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geekywoman14's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Graphic: Violence, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Slavery, Child death, Death, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual content
Moderate: Child abuse, Cursing, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Bullying, Colonisation, and Confinement
Minor: Sexual content, Alcohol, Classism, Pedophilia, Stalking, Abandonment, Animal death, and Sexual violence
smrj's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, and Excrement
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Colonisation and Pedophilia
rebeccajost's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Child death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Colonisation, Death, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Genocide, Medical trauma, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicide attempt, Torture, Violence, War, Xenophobia, Racism, and Racial slurs
Moderate: Pedophilia and Rape
Minor: Pregnancy and Vomit
gladduck's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Bullying, Excrement, Gaslighting, Violence, Torture, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Murder, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Cannibalism, Blood, and Confinement
Minor: Child abuse, Child death, Colonisation, Vomit, and Transphobia
kellyofcali's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Death and Violence
Moderate: Abandonment, Bullying, Child abuse, Colonisation, Gaslighting, Grief, Murder, Physical abuse, and Pregnancy
laguerrelewis's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Child death, Colonisation, Death, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Grief, Genocide, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Racism, Violence, Trafficking, Slavery, Sexual content, and Sexism
Minor: Rape, Suicide attempt, and War
sugarpal's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
But that ending — NOOOO jesus now I have to read the next book immediately and it's 1 AM and I'm trying to fix my sleep schedule damn it
Oh, you want to know about the actual book? All I can think of right now is: big Parable of the Sower vibes, which if you don't know is very high praise
Will write an actual review when my soul recovers
–––
Okay, so. An actual review. Here we go.
The Fifth Season is a fantasy/literary/survivalist masterpiece reminiscent of Octavia E. Butler’s Parable of the Sower –– except minus the cult, and plus earthbending. Also, instead of a moon, there are these mysterious obelisks, floating around in the sky. Sounds awesome, right? Except Father Earth hates humanity, so once a century or so, there’s a mini-apocalypse called a Season, which can last years or even decades. This has created a kind of monoculture of survivalism across the entire continent, which I find absolutely fascinating. Also, the earthbenders (okay, they’re actually called orogenes, or less politely, rogga) are heavily persecuted and oppressed. Unsurprisingly, this book involves the beginning of a Season –– but this one will be longer and worse than ever before. It’s a bad time all around.
The book follows three perspectives (no spoilers as to how they’re connected), one of which is written in second person. It’s a risky move, probably would turn off some readers, but I don’t mind it in this book, especially with the other two third-person perspectives balancing it out. (I have a feeling there’s a narrative reason for the second-person telling that will be revealed in a later installment.) All three of the perspectives are written beautifully –– the prose is excellent –– and Jemisen has worked as a psychologist, so her characters feel incredibly human. The main characters go through so much, and make hard choices, and strengthen and change, for better or for worse. Jemisen has some amazing insight into the human psyche, especially pertaining to trauma.
Speaking of: there’s so much pain. Piles and piles of pain. Seriously, don’t read this book if you are not ready for the p a i n.
Anyway, aside from the... pain... this book was incredibly well-plotted. Yes, it’s incredibly confusing at first, partly because you’re trying to figure out the worldbuilding and partly because the characters have so many secrets –– but Jemisen is an expert at slow-dripping the exposition you’re dying to know, and it all comes together beautifully. It is a bit slow, definitely more about the journey than the destination, but every scene feels well-placed and necessary. Jemisen even leaves us with a last mystery (which is what frustrated me about the ending, but don’t worry, I’m well into the second book now).
Finally, I want to mention the sociopolitical commentary. N. K. Jemisen is a Black female author, and so she understandably doesn’t shy away from exploring prejudice in this book. The discrimination against orogenes is one clear stand-in for race –– they’re trained from birth to use their powers for good of the empire, enslaved and bred and experimented on, hated and feared the world over –– for god’s sake, the book opens with a father killing his own son for being an orogene. But Jemisen also explores class issues and homelessness in the way her societies (called comms) organize: people who have no skills that would be useful for a Season are left to get by on their own, ‘commless’. Also, like the goddess she is, she includes tons of LGBT+ rep: a gay man, a bisexual, a trans woman, even a poly relationship! (Be warned, there is sexual content.)
Final thoughts: again, I would strongly caution you about this book if you don’t like pain. But if you’re a masochist like me, you’ll love this one.
Graphic: Abandonment, Child abuse, Child death, Colonisation, Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual content, Slavery, and Violence
zarazim's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Child abuse and Child death
Moderate: Body horror, Colonisation, Death, Grief, Hate crime, Kidnapping, Sexual content, Slavery, and Torture
Minor: Animal death, Cannibalism, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, and Physical abuse