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A review by syllareads
The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-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? It's complicated
5.0
I finished this minutes ago and I am feeling...exceptionally fragile.
The Fifth Season is the first book in N. K. Jemisin's trilogy "The Broken Earth" (a series that earned her 3 Hugo Awards consecutively, and I am only beginning to understand why that is) and it begins as slowly as one would expect from a first book setting up even more to come. By the end of those roughly 450 pages, that slow pace had turned into an avalanche of happenings and (in my case) uncontrollable tears.
Jemisin's worldbuilding is immaculate. The deep lore (called "stone lore") surrounding the series' characters, the way she effortlessly weaves in talks about food supplies, the way of life for the people, while not making it sound like a particularly boring lecture, the Fulcrum and its practices....I found myself engrossed in this world, unable to put the book down at any point. Painful parallels to our real world, woven into the fabric of a story of loss, regret and finally, rebellion, broke me along with the pain these characters carry all on their own - I couldn't stop myself from falling in love with them if I tried. And I didn't particularly want to, truth be told.
I don't even want to ramble on about it too much - it's a beautiful piece of art. Read it. Listen to its tales, cry your heart out as we follow Essun, Syanide, Damara...as we follow all the ones whose voices have been silenced by the Guardians. As we follow the ones for whom feelings are a luxury they cannot afford; as we observe the lives of those who are not allowed to have one to begin with.
This was one of the easiest 5 stars I ever gave a book this entire year.
The Fifth Season is the first book in N. K. Jemisin's trilogy "The Broken Earth" (a series that earned her 3 Hugo Awards consecutively, and I am only beginning to understand why that is) and it begins as slowly as one would expect from a first book setting up even more to come. By the end of those roughly 450 pages, that slow pace had turned into an avalanche of happenings and (in my case) uncontrollable tears.
Jemisin's worldbuilding is immaculate. The deep lore (called "stone lore") surrounding the series' characters, the way she effortlessly weaves in talks about food supplies, the way of life for the people, while not making it sound like a particularly boring lecture, the Fulcrum and its practices....I found myself engrossed in this world, unable to put the book down at any point. Painful parallels to our real world, woven into the fabric of a story of loss, regret and finally, rebellion, broke me along with the pain these characters carry all on their own - I couldn't stop myself from falling in love with them if I tried. And I didn't particularly want to, truth be told.
I don't even want to ramble on about it too much - it's a beautiful piece of art. Read it. Listen to its tales, cry your heart out as we follow Essun, Syanide, Damara...as we follow all the ones whose voices have been silenced by the Guardians. As we follow the ones for whom feelings are a luxury they cannot afford; as we observe the lives of those who are not allowed to have one to begin with.
This was one of the easiest 5 stars I ever gave a book this entire year.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Child death
Minor: Bullying and Pregnancy