The Fifth Season cover art

The Fifth Season

The Broken Earth, Book 1

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The Fifth Season

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

This is the way the world ends. For the last time.

A season of endings has begun.

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.

A new fantasy trilogy by Hugo, Nebula & World Fantasy Award-nominated author N. K. Jemisin.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2015 N.K. Jemisin (P)2015 Hachette Audio
Action & Adventure Classics Dystopian Epic Epic Fantasy Fantasy Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Literature & Fiction Science Fiction Adventure

Featured Article: 10 Books Like The Game of Thrones

George R.R. Martin’s epic series A Song of Ice and Fire was already a big name in the fantasy world prior to its television adaptation, after which it became a worldwide phenomenon and one of the most-watched shows in history. The TV series inspired a new wave of interest and love for the original works, but with the show well and truly finished and just two titles left to release in the series, fantasy fans are asking: What’s next? Whether you’re a longtime fan of A Song of Ice and Fire or a newcomer to the fantasy genre who fell in love with its HBO adaptation, these books like Game of Thrones are sure to enthrall, thrill, and delight.

What listeners say about The Fifth Season

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excellent

I am glad I kept at it... it was really worth it. glad the second book it out haha

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1 person found this helpful

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Amazing

An excellent story, amazing performance. Can't wait to start the next book in the series.

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Devoured

So very, very good. An auspicious beginning of a trilogy that traces three parallel stories in a world far, far from here, reflecting on service, servitude and freedom. Maybe not so far from our world, afterall.

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Riveting, Fascinating, Unique!

I plan to read / listen to a lot more books in 2022, but this may hold the title for favourite fantasy book for the next 10 months regardless.

First off, this was amazing. And for the audiobook, the narrator is stellar.

The storytelling method in this book is unique, I LOVE the revelation about the protagonists and how one POV is written in the “you” format, ex: you look up, you know better, you sigh. Etc. I found it utterly fascinating and immersive.

The prose is gorgeous, I found myself pausing over sentences, appreciating the new way of describing things, the beauty of metaphors.

The world building is superb, what a stunning, yet scary and dark place. The systems of governance, community gathering, planet cycles and magic/powers are a lovely, yet violent blend of high fantasy and raw, apocalyptic, dystopian hell. The characters are robust, vibrant, sarcastic, flawed and intriguing. It’s a story and world I need to know more about.

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Good Book!!

Highly enjoyable and I am jumping right into the next book. I didn't want this one to end! Plus it's a trilogy so it's not a 10 year endevour like Wheel of Time (loved WOT but it is long).

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Perfect for those who love philosophical spec-fic

N.K. Jemisin's The Fifth Season is speculative fiction at its most masterful. Jemisin has built a world and mythology to give us new perspective on our own, and she has populated it with complex characters who keep us engaged, sometimes enraged, and hopeful. For all the challenges she throws at her characters in the darkness endemic to her world and ours, there is a humane center to her work, a sense of possibility and care in a world often been powered by exploitation. Jemisin also created a natural vocabulary—I imagine "sess" may find its way into English the way "grok" has done. ("I didn't really grok it until I sessed what she was doing.") Narrator Robin Miles is a talented performer who voiced every role with sensitivity and brought each scene to life. #Audible1

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Unique story

this is a work of fantasy that doesn't fall into the typical tropes of fantasy novels. The magic is unique, the culture is unique and the interactions between the different groups of people are original / interesting. Recommended

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Novel but kinda slow

Interesting concept for a fantasy book, but rather slow plot. Definitely not an action packed...

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Phenomenal fiction

This is an incredible book. The characters are well developed and likeable. The setting and society of the book are revealed skillfully and gradually as the author takes her characters on their respective journeys. I quite enjoyed Robin Miles' voice and reading; I'm very much looking forward to re-listening to this and picking up the next two novels in the series.
#Audible1

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Great setting! interesting storytelling!

I loved the setting. It seemed entirely well thought out: the people, cultures and geology. The manner in which the story is told was also captivating. The only flaw is that I felt some descriptions of the various settings/ideas were too vague. A lot of words and little in the way of substance, it seemed to me. Perhaps, in the physical reading I might find what I have missed when listening. This is a small issue born of my absolute immersion so an overall 5 stars!

Would absolutely recommend!

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