Name: The Fifth Season
ISBN: 9780316229302

N. K. Jemisin

At the end of the world, a woman must hide her secret power and find her kidnapped daughter in this "intricate and extraordinary" Hugo Award winning novel of power, oppression, and revolution. (The New York Times) This is the way the world ends. . .for the last time. It starts with the great red rift across the heart of the world's sole continent, spewing ash that blots out the sun. It starts with death, with a murdered son and a missing daughter. It starts with betrayal, and long dormant wounds rising up to fester. This is the Stillness, a land long familiar with catastrophe, where the power of the earth is wielded as a weapon. And where there is no mercy. Read the first book in the critically acclaimed, three-time Hugo award-winning trilogy by NYT bestselling author N. K. Jemisin.

The Broken Earth: Book 1

The Fifth Season

Lauren

Syrina

The image stuck in your mind, though, as you packed up: a child whod obviously been through some disaster, sitting naked in the middle of a meadow, surrounded by falling ash-and yet, playing. Humming, even.

I gave this a real shot, but the slow pacing, clunky writing, and lack of connection to the characters made it a struggle I wasn’t willing to finish. I went into this with pretty medium-sized expectations. Okay, fine, I had high expectations for The Fifth Season, because it's seemingly widely praised, critically acclaimed, and part of a trilogy that made history. So, obviously I fully expected to enjoy it and at least finish it and give it 3 stars at worse. Unfortunately… this just didn't work for me. I made it about 35% in before deciding to DNF, and honestly, that was me pushing through more than I should have.

This is where the book really lost me, cause its writing style felt clunky. That's a common word a lot of reads seem to be using, and I finally get why they it. The sentence structure, the flow, the constant shifts in perspective (including second person which is different and I was immediately intrigued) made the reading experience feel more like work than enjoyment.

The second-person narration in particular was incredibly jarring as I (or you, I guess) kept reading further on. Instead of immersing me, it pulled me out of the story over and over again. Combined with the dense terminology and lack of clear explanations, it created a barrier between me and the world rather than drawing me in. I can appreciate what the author was trying to do stylistically, but it just didn’t land for me.

From what I read, the story follows three timelines/POVs centered around orogenes who are (I guess) people who can control seismic activity. On paper, that sounds cool, but the execution is painfully slow. The pacing made it really hard to stay engaged. It felt like a lot of walking, traveling, and fragmented scenes without a clear sense of momentum. I kept waiting for the story to grab me, and it just… didn’t. Instead, I found my mind wandering constantly, which is never a good sign. I don’t mind complex or layered plots, but I do need to feel like I’m going somewhere. Here, I just felt stuck.

At the start, I did find myself somewhat interested in the characters, but that faded the longer I read. I never formed a strong emotional connection to any of them, and eventually, I just… stopped caring. Their motivations and personalities didn’t feel distinct or engaging enough to hold my attention, and because of that, the stakes never felt real. And once I stop caring about the characters, it’s basically over.

At the end of the day, I don’t think this is a “bad” book. I just think it’s not for me. I've realised that I'm not her audience and that's okay with me. If you enjoy dense, experimental fantasy with a strong focus on themes and structure, you might love this. Good for you. If you’re like me and need engaging characters and a more fluid reading experience to stay hooked… this might be a struggle. And that’s okay. Not every critically acclaimed book is going to click with every reader and I’m finally okay admitting that this one just didn’t click with me.

Tali ⋆.˚🦋༘⋆

INTRODUCTION
I gave this a real shot, but the slow pacing, clunky writing, and lack of connection to the characters made it a struggle I wasn’t willing to finish. I went into this with pretty medium-sized expectations. Okay, fine, I had high expectations for The Fifth Season, because it's seemingly widely praised, critically acclaimed, and part of a trilogy that made history. So, obviously I fully expected to enjoy it and at least finish it and give it 3 stars at worse. Unfortunately… this just didn't work for me. I made it about 35% in before deciding to DNF, and honestly, that was me pushing through more than I should have.

Writing Analysis
This is where the book really lost me, cause its writing style felt clunky. That's a common word a lot of reads seem to be using, and I finally get why they it. The sentence structure, the flow, the constant shifts in perspective (including second person which is different and I was immediately intrigued) made the reading experience feel more like work than enjoyment.
The second-person narration in particular was incredibly jarring as I (or you, I guess) kept reading further on. Instead of immersing me, it pulled me out of the story over and over again. Combined with the dense terminology and lack of clear explanations, it created a barrier between me and the world rather than drawing me in. I can appreciate what the author was trying to do stylistically, but it just didn’t land for me.

