March 15, 2022
In a genre filled with expository eloquence, N.K. Jemisin does readers a favor – she feeds us very little. Sure, there are sections where it seems we as an audience are being handed information for nothing, but as I continued reading, I swiftly discovered that nearly all of the important information and conclusions I had to deduce on my own. A truly compelling biased narrator, Jemisin inhabits the minds and personalities of her characters with exceptional skill, while adding smart little asides to make the reader feel like one of the inner circle, a co-conspirator in the workings of the world. She writes about tragedy and grief with the deep understanding that oftentimes it occurs quietly, coldly, because any acknowledgement of the horror would break a person in two. She explores the nature of being an individual and having personal goals, desires, and needs while living as a member of an oppressed faction of society, and the friction between those two truths. With a distinct voice and a unique and refreshing method of storytelling, The Fifth Season is an excellent option for both those new to the genre and those who have exhausted the likes of Martin or Sanderson. My only real criticism is that I am excited to see the pace accelerate through the rest of the trilogy.
8/10
Photo by Aaron Schneider
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