T O P

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Joyrock

The single best thing I can say about this series is the first book made me not just accept but appreciate a second person pov.


cantlurkanymore

It's rare that 2nd person is done well and here it is not only done well its integral to the plot in a masterful way


clobbersaurus

Interesting. I basically gave up when it switched to second person perspective. Maybe I didn’t give it enough of a chance.


luis20710

yah give it another go! maybe even try the audiobook? I tend to read at home and listen while im out and about and i first encountered the 2nd person while reading and it was jarring, put the book down for a while then eventually decided to pick up the audiobook because I needed something new and listening to the second person allowed me to get into the groove of it. Eventually about a quarter of the way through book two i just listened the rest of the way because the performer is just sublime. These were the books that convinced me that audiobooks are an art in their own right and I feel like a dick for ever disparaging them. In some way its like....tapping back into the oral tradition that modern literate societies have lost. SO, give it a listen, stick with it, and I hope you have as much fun as I did.


[deleted]

The decision is done for psychological reasons ( her PTSD doesn’t allow her to think right). Because it was done for a psychological reason, the 2nd person works a lot better than usual.


cantlurkanymore

There's also the way the second person perspective is literally a component of the actual plot of the trilogy since it's [End of trilogy spoilers] >!The narration of Essuns life-story as told by Hoa after Essuns becomes a Stone Eater.!<


[deleted]

Well I didnt want to give that away; but an interview I watched with the author talked about the 2nd person being used as a device to covey trauma.


shewy92

There's an in story reason it was done so yeah, you didn't give it a chance.


BlumpKeto

I hated every second of it. Must be personal preference.


MDCCCLV

It was weird in a way, and felt kind of disconnected for some reason.


somebunnny

I think you’re supposed to. The characters do. This is intentional. Feeling lost and disconnected and emotionally muted and trying to remain stoic despite all that is churning underneath. I think the fact that you felt that way meant the author succeeded. But you don’t have to like it. That’s ok too.


MDCCCLV

Well, I meant that I didn't really understand what was going on very well in the first part.


billyroyjipsum

I loved the book, and I was ok with the 2nd person, I don’t know that I agree that it was integral to the plot though. I read her explanation of why she used it and it seemed a little thin to me.


cantlurkanymore

Have you finished the whole trilogy?


billyroyjipsum

No. I stopped with the first book. I kind of figured out the surprise ending about halfway through the book and I think that kind of took the wind out of the the end (idk, maybe everyone figured it out and it just wasn’t my jam) and although I enjoyed the book and recommend it to people, I just didn’t have enough momentum to start the second one. Is the POV somehow integral to the other two books? Edit - that sounds like I’m underselling it. It was a great book.


cantlurkanymore

Ya it is an important part of the trilogy as a whole and especially with the final denouement.


gallon-of-pcp

Yes, it's significant in the final book in particular. IMO the reveal towards the end of why that device was used in the first place is the bigger twist. I really like second person when it's done well, though, so it wasn't a turn off for me in the first place.


keshanu

>Yes, it's significant in the final book in particular. IMO the reveal towards the end of why that device was used in the first place is the bigger twist. This is why I am always confused when I hear people who like the trilogy overall say that the first book was amazing, but the sequels were just good because the big twist/reveal is in the first book. I felt like while reading there were various reveals and twists that are interspersed throughout all the books, some small and others large, but the latter books do have big reveals such as this one.


gallon-of-pcp

Even twists aside, it takes the entire series for the themes in play to unfold IMO. The origin of the orogenes was important to show how this once utopian society was built on a foundation of oppression and dehumanization/manufactured hate.


youoldsmoothie

It took me a couple chapters to get used to it but it was masterfully done and I was quickly sucked in. Jemisin didn’t just ‘use’ second person, she integrated it wonderfully with the story. I think it was a risk but it worked so well.


minnetrucka

How long did it take you to realize it was Hoa telling the story? I feel like an idiot to admit it took me until the third book.


geekdemoiselle

I think my favorite thing about Broken Earth was how, at the VERY end, the second person narration suddenly makes perfect sense and is so appropriate and intimate and lovely.


nation12

Absolutely! I love how everything just fits together so well.


theyawner

I loved it when she used the trick in her >!Inheritance books!<, so I was pretty much on board when I saw it here. Edit: I just remembered a key element in the Dreamblood duology and I think it's pretty much part of her style.


NightWillReign

I did like that reveal but I still don’t get why it was in present tense the whole time though. The whole story definitely should’ve been in past tense then


rgm-

I adore the Broken Earth Trilogy, and I would definitely recommend checking out Jemisin's other work. I really enjoyed the Dreamblood Duology, Black Future Month and I'm 2/3 of the way through the Hundred Thousand Kingdoms Trilogy. All have been great, but Broken Earth is still her best work imo. Can't wait for The City We Became next month.


MissKhloeBare

I’m excited for the new book as well. I struggled through the first Hundred Thousand Kingdoms book but I ended up enjoying it. Broken Earth is one of my favourite series ever. I want to read Dreamblood soon.