Plot Analysis
From what I read, the story follows three timelines/POVs centered around orogenes who are (I guess) people who can control seismic activity. On paper, that sounds cool, but the execution is painfully slow. The pacing made it really hard to stay engaged. It felt like a lot of walking, traveling, and fragmented scenes without a clear sense of momentum. I kept waiting for the story to grab me, and it just… didn’t. Instead, I found my mind wandering constantly, which is never a good sign. I don’t mind complex or layered plots, but I do need to feel like I’m going somewhere. Here, I just felt stuck.

Characters Analysis
At the start, I did find myself somewhat interested in the characters, but that faded the longer I read. I never formed a strong emotional connection to any of them, and eventually, I just… stopped caring. Their motivations and personalities didn’t feel distinct or engaging enough to hold my attention, and because of that, the stakes never felt real. And once I stop caring about the characters, it’s basically over.

Conclusion
At the end of the day, I don’t think this is a “bad” book. I just think it’s not for me. I've realised that I'm not her audience and that's okay with me. If you enjoy dense, experimental fantasy with a strong focus on themes and structure, you might love this. Good for you. If you’re like me and need engaging characters and a more fluid reading experience to stay hooked… this might be a struggle. And that’s okay. Not every critically acclaimed book is going to click with every reader and I’m finally okay admitting that this one just didn’t click with me.

Emiley Jones

This is my second read through of the series and this will always be my favorite book!!

Ashley Freeman

Winner of the Hugo Award for Best Novel Book 1 in the record-breaking triple Hugo-Award-winning trilogy ***One of Time Magazine's top 100 fantasy books of all time*** ***Shortlisted for the World Fantasy, Nebula, Kitschies, Audie and Locus Awards*** ***A New York Times Notable Book and the inaugural Wired.com book club pick *** THIS IS THE WAY THE WORLD ENDS . . . FOR THE LAST TIME. IT STARTS WITH THE GREAT RED RIFT across the heart of the world's sole continent, spewing ash that blots out the sun. IT STARTS WITH DEATH, with a murdered son and a missing daughter. IT STARTS WITH BETRAYAL, and long dormant wounds rising up to fester. This is the Stillness, a land long familiar with catastrophe, where the power of the earth is wielded as a weapon. And where there is no mercy. 'Astounding' NPR 'Amazing' Ann Leckie 'Breaks uncharted ground' Library Journal 'Powerful' io9 'Elegiac, complex, and intriguing' Publishers Weekly 'Intricate and extraordinary' New York Times 'Brilliant' Washington Post The Broken Earth trilogy is complete - beginning with The Fifth Season, continuing in The Obelisk Gate (Winner of the Hugo Award for Best Novel) and concluding with The Stone Sky (Winner of the Hugo Award for Best Novel and Nebula Award). Also by N. K. Jemisin: The Inheritance trilogy The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms The Broken Kingdoms The Kingdom of Gods The Dreamblood Duology The Killing Moon The Shadowed Sun

This author managed to create such a vivid, confusing and interesting world just from words alone, and I’m still in awe. This book is so well written; the imagery and descriptions were really gripping, it was almost like I was there. I really love when a fantasy author can do that, because one of my favorite things about the genre is getting to be in a different world for a bit. This one was truly amazing, the intricacies and politics and hierarchy, everything! 

I’m a reader who primarily gets hooked to characters, and I loved all of them. Usually in a book like this you’ll have characters you care about and those who you barely notice, but this cast really did it for me. Every single one of them was interesting, and I really didn’t care about the POV switching because i was invested in every pov equally which is rare. I also love how casually the author included queer people and relationships.

The plot was insanely confusing, and honestly it stays mostly that way for a while, but when you get closer to the end, and things start to make sense, and there’s that reveal, it’s so so satisfying. It’s a book that rewards the reader for sticking through to the end. I really appreciate how the author chose to structure the telling of this story, it really made for a great reading experience. I can’t wait to read the rest of this trilogy.

bel 

This author managed to create such a vivid, confusing and interesting world just from words alone, and I’m still in awe. This book is so well written; the imagery and descriptions were really gripping, it was almost like I was there. I really love when a fantasy author can do that, because one of my favorite things about the genre is getting to be in a different world for a bit. This one was truly amazing, the intricacies and politics and hierarchy, everything! 

I’m a reader who primarily gets hooked to characters, and I loved all of them. Usually in a book like this you’ll have characters you care about and those who you barely notice, but this cast really did it for me. Every single one of them was interesting, and I really didn’t care about the POV switching because i was invested in every pov equally which is rare. I also love how casually the author included queer people and relationships.

