I've heard some very good things about this multi award winning fantasy series by NK Jemisin! And as I'm partial to the occasional epic fantasy, and have read and enjoyed previous short stories by her, it was high time to dive in.
The prologue to 'The Fifth Season' starts off with the line "Let's start with the end of the world, why don't we?", which is very ominous for events later on, before quickly introducing us to the world of the Stillness, where volcanoes and seismic activity are the norm, but are able to be controlled by Orogenes, a race of people that have the ability to manipulate the earth, soothing, and creating, any seismic events at their will. But despite this, they are considered a lesser race and a treated with contempt and hatred.
The main protagonist, Essun, is one of these Orogenes. After finding her young son murdered, and her daughter missing, taken by her husband, she leaves the village in search of her daughter.
The book is interwoven with the narratives of three women of varying ages, Essun, Damaya and Syenite, each with a different tale at their different stages of life in the cruel and harsh world. As such, it can be a bit confusing at first, trying to keep track of which narrative belongs to whom. The differing writing styles - second person POV (Essun) and third person (Damaya and Syenite) - do help, and can take a bit of getting used to, but the further you get into the book, the more it all clicks together and works really well.
The world of the Stillness is brought to life by Jemisin's wonderful prose, a world of deep prejudice but also one with its moments of beauty. The characters, from the primary, secondary and all the way down, are well written, and are really relatable to the story.
Overall, it's a great and compelling read, a great introduction to a new world with engaging characters. I can't wait to read the next book in the series, 'The Obelisk Gate', to find out what happens next!
****/5
No comments:
Post a Comment