tired_cicada's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
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? It's complicated
4.75
Do you ever go into a book knowing nothing about it and it is just gut punch after gut punch? Cause apparently that's how I need to pick my books from now on casue y'all this book had me in the palm of its hand!!
(Check trigger warning through!)
I am I sucker for nonlinear story telling, I live pick out the lies and the half truths! I am glad I didn't know anything about this though, cause if I'd know this book was told in second person I probably wouldn't have picked it up, but...
This it was just too good!
I would recommend this book to my friends... But maybe not my mom. If you know you know.
I need book two right now! WE ARE GOING TO STEAL THE MOON!!!
(Check trigger warning through!)
I am I sucker for nonlinear story telling, I live pick out the lies and the half truths! I am glad I didn't know anything about this though, cause if I'd know this book was told in second person I probably wouldn't have picked it up, but...
This it was just too good!
I would recommend this book to my friends... But maybe not my mom. If you know you know.
I need book two right now!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Forced institutionalization, Slavery, Death, Classism, Child abuse, Child death, Blood, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Torture, and Grief
Moderate: Kidnapping, Misogyny, Fire/Fire injury, Torture, War, Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Rape, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
Minor: Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Cannibalism, Vomit, and Toxic friendship
mythicsage's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Forced institutionalization, and Violence
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Cursing, Gaslighting, Blood, Cannibalism, Grief, Classism, Colonisation, Death of parent, Murder, Kidnapping, Suicidal thoughts, and Slavery
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Fire/Fire injury, Stalking, Animal death, Medical content, Rape, Sexual violence, Transphobia, Vomit, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Torture, War, and Body horror
squidnamedfinger's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
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
5.0
totally gripping all the way through. couldn't put it down. you know a fantasy book is good if it's got me actually referencing the glossary.
Jemisin does such a great job creating a world that is as deeply insidious as our own. her use of second-person perspective is especially good at hammering it in that YOU should be feeling this sense of hatred and injustice at every turn. I love the way the perspective character often describes people in terms of how desirable the empire sees them. it really drives home how deeply the ugliness of this world affects the way her characters think and act.
and her CHARACTERS. the whole cast is enthralling. I won't say much because I think they deserve to be introduced on their own, but my favorites are Tonkee and Innon.
Jemisin also supplies just the right amount of information; the glossary and timeline are vague enough to give a sense of the world without spoiling anything. I actually went back and reread the prologue about halfway through to get more context, then I read the glossary and ignored the timeline (until the end).
her pacing is also a huge strength--I was confused for the first few chapters jumping time and perspective, but by the time I got about 80 pages in (around when you're introduced to Damaya and Schaffa) it clicked. from there it just delivers blow after blow of outstanding scenes that all echo each other across every storyline.
cannot recommend this enough. brutal and horrifying--but it's also heartwarming, and quite funny in passing moments. quite a few passages had my jaw on the floor. really excited to dive into the next in this trilogy.
Jemisin does such a great job creating a world that is as deeply insidious as our own. her use of second-person perspective is especially good at hammering it in that YOU should be feeling this sense of hatred and injustice at every turn. I love the way the perspective character often describes people in terms of how desirable the empire sees them. it really drives home how deeply the ugliness of this world affects the way her characters think and act.
and her CHARACTERS. the whole cast is enthralling. I won't say much because I think they deserve to be introduced on their own, but my favorites are Tonkee and Innon.
Jemisin also supplies just the right amount of information; the glossary and timeline are vague enough to give a sense of the world without spoiling anything. I actually went back and reread the prologue about halfway through to get more context, then I read the glossary and ignored the timeline (until the end).
her pacing is also a huge strength--I was confused for the first few chapters jumping time and perspective, but by the time I got about 80 pages in (around when you're introduced to Damaya and Schaffa) it clicked. from there it just delivers blow after blow of outstanding scenes that all echo each other across every storyline.
cannot recommend this enough. brutal and horrifying--but it's also heartwarming, and quite funny in passing moments. quite a few passages had my jaw on the floor. really excited to dive into the next in this trilogy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, War, Child abuse, and Racism
Moderate: Body horror and Gore
therainbowshelf's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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
I really loved this epic fantasy packed full of earth-based powers, found family, inclusive character design, and tragedy. The 3-character style worked so well. This starts slow, as many epic fantasy do, and has such an interesting payoff as character stories come together.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Grief, Child death, Blood, Child abuse, Kidnapping, Violence, Body horror, and Colonisation
Moderate: Animal death
Police brutality, destroyed homelands/refugee experiencewordpuncher's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror
Moderate: Bullying, Gore, Violence, Sexual content, Animal death, and Classism
Minor: Emotional abuse and War
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy, Vomit, Torture, Animal death, Blood, Classism, Colonisation, Grief, Confinement, Death, Abandonment, Xenophobia, Terminal illness, Violence, Sexual content, Racism, Child death, Suicidal thoughts, and Slavery
Moderate: Ableism and War
Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Cannibalism, Body horror, and Deadnaming
While races are fictional, race and bigotry are prominent themes.charrlee's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
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? It's complicated
5.0
"Let's start with the end of the world, why don't we? Get it over with and move on to more interesting things."