The plot was insanely confusing, and honestly it stays mostly that way for a while, but when you get closer to the end, and things start to make sense, and there’s that reveal, it’s so so satisfying. It’s a book that rewards the reader for sticking through to the end. I really appreciate how the author chose to structure the telling of this story, it really made for a great reading experience. I can’t wait to read the rest of this trilogy.

Impeccable writing and a compelling plot. I am deeply intrigued about the rest of the trilogy.

Simon Crocker

This book is so so painful, even more painful when you put the pieces together and you can’t do anything but watch the whole thing play out. It’s beautifully written and it feels so real. 

At the 20% mark I thought I wasn’t smart enough for this book, it got to the 60% mark and I still felt that way, but there’s something so unmistakably human that keeps you going despite that. 

Hannah Bateman

This book is so so painful, even more painful when you put the pieces together and you can’t do anything but watch the whole thing play out. It’s beautifully written and it feels so real. 

At the 20% mark I thought I wasn’t smart enough for this book, it got to the 60% mark and I still felt that way, but there’s something so unmistakably human that keeps you going despite that. 

I only put 3.5* as it took me quite a while to enter this book, like when struggling to find the house key in a purse too full by - 10C. I am not hooked as I am sometimes right from the start in a scifi/Fantasy story. The feeling I have here is less feverish or passionate, there a bit more distance, with the characters or the story.

However. …things are getting seriously intriguing later on and it seems like this time the book is more story driven than a balance story/character development FOR NOW. I will continue with the 2d part.

Barbara

I only put 3.5* as it took me quite a while to enter this book, like when struggling to find the house key in a purse too full by - 10C. I am not hooked as I am sometimes right from the start in a scifi/Fantasy story. The feeling I have here is less feverish or passionate, there a bit more distance, with the characters or the story.

However. …things are getting seriously intriguing later on and it seems like this time the book is more story driven than a balance story/character development FOR NOW. I will continue with the 2d part.

the relationship between alabaster and syenite is sooooo important to me I love them sm.

this is literally perfect such an easy yet complex read, the characters are perfect the world building is perfect, not much actually happens but idgaf.

mehrsa

the relationship between alabaster and syenite is sooooo important to me I love them sm.

this is literally perfect such an easy yet complex read, the characters are perfect the world building is perfect, not much actually happens but idgaf.

I couldn’t fully buy into the lore of this fantasy - a volatile world with shifting tectonic plates that can be “sessed” and controlled by a handful of special people. The world existed clearly in the author’s mind but I just didn’t feel like I could get into it. Bit too much modern love for my taste too.

Jacqui Spears

this is a beautiful but haunting story told in a really great way. the three povs/voices you hear this story from are great and at some points so chilling. really well written and done fantasy/sci-fi book. 

i will say that the "twist" is pretty obvious, but i think that might have been the authors intention 

alice l

this is a beautiful but haunting story told in a really great way. the three povs/voices you hear this story from are great and at some points so chilling. really well written and done fantasy/sci-fi book. 

i will say that the "twist" is pretty obvious, but i think that might have been the authors intention 

Luke Harkness

A simply phenomenal book

I knew I was going to five this boom five stars from about 2/3 of the way through and you will too.

Not only is this book written very specifically and intelligently but it also builds a completely believable and fulfilling world.

There have been very few books I've wanted to immediately read the sequel to, but I do with this. Unfortunately I promised I'd read another with someone else.

If you have no idea what book to read, just read this one. You won't be disappointed. Its got great twists, its written in a very clever way and it really is a "page turner".

Během jediného dne se stanou tři strašné věci. Essun, která se skrývá v jednom tichém městečku jako obyčejná učitelka, přijde domů a zjistí, že manžel surově zavraždil jejich syna a unesl dceru. Mocné Sanzedské císařství, jež bylo po tisíc let nositelem pokroku a základem civilizace, se zhroutí, protože jistý šílenec pomstychtivě zničí jeho největší město. A co je nejhorší, v srdci jediného světového kontinentu se začne rozevírat velká rudá trhlina, která chrlí tolik popela, že zakryje oblohu na celé roky. Nebo staletí.

Toto je ale Tišina, svět, kde boj o život není zdaleka ničím novým a kde větší strach než dlouhá chladná noc budí orogénové — ti, kdo ovládají sílu země jako zbraň. Essun si uvědomí, kým je, a rozhodne se získat dceru zpátky.
Je jí jedno, že svět kolem ní se rozpadá. Bude-li to nutné, klidně ho sama zničí, jen aby dosáhla svého.

