Reviews tagging 'Genocide'

The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin

73 reviews

heartbrekker's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad slow-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: Child abuse, Child death, Slavery, Torture, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Genocide, Suicidal thoughts, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, and Adult/minor relationship

Minor: Vomit

kaggath's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, and Xenophobia

elica's review against another edition

adventurous challenging 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Grief, Mental illness, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Violence

laguerrelewis's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring 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

5.0

I first got introduced to N.K. Jemisin through her work on Green Lantern Far Sector, and I thought “Wow! It’s incredible the breadth of themes and worldbuilding and larger concepts she’s included so efficiently!” Everything I loved about that and more was put into this book. I can EASILY see why this won a Hugo, and I can’t wait to read the sequels!

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Content Warnings

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

lauconn's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• 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: Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Grief, Medical trauma, Sexual assault, and Violence

Minor: Blood, Cannibalism, Torture, Vomit, and Pregnancy

mvvelde's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious 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? It's complicated

5.0

Wow.

This is every bit incredible as people say it is. 

Jemisin’s writing is masterful, leading to gripping storytelling that keeps the reader puzzling pieces together. I really enjoyed how information was slowly funneled out. It left mystery to many bits and pieces along the way, and led to shocking connections and plot twists. It was hard to put this one down & I am already certain I’ll want to re-read it.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racism, Racial slurs, and Sexual content

Minor: Murder, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Blood, Slavery, Grief, Genocide, Child death, and Bullying

jpfriday's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

• 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

5.0

“When the reasoning mind is forced to confront the impossible again and again, it has no choice but to adapt.” N.K. Jemisin has a beautiful way of saying many things at once. In “The Fifth Season,” she tells three tales from a disaster-ridden planet where people with the ability to manipulate the earth are both prized and demonized. The novel is in part about the effects of such dehumanization – the aggression wrapped in a gaze, how murderous hate from “everyone around you” warps your life – and Jemisin’s expert craft holds it all together. With its firm narrative voice and showstopping imagery, “The Fifth Season” produces a sense of awe: like seeing a mythic creature, too large to comprehend, move with uncanny speed.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Hate crime, Child death, Child abuse, Grief, and Genocide

blakethebookeater's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious 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

This book is a literary masterpiece and a perfect example of sci-fi/fantasy storytelling at its finest. N. K. Jemisin’s prose is captivating and I could not put this book down.

We follow Essun, Damaya, and Syenite as they navigate being orogenes in a world that hates them. Orogenes are people who can control and manipulate the energy of the Earth (think an earth bender but WAY more versatile and way more dangerous). The people of the Stillness are terrified of them and straight up murder them most of the time. Some, like Damaya and Synenite are sent to the Fulcrum to study their powers.

Essun’s story is the crux of this book though, as she comes home to find her son murdered and her daughter taken by her husband. She tried to teach her children to hide their orogeny, but children can’t always control their abilities. So she sets off to find her daughter and the man responsible for taking away what she loved most.

All three POV characters are interesting and compelling in their own right (Synenite’s was my personal favorite) and the way they thematically build upon one another is astonishing. 

As for prose, Essun’s POVs are narrated in 2nd person, which can feel strange but I thought it added a unique perspective to the narrative because it is so intentional and I have to believe Jemisin will have a payoff for it later down the line.

I have to say that it might be confusing for reader who haven’t read a lot of hard sci-fi/fantasy before and it took me about 100 pages before everything clicked into place for me. Jemisin doesn’t exposit about her world, just throws you in and you start to pick up clues from context, and although that may be off-putting for some people, give it some time and you’ll fall in love with the story.

This is a propulsive, character-driven novel that deserved every single award it won. I cannot wait to continue my adventures into the Stillness and more of what N. K. Jemisin has to offer because she is a one-of-a-kind writer.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Hate crime, Murder, Physical abuse, Violence, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Animal death, Child abuse, Cursing, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Misogyny, Rape, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Cannibalism and Suicide attempt

yrioona'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? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

It took me a long time to get to this book, despite lots of recommendations, because I'm not really a fantasy reader, but I'm so glad I did! The characters are compelling, the worldbuilding is incredibly well thought out, the prose is beautiful, the story is gut-wrenching and suspenseful. NK Jemisin uses her alternate world to explore deep real-world conflicts and anxieties without being heavy-handed or skimping on the details that make this universe feel rich and textured and real. Plus there are canon queer and trans characters! There were a couple plot points that felt too predictable and overly foreshadowed for me, but that didn't stop me from buying the next book in the series the second I finished this one.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Torture, Slavery, Physical abuse, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Genocide, Pedophilia, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Sexual content, Religious bigotry, Murder, and Mental illness

Minor: Vomit

buellapearl's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.5

This is a complex and immersive world. It's really interesting fantasy while having important ties back to our lives 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse

Moderate: Genocide, Hate crime, Sexual content, Murder, and Child death

Minor: Pedophilia and Sexual violence