Reviews with content warning for Sexual assault - The Fifth Season

This was a difficult book to read. With the second person POV and the some of the content. But it was still amazing, it’s a beautifully crafted book and the twists and turns were wild. There were some instances where the characters would realize something and then not talk about it at all which was rough but it was beautiful.

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sarasreading's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging 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

First book of the year and it's 5 stars right out of the gate! I'm really surprised. I knew it was going to be good, but I wasn't expecting to give it 5 stars. Here we are though! I gasped out loud several times while reading. The world building is amazing, the POV shifts are so interesting, and the plot just builds and builds. I can't wait to read the next one!

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onthesamepage's review against another edition

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dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

When we say "the world has ended," it's usually a lie, because the planet is just fine.
But this is the way the world ends.
This is the way the world ends.
This is the way the world ends.
For the last time.

What can I even say about this book that is eloquent enough to express what a masterpiece this is? I buddy-read this book, which forced me to read it slower than I probably would have otherwise, but this book took over my brain for a couple of weeks. I had so much fun trying to figure out where everything was headed and how this world worked, and I'm not even mad I was right about some of it, because it was masterfully done. The writing hooked me from the very beginning as well; even the second person perspective that so many people seem to dislike didn't bother me at all.

One of the things I did have to get used to is to trust that the author would, eventually, explain everything. I spent the first few chapters very confused by all the new terms that aren't immediately explained, so if you find yourself having a similar experience, don't worry: she'll get to it a bit later.

"Orogenes have no right to say no. I am your Guardian. I will break every bone in your hand, every bone in your body, if I deem it necessary to make the world safe from you."

Every perspective and every chapter layers on top of the one before to really flesh out the world, in a way that feels organic instead of like an infodump. We're introduced to the idea of Orogenes and the kind of magic they have, the Guardians that watch them to make sure they don't hurt anyone, the racism Orogenes face in this world, and the concept of a Fifth Season full of calamities that can last many years. And then the book takes its time slowly giving us more information about each of these as we progress through the story. The societal structure is fascinating to me, and I really liked that I got to see it from three different perspectives.

There are a couple of interludes that feel explicitly like a tease. They pose questions that make you think about the world beyond the parts the author is showing us, and when I finally got the answer to some of them, my reaction was, "damn it, I should've known!" That's exactly the kind of reading experience I want, and I can't wait to continue in the series.

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natalie1227's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.0

I gave this book 4 stars mostly because I had a hard time getting into the story and the writing. It was beautifully written but for someone with ADHD it was a difficult read. The one perspective was written like the character was thinking in third person and that made it difficult for me. This might be a book I try again and read instead of listen to.

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thebookishatelier's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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rachelcotter1's review against another edition

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challenging 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

5.0

this book is perfection. that’s it. that’s all anyone needs to know. everyone should read it. this was insanity. how someone’s mind came up with all this… wow

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studydniowka's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

One of the best fantasy books I have ever read. Epic story about the world so different but still so similar to our lives here and now.

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