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A review by cryosphinx
The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin
adventurous
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
4.75
“Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall; Death is the Fifth, and Master of All.”
I picked this up years ago on a recommendation for fans of the game Horizon: Zero Dawn and I am MAD at myself for taking so long to actually read this.
Jemisin is masterful and poetic in her writing and there are so many beautiful passages. There isn't too much detail I can into it as it's very twist and turny from the beginning and saying anything more than the blurb will take away from the experience.
The book pivots between the point of view of three women, one of which being in second person. It takes some getting used to, if only because I think this may be the second time ever I read a book in that POV. The characters are all bad asses in a unique way and the growth is immaculate.
I wanted to give this a 5 but people are correct in that the world building, while a fantastic world that does take on being a character of its own, there are some confusing terms that either don't get fully explained or take a long time to make sense. Don't make my mistake: there IS an appendix in the back that I discovered once I finished the book. There is occasional upsetting content so check triggers. The Stillness is a harsh world.
I'm glad I already had the second book on hand or I would have made a mad dash to buy it. I can't wait to jump right back in and explore more of the Stillness.
I picked this up years ago on a recommendation for fans of the game Horizon: Zero Dawn and I am MAD at myself for taking so long to actually read this.
Jemisin is masterful and poetic in her writing and there are so many beautiful passages. There isn't too much detail I can into it as it's very twist and turny from the beginning and saying anything more than the blurb will take away from the experience.
The book pivots between the point of view of three women, one of which being in second person. It takes some getting used to, if only because I think this may be the second time ever I read a book in that POV. The characters are all bad asses in a unique way and the growth is immaculate.
I wanted to give this a 5 but people are correct in that the world building, while a fantastic world that does take on being a character of its own, there are some confusing terms that either don't get fully explained or take a long time to make sense. Don't make my mistake: there IS an appendix in the back that I discovered once I finished the book. There is occasional upsetting content so check triggers. The Stillness is a harsh world.
I'm glad I already had the second book on hand or I would have made a mad dash to buy it. I can't wait to jump right back in and explore more of the Stillness.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Grief, Murder
Moderate: Cursing, Sexual content, Classism
Minor: Child abuse, Pedophilia, Cannibalism, Pregnancy