N. K. Jemisin has created a work that is engaging, intelligent, heartbreaking, and perhaps, above all else, raw. As a reader, I never considered myself a huge fan of consuming science fiction because I never really felt like I had any rights over a genre that is so dominantly white. In these fictional realities that are often set far into a distant future, I never got the privilege of seeing myself in these futures -- that is, of course, until I found Jemisin's work. In her book, I discovered everything that science fiction should be, and it is not your standard magic or space laser. Science fiction is freedom of imagination, the bending of reality, the questioning of power sources, and an exploration of the "what ifs" that are in every world. And of course, we love to see novels where characters can be unapologetically black.
Right away, you can tell that the world building is nothing short of phenomenal. Also, if you're a fan of books with maps, you're in luck friends. Jemisin is world building done right - you don't get all the answers up front. Yes, there is the context of the continent you are on, but there is also speculative history embedded through bits of stonelore throughout the novel. Nothing is given fully upfront, you are as much of a learner as any character in the novel. The invitation of mystery and the elation of speculation entices you further into the world Jemisin has worked so hard to craft. The scaling of the book -- macro to micro history and systems -- is so seamlessly woven into the text. Alongside the characters, you are also learning new information about a world that is brimming with unknowns. There are so many teasers present, and let me just say, some of my favorite pages were the interludes.
What I am most excited to rave about is the writing style of the book. I LOVE a book that is non-linear in storytelling, and Jemisin does just that. The perspective of characters shifts throughout the chapters, and at each point the perspective is also taking place at an entirely different time. While this might be a turn off for some, I urge you to bear with it even if you are not a fan of non linear stories, because it just works so well for the set up; if nothing else, stay for the character reveals if you haven't managed to piece it together during the read. Additionally, Jemisin toys with the idea of how the perspectives are delivered throughout the novel. Out of the three main character perspectives (Damaya, Syenite, and Essun), two are told in limited third person and one uses second person perspective. Now, it has been a minute since I've read a book that properly uses the second person perspective, and my mind was blown away with how well the second perspective works with what Jemisin is achieving. You are Essun, and Essun is you; understanding this throws the idea of agency, identity, and subject versus object into a realm of subversion. I personally don't include spoilers in my reviews (I would get to carried away in my reivews), but I swear that the way identity and perspective is explored in this novel is truly unique; I've never experienced a read quite like it.
Of course, it isn't a SciFi review if I don't get technical about the element x(s) in the Fifth Season. The story is set in a world that is ironically called The Stillness. The Earth is constantly impacted by earthquakes, volcanoes, and tsunamis (you know, all the fun environmental disasters!) that can only be quelled by orogenes; people who can connect to and seismically control the Earth. Despite the importance of the orogenes in maintaining the world, they are oppressed slaves under the Fulcrum. Due to misguided fears and lack of understanding, the stills (people who don't have the power of orogeny) are convinced that orogenes are dangerous and must be controlled at all times. The ability of orogeny is innate for those who possess the power, making them persecuted by the stills who are trying to stabilize the world by ensuring fewer unexpected elements. I want to be clear: this book is phenomenal in the way it addresses systematic oppression (who has power and/versus who controls it?), but it is also very graphic in the methods that are used in maintaining this power structure. There is genuinely so much to discuss on the topic alone, that I almost feel like I am doing a disservice by not attaching an essay on everything the novel touches on.
In a bonus round of everything else I loved about the book:
*The characterization/lore around Father Earth
*The way land is discussed/the conversations that can be centered around land/nature
*Construction of alternative societies (that are in opposition to the Fulcrum)
*One of the BEST representations of a polyamorous relationship (it genuinely brought me so much joy)
*Found families and finding people who unconditionally accept you
*The visibility of characters - there is someone for everyone
*The way Jemisin interrogates racism and prejudices
Lastly, one of my favorite quotes in the book (though I have many)
"But human beings, too, are ephemeral things in the planetary scale. The number of things that they do not notice are literally astronomical."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia, Violence, Sexual harassment, Physical abuse, Torture, Slavery, and Genocide
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Medical content, Pedophilia, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder
Minor: Body horror, Cannibalism, and Child death
bezarue's review against another edition
adventurous
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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Feels weird to give 5 stars to a book that if I had to describe the feeling it gave me in one word it would be 'unsettled'. This book is so creepy and so unlike anything I've read before. I enjoyed all the plot twists I guessed that Damaya and Syen were the same person but I wasn't sure about Essun and I definitely didn't guess about Tonkee. I'm kind of obsessed with Alabaster I think? In an Andrew Minyard kind of way. This was DARK and I feel vaguely sort of watched, now that I've finished it. We love a morally grey cast of characters. It was also at times horrifically sad but always in a way that leaned more on the horror than the sadness. I just want Essun to find Nassun.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, Murder, Body horror, Child abuse, and Child death
Moderate: Bullying and Violence
Minor: Pregnancy, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Suicidal thoughts, Racial slurs, and Racism
atomicrobin's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
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
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Physical abuse
Moderate: Child death, Kidnapping, Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Violence, Blood, Body horror, Death, Sexual content, Murder, and Gaslighting
madamenovelist's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Slavery, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Kidnapping, Cursing, Child abuse, Child death, Animal death, Xenophobia, Vomit, Violence, Medical trauma, Death, Rape, Racial slurs, Racism, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Murder, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, and Blood