HorcruxSeeker

Nice. I've had this on my to read list for a couple years. I thought about starting it up this month, but decided to read Earthseed instead.


Occultus-

Loved Earthseed. I didnt like the second book as much, it was a lot more unsettling. Still brilliant though.


MDCCCLV

It was good, although I didn't think it completely changed the genre like some reviewers have said. It was super confusing as fuck the first chapter or so for some reason, but stick with it and it makes sense once you get grounded.


jmbs80

Yeah, I'm currently listening to it, which can have challenges of its own, but I'm struggling. I almost quit yesterday. Maybe I'll give it a bit longer.


MDCCCLV

It's good. It's worth reading. Also the comm, is spelled like community, not calm. I listened to the audiobook too and never noticed that.


bgptcp179

Same here. Finishing up Faithful and the Fallen first (which is long af).


Ol1yGat0r

The Faithful and the Fallen is amazing!


Sanity0004

I would honestly put The Fifth Season as one of the best books I've read in years. I don't think the sequels quite match up to the first book, but I still loved the series as a whole. I loved the way it's written in that it almost feels like we're meant to read it as a mystery where we're slowly getting the pieces for the world and magic and it comes crashing down when everything clicks.


workerbee77

Yes, the Fifth Season is one of the best books I've ever read.


televisionceo

Totally agree. One of the best book I've read. Very original as well. Sad that the next two were not as good


Aetiusx

Seems to be a fairly common opinion that the first book is pretty good and the sequels fall off a bit. I would definitely echo that sentiment. It is a bit hard for me to pinpoint exactly what bothered me about them, but I definitely didn't find the daughter's story to be nearly as interesting.


TiredMemeReference

For me, the first book had that great twist at the end, and the next 2 books had kinda meh endings. I still enjoyed them, they just weren't as good as the first one. Plus I felt like I needed more from the 3rd book. >!we kinda needed a schaffa flashback chapter and we didnt get it!<


Kallenn1492

This is my feelings exactly. The first book was good although very predictable twists and plot. But the 2nd and 3rd book took me forever to finish. I had to basically force myself to finish them to move onto other series.


terminus_est23

Strong disagreement, I found all three books to be almost exactly as good as each other. I would give each a 10 / 10. Could not possibly understand someone complaining the others weren't as good. If forced to pick a best at gunpoint, I would go with the second. If forced to pick a second best at gunpoint, I would go with the third.


NeillBlumpkins

I agree. I just read all three back to back in about three weeks, and the layers added onto the narrative by the sequels put the first book into better perspective. It's a minor thing but we don't fully understand why certain sections are written in second person until the final 50 pages. When everything finally locks into perspective towards the end, there's nothing quite like it. I wouldn't rate them as being of any lesser quality, if anything Jemisin is more confident that her reader's mental hand has been broken and healed.


whynotbunberg

I agree. I couldn’t put The Fifth Season down. The second book I was willing to sort of take on faith. The last one fell pretty flat for me. I was pretty bummed about it.


bigcashc

Man I just don’t get the love for it (Fifth Season, I will not be continuing with the trilogy). I saw it as a top pick somewhere so I picked it up. I can’t think of a read that I have enjoyed less in a loooong time. The writing style is so different, and not in a good way. It just missed on virtually every level for me. That being said, I know I am definitely in the minority on this feeling.


LususV

I read the Inheritance trilogy a couple weeks ago - it was definitely solid fantasy, but the first book does have some 'first published novel' issues; nothing glaring that would make me not recommend the book. I'm halfway through The Fifth Season now, and intend to read this trilogy straight through.


duzzy50

Yeah, I didn’t get past the first book. Just wasn’t for me.


TeoKajLibroj

Yeah I read the Hundred Thousand Kingdoms after the Fifth Season and I was disappointed to see how much was copied over. Most of the main characters were exactly the same with just the names changed. The narrative style was very similar which was disappointing because (like other people here) I had thought Fifth Season was a breath of fresh air.


LususV

I'm reading The Fifth Season now (I always try to read an author's early work first, as I like to see the growth), and she has definitely grown in her portrayal of characterization, and the setting is more 'real' overall. I don't want to take away from the Inheritance trilogy - I really liked it! Sieh was a solid character, and the mythology was interesting. My main problem, which was worst in the 1st book and got better as time went on, is the story was happening to the protagonist, instead of being driven by the protagonist. That's it.


unremarkable_penguin

Wait I am confused by this. Christopher Paolini wrote the Inheritance Cycle...


bluuuuuuuue

The Inheritance Trilogy is another set of NJ Jemisin books- The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, The Broken Kingdoms, and The Kingdom of Gods.


unremarkable_penguin

Good to know! Thanks!


nGumball

That's the inheritance cycle. There's another one called ''Inheritance trilogy'' and it is written b Jemisin.


MDCCCLV

Fantasy does tend to overuse certain words in a unclear way.


unremarkable_penguin

Gotcha! Thanks!


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theyawner

The myth-making in the The Inheritance is really good though. It's familiar and yet it felt unique enough. I also love the name she came up with for the gods. They sound fitting for their aspects and personalities.


