Science Fiction and Fantasy Fridays
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THE FIFTH SEASON
Author: N.K. JemisinSeries: The Broken Earth #1
Source: Audible
Publisher: Orbit
Publication Date: August 4, 2015
Summary:
This is the way the world ends. Again.
Three terrible things happen in a single day. Essun, a woman living an ordinary life in a small town, comes home to find that her husband has brutally murdered their son and kidnapped their daughter. Meanwhile, mighty Sanze -- the world-spanning empire whose innovations have been civilization's bedrock for a thousand years -- collapses as most of its citizens are murdered to serve a madman's vengeance. And worst of all, across the heart of the vast continent known as the Stillness, a great red rift has been been torn into the heart of the earth, spewing ash enough to darken the sky for years. Or centuries.
Now Essun must pursue the wreckage of her family through a deadly, dying land. Without sunlight, clean water, or arable land, and with limited stockpiles of supplies, there will be war all across the Stillness: a battle royale of nations not for power or territory, but simply for the basic resources necessary to get through the long dark night. Essun does not care if the world falls apart around her. She'll break it herself, if she must, to save her daughter.
Amazon | Chapters | TBD
N(ora). K. Jemisin is an author of speculative fiction short stories and novels who lives and writes in Brooklyn, NY. In 2018, she became the first author to win three Hugos in a row for her Broken Earth novels. She has also won a Nebula Award, two Locus Awards, and a number of other honors.
This took a bit to get into and I'm still not 100% sure on the worldbuilding but the characters are fantastic and I loved the writing! I thought that there were a lot of great parallels between the world we live in today and the nation that Jemisin creates, which will really open up people's eyes - if they are paying attention.
This is what you must remember: the ending of one story is just the beginning of another.
This book throws you right into the action, which can be good, but there isn't enough of an explanation for you to really get a good grasp on things. That makes it difficult for readers (like me) to really feel a full connection to the book from the get go. I almost stopped a couple times because I wasn't feeling it, but I'm glad I continued through it because it ended up being amazing.
The characters are so amazing and well-developed. Each of the different story lines kept my attention, but I especially loved reading about Essun and her journey. I love that every main character in this story was powerful and doing what they could to be empowered - even when they were being torn down and enduring hateful people. There were so many beautiful moments and I loved seeing how the characters grew throughout.
I highly recommend this book to everyone as it was incredibly written and an interesting fantasy novel. I can't wait to see where the story goes next!
N(ora). K. Jemisin is an author of speculative fiction short stories and novels who lives and writes in Brooklyn, NY. In 2018, she became the first author to win three Hugos in a row for her Broken Earth novels. She has also won a Nebula Award, two Locus Awards, and a number of other honors.
Connect with the Author:
This sounds interesting, but not sure I'd read it. I'll think about it based on your review though. Thanks for sharing!
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