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tesshuelskamp's review against another edition
5.0
Tagged this with spoilers because I wanted to discuss the themes of the series but this should be largely spoiler free :)
This trilogy is set in a post apocalyptic earth where every few decades the earth enters a “fifth season” of a climate disaster where communities struggle to survive. This series follows a few characters who have an “earth magic” as they navigate the politics and hard work of living through the Fifth season.
What I liked about this series:
* There’s a lot of tension in the first book that made it hard to put down.
* I LOVED the characters and was invested in their growth. Some of the deaths in this series made me cry :)
* This book was complicated enough to be a satisfying read but not so complicated that reading it required a lot of focus.
* N. K. Jemison’s writing is wonderful. She’s a funny in a subtle way and has a great way of revealing events and letting you figure out what that implies for the world.
* Loved the themes in this series (oppression, the environment, racism, family & abuse, politics) and love that they weren’t overtly discussed. It’s more engaging to think about how the themes interact with the world & characters instead or reading an explicit discussion on it.
What I didn’t like:
* the magic in the first book seemed cohesive but felt like a stretch i the second and third books.
* I read a review that said the anti-capitalist themes in the third book didn’t complete gel with the rest of the series. I agreed and thought that they could’ve been foreshadowed better.
This trilogy is set in a post apocalyptic earth where every few decades the earth enters a “fifth season” of a climate disaster where communities struggle to survive. This series follows a few characters who have an “earth magic” as they navigate the politics and hard work of living through the Fifth season.
What I liked about this series:
* There’s a lot of tension in the first book that made it hard to put down.
* I LOVED the characters and was invested in their growth. Some of the deaths in this series made me cry :)
* This book was complicated enough to be a satisfying read but not so complicated that reading it required a lot of focus.
* N. K. Jemison’s writing is wonderful. She’s a funny in a subtle way and has a great way of revealing events and letting you figure out what that implies for the world.
* Loved the themes in this series (oppression, the environment, racism, family & abuse, politics) and love that they weren’t overtly discussed. It’s more engaging to think about how the themes interact with the world & characters instead or reading an explicit discussion on it.
What I didn’t like:
* the magic in the first book seemed cohesive but felt like a stretch i the second and third books.
* I read a review that said the anti-capitalist themes in the third book didn’t complete gel with the rest of the series. I agreed and thought that they could’ve been foreshadowed better.
rcallus210's review against another edition
5.0
Crushed this in just over 24 hours because I had to know how this epic series ended and it did not disappoint at all. I feel like as a finale, this accomplished a lot. Not only did Jemisin bring home the quest spectacularly, she also did so much to address conflict and gray space from the earlier two works. Just when you thought you knew everything about the world of the trilogy, she also fleshes out how the heck everything started in this mess which was a thing I as a reader was definitely hungering for, and I loved all of the deep emotional connections that came from that exploration as well. I'll be processing this whole series for a good long while.
linds_midd's review against another edition
5.0
This series was heartbreakingly beautiful. I feel like I picked the right time to read it as in some ways it mirrors our current world. Overall the series is a 4.5 for me and I'd definitely recommend it to those who don't mind a bittersweet read.
juliemadsen's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-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? Yes
4.0
anjeffers's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
annie26's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-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
4.5
4.5 stars. Such a cleverly written series. So glad I finally read a Jemisin book.
ninaudio's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
medium-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? Yes
4.75
krismcd59's review against another edition
4.0
World-building doesn't get any better than this, probably because one of the main characters in this trilogy is an actual world. The narrative takes a bit of a back seat to descriptions of the workings of the incredible system of geologic magic, which reaches its apotheosis in the desperate quests Essun and her daughter Nassun pursue throughout the novel. The best bits, however, are the memories of the stone eater Hoa, as it explains its origins to Essun and to the reader. The sense of history and its long, sad lessons strikes a somber but deeply humane mood. Fans of the trilogy might miss the complex relationships and character development of the first two novels -- there are few new characters in this one, and most of the action revolves around moving them from one place to another. But there's no denying this is a masterful piece of fantasy, and the emotional impact of the conclusion is just what it should be.
deepfriedfairy's review against another edition
4.0
I feel as if my head exploded a few times while reading this. Parts of it were way over my head but I loved the story. I feel like I need to read the whole trilogy over again to put together some of the pieces I missed along the way. I will be keeping this series which is rare for me. I usually read a book and pass it on so probably 95% of the books I have are unread. I only keep the ones that really grab me and these books sure did that.
noahapples's review against another edition
4.0
I've heard a bunch of friends complain about the ending to this trilogy, which I don't get because A) I liked the ending just fine, and B) Exactly everything that happened at the end was 100% telegraphed by page 100 of this third book, so I really have no idea what else anybody could have been expecting.
This book was good, but, but, but etc.
I liked it, and I read it on the train, and then kept reading it when I got off the train as I walked home, and then read it on my couch, and one time I tripped over the sidewalk while I was reading it because I was reading it so much. But also it falls into kind of a Lost-Season-7 pitfall some of the time and also it does that shit where the author uses a first-person unreliable narrator as a thinly veiled excuse to not write the book, like, "this thing happened but it was really crazy like you wouldn't believe so crazy it was indescribable so actually I won't describe it or explain it to you now but it happened," and it feels particularly glaring in this case because Jemisin so meticulously constructs everything else, it really feels like she just had one trouble spot left in her last draft and then said "fuck it" and decided the book was done. Anyway, it was good.
This book was good, but, but, but etc.
I liked it, and I read it on the train, and then kept reading it when I got off the train as I walked home, and then read it on my couch, and one time I tripped over the sidewalk while I was reading it because I was reading it so much. But also it falls into kind of a Lost-Season-7 pitfall some of the time and also it does that shit where the author uses a first-person unreliable narrator as a thinly veiled excuse to not write the book, like, "this thing happened but it was really crazy like you wouldn't believe so crazy it was indescribable so actually I won't describe it or explain it to you now but it happened," and it feels particularly glaring in this case because Jemisin so meticulously constructs everything else, it really feels like she just had one trouble spot left in her last draft and then said "fuck it" and decided the book was done. Anyway, it was good.