The Fifth Season The Broken Earth: Book One by N. K. Jemisin
I learned about N. K. Jemisin through Master Class. Her class was wonderful and I dove into one of her novels as a result. I have not read a sci-fi novel in years, and I can tell you this one did not disappoint.
The novel picks up several generations after an apocalyptic event. The world is different and plagued with near constant seismic shifts that have changed every part of human culture. You follow along a few story lines that skillfully reveal the stark and almost always harsh state of the world.
The characters N. K. Jemisin creates are deep and vivid, with haunting weaknesses and strengths born from pain and pure survival. The raw depictions paint a picture of reality in ways I have not seen done before and it was beautiful but jarring. The physical locations you travel through are rich and well described. It is clear that N. K. Jemisin is an accomplished world builder and has considered every aspect of the characters’ lives and the spaces they occupy.
There are some twists that took me by surprise and left me pondering what I thought I knew. And it ends just as she tells you it will in the first few paragraphs.
Overall, I think the book was excellent and exactly what I needed from a sci-fi novel, an escape to a world filled with mystery and a little mysticism.
This is the first in a series. (The Broken Earth: Book One) If you are seeking an escape this spring. I recommend you pick it up.
Hope you enjoy it.