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A review by abby_ace_of_books
The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin
4.0
Books with second-person POVs are either the best or worst books you'll ever read...sorry, I don't make the rules.
The Fifth Season is considered (at least from what I've seen) to be one of the best science-fiction/fantasy novels and a must-read for all SFF fans. I wasn't sure if I would enjoy it when I started, as I typically don't enjoy "classic" SFF books, and admittedly, it did take me a bit to get used to the prose. I think the most striking thing about this book is the worldbuilding. In a world where a select group of people can control the earth and cause major weather changes called "Seasons," there is also another class of humanoids called stone-eaters, as well as Guardians who monitor those with magic.
I'd like to introduce a new term that I think describes the plot: meandering. Books like this have characters who want to accomplish something, but along the way, they kind of "meander" through the story. The pacing was kind of slow, especially because two of the POVs didn't necessarily have explicit "goals" in a sense. Essun is a mother searching for her kidnapped daughter. Damaya must train in her power. Syenite must comply with the wishes of her superiors or face the consequences. The ending was interesting, and I'm excited to see where the story goes, but the plot definitely wasn't my favorite part.
I can't say much about the characters for spoiler reasons. My opinions on the POVs changed over the course of the novel. Essen's POV (which was in second person) was interesting at first but slowed down early on. Syenite's POV started slow but I think it ended up being my favorite. I really liked Damaya's POV as well. As for side characters, Alabaster grew on me a lot, and I also liked Hoa from his first introduction. Schaffa can die in a hole, please and thank you.
The Fifth Season is a masterfully written SFF novel with incredible worldbuilding, beautiful prose, and powerful women.
4.25/5
The Fifth Season is considered (at least from what I've seen) to be one of the best science-fiction/fantasy novels and a must-read for all SFF fans. I wasn't sure if I would enjoy it when I started, as I typically don't enjoy "classic" SFF books, and admittedly, it did take me a bit to get used to the prose. I think the most striking thing about this book is the worldbuilding. In a world where a select group of people can control the earth and cause major weather changes called "Seasons," there is also another class of humanoids called stone-eaters, as well as Guardians who monitor those with magic.
I'd like to introduce a new term that I think describes the plot: meandering. Books like this have characters who want to accomplish something, but along the way, they kind of "meander" through the story. The pacing was kind of slow, especially because two of the POVs didn't necessarily have explicit "goals" in a sense. Essun is a mother searching for her kidnapped daughter. Damaya must train in her power. Syenite must comply with the wishes of her superiors or face the consequences. The ending was interesting, and I'm excited to see where the story goes, but the plot definitely wasn't my favorite part.
I can't say much about the characters for spoiler reasons. My opinions on the POVs changed over the course of the novel. Essen's POV (which was in second person) was interesting at first but slowed down early on. Syenite's POV started slow but I think it ended up being my favorite. I really liked Damaya's POV as well. As for side characters, Alabaster grew on me a lot, and I also liked Hoa from his first introduction. Schaffa can die in a hole, please and thank you.
The Fifth Season is a masterfully written SFF novel with incredible worldbuilding, beautiful prose, and powerful women.
4.25/5