Páté roční období

já si vždy říkala, že sci-fi není pro mě, nebavilo mě to a nechápala jsem, co na tom někoho baví. k fantasy jsem si naopak našla cestu tím, že jsem jako první fantasy četla ty, který byly queer. což je tahle taky (a taky je mimo heteronormativní a nuceně monogamní škatulky pro vztahy!)

no a s touhle knihou jsem zjistilx, že k sci-fi pro mě taky vede cesta. 

nešlo o sci-fi jako celek, co mě nebavilo. nebavili mě ti bílí týpci, co psali o věcech úplně mimo tenhle svět a povedlo se jim u toho furt bejt bílocentrický. 

all i needed was n.k. jemisin and freaking afrofuturism!!

tahle kniha byla tak nádherná, myslím, že to nepůjde pořádně popsat. jemisin píše tak poutavě, umí skvěle navnadit atmosféru vrámci krátkých odstavců i celých kapitol. POV z druhé osoby pro mě byla novinka a strašně mě to bavilo. prvotní zmatení z novýho světa, který používá jiná slova pro popis věcí, je u fantasy už klasika, ale potom se vše vždy ujasní. a když se něco neujasní, tak je to naschvál. 

páté roční období je kniha o systematickém útlaku. a nejenom, je to syrový, hluboký, autorka ukazuje, jak je útlak nechutně zakořeněný v sytému, v těch, kteří ho vedou, kteří z něj benefitují a taky v těch, které to utlačuje. protože i když z sytému útlaku utečete někam pryč, berete si ho sebou, stojí to tak moc se odnaučit se vidět, tak jak nás to učili. a často to neodejde. jemisin dává čtenářstvu a světu zrcadlo — je na nás jestli chceme předstírat, že jde pouze o nějaké výmysly v nereálném světě anebo jestli se skrz to zrcadlo na sebe podíváme, rozbijeme ho na cucky a budem se snažit vybudovat něco novýho.

nejde pouze o sci-fi a fantasy dystopii. jde o tenhle posraný svět!

eve 

—slova se nejspíš dostaví později

—později:

já si vždy říkala, že sci-fi není pro mě, nebavilo mě to a nechápala jsem, co na tom někoho baví. k fantasy jsem si naopak našla cestu tím, že jsem jako první fantasy četla ty, který byly queer. což je tahle taky (a taky je mimo heteronormativní a nuceně monogamní škatulky pro vztahy!)

no a s touhle knihou jsem zjistilx, že k sci-fi pro mě taky vede cesta. 

nešlo o sci-fi jako celek, co mě nebavilo. nebavili mě ti bílí týpci, co psali o věcech úplně mimo tenhle svět a povedlo se jim u toho furt bejt bílocentrický. 

all i needed was n.k. jemisin and freaking afrofuturism!!

tahle kniha byla tak nádherná, myslím, že to nepůjde pořádně popsat. jemisin píše tak poutavě, umí skvěle navnadit atmosféru vrámci krátkých odstavců i celých kapitol. POV z druhé osoby pro mě byla novinka a strašně mě to bavilo. prvotní zmatení z novýho světa, který používá jiná slova pro popis věcí, je u fantasy už klasika, ale potom se vše vždy ujasní. a když se něco neujasní, tak je to naschvál. 

páté roční období je kniha o systematickém útlaku. a nejenom, je to syrový, hluboký, autorka ukazuje, jak je útlak nechutně zakořeněný v sytému, v těch, kteří ho vedou, kteří z něj benefitují a taky v těch, které to utlačuje. protože i když z sytému útlaku utečete někam pryč, berete si ho sebou, stojí to tak moc se odnaučit se vidět, tak jak nás to učili. a často to neodejde. jemisin dává čtenářstvu a světu zrcadlo — je na nás jestli chceme předstírat, že jde pouze o nějaké výmysly v nereálném světě anebo jestli se skrz to zrcadlo na sebe podíváme, rozbijeme ho na cucky a budem se snažit vybudovat něco novýho.

nejde pouze o sci-fi a fantasy dystopii. jde o tenhle posraný svět!

Ana Luiza

simplesmente a maior fantasia que já li na minha vida
nunca li nada igual, nada tão bem escrito, tão lindo
é o tipo de livro que faz a gente se apaixonar pela literatura de novo
essa autora é simplesmente GENIAL, é de outro mundo a capacidade dela de criar esse universo que é tão diferente de todos os livros de fantasia que eu já vi e que ainda assim tem uma conexão tão forte com a sociedade que a gente vive. serio. lindo
quero ler tudo que ela já escreveu <3

At the end of the world, a woman must hide her secret power and find her kidnapped daughter in this "intricate and extraordinary" Hugo Award winning novel of power, oppression, and revolution. (The New York Times)

This is the way the world ends...for the last time.

