Reviews

Notes on re-reading at the end.

Original review: Wow, is this book complicated. I suspect that the entire trilogy, The Broken Earth, is the sort that when you finish it, if you really want to understand, you have to immediately read it over again. There’s so much that only gradually becomes clear, and even after reading this first entry in the trilogy, I can tell that she seeded a bunch of information here that didn’t seem important at the time. But there are so many other things I want to read right now. Hmmmm.

Anyway, if there was ever a book that is best to go into without spoilers, this is it, so I won’t say anything else. Complex, fascinating, deeply compelling.

Re-read: For some reason I decided it was time to pick up Obelisk Gate, and I almost just picked it up and plunged in, even though it’s been over a year since I read 5th Season. But I thought I’d skim back over this one first, and I’m so glad I did. For one thing, I had forgotten so much. I think I would have been lost on OG if I hadn’t re-read this one. And for another, this book is so good, it’s impossible to skim. I was almost immediately swept back into the story. And as with any complex world system, I picked up so much more the second time through. Brilliant.

taychess13's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark 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? It's complicated

3.75

sweet_rocks's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

The Fifth Season was a fun read for me, someone trying to branch out into different genres and get back into reading. I found it more gripping in the second half than the first, but this didn't deter me too much from finishing it relatively quickly. I'd recommend this to someone looking to dip their toes into fantasy. The world-building can get a bit dense at points, but not so much that it's difficult to follow. Overall, I enjoyed reading this book and found it very entertaining!

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