The Fifth Season (Broken Earth #1)

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Average customer rating 4.7 (4 comments)

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Highly imaginative and genuinely original series that, if one must assign a category, probably falls closer to fantasy than science fiction. I'm reviewing all three books in the series with this one review, in part because (duh) it's a series and if you're going to read one book you should commit to all three, and also because, more than most trilogies, there's little separation from one novel to the next; these could easily have been published as one book as there isn't much sense of a climax, or a pause in the narrative, at the ends of the first two books. The plot follows a few (but ultimately focuses on two) of the subset of humans that can control geological forces - the flow of magma, the movement of continental faults, the raising and lowering of mountainous amounts of rock. While forces of incomprehensible power are on display, there's also a very human and intimate element to the central plot of a woman who has loved, lost all, recovered, and is again threatened with loss of everything of value to her. My only criticism, as a self-confessed literalist, is that some of the storytelling can be a bit ephemeral, but if you don't mind the occasional vagueness of the prose (this is not a criticism of the writer's ability, just a personal preference) then this series has nothing to detract from the enjoyment it otherwise consistently delivers.

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To call this book breathtaking would be a disservice to the story. Every page elegantly set me up for more plot turns and emotional turmoil as I realized that as I reader I was just along for the ride. Each character feels developed, every choice consistent. The entire trilogy swept me along on a story that I cannot recommend highly enough. This book has earned a permanent place on my bookshelf and every reader who like epic stories with thought out character development should give The Fifth Season a try!

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Incredibly written. Creative perspectives of earth energy and the classic journey of awakening

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I soaked in this book like you do in a bath. The language is gorgeous, the world detailed and deep, the story engrossing, heartbreaking, and beautiful. Jemisin is writing some of the very best fantasy currently, and her world building is well thought out, and a refreshing and far overdue departure from the standard euro-centric setting. It's going to be a fight at my house when the sequel comes out, to see who gets to read it first. I can't recommend this one enough.