Reviews tagging 'Blood'

The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin

91 reviews

_forestofpages's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

** content warnings: child death, violence, abuse, murder, torture, graphic sexual content, enslavement, environmental disaster, grief **

This book throws you into the deep end of a post-apocalyptic world that is on the verge of yet another apocalyptic event. But this one, might just be the final one.  

There are a smallish group of marginalized magical people and the humans that enslave them, but most of the population of Father Earth (yes Father not mother, no idea why) is small because Father Earth is angry and continuously triggers these world shattering events called "Seasons". They are always different, and always devastating. Most of the time these seasons wipe out large swaths of the population and their civilizations, forcing humanity to start over every few decades. 

The plot can be hard to sift through at first, because again, you are thrown into the deep with no life-raft, but once you have a handle on the basics and the characters are established (about 70 pages in or so), the story takes off and some of your questions are answered, then a lot more are posed. The writing is amazing, the second person parts are so immersive and make you really feel like you are a part of this story, and the amount of forethought is incredible. I personally am upset with myself for not picking this up sooner. The very obvious climate themes are so relevant, and terrifying in this context. The psychological depth of the characters and their journeys, and the raw emotion of the main character's personal tragedy, not to mention the tragedy of the orogene in general is gut-wrenching, and so beautifully done.

If you haven't read this yet, I doubt you will disappointed.  Overwhelmed maybe, but not disappointed.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Racism, Racial slurs, Violence, Slavery, Murder, and Grief

Moderate: Physical abuse, Torture, Animal death, and Blood

danaaliyalevinson's review against another edition

adventurous 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? No

5.0

A brilliant allegory about the human desire to master and control nature and how it causes our own ruin. There's also commentary on racism, empire, and the military industrial complex for good measure. The world building is exquisite. The characters are beautifully drawn. Definitely recommend, especially if you're a sci-fi/fantasy fan. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Blood, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Racism, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail

mrsmowrey's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark medium-paced

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

5.0

It's definitely not for anyone who finds diversity and sexuality to be offensive. It also requires you to use your own imagination, things are not spelled out for you. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Classism, Death, Abandonment, Blood, Sexual content, and Child death

Moderate: Genocide, Grief, Murder, Toxic relationship, Violence, Racial slurs, and Racism

Definitely one of the best books I have read in years.

paigeinabook's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Child abuse, Cultural appropriation, Medical trauma, Dysphoria, Physical abuse, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Infidelity, Sexual content, and Violence

bwwilhelm's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

This book does NOT shy away from the horrors of slavery and genocide and war. Pay attention to the content warnings. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Classism, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Murder, Torture, Emotional abuse, Grief, Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, Child death, Genocide, Hate crime, and War

Moderate: Confinement, Abandonment, Animal death, and Ableism

Minor: Blood

reebeee's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious 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

4.75

Intense, dark, and gutting. Stupendous worldbuilding and pacing; Jeminsin is both confident in her readers' intelligence and attention, as well as in her own narrative voice throughout the book. Take the trigger warnings seriously—this book delves into humanity at its very worst, but nothing is for shallow shock value in this narrative.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Grief, Child abuse, Death, Child death, Violence, and Racism

Moderate: Animal death, Blood, Emotional abuse, and Bullying

Minor: Dysphoria, Pregnancy, and Cannibalism

zoiejanelle's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

best adult fantasy book i have read to date. a book about what it means to become a parent, to lose a child, and to sacrifice everything for love. an allegory for blackness in the U.S. really cool magic system, great writing (once things picked up) and emotional twists. highly recommend to all fantasy lovers! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Cursing, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Child death, Death, Animal death, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Xenophobia, Classism, Genocide, Pregnancy, Slavery, Violence, Colonisation, Gore, Hate crime, Medical content, Racism, and Vomit

Moderate: War, Torture, and Sexual content

purplepenning's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Child abuse, Colonisation, Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Gore, Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Classism, Grief, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, Torture, and Violence

Moderate: Racism, Rape, Slavery, Vomit, Sexual content, Alcohol, Forced institutionalization, Sexual violence, Blood, Body shaming, Fire/Fire injury, and Eating disorder

Minor: Cannibalism and Pregnancy

gogoisopodranger's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Child death, Child abuse, Colonisation, Religious bigotry, Racism, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, and Murder

Moderate: Blood, Classism, Death, Forced institutionalization, Confinement, Medical trauma, and War

corvidkings's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Child abuse, Child death, Grief, and Death

Moderate: Pregnancy, Torture, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexual content

Minor: Vomit, Animal death, Cannibalism, Body horror, Deadnaming, Adult/minor relationship, and Blood