Reviews

The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin

jialuostory's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

• 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

signe2407's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional 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

4.0

maunderak's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

3.75

streetnectarines's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective 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

srogo1030's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

lingfish7's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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? No

4.0

katiedru98's review against another edition

3.0

3.75

tallyfire's review against another edition

challenging dark sad medium-paced

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

4.5

Great to see a new, innovative form of "magic." It feels very fresh. Hard to read in parts due to the suffering of children, and the tone is occasionally a bit stilted.

kat7890erina's review against another edition

5.0

The first few pages didn't grab me, but once Essun's journey began I was hooked. What an incredible world! I can't wait to read on.

nickedkins's review against another edition

5.0

This is everything I could ask for in a science fantasy novel. The premise of a planet where seismic activity is strong enough to be a civilisation-level threat is interesting, but the key part of the world-building is the way people react to this threat, on both an individual and a societal level. A caste of people (orogenes) who can influence earthquakes, a group that controls and weaponises them, a general public that relies on the orogenes but for whom they are a hated other; all of these are believable reactions. A society where progress is snatched away with no warning would not have our techno-optimism, nor our trust-based globalised trade relations; a local, conservative, resilient culture is much more appropriate.

The way that individuals act and interact within these structures is the difference between an interesting thought experiment and a novel with emotional weight, and this is where Jemisin shines. It's one thing to understand that 'rogga' is a slur, or that being useful can be satisfying even if you know you're being exploited, or that living within a hierarchy for long enough can lead you to internalise it, or that a group of pirates would need a charismatic leader, but seen through the eyes of her characters, rather than 'understanding' these things, you feel and know them.