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A review by bhnmt61
The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin
5.0
Notes on re-reading at the end.
Original review: Wow, is this book complicated. I suspect that the entire trilogy, The Broken Earth, is the sort that when you finish it, if you really want to understand, you have to immediately read it over again. There’s so much that only gradually becomes clear, and even after reading this first entry in the trilogy, I can tell that she seeded a bunch of information here that didn’t seem important at the time. But there are so many other things I want to read right now. Hmmmm.
Anyway, if there was ever a book that is best to go into without spoilers, this is it, so I won’t say anything else. Complex, fascinating, deeply compelling.
Re-read: For some reason I decided it was time to pick up Obelisk Gate, and I almost just picked it up and plunged in, even though it’s been over a year since I read 5th Season. But I thought I’d skim back over this one first, and I’m so glad I did. For one thing, I had forgotten so much. I think I would have been lost on OG if I hadn’t re-read this one. And for another, this book is so good, it’s impossible to skim. I was almost immediately swept back into the story. And as with any complex world system, I picked up so much more the second time through. Brilliant.
Original review: Wow, is this book complicated. I suspect that the entire trilogy, The Broken Earth, is the sort that when you finish it, if you really want to understand, you have to immediately read it over again. There’s so much that only gradually becomes clear, and even after reading this first entry in the trilogy, I can tell that she seeded a bunch of information here that didn’t seem important at the time. But there are so many other things I want to read right now. Hmmmm.
Anyway, if there was ever a book that is best to go into without spoilers, this is it, so I won’t say anything else. Complex, fascinating, deeply compelling.
Re-read: For some reason I decided it was time to pick up Obelisk Gate, and I almost just picked it up and plunged in, even though it’s been over a year since I read 5th Season. But I thought I’d skim back over this one first, and I’m so glad I did. For one thing, I had forgotten so much. I think I would have been lost on OG if I hadn’t re-read this one. And for another, this book is so good, it’s impossible to skim. I was almost immediately swept back into the story. And as with any complex world system, I picked up so much more the second time through. Brilliant.