In the fifth chapter of The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, Yeine has a dream that foreshadows the horrible journey ahead of her. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to read The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms.
Chapter Five: Chaos
Y’all, this chapter may be brief, but it sure packs a punch. I’m sure this is unintentional, but I was reminded of parts of Tamora Pierce’s The Immortals, or the vision sequences that Kel experiences in Protector of the Small, and of the tone and content of The Sandman and American Gods in this section. Truthfully, dreams are a powerful method of storytelling in the fantasy genre. Granted, I’m still not entirely sure that this series fits in that genre because it feels like so much more than that, but the dream sequence in this chapter is a way for N.K. Jemisin to inject this narrative with a lot of tension and dread.
Seriously, this dream is really messed up, and that’s an understatement at best. Yeine’s gender-swapped version of herself experiences a a possible future, one that hints at the terrible power that these gods possess, specifically the Nightlord. But I also want to acknowledge that there must be a reason why everything is slightly off from the reality where Yeine lives. “It is not the Sky that I know,” Yeine says at the beginning of the dream. So why is this version more spread out and less of an exalted palace high in the clouds? What does this mean? We learn that Zhakka is the goddess of battle and bloodshed, and it’s an appropriate place to discover her godly identity, given what happens next. I ended my last review stating that I love revenge narratives, so it’s fascinating that this chapter spells out what a revenge mission might mean for Yeine. All the talk of these gods being weapons is intentional because chapter five shows us what those weapons are like.
Yeine gives instructs to Nahadoth on how to advance on Sky and destroy them, aiming to avoid her own destruction in the process. (I know that Sieh is the trickster god, but this bit about rules totally reminded me of Loki.) And then we witness Nahadoth’s awesome and brutal power:
Nahadoth holds his hands out from his side, and a great curved sword appears in each. He runs at the line, a black streak, and pierces it like an arrow. Shields split; armor and swords shatter; body parts fly. The enemy dies by the dozen. I clap and laugh. “What a marvelous show!”
And it is a marvelous show because no one can stop the Nightlord. That’s certainly the case when he basically turns into a black hole. Like, I AM NOT EVEN BEING HYPERBOLIC. He becomes this black “star” and all matter is sucked into him. As I’m sure some of you figured out, this is a bit of a problem? Yeah. Yeah.
I finally realize my error: with his children protecting me, Nahadoth is free to devour it all.
Oh my god. Oh my god. No wonder the Arameri have imprisoned the gods in the way they have! They’d have no chance against him otherwise. In fact, the only thing that does stop him is the Skyfather itself. That made me pretty damn interested to learn more about that god, his powers, and his motivation for having set into motion the horrible things that left the gods beneath those in control of Sky.
Anyway, the message was clear to me: Yeine made a mistake. She wielded a power she ultimately could not control, and it destroyed her home. It destroyed a continent. So is this prophetic? Is her subconscious warning her to be careful when dealing with these gods? Y’all, I’m pretty damn scared for this book. What have I gotten into???
Mark Links Stuff
– I have redesigned MarkDoesStuff.com! Check out this post explaining the new changes, which includes the start of a permanent archive of all Mark Watches videos!
– The Mark Does Stuff Summer Tour is happening soon! Check out the posted dates, suggest new ones, help bring me to YOUR TOWN.
– I have been nominated for a Hugo in the Fan Writer category! If you’d like more information or to direct friends/family to vote for me, I have a very informational post about what I do that you can pass along and link folks to!
- Mark Reads Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is now published and available for purchase! It’s available in ebook AND physical book format, and you can also get a discount for buying the ENTIRE SET of digital books: $25 for 7 BOOKS!!!
-Â Video commissions are open, and you can commission a Mark Reads/Watches video for just $25!
