Reviews

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 against another edition

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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.

the_dave_harmon's review against another edition

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adventurous tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No

3.75

levinels's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

chrisb913's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional mysterious sad tense fast-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

One of the best books I've read this year.

Content Warnings

smurff's review against another edition

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dark mysterious sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

strategineer's review against another edition

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5.0

The shake that passes will echo. The wave that recedes will come back. The mountain that rumbles will roar.

The Fifth Season is a story about suffering and trying to find moments of pleasure and peace in a broken world.

The POV characters are all persecuted and forced to suffer because of circumstances outside of their control.

They're "orogenes", people born with the ability to exert control over stone, often, in exchange of their own life force and of the people around them.

They are a minority and their powers make them targets to be used, abused and lynched by the majority.

Their plight resonates with me because I see myself in them. Like the orogenes, I'm also desperately trying to find moments of happiness in a world that is broken beyond repair (aren't we all?).

I'm different, like the orogenes, I'm different in a way that constantly puts me at odds with the vast majority of people on this planet (they don't think like me, they don't communicate like me and they usually don't care to try to understand me and my perspective).

I'm constantly bending over backwards to meet their expectations and most people can barely lift a finger to try and meet me somewhere in the middle.

Sometimes I wonder why I keep trying to change myself, to be less different, to be more like everybody else and less like myself to fit in. Because I know deep down that no matter what I do, I will never be accepted as I am, warts and all.

Like one orogene in particular, sometimes I feel as though it would be best for us to shatter the world we live in and start over.

The Fifth Season is one of the best novels I've ever read. N. K. Jemisin is skilled beyond her years. She's written an engaging text that kept me glued to my seat throughout but also a text that holds up to scrutiny and begs you to think about what it's trying to say about our own world.

If you're looking for a light read, maybe look elsewhere. But if you're ready to sink your teeth into something real, then I can highly recommend The Fifth Season.

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