Review: The Fifth Season

The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.75 ★

It was technically a 3.5, but that ending was just so epic for me, so why not bust it up?
I knew the worldbuilding in this was going to be stunning, but it was the main star of the show. To a certain extent, it relies too much on lore dumping (I see you, Syenite's POV), but it's so immersive and unique that once you dive in, it's no hassle. Kinda reminds me of Avatar: The Last Airbender, but give it lots of infanticide and gore.
I unfortunately guessed the main twist on page 150, but by the last 150 pages, it was such a ride that I was physically jumping out of my seat. About the POVs, Damaya's was the most fun to read, from beginning to end, her arc unpredictable and wild; Essun's anxious and moving, meeting all these new characters... But Syenitre's was so tiresome; the most interesting part of it was the pirates and Alabaster. A pinch of lore twists here and there, but always the same structure of arguing, our main character asking questions, her mentor answering, and they continue the trip. At least from the second interlude, there's a bit of spice (both literally and metaphorically). Probably Tonkee and Alabaster were my remarks for this volume. I am curious about the next one, so maybe in the future I'll keep it going.
Honestly, the thing that brought it down more for me, aside from Syenite (I swear I don't hate her; it was just stale, dry), was the loss of tone. We kicked off with a witty, subjective narrator, full of side notes and commentary, like someone telling a story, till there's no more of that personality. At least the narrator's reveal sparked some renewed interest in me.

Also, hear me out, despite the gore and brutality, this would make a great animated movie arc (yes, I was listening to Disney musicals while reading it lol)

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