It starts with the great red rift across the heart of the world's sole continent, spewing ash that blots out the sun. It starts with death, with a murdered son and a missing daughter. It starts with betrayal, and long dormant wounds rising up to fester.

This is the Stillness, a land long familiar with catastrophe, where the power of the Earth is wielded as a weapon. And where there is no mercy.

Listen to the first book in the critically acclaimed, three-time Hugo award-winning trilogy by NYT best-selling author N. K. Jemisin.

A powerful fantasy novel about colonized people of color deprogramming and fighting for self-determination. 

Nando

I was so confused at the start but by the end…WOW

Whitley

worth every moment with it. i feel

sick.

Aloe Han

Loved it, nice and miserable. But not dull with it! I think I enjoyed it all the more because I read 66 pages of Babel by R.F Kuang before starting this and I want that time back very much. Laid eyes on this and that warm feeling that you get when you realise a book has decent prose and is guaranteed to hold your attention flowed through me. I think it's called relief? I want to read the sequel, but I'm already distracted by Gloriana by Michael Moorcock, and I must push through the last bit of LOTR

Jule

Sind die ersten 100 bis 150 Seiten schwierig zu lesen? Absolut. Hatte ich Probleme mit der Perspektive der 2. Person Singular? Ganz genau. Aber dieses Buch verdient so viel Sterne, weil es sich komplett von der breiten Masse abhebt. Ja gut, ich stell mich bei Sci-Fi und Fantasy gerne hinten an, aber das liegt meistens daran, dass sehr oft einfach dieselben Tropes und Klischees erfüllt werden. The Fifth Season ist ein Mix aus Fantasy und Sci-Fi, queer, präsentiert eine alternative Gesellschaft, und schafft es eine Welt zu erschaffen, die komplettes Neuland ist. Warum die ersten paar Seiten so schwer sind zu lesen? Weil mein Hirn sich tatsächlich mal anstrengend musste, um sich die Welt und Charaktere vorzustellen. Bin richtig gespannt wie es hier weitergeht.

Petaco

I just did not enjoy it. It did not go the way I thought it would. I liked the first half better than the second half. I won't be reading the rest of the books in the series. 

I did not care for any of the characters. I really only initially liked the part about the mother dealing with extreme grief. After a bit, I just hated the rest. I don't like the way it ended. And maybe I just didn't get it, but I don't think the story flowed very well. As if some parts of the story were written on sticky notes and they just HAD to be included (pirates?? Really??).

Bilge Ince

First thing first, this was a damn good book. I can’t wait to read the rest.

It was like a post apocalyptic time but in a fantasy way. I felt enjoyed, sad, furious and most of times curious while I’m reading. 

3 strong women in different ages and 3 strong stories will make them meet in the middle make them one. The first one is Damaya who is delicate but knows how to deal with the plots. The second one is Essun who is a mother of two and can do anything for them. And the last one Syenite who is fierce and cares her own freedom more than anything. Their life will cross in an unexpected way and nothing will remain same...

Jemisin create a world with whole package including own jargon and that impressed me a lot. I loved the protagonists as much as side characters Baster, Hoa, Binof they all are unique in their own way.

My only criticism of this book is the gap between chapters. After halfway through the book, I had a hard time keeping up with the changes in the lives of the characters in each new chapter.

Michaella 

charisa

This book is everything I love about science fiction/fantasy. I'm not just referring to the fantastic (!) world-building and rich characterization, but also what it infers and asks and challenges as a whole. Is humanity just a social construct? What are the consequences of viewing human beings as a biological construct versus a social body? What is a world, and is it worthwhile to preserve the Earth as a larger, physical entity if it comes at the cost of the smaller, pluralistic cultures within? Seriously just so, so good.

Three terrible things happen in a single day. Essun, masquerading as an ordinary schoolteacher in a quiet small town, comes home to find that her husband has brutally murdered their son and kidnapped their daughter. Mighty Sanze, the empire whose innovations have been civilization's bedrock for a thousand years, collapses as its greatest city is destroyed by a madman's vengeance. And worst of all, across the heartland of the world's sole continent, a great red rift has been torn which spews ash enough to darken the sky for years. Or centuries. But this is the Stillness, a land long familiar with struggle, and where orogenes--those who wield the power of the earth as a weapon--are feared far more than the long cold night. Essun has remembered herself, and she will have her daughter back. She does not care if the world falls apart around her. Essun will break it herself, if she must, to save her daughter.

I finished this and immediately bought the rest of the series. The film industry better not touch this one. 

The Fifth Season The Broken Earth: Book 1

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