...remind me again why it took me so long to sit down and read this? Clearly I need to rethink the priority levels on my TBR list. 
 This was a very enjoyable read. Jemisin's built a horribly coherent world for her work. Horrible because of the things that occur in these scenarios, coherent because it's hard to see how it could happen any other way. 
 (One of the things I enjoy, actually. The world makes sense.) 
 More brilliantly, the worldbuilding and lore don't detract from the characters you follow throughout the book. (view spoiler)[Well, one character at different stages of her life, which was a brilliantly executed thing in and of itself because it was apparant without being contrived. (hide spoiler)] I'm always impressed by a clever balance of worldbuilding and character development, and Jemisin delivers. 
 The ending is... well. If I have one major fault with this book, it's that it couldn't possibly stand alone. (Nor is it meant to, but still.) It's not a cliffhanger, but it leaves many unresolved threads waiting for the next installment, and opens new questions. Now, whether you're the kind of reader who finds that tantalizing or frustrating is up to you.