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The Fifth Season

The Broken Earth, Book 1

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The Fifth Season

By: N. K. Jemisin
Narrated by: Robin Miles
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About this listen

 Winner of the Hugo Award for Best Novel
Book 1 in the record-breaking triple Hugo-Award-winning trilogy

***One of Time Magazine's top 100 fantasy books of all time***
***Shortlisted for the World Fantasy, Nebula, Kitschies, Audie and Locus Awards***
***A New York Times Notable Book and the inaugural Wired.com book club pick ***

THIS IS THE WAY THE WORLD ENDS . . . FOR THE LAST TIME.
IT STARTS WITH THE GREAT RED RIFT across the heart of the world's sole continent, spewing ash that blots out the sun.
IT STARTS WITH DEATH, with a murdered son and a missing daughter.
IT STARTS WITH BETRAYAL, and long dormant wounds rising up to fester.
This is the Stillness, a land long familiar with catastrophe, where the power of the earth is wielded as a weapon. And where there is no mercy.

'Astounding' NPR
'Amazing' Ann Leckie
'Breaks uncharted ground' Library Journal
'Powerful' io9
'Elegiac, complex, and intriguing' Publishers Weekly
'Intricate and extraordinary' New York Times
'Brilliant' Washington Post

The Broken Earth trilogy is complete - beginning with The Fifth Season, continuing in The Obelisk Gate (Winner of the Hugo Award for Best Novel) and concluding with The Stone Sky (Winner of the Hugo Award for Best Novel and Nebula Award).

Also by N. K. Jemisin:
The Inheritance trilogy
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms
The Broken Kingdoms
The Kingdom of Gods

The Dreamblood Duology
The Killing Moon
The Shadowed Sun©2015 N. K. Jemisin Fantasy Fiction

Continue the series
The Obelisk Gate cover art
The Obelisk Gate By: N. K. Jemisin

Critic Reviews

Jemisin brilliantly illustrates the belief that, yes, imaginative world-building is a vital element of fantasy - but also that every character is a world unto herself
Fantasy novels often provide a degree of escapism: a good thing, for any reader who has something worth escaping. Too often, though, that escape comes through a fictional world that erases rather than solves the more complex problems of our own... In Jemisin's work, nature is not unchangeable or inevitable. The Fifth Season invites us to imagine a dismantling of the earth in both the literal and the metaphorical sense, and suggests the possibility of a richer and more fundamental escape
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)
All stars
Most relevant
Loved this book, so unique with a stunning storyline. Jemisin is such a great writer, the Hugo Award was well deserved. One of the best books I have listened to. Narration excellent.

Fantastic world building

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The book switches between 2nd Person and 3rd Person POV. It took a while to get use to the 2nd Person and I don't think it's something I will actively pursue in the future. Very interesting magic system which is science based and the world interacts very interesting and different to those who can use the magic than other books. For the most part I struggled through this book and it was looking like it was going to be 2 stars or less. However, the ending is really good so if you are struggling through it, just push through. I would rate the first 85% of this book as 2 stars at best and the final 15% a solid 4. It's enough to make me want to read the next one. But not in a hurry.

Mixed bag

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Several errors in the audiobook reading, and the actor (?) did an okay job. The novel itself is enjoyable in the interwoven and engaging narratives. Takes a few chapters to settle into the rhythm, but I was glad I didn't give up on it. Be warned that it is rather depressing - the author really doesn't let the characters catch a break.

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This took me a few go’s to get into however once I got into it I really enjoyed it. Now going to download the second book!

Slow to start but worth it.

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I am incoherent after this book, I don't even know how to write this review without saying: IT'S AMAZING GO READ IT RIGHT NOW!!

N.K. Jemisin is a master writer and I look forward to reading absolutely everything she ever writes. Robin Miles narration was impeccable. Her male voices genuinely sound like men, and none of the voices sounded to similar to each other -- very easy to understand who was talking.

Phenomenal!

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