Reviews

The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin

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loodle's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious slow-paced

4.0

This first book was really hard for me to get into. Jemisin throws you right into the world and all the layers of lore and history that come with it. It's also a book that deals with some very heavy themes of oppression, abuse, and grief. I found it emotionally easier (safer?) to engage with Syenite's story, though by the end, I appreciated the fragmented storylines and felt like they added up to more than the sum of their parts.

Things that stick with me:

Alabaster taking Syenite to see the node maintainer, the weight of knowledge and all of its implications, the real life analogies.
The exceptionalism of the fulcrum and the clash with the bureaucrat in Allia who still sees Syen and Alabaster as less-than-human no matter how polished, accomplished, or useful they make themselves.
The brief respite of Meov and Syen's unconventional family in Alabaster, Innon, Coru, and the islanders.
The Earth as a powerful agent of its own that gives and takes, but only as much as is fair.
No history is ever inevitable, maps always extend beyond their printed borders, there are always other ways to live.

alicebme's review against another edition

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5.0

A world built for devouring. I found a new favorite author.

pbrohan's review against another edition

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adventurous medium-paced

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

4.5

kaamezcua2's review

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad 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

msillegality's review

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adventurous challenging mysterious slow-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

3.5

I found it difficult to get into the book and fully understand it. The character lines of Damaya, Essun, and Syenite were confusing, and I wasn't sure where each story fell in the grand scheme of things. Later, things became clearer, and I was able to enjoy it more. The world building is great, and I enjoyed how the author revealed the mechanisms of the world through the story.

jr2571's review

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adventurous dark mysterious 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

4.5

The world is astoundingly fleshed out—to the point where it can be a little disorienting when we’re thrown into it without much explanation (this is, in my view, a positive thing). And the central conceit/twist is incredibly well-executed, but I also feel like the pacing suffers a bit because of it. At the end, to me it felt more like an extended prologue than a self-contained story—but in the end I’m still excited to see what comes next.