The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
When I first started this book, the use of second-person as a narrative surprised me, but as the story wove its way through the characters’ lives, I found a fascinating use of third person and second person that gave the narrative a gorgeous amount of depth. As the narrative dug deeper into the lives of these characters, I was dropped into a wild ride that led to one of the most surprising and satisfying twists I’ve ever read. I don’t want to give it away because I want everyone to experience it’s glorious beauty for themselves.
Each word seemed picked with care, the prose tight and purposeful, the imagery vibrant but succinct. The emotions invoked by the characters’ experiences was intense and engrossing in every way, and I found the book hard to put down. I had to take a breath after it ended before I started the second book, because that ending was so epic in scope that I just needed to let it settle into my bones. To let the earthquake the resolution caused to calm into a gentle tremor. If you enjoy fantasy, if you enjoy apocalyptic fiction, if you enjoy complex characters, if you enjoy a damn good story, then pick up this series.
Reshaping Reality 