Reviews tagging 'Slavery'

П'ята пора by N.K. Jemisin

217 reviews

cheye13's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

This is a masterfully composed story and an expertly crafted world. I particularly enjoyed the interludes that broke the story here and there - beautiful passages that also foreshadowed and added subtext seamlessly.

There was a consistently morose tone and happy moments were few and far between, which I found trying at times. But overal an excellent book that I would recommend widely. Can't wait to see where the rest of the story goes.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Grief, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Murder, and Abandonment

Minor: Homophobia, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Slavery, Transphobia, Trafficking, and Cannibalism

galacticvampire's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense slow-paced

5.0

"Stupid, stupid woman. Death was always here. Death is you."

I was enamoured by the concept of The Fifth Season from the first time I heard about it years ago, added to overall praise for the series, I was coming with high expectations.

And it delivered. Everything and more.

The execution not only lives up to the concept, but surpasses it. The suspense isn't there to pull the rug from under your feet in a gotcha moment, it's carefully crafted into the story, where the reveals are satisfying and spark the need for more, even when you caught what the foreshadowing was trying to tell you.

The world is so rich and complex that the initial struggle to follow what was going on (including the recurrent second person pov) has an immense pay-off. The feeling of wonder didn't leave me for a second.

I'm very much on the transition from YA to Adult Fantasy, so the very real darkness and grittiness surrounding everything was unexpected, but I couldn't have picked a better book to make me fall in love with the genre.

This is a story about Pain. This is a story about Grief. This is a story about enduring them and surviving them, because you have no other option.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Slavery, Violence, Blood, and Grief

Moderate: Bullying, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual content, and Abandonment

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Hate crime, Pedophilia, Racism, Sexual violence, Xenophobia, Alcohol, and Colonisation

icewindgale's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery and Torture

audino's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Such a page-turner from start to finish! The core mystery had me so curious I was taking memos and writing down all my theories. I loved the way Jemisin played with POVs, it added so much to the storytelling. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racism, Sexual content, Slavery, Torture, and Violence

zaharya's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

I struggled to get into it in the beginning, but once it clicked I devoured this.
The characterisation is brilliant! The world building is very unique, and delivered very well as it gradually expanded.
Definitely darker than I initially expected — I went in knowing basically nothing about it, so that’s not very difficult — but not in a way that felt like it was just for shock. 
The writing itself is extremely good, and the second person POV is an interesting change from the usual third or first person — which are also included though.
Definitely picking up the second one right away.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism and Violence

Moderate: Physical abuse, Slavery, and Torture

Minor: Sexual content and Cannibalism

leahb88's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I mean the three Hugo awards speak for themselves… the world building was incredible and for a high fantasy it wasn’t super confusing trying to figure out what was happening. I loved all the characters and different perspectives. Having a perspective from a child definitely helped me learn what was going on. This was my first time reading from 2nd person perspective and it was done SO well. So many heartbreaking, sometimes horrifying moments throughout. The plot twist?! So good. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Racism, Slavery, and Violence

Moderate: Sexual content

Minor: Sexual assault, Cannibalism, and Fire/Fire injury

abmochapman's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

incredible world-building and characterization

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Body horror, Bullying, Misogyny, Racism, and Xenophobia

Minor: Slavery and Cannibalism

moonlitreading_'s review against another edition

dark emotional informative mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

“You’re the proof that they’ll never understand orogeny; it’s not science, it’s something else. And they’ll never control us, not really. Not completely.”

The Fifth Season seemed hella intimidating before I started it, and it still kind of is after reading it because it’s a book with so much complexity to it. All the new words, places, and terms were really confusing at first so I became best friends with the glossary lol. This book has three POVs and one of them is in the second person which was uncommon, if not, new for me to read. It was an interesting experience to read in the second person and I found that I didn’t mind it. I liked Jemisin’s writing and her world-building was immaculate.

How the Orogenes used their abilities fascinated me and it just proved that they’re really powerful. Essun, Syenite, and Damaya are the main characters of the book and I love when the connection between the three of them revealed itself. 

I loved the representations this book gave. The majority of the characters were people of color. There’s also LGBTQIA+ representation in the book. There were gay, bi/pan, and trans characters and a poly relationship.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Slavery, Forced institutionalization, and Grief

Minor: Cannibalism

katievallin's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Police brutality, Trafficking, Grief, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Body horror, Panic attacks/disorders, and Pregnancy

Minor: Blood, Cannibalism, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol

buffy87's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

Writing: good, intense world building, kept my interest, a lot of interesting ways to describe things 

Content: complicated, I needed to take notes. Multilayered, you learn as you go what's happening, a fantasy with heavy science element, very long intro but I enjoy the MC.

Asexual: two explicit sex scenes, casual mention of sex, not a lot of physical intimacy 

Recc: higher literacy levels, HS+ but some jr high kids could read it if advanced,

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Racism, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Murder, Colonisation, War, and Classism