Reviews tagging 'Rape'

La cinquième saison by N.K. Jemisin

108 reviews

dellydoos's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

 Sometimes (most of the time) I say controversial things when it comes to books, as often overhyped and over-celebrated book are really just that: over hyped and over-celebrated. But The Fifth Season is not that book. N.K. Jemisin deserves all the praise for this spectacular and emotional devasting piece of art she’s created, and let me tell you why. 

The book takes place at the end of the world. An earthquake has cracked the continent in half and volcanoes are pumping ash into the sky, threatening to coat the sky in eternal darkness for centuries, but all Essun cares about is finding her husband and killing him for kidnapping their daughter and murdering their three-year old son. It’s an emotionally charged first chapter, and yet the punches keep rolling. 

In the world of The Stillness, Jemisin’s world-building is superb, detailed, and immersive. The narrative is enriched by a deep history and a complex magic system known as Orogeny, which deals with the manipulation of thermal and kinetic energy (think earth bending and fire bending combined). But the people who wield this dreadful power are villainised and killed if they cannot be controlled by the Fulcrum, a mysterious organisation who are not above enslaving, murdering and torturing orogenes in order to control them. 

What sets The Fifth Season apart is Jemisin’s ability to weave complex themes of oppression, survival, and resilience into a narrative that is both epic and deeply personal. Essun’s journey is not just one of vengeance but also of self-discovery and understanding the true nature of her world and its prejudices. This book is an allegory on the harsh, historical and systemic racism our own world faces and it’s an incredibly important story to tell. 

Jemisin’s world-building is incredibly detailed, from the intricate histories and lore to the perceived inaccuracies that shape societies within The Stillness. The only fault in her writing is the overwhelming amount of terminology and historical events to wrap your head around (thankfully, there is a glossary and appendix at the back of the book). However, this complexity doesn't ease up, as more terms and events continue to accumulate. Additionally, while Jemisin creates a fully-fledged world with rich characters, each weighed down with unique voices and flaws, her descriptions are sparse and mostly factual. At times, it was challenging for me to grasp exactly what she was trying to convey in certain parts. This minimalistic approach to description left me yearning for more vivid imagery to fully visualize the story's settings and events. 

Regardless of minor drawbacks, The Fifth Season is a masterclass in storytelling, blending speculative fiction and fantasy with profound social commentary. This one is a heavy hitter, it’s dark and incredibly emotional. It’s a book that challenges you to think and feel deeply and I’m well settled in for the remainder of the trilogy. 4.5/5 stars. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death and Xenophobia

Moderate: Pedophilia, Rape, and Slavery

cato_g's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse and Pregnancy

Moderate: Rape, Slavery, and Murder

jess_always_reading's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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? N/A

5.0

I absolutely loved this book! It's very dark (fair warning) but it's done so well. Nothing feels gratuitous, it paints a dark but brutally honest picture. 

I loved the different lived experiences depicted amongst the diverse characters (including a poly relationship!) and he world-building without clear explanation was a fun mystery to unravel as I went along. 

Highly recommend, Jemisin has an incredible gift and so much talent! I've already requested the next one in the series from my local library. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Rape, Slavery, and Violence

Minor: Pedophilia and Cannibalism

aidareads's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious sad tense 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

3.75

perhaps it was my brain but i got kinda confused with the narrator thingy. i do think it was super interesting to have multiple "narrators", one of them being 2nd person, but towards the end i got a bit lost with the characters (if you know, you know). still, i hope i like the rest of the trilogy a bit better because the plot is certainly super interesting and relevant!! and i loved the diversity and the queer rep!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Physical abuse, and Rape

Moderate: Torture

Minor: Cannibalism

hanmccull's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious fast-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

“Let’s start with the end of the world, why don’t we?”

Ambitious and harrowing with a diverse cast of characters, I can see how this won the Hugo Award as it’s incredibly clever. 

The narrator did a fantastic job & I was fully immersed in the story throughout. Looking forward to the next instalment!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Rape, and Torture

acidicgoddess's review against another edition

Here’s a friendly reminder: when looking at the warning tags, click see more. There are so many warnings about rape and forced institution that I’m honestly so upset it wasn’t mentioned in a major tag. Oh, and child molestation. This book is disturbing and disgusting, I don’t know how people have rated this so highly. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Rape, and Forced institutionalization

anxiousshorebird's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

A bit of a ramble about why I loved this book. It was pretty much perfect and I don't think I can write a thorough review that does it justice. 

The most original sci-fi/fantasy I've read. Great prose. The second person narrative was weird at first, but it's really beautiful and switched between that and third person. The themes are dark and handled with finesse. The representation is thorough, authentic, and intertwined seamlessly into the story. The characters are all complex and interesting. The society and political structure of the Stillness is as well. Just a perfect book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse

Moderate: Child death

Minor: Pedophilia and Rape

tayindago's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional inspiring sad 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? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Gore, Rape, Cannibalism, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child abuse, Genocide, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Forced institutionalization, and Classism

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

epbuckley89's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense 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? It's complicated

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Murder, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Bullying, Gore, Hate crime, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Excrement, Police brutality, Suicide attempt, and Gaslighting

Minor: Cursing, Genocide, Cannibalism, Cultural appropriation, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Classism