The Fifth Season

The Broken Earth, Book 1

By: N. K. Jemisin

Narrated by: Robin Miles

This is the way the world ends. Again.

Three terrible things happen in a single day. Essun, masquerading as an ordinary schoolteacher in a quiet, small town, comes home to find that her husband has brutally murdered their son and kidnapped their daughter.

Mighty Sanze, the empire whose innovations have been civilisation's bedrock for a thousand years, collapses as its greatest city is destroyed by a madman's vengeance. And, worst of all, across the heartland of the world's sole continent, a great red rift has been been torn which spews ash enough to darken the sky for years. Or centuries. But this is the Stillness, a land long familiar with struggle, and where orogenes - those who wield the power of the Earth as a weapon - are feared far more than the long, cold night.

Essun has remembered herself, and she will have her daughter back. She does not care if the world falls apart around her. Essun will break it herself, if she must, to save her daughter.

The first novel in a new series by award-winning author N. K. Jemisin where a mother struggles to find her daughter in a postapocalpytic world.

Download the accompanying reference guide.©2015 N. K. Jemisin (P)2015 Hachette Audio

Critic reviews

Heartbreaking, wholly unexpected, and technically virtuosic, THE FIFTH SEASON is a tour-de-force. I felt every shock--and the book is packed with them--in my marrow. It's no exaggeration to say that Jemisin expands the range of what great fantasy can be (Brian Staveley)

I enjoyed Jemisin’s narrative style – which switch

I enjoyed Jemisin’s narrative style – which switches between second person and third person depending on the POV. It reminded me of Toni Morrison’s style in The Bluest Eye, which I’ve actually missed in the books I’ve read of late. Jemisin’s ability to weave story lines and arc in an engaging way is remarkable.It took a while for me to realize that the story is set in three eras. This made the geography confusing at times. I didn’t care much for the love triangle. The Fifth Season starts with the end of the world and then moves on to more interesting things. I thoroughly enjoyed the story, the Stillness and its people, and Jemisin’s writing. The Fifth season is definitely making my top ten list. The Prologue was also confusing at first. However, when I finished I re-read portions of it and it made more sense.

Interested in seeing where this goes

Not an amazing amount of payof in this book but the characters are very unique and the world is interesting. Need to see how the rest of the series goes.

Dark Fantasy

A well-written, exciting and creative tale of people being monsters in an unstable, cruel world. Features some exciting magic, too!
If you loved Avatar: the last Airbender but want to read something dark and dirty, this might be it.

great book, good narrator

Really interesting story, but at times a bit hard to follow. The narrator speaks clearly an does a good job keeping me engaged in the story.

Best Read in a Long Time

This entire trilogy was such a joy to read, even if it was quite dark in theme. Was so refreshing to have a true adult, fantasy/scfi storyline that didn't shy away from heavier topics. I was completely emersed until the very end. Best books I've picked up in many years.

Fantastic author meets incredible voice actor

There is a special magic that happens when a really really reeeeeeeeally good author meets their match in a narrator. With this book it happened in the first sentence and then just kept happening until the end.

Cracker

Amazing story. Creation of new worlds. Great characters. Realistic fantasy. Engrossing. Cleverly told. Highly recommended.

Very fascinating

I listened to this book in two days. It couldn't put it down.

I loved the reveals.

There story isn't a feel good story, it gets kind or depressing at certain points.

Unlike anything else

This book fully deserves all its accolades. It's fantasy the likes of which I've never experienced before, with a setting so new and rich and wonderfully realised that I can't stop thinking about it.

And the lush wordlbuiilding of this truly unique fantasy setting sets the stage for genuine characters, genuine drama, and draws from and amplifies real world issues that feel excruciatingly real. It's the best of both worlds, completely alien but utterly human.

I'm used to detailed fantasy settings prioritising plot and worldbuilding over character and theme, but Fifth Season manages them all beautifully as each facet of storytelling flows into the others. It intimately explores its characters' struggles, which often involves larger themes of structural violence, racism and dehumanisation, all informed by the utterly fascinating setting of orogenes and Stone Eaters and obelisks and shakes.

It's pitch perfect fantasy and I cannot recommend it enough.

The performance is also excellent, particularly during dialogue. The different voices and accents of characters all seem fitting and are instantly recognisable, and the tenser moments are executed brilliantly.

A must

It’s a brilliantly written story. Especially the world - it is so well-described, similar enough to ours to make it understandable and different enough to make it intriguing.
I recommend it to anyone who is into sci-fi. You will not be disappointed.