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

5.0

N.K. Jemisin is amazingly adept at creating new worlds that are different than each other, a trick that bedevils many a fantasy writer. Even though there are some overt similarities to her previous books, particularly the Dreamblood novels, here - individuals with powers working under extreme constraints, the feel and focus of the Broken Earth is different than what she's done before. In particular, the second-person part of the narrative really works well for establishing its own tone and feel, separating it out from the other components of the book. Managing a multiple-thread novel can be difficult, but the Fifth Season handles it about as well as I've ever seen, especially with regard to understanding how the various plotlines relate to each other. The reveal is a combination gutpunch /Eureka! that I didn't see coming, but which made the whole thing fir perfectly. Another great read, definitely a worthy Hugo winner, and a great start to the Broken Earth trilogy.