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A review by booksarebrainfood
The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin
4.0
(full review on www.booksarebrainfood.org)
Characters 1pt - Characters were compelling, background characters a bit 2 dimensional but still endearing, feel like archaic peoples but matches the tone of the book and in my opinion made them more interesting. Liked the subversion of the daughter/birth giver /mother trope to show the depth of the main character without reducing her to any of these alone.
Writing 1pt - Enjoyable, digestible, maybe a bit too conversational at times which didn't really match the high fantasy but it made it more accessible to me and helped me get through. Enjoyed the development of swear words and other terminology based on our own world and Jemisin's own invention.
Plot 1/2- Didn't find the plot very inspiring, couldn't really see where it was going, 1st novel in a series so I understand emphasis on world building and character establishing but standing alone as I read it I wasn't sure about this.
Enjoyable 1/2pt - Really struggled to get through, not sure if this is my own issue but I've seen the same from others. Maybe needed more intrigue or enjoyment, I enjoyed the Fulcrum part with Damaya because it gave the world more structure. Maybe needed more emphasis on structure before everything fell apart?
World Building / Engaging 1pt - This was very well done and the series' greatest asset for sure. Perfect blend of the familiar and unfamiliar. Well developed systems of power, imaginative and intriguing, liked the stone eater element and the folklore etc, would be interesting to research how far its based on any mythology. The Guardians were sinister and the orogenes were really intriguing. The novel also engages really well on issues such as climate change and hostile environments, displacement, systematic breaking of family structures, fear and abuse of power, caste systems, race, education, feminism, slavery and dehumanising those with differences. Comment on fear of feminine sexuality perhaps with issues of FGM? Could properly study this novel.
Overall 4 stars: Any issues I had with this were to do with its place as an exposition novel not a standalone one, and my own concentration issues at the moment. I don't feel compelled to read on immediately but maybe in the future, but any lovers of fantasy, sci fi or YA would really enjoy it. Really intricate world building and also engaging with our own world.
Characters 1pt - Characters were compelling, background characters a bit 2 dimensional but still endearing, feel like archaic peoples but matches the tone of the book and in my opinion made them more interesting. Liked the subversion of the daughter/birth giver /mother trope to show the depth of the main character without reducing her to any of these alone.
Writing 1pt - Enjoyable, digestible, maybe a bit too conversational at times which didn't really match the high fantasy but it made it more accessible to me and helped me get through. Enjoyed the development of swear words and other terminology based on our own world and Jemisin's own invention.
Plot 1/2- Didn't find the plot very inspiring, couldn't really see where it was going, 1st novel in a series so I understand emphasis on world building and character establishing but standing alone as I read it I wasn't sure about this.
Enjoyable 1/2pt - Really struggled to get through, not sure if this is my own issue but I've seen the same from others. Maybe needed more intrigue or enjoyment, I enjoyed the Fulcrum part with Damaya because it gave the world more structure. Maybe needed more emphasis on structure before everything fell apart?
World Building / Engaging 1pt - This was very well done and the series' greatest asset for sure. Perfect blend of the familiar and unfamiliar. Well developed systems of power, imaginative and intriguing, liked the stone eater element and the folklore etc, would be interesting to research how far its based on any mythology. The Guardians were sinister and the orogenes were really intriguing. The novel also engages really well on issues such as climate change and hostile environments, displacement, systematic breaking of family structures, fear and abuse of power, caste systems, race, education, feminism, slavery and dehumanising those with differences. Comment on fear of feminine sexuality perhaps with issues of FGM? Could properly study this novel.
Overall 4 stars: Any issues I had with this were to do with its place as an exposition novel not a standalone one, and my own concentration issues at the moment. I don't feel compelled to read on immediately but maybe in the future, but any lovers of fantasy, sci fi or YA would really enjoy it. Really intricate world building and also engaging with our own world.