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

adventurous challenging dark 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

4.75

Brilliant writing and worldbuilding. I initally found the narrative tone a little detached at times, but that made sense by the end of the book. It kind of veered between medium paced and fast paced, for me, since jumping between three main viewpoint characters kind of put the brakes on the narrative sometimes, but all the storylines are interesting so I never got bored. I did feel that Damaya's arc got a lot less space compared to Essun's and Syenite's, and so felt a bit rushed. As a result, I sometimes felt we're told things about her and her relationship with her Guardian without really experiencing them in-depth, which might have lessened the impact of later events a little. Still, Jemisin packed a lot in, and she did include a few viserally disturbing scenes, so it's certainly not a case of all-tell-no-show, but I'd have liked to see their relationship be fleshed out a bit more. It's possible we'll get more backstory etc. in later books. And there are defintely hints of key worldbuilding details (like whatever's going on with the Guardians) that I expect we'll see more of in the next book. I can't wait!  
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