Reviews tagging 'Xenophobia'

La quinta estación by N.K. Jemisin

78 reviews

anniehayez's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I really can’t put my thoughts into words other than to say this is a perfect book. I think this is the most unique, intricate, heartbreaking and awe inspiring story I’ve ever read. A true masterpiece.  (Please see content warnings)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Xenophobia, Grief, Murder, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Body horror, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Blood, and Cannibalism

Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Torture, Transphobia, Vomit, Trafficking, and Suicide attempt

ches2496's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The good:
The world building was intricate and well thought-out, and the mysteries kept me reading and wanting to find out what happened. It’s also why I will continue the series!

The bad:
I wasn’t a huge fan of the second person used for certain perspectives, but I could work with it.

Trigger warnings explanation:
This book was pretty dark. Although the violence wasn’t graphically depicted, generally, there was a lot of violence against children. Which made sense for the plot, but was also difficult to read. There was quite a bit of sexual content, although usually not graphically described. Things like the breeding of humans made sense for the plot. It was referred to, but not described graphically. There was at least one moderately graphic scene involving a three-way. There were also two brief references made to sexual violence against children.

Conclusion:
Overall, it was an interesting, albeit dark fantasy with unique world-building and an intricate plot!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Sexual content, Forced institutionalization, and Classism

Moderate: Child abuse, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Violence, Xenophobia, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Cannibalism, and Suicide attempt

m_a_daross's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Xenophobia, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

kell_xavi's review against another edition

5.0

The wholly original fantasy series starts with a novel of three narratives that link to tell a partial recent history and present of a world where natural disasters coupled with magics of earth and stone shape the lives of all who live there. In one segment, the story has a form similar to the walled village and desperate journey of Octavia Butler's Parable of the Sower; in one, a young girl begins training in an oppressive arcane academic; in the third, two bitter strangers begin a quest that enriches and reveals more than anticipated.

Very good writing, complex and engrossing parallel plot lines, unique characters, interesting politics and world-building.  I'll reserve judgment otherwise until I've read the rest of the series. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Emotional abuse, Slavery, Torture, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Bullying and Classism

Minor: Cannibalism

amyhasel's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious sad 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

5.0

I am blown away. This book is super dark from the second it starts but manages to balance with a wry humor that is so difficult to pull off. I was genuinely surprised by every reveal. The world-building is insane and I can't get enough! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Physical abuse, Xenophobia, and Murder

biobeetle's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Bullying, Confinement, Death, Grief, and Abandonment

chloetremain's review against another edition

dark sad tense 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery and Xenophobia

Moderate: Sexual violence and Murder

Minor: Child death and Genocide

amsswim's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Anyone looking for a Hugo winning fantasy? THis was my first read by this author, but I really like her writing style. Full of details and feeling, I really felt my heart aches for what the characters go through. The plot and setting start a bit abstract, but in a way that pulled me in entirely. I'm not usually a series girl, or I haven't been in years, but maybe this will get me back into it. I have 2 more after this.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Slavery, Violence, Xenophobia, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Physical abuse, Sexual content, Blood, and Gaslighting

Minor: Vomit

hazeln00t's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious reflective 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? No

5.0

This book rules and I can’t wait to re-read it. Throughout the book there’s passing observations that feel inconsequential and human, but no remark or reflection is accidental. Jemisin is a fantastic world builder and the ending snowballed so fast to a jaw dropping tease for the next book. All of her characters are also deeply emotionally intelligent. That’s not exactly realistic maybe for people in real life, but it makes for damn good fiction. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Confinement, Death, Racism, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Colonisation, and Classism

Moderate: Ableism and War

Minor: Body horror, Deadnaming, Cannibalism, and Fire/Fire injury

While races are fictional, race and bigotry are prominent themes.

chaoticnostalgia's review against another edition

challenging dark sad 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Slavery, Torture, Xenophobia, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Sexual content and Pregnancy