It was such an emotional end to such a brutal trilogy. And it will be so strange no longer being immersed in the strange world of the Stillness. I loved the ending and how everything consequential played out. It felt natural and tied into the first books phenomenal opening paragraph so well. The reveal of what Hoa had been doing all along or why the story had been told the way it had been(the shifts between 1st,2nd and third person)was ingenious. Rarely do you ever get to encounter a trilogy that’s solid the whole way through and has such a unique premise. Unabashedly queer and political her work feel very reminiscent of Octavia E Butler(a noted influence of N.K)but feels more modern in it’s voice.
Essun character arc hit me the hardest because of how much she reminded me of not only my mom but also my relationship with her and my gran. The way her and Nassun feel about each other felt too close to comfort.
Now that I’m at the end I’d love to hear what others who have read the series think of the not only the final book but of the series overall. Which characters did they like or hate ? What did you think of the perspective changes or Jemisin’s prose? How does it rank for you compared to other sci-fi or fantasy novels you’ve encountered?
For years after finally completing Wheel of Time and finally giving up on George Martin I stayed away from any multi volume fantasy. I just couldn’t find anything that seemed worth the investment in time.
After Fifth Season won the Hugo, I got the free sample on Kindle … and the opening blew me away. This was DIFFERENT.
So I did the only thing my ADHD completionist brain could think of - I put the book down and went back to the first book Jamisin wrote - The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms. And it turned out that was awesome too!
I’ve since read every scrap she has published. The only books she’s written that I can’t recommend without reservation are her new New York City duology - and the recommendation there is still absolute if you happen to love NYC or closely follow the BLM movement.
As far as Broken Earth goes, I loved the narrative devices and the overall theme of how much sin can a society commit before it is beyond redemption was striking. I loved the buildup of Essun and her daughter’s characters and their differing paths to the final showdown.
This is S tier science fiction and the triple Hugo’s were well deserved. This is an excellent example of great writing that holds a mirror up to society and I’ll be sure to continue buying everything Jamisin publishes.