Never forget Father Earth. He has not forgotten you.
The Fifth Season
by N. K. Jemisin
Genre: Adult Fantasy
About: The Earth is broken. Extreme weather has fractured humanity into small tribal groups with no guarantee for survival. And while there is much of history that has been forgotten (the world has ended several times before), one thing is certain: the Earth is broken because orogenes broke it. At the end of the world, there's always someone to hate and the worst of humanity to shape in a new age.
The Good
I loved following all three POVs - Essun, the mother who is on the hunt for vengeance after her husband beats to death their three year old son. (Yes, that happens in the first chapter). Damaya, the little kid whose family reject her after her powers are revealed. Syenite, the strong, obedient orogene who just needs to complete one more mission to get some semblance of independence. How these different POV/timelines play out across the story works so well, it's really artfully done and there are strong emotions throughout each part of these journeys.
I also thought the reflection on how empires are formed and the tribal nature of humanity was shown really well in this world. N. K. Jemisin sets the tone completely in her dedication: For all those who have to fight for the respect that everyone else is given without question. The orogenes (or roggas) are a clear placeholder for any minority group. There's an excellent passage at the end of a chapter where it quotes a speech (Jemisin has crazy detailed world-building) that epitomises exactly how impossible it is for the supressed to ever escape their oppressors, "Tell them they can be great someday, like us. Tell them they belong among us, no matter how we treat them... Tell them there is a standard for acceptance; that standard is simply perfection."
The Bad
On one hand, I love how detailed the world-building is. The history is so layered and interesting and it really adds to the story. However, it makes reading the beginning less accessible. You're thrown into the world. Fragments of action are happening all at once. Powers you don't understand, cultures with their own slang, conversations that can't really be fully understood on the first read through... You do have the interesting characters and the emotions to ground you, but the world and its history is difficult to get to grips with for the first big chunk of the book I'd say.
The Somewhat Iffy
So I loved the Guardians in how mysterious and creepy and just evil they are, but I also thought this went a little overboard towards the end of the novel. I don't really understand why they would have expected Syenite to return to Allia - literally waiting years for their trap to work. It would have made more sense for them to have tracked her the same way Tonkee discovered with the obelisks. And Tonkee's reveal was totally unnecessary. Really didn't need her to be Binof. Or for Lerna to be in the comms Essun finds. It felt like with the reveal of the POVs all being the same character, these side characters were forced into a 'full circle' moment that wasn't needed.
Also - glassknives? I get that the Guardians have some kind of magic with their glassknives but no idea why a normal person would want a glassknife. Is it supposed to be easier to make at the end of the world than a steel one? Seems a very fragile weapon.
Overall
This was a great read. The characters are easy to connect with, the storylines are intriguing and the conflict in the novel is often heart-breaking. I cried at the beginning, and I cried at the end. Will need a break before I go into the second one.
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