The City We Became
A Novel
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4.2 • 422 Ratings
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
Three-time Hugo Award-winning and New York Times bestselling author N.K. Jemisin crafts her most incredible novel yet, a "glorious" story of culture, identity, magic, and myths in contemporary New York City.
In Manhattan, a young grad student gets off the train and realizes he doesn't remember who he is, where he's from, or even his own name. But he can sense the beating heart of the city, see its history, and feel its power.
In the Bronx, a Lenape gallery director discovers strange graffiti scattered throughout the city, so beautiful and powerful it's as if the paint is literally calling to her.
In Brooklyn, a politician and mother finds she can hear the songs of her city, pulsing to the beat of her Louboutin heels.
And they're not the only ones.
Every great city has a soul. Some are ancient as myths, and others are as new and destructive as children. New York? She's got six.
For more from N. K. Jemisin, check out:
The Inheritance Trilogy
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms
The Broken Kingdoms
The Kingdom of Gods
The Inheritance Trilogy (omnibus edition)
Shades in Shadow: An Inheritance Triptych (e-only short fiction)
The Awakened Kingdom (e-only novella)
Dreamblood Duology
The Killing Moon
The Shadowed Sun
The Dreamblood Duology (omnibus)
The Broken Earth
The Fifth Season
The Obelisk Gate
The Stone Sky
How Long 'til Black Future Month? (short story collection)
"A glorious fantasy." —Neil Gaiman
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Plenty of people think of cities as being alive—just maybe not in the way that N. K. Jemisin envisions in her brilliant new fantasy. The Hugo Award–winning author imagines a world where every great city has an avatar, a mystical being who serves as the community’s soul and protector. The Big Apple is lucky: She’s got a squad, with her primary avatar being joined by one for each of the five boroughs. All six of these New Yorkers will need to work together, with an assist from across the Hudson, to withstand a malicious interdimensional threat. Jemisin describes New York with an intoxicating rhythmic style, taking pains to get every detail of each diverse neighborhood just right, from the South Bronx to Crown Heights. When the cosmic heroes of her tale come together, they create a captivating crew that would make both Langston Hughes and Isaac Asimov proud. The first book in a planned trilogy, The City We Became closes with a jaw-dropping battle that’s as thrilling as the city it celebrates.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The staggering contemporary fantasy that launches three-time Hugo Award-winner Jemisin's new trilogy (following the Broken Earth series) leads readers into the beating heart of New York City for a stunning tale of a world out of balance. After hundreds of years of gestation, New York City is awakening to sentience, but "postpartum complications" threaten to destroy it. An alien, amorphous force, personified by the Woman in White, launches an attack on New York. Five people one for each of the city's five boroughs are called to become avatars dedicated to protecting the city. If they can combine their powers, they'll be able to awaken the avatar of the city as a whole and defeat the Woman in White, but first they'll have to find each other. While the Woman in White works to undermine them, the five avatars, whose personalities delightfully mirror the character of their respective boroughs (the Bronx is "creative with an attitude," Manhattan is "smart, charming, well-dressed, and cold enough to strangle you in an alley if we still had alleys"), learn the extent of their new powers. Jemisin's earthy, vibrant New York is mirrored in her dynamic, multicultural cast. Blending the concept of the multiverse with New York City arcana, this novel works as both a wry adventure and an incisive look at a changing city. Readers will be thrilled.
Customer Reviews
Living cities! A joy to read
Expanded my imagination & had me wondering about how my own left coast city would present itself.
Worth it 🙂
Clever and imaginative. Excellently written, with some clever turn of phrase.
A good read with one issue
Compelling story. Well written characters. Beautiful linguistic style. One knock was that the reader was expected to take large leaps of faith as the explanation for what was happening and how it was happening was somewhat murky.