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4.4 AVERAGE
4.4 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
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:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
I haven't read an epic fantasy this good in ages. I know this book is old and won a Hugo for a reason, but I am so pleasantly surprised by how fleshed out (lol) every character is and the emotional depths that are explored. I come to expect a lot of epic fantasies to be mostly plot-driven, but this one is an incredible example of character-driven fantasy storytelling, while also utilizing the POV so that you don't always know what's going on in their heads, and keeps us yearning for more. This book had me waking up in the morning excited to read it, and that rarely happens for me with apocalypse-type need-a-glossary fantasy. The surge of dopamine I got when everything came together in the last 30 minutes of the audiobook was insane -- and we didn't even get all of our answers! There are still so many questions! I can't wait for the next one. Comparable to how I felt after finishing Cloud Cuckoo Land, but executed in an entirely different way. So Cool.
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
Review on my site http://wp.me/p5fD3K-aq.
As a fan of fantasy novels, I love when writers try something new. In The Fifth Season, N.K. Jemisin creates a unique world where instability and ruin seem to be the only constant. It could be Earth. A version of our planet so far in the future that we broke it and created a new dark age. There are aspects that remind me of the Marvel universe, except these mutants all seem to have geologic powers. Strangely enough, it also reminds of Thundarr the Barbarian, minus Thundarr, Ookla, and Princess Ariel.
https://youtu.be/LhAobPugvsk
The novel begins as sort of a post-apocalypse-revenge narrative. A main character's son is murdered by her husband right before a cataclysmic event occurs. The mutants who have seismic powers keep the Empire protected, but are also slaves at best or killed by fellow villagers out of fear. Essun, the main character in this scene, is an orogene, someone with seismic powers. She's powerful enough to protect her village from the wave of destruction and then sets off after her murderous husband, who also abducted their daughter.
The novel is told through three perspectives, that of Essun, who is in her thirties; Damaya, who is around eight-years-old, and Syenite, who is in her late teens. All of these people are orogenes and we see how the world appears to them according to their age. They each have a relationship with the Fulcrum, which rules over all orogene with a mixture of fear and Stockholm syndrome. Orogene have massive amounts of power and it can be used for either destructive or protective powers. Without the Orogene, there would be no empire as life in the Stillness is interrupted by fifth seasons, seasons of death.
The other interesting aspect of the novel is figuring out what's happening. Why is the world like this? How do people survive? World altering events happen here from time to time. Think about the meteor that killed the dinosaurs, now imagine something like that happening every 200 to 500 years. Lore is recorded on stone. Villages or comms, as they're called in the book, follow strict guidelines to survive. People have been divided into castes. Everyone has a bug-out bag. Food stores are saved. Doomsday preparation is a way of life.
As the layers peel away we learn more about the Stillness and the characters. As in The Inheritance Trilogy, the characters in this novel are rich and complex. We see more and more of them as time progresses and they grow into themselves. Speaking of characters, it was refreshing to have strong female leads and people of color in a fantasy novel. It adds to Jemisin doing something new and stands out in fantasy.
For lovers of fantasy, who like interesting concepts beyond elves, dragons, and swords, as well as interesting characters, The Fifth Season is a worthy read.
As a fan of fantasy novels, I love when writers try something new. In The Fifth Season, N.K. Jemisin creates a unique world where instability and ruin seem to be the only constant. It could be Earth. A version of our planet so far in the future that we broke it and created a new dark age. There are aspects that remind me of the Marvel universe, except these mutants all seem to have geologic powers. Strangely enough, it also reminds of Thundarr the Barbarian, minus Thundarr, Ookla, and Princess Ariel.
https://youtu.be/LhAobPugvsk
The novel begins as sort of a post-apocalypse-revenge narrative. A main character's son is murdered by her husband right before a cataclysmic event occurs. The mutants who have seismic powers keep the Empire protected, but are also slaves at best or killed by fellow villagers out of fear. Essun, the main character in this scene, is an orogene, someone with seismic powers. She's powerful enough to protect her village from the wave of destruction and then sets off after her murderous husband, who also abducted their daughter.
The novel is told through three perspectives, that of Essun, who is in her thirties; Damaya, who is around eight-years-old, and Syenite, who is in her late teens. All of these people are orogenes and we see how the world appears to them according to their age. They each have a relationship with the Fulcrum, which rules over all orogene with a mixture of fear and Stockholm syndrome. Orogene have massive amounts of power and it can be used for either destructive or protective powers. Without the Orogene, there would be no empire as life in the Stillness is interrupted by fifth seasons, seasons of death.
The other interesting aspect of the novel is figuring out what's happening. Why is the world like this? How do people survive? World altering events happen here from time to time. Think about the meteor that killed the dinosaurs, now imagine something like that happening every 200 to 500 years. Lore is recorded on stone. Villages or comms, as they're called in the book, follow strict guidelines to survive. People have been divided into castes. Everyone has a bug-out bag. Food stores are saved. Doomsday preparation is a way of life.
As the layers peel away we learn more about the Stillness and the characters. As in The Inheritance Trilogy, the characters in this novel are rich and complex. We see more and more of them as time progresses and they grow into themselves. Speaking of characters, it was refreshing to have strong female leads and people of color in a fantasy novel. It adds to Jemisin doing something new and stands out in fantasy.
Why You Should Read This Book
For lovers of fantasy, who like interesting concepts beyond elves, dragons, and swords, as well as interesting characters, The Fifth Season is a worthy read.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a lot, and very heavy, but so, so good. I don't even know what else to say - I will definitely pick up the second book as soon as I find more motivation to read.