The Fifth Season by N. K. Jemisin

The Fifth Season by N. K. Jemisin is the first of a trilogy. Originally published in 2015, the novel can be classified under science fantasy. Jemisin was able to set a stage for another world using detailed descriptions of people, places and things. At first I was hesitant about the size of the book and the storyline. I can easily become bored with a book and take a while to finish, but after the first 2 chapters, I was invested.

Knowing that the author is black gave me different perspective when reading and raised the question of “what is she trying to share with others while relating to others?” I came up with a few themes. 1. The strength of women and the lengths that others go through to keep them controlled. 2. The importance of the youth. 3.There’s always more to the story. There were strong male leads throughout the novel, but the most important characters were timid women who were raised to follow instructions given. Yes, there were adults throughout the novel, but they spent time reflecting on important moments of their childhood that really shaped them. Lastly, being open to other perspective

Overall, I rate the book 8/10. I guess like Game Of Thrones, it takes some time to set up a big storyline so I get it’s necessary, but still a challenge. I enjoyed this first book enough to see how the story ends across all three novels. I loved how detailed everything was, but that also meant paying attention or going back and rereading a paragraph or two. Personal preference, not sure the importance of detailing the sexual adventures of characters. The last chapter felt a tad bit rushed with details. Nonetheless, looking forward to finishing the other two novels.

Favorite Quote: “It’s a gift if it makes us better. It’s a curse if we let it destroy us.”