I don't read a lot of speculative fiction, but ever since I devoured N. K. Jemisin's THE CITY WE BECAME when it released in March 2020, I have been eagerly awaiting the rest of the story. As it turns out, as Jemisin reveals in an afterword to her much-anticipated follow-up, she intended to write a trilogy. But after the pandemic, not to mention some real-world trends that seem frighteningly on point with some of what she imagined in THE CITY WE BECAME, Jemisin almost didn't continue the story at all. Fortunately she did, and the result is the powerful, eminently satisfying THE WORLD WE MAKE, which completes what's now a duology.

"Whether or not you read speculative fiction or fantasy, Jemisin's Great Cities duology is well worth exploring. Her writing is lively, brash and frequently very funny, and the way she writes about New York City is nothing short of marvelous."

The general premise of THE CITY WE BECAME is that some of the greatest cities around the world --- cities with their own histories, unique identities and personalities --- develop avatars, ordinary human beings who somehow absorb the personality and collective power of the city's inhabitants, culture and ethos. In the opening volume, New York City becomes the first North American city to come to life like this, only to result in some serious growing pains (mostly since each of its five boroughs has its own avatar, and, just like in real life, they don't always get along). An Enemy force gets wind of these divisions and takes advantage of Staten Island's, um, ambivalence about being part of New York City in order to unleash chaos and discord.

Fast forward to the start of THE WORLD WE MAKE. New York City's new status as a living city is looking ever more tenuous. A reactionary mayoral candidate is pledging to "Make New York Great Again," and thousands of people across the country, at rallies and in online forums, blame cities like New York for all of society's ills and proceed to paint the city as a refuge for drugs, gangs and violence of all kinds. And then there are other, more subtle threats perpetuated from within --- from gentrification and NIMBYism to workplace discrimination against immigrants (and, in this case, one of those immigrants is the living embodiment of the borough of Queens).

At times, the fundamental connection between the avatars and their boroughs seems to be disrupted or even broken. It's unclear if (or how) these disruptions are being orchestrated by the Enemy and the menacing floating city that has taken over the airspace over Staten Island. What's more, one of the boroughs' avatars is having second thoughts about their role, while another one decides to take on the race for mayor firsthand. And then Padmini (the avatar of Queens), a brilliant mathematician and data scientist, starts to suspect that New York City is not the only city that's at risk of annihilation from the Enemy. But how can they convince the other, older cities to come to the aid of this messy young upstart?

Whether or not you read speculative fiction or fantasy, Jemisin's Great Cities duology is well worth exploring. Her writing is lively, brash and frequently very funny, and the way she writes about New York City is nothing short of marvelous. Her avatar characters are both entirely human --- flawed, messy, vulnerable and emotional --- and powerful in inventive and magnificent ways.

Like much great speculative fiction, the book offers both overt and oblique commentary on social and political issues (including some that were factors in the recent midterm elections) in ways that prompt readers to consider those concerns through a different lens. Although in some ways I'm still mourning the fact that there won't be a third Great Cities novel to anticipate, THE WORLD WE MAKE is a thoroughly satisfactory conclusion. It impeccably rounds out the narrative while still keeping this reader excited to discover whatever Jemisin will dream up next.