interdimensional origin.
A right-wing politician is running for mayor with a (far too) familiar mantra: Make New York Great Again. He is supported by, among others, a group that calls themselves the Proud Men. They want to reclaim New York City for its white residents. Harassing people on the streets in black and brown neighborhoods creates difficult challenges for the avatars to address. The police are not helpful to say the least. They sometimes lend protection to the attackers and only intervene when the locals fight back.
The avatars can confront specific attacks, but don’t immediately realize the collective power of these actions. Cities are “born” (gain their avatars) when enough people believe in the mythos of the city. “If you can make it there, you’ll make it anywhere.” “The Big Apple.” “The City That Never Sleeps.” “Bright Lights, Big City.” “Give My Regards to Broadway.” The barrage of attacks from politicians claiming the city has lost its greatness, from white thugs claiming the city has lost its soul, from the Woman in White claiming the city does not deserve to live, are taking an interdimensional toll. New York and her avatars are struggling and need some help.
The World We Make is a fitting conclusion to the duology, and as much as I will miss this fantastical version of a city I love I am very happy she has left it on this note. Her writing is crisp, her sense of place is flawless, and her characters are each individual and unique. Whether she is writing the direct urban slang of Nico, the smooth hip hop rhythms of Brooklyn, or the polished grad-school vocabulary of Manny, each chapter conveys the heart of the character and in a sense the heart of the place they embody. Jemisin is truly an avatar of New York City herself. We are blessed as Americans to call her our own.
Book Review: The World We Make, The Great Cities Book 2, N.K. Jemisin