A review by winterdevil
The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin

adventurous challenging emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

I maintain that this is a masterclass in worldbuilding and narrative. Highly recommend.

A semi-reread and read. I started it a few years ago right before a vacation, and so I stopped around 65% because I was on vacation and forgot to pick it up again for... years. Nonetheless, I finally got around to reading it all the way through and had the very unique experience of feeling like this book is too big-brained for me but also I cannot find a single flaw. A single drawback. A single area for improvement.

Is it long? Yes. Complex? Yes. But it is also, to me, beyond reproach. The sheer depth of craft (and research) that went into this is undeniable, and after reading it, it's really no mystery how Jemisin keeps collecting awards. The Serena Williams of SFF, y'all.

And so I must stan. 


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