Jules reviewed The Fifth Season by N. K. Jemisin
Beautifully written but relentlessly bleak
4 stars
I wanted to give this five stars - it's beautifully written, the worldbuilding is incredible and is incredibly fresh and imaginative where so much fantasy feels derivative, while still feeling grounded and believable. The narrative device of telling the three separate stories and only slowly revealing the clues to how they connect was incredibly well executed.
But while I couldn't put this down and tear myself away from the next twist or revelation, I realised I wasn't actually enjoying reading it that much. The story starts with the murder of a child and if anything only gets heavier from there. The book is an examination of what can drive someone to keep going when everything and everyone they love is taken from them again and again, and how they can continue living with themselves when they have been forced to do horrific things to survive. It's an incredible book, but …
I wanted to give this five stars - it's beautifully written, the worldbuilding is incredible and is incredibly fresh and imaginative where so much fantasy feels derivative, while still feeling grounded and believable. The narrative device of telling the three separate stories and only slowly revealing the clues to how they connect was incredibly well executed.
But while I couldn't put this down and tear myself away from the next twist or revelation, I realised I wasn't actually enjoying reading it that much. The story starts with the murder of a child and if anything only gets heavier from there. The book is an examination of what can drive someone to keep going when everything and everyone they love is taken from them again and again, and how they can continue living with themselves when they have been forced to do horrific things to survive. It's an incredible book, but not one I want to read again.