N.K. Jemisin is the Greatest Author of our Generation

[Tallan Daar]

It's been six years since I read it so I don't remember details, but I remember liking that book the least in the trilogy. Maybe a character thing? The first book had Yeine and everything was new and shiny, and the third was about my fave Sieh.

I should reread them, actually. I've read the first book twice, but not the others.

 

[Stephen Lightheart]

I felt that the viewpoint especially was absolute art. I think it might be the best-written book I've ever read. Possibly not the best, since the Sanderson-avalanche beats everything else, but definitely the best prose ever. The way she writes the blind pov is just so mind-blowingly good. I quite enjoyed her second-person-present in the new trilogy as well, but nothing beats the blind viewpoint.

Also, I ramble, and my description isn't nearly eloquent enough to do her amazing writing any justice at all.

 

[Tallan Daar]

And she did it! The 2018 Hugo for Best Novel went to The Stone Sky! :joy

 

[Cahalan Sothron]

That is so fantastic and well deserved. :joy

 

[Jeffan Caliarthan]

 

[Bruce al'Kay]

I just finished Fifth Season on audiobook (because that's how I read). I have many thoughts and feelings. Chief among them is that I am going right now to audible right now and get Obleisk Gate.

 

[Jeffan Caliarthan]

I just finished Fifth Season on audiobook (because that's how I read). I have many thoughts and feelings. Chief among them is that I am going right now to audible right now and get Obleisk Gate.

You'll be happy to know that The Obelisk Gate starts off in the same conversation that The Fifth Season ended with.

 

[Bruce al'Kay]

You'll be happy to know that The Obelisk Gate starts off in the same conversation that The Fifth Season ended with.

Excellent. I think I'm going to need like... a day of downtime to process before I jump back in.

 

[Stephen Lightheart]

You'll be happy to know that The Obelisk Gate starts off in the same conversation that The Fifth Season ended with.

Huh! I read each book as it came out, and never realized that!

 

[Ilverin Matriam]

I started listening to The Fifth season on Audible and I am like 5 chapters in. It's a bit difficult to get into the world at first, I hope I understand everything, since I am listening to it and not reading...

 

[Eluial Aldaran]

You'll be happy to know that The Obelisk Gate starts off in the same conversation that The Fifth Season ended with.

I just started Obelisk Gate a couple days ago (immediately after finishing Fifth Season) and I was incredibly relieved to discover this

 

[Ilverin Matriam]

I finished The Fifth Season yesterday and it took a nice turn, I liked it What I don't like though is the deeply explained sex scenes... did we get ANY information from them? Why did I need to listen to this? (also I was in the train, so it wasnt a good time to listen to them anyway ) Anyone else think like this?

 

[Bruce al'Kay]

At first I thought of

Spoiler

Their polyamorous relationship with the pirate captain (Can't remember his name)

Which didn't bother me but also didn't enhance the story for me.

If you meant

Spoiler

the scenes between Syenite and Baster in the beginning when Syenite is commanded to have a baby with Alabaster

Those scenes definitely served a purpose in my opinion, to show how much control Syen's overlords had over her and how ingrained in her obedience had become. Plus how little the two of them enjoyed the experience.

So I'm not sure.

 

[Ilverin Matriam]

yeah that first thing you mentioned... I don't know, I thought it was just a sex scene for a sex scene's sake

 

[Eluial Aldaran]

I think the sex scenes helped further illustrate...

Spoiler

the strange and growing relationship between Syen and Baster, as facilitated by Innon. Also bisexual male representation

She could have done it differently, sure. But she chose to illustrate that stuff in that way. I think it worked well in the context off the books, showing that the island was literally the only place both Baster and Syen had ever been happy in their lives up to that point. A loving relationship and enjoyable sex is an important part of that, especially for Baster, considering what the Fulcrum had made him do over many, many years.

I mean, I think it's totally fine that you didn't like it. I don't think one has to like every part of a book to enjoy the book overall. But I think it did serve a purpose in the context of the greater story.

 

[Stephen Lightheart]

I'm usually super Mormon about sex scenes, but these didn't bother me at all. They really helped build the characters.

 

[Bina al'Natan]

Listening to The Fifth Season on Audible at the moment. The first person narration when you are listening to it is very different to anything ever but I am enjoying it a lot.

 

[Tazren Talamar]

Not sure whether I like Inheritance or Broken Earth better - been too long since I've read the latter. But both are awesome. Dreamblood was good and had a very nice setting, but I wasn't quite as amazed by it. Jemisin is definitely one of my favourite authors.

 

[Polegnyn Nemeara]

Jumping on the Jemisin bandwagon! Almost halfway through the Broken Earth series and really enjoying it. Bought my own copies of the books last night. I’ll probably go back and read the samples of her other stories once this series is complete.

Not exactly sure what intrigues me about the series since I usually dislike gritty post-apocalyptic stories. Her writing style for this series is interesting for sure. Its bluntness works well for the setting. She doesn’t quite “break the 4th wall” as in a movie, but I like how she includes internal monologue within each situation.

I’ve noticed this series has a lot to do with earth energy. Do her other books focus around other elemental energies such as water, fire, etc?

 

[Ashlyn Sindal]

I finished The Fifth Season a few days ago. It's easily one of the best books I've read, and I've been recommending it to basically everyone I know. I'm super impressed by how well Jemisin manages to write a world full of truly horrific things without the story ever feeling bleak and hopeless and without even a hint of shock value.