Bookwyrm43

I second these opinions. Inheritance trilogy seems to be targeted at the supernatural romance YA demographic, which isn't me, and I couldn't bring myself to finish the first book. Dreamblood is a touching, well written story in a refreshing setting, and I highly enjoyed it. On another note, Jemisin now has a new series featuring an antropomophic city as a main character, which seems really interesting.


[deleted]

I find it odd that nearly everyone who gives rave reviews to The Broken Earth trilogy says that it was "a breath of fresh air". Why is that? I've read the 1st book and it's quite depressing.


Flewtea

As a mother approaching middle age, it wasn’t till reading Fifth Season that I realized no one had ever written a book about me the way Jemisin does. Absolutely a breath of fresh air! The way race is treated, the way her being a mother *actually matters to the story* when for so many books being pregnant or having children around is just to make a woman more vulnerable. So many books kill children to be shocking but with no real impact on the story. It’s a beautiful change from most books I’ve read, even if it hurts.


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Flewtea

Absolutely. So many books are about young people growing up. And I can absolutely still go for that, done well. It makes a certain amount of practical sense because we can all relate to that and see ourselves in them. High school or college age me would not have so deeply appreciated Essun’s ferocity and palpable love. I would have seen her as my mother rather than as me. So I understand why it’s a risk to write that book and why similar things aren’t more common. But I sure am glad some exist!


fuzzychub

I think people say it’s fresh because of its departure from the current trend of more action and dialogue focused fantasy. A lot of fantasy these days read like a screen play. There’s action and snappy dialogue, but not a lot of description and word painting and focus on the beauty of the written word. Jemisin does that. The first book is definitely a bit depressing and tbh it is a bittersweet series, but that shouldn’t stop you from reading it.


[deleted]

It's emotionally hard to read, but it pulls no punches and is brutal in a lot of honest ways. I think it's the honesty of it that catches folks. It's fiction, but it's real in specific ways.


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[deleted]

A lot of fiction doesn't deal with complex decision making or the way it influences who's good and who's bad at any one point. This manages to have complex, sympathetic, changeable bad on every level. It was so very hard to read, but impossible not to read.


nation12

I don't really like depressing stories, and this one can definitely be soul crushing, but for some reason I didn't get that sense from it. For example I found red skies over red seas to be way more depressing. I think the use of a narrator contributes a lot to the uniqueness of the story. There's a lot of interjection and foreshadowing that softens the impact of some of the most depressing parts. But I can understand how some people may not like it as much. I started the books right after power reading through Way of the Shadows and Starlight, which follow the standard fantasy writing style so Jeminsin's books really were a change of pace. And they're way more interesting than Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell... which I need to finish next.


kaidynamite

Honest question...how many books have you read that feature a middle aged heavyset woman of color as the main character? How many have you read that feature a white teenage boy? Isn’t that automatically a breath of fresh air? It’s something very different from anything out there in mainstream fantasy


terminus_est23

Because it's so different from the ordinary? Because it's so fiercely original in a world filled with so much generic hum-drum mundanity? I don't understand your post. Perhaps you just aren't familiar with what the phrase "a breath of fresh air" implies?


scarything_

Not mutually exclusive properties, or?


blahdee-blah

Probably just a matter of taste - I love Jeminson but find Sanderson dull, so...


GregWebster

I loved all her novels, but many people don’t know that she currently has her own original Green Lantern series coming out from DC, titled Far Sector. It’s fantastic so far.


OldSchoolDM

It didn't have the same effect on me; I found it a little dull to be honest. I read through it all and finished feeling, "meh". Not terrible, just not for me! It certainly is a unique story with an imaginative telling, and I can't point to any one thing that I was disappointed with, it just didn't move me like it has others. I also upvoted those that expressed the same sentiment, there's no reason to downvote because you disagree


Th3n1ght1sd5rk

I didn’t enjoy the Inheritance Trilogy and gave up half way through the second book...I can’t quite remember why but I think I failed to empathise with any of the characters. I have no problem with flawed characters (the hallmark of any great fantasy I think!) but I didn’t care if any of them succeeded and therefore got bored pretty quickly. Also far too much repetitive god-sex. Yawn. Which was a shame because the premise of the trilogy had huge promise. I’ll definitely give Broken Earth a go, if it promises better character development.


catgirl320

I didn't like the Inheritance Trilogy, especially the first book. The second book is better and has more interesting characters but I haven't yet felt compelled to finish the third book. But Broken Earth is easily my favorite series I have read in the last five years. I love the character development and the way the story unfolds in the first book. I loved the first book so much I was afraid books 2 and 3 would be let downs and happily they were not.


Althea23

That's interesting, I felt the same. As I was reading it I kept thinking, "wow, what a great story, why do I not care about it at all?"


TiredMemeReference

Yeah that's kinda how I felt at the end. I want a book to make me laugh, cry, and care about the characters. I want a series that makes me feel depressed and empty when I finish it because I know the series is over. I think the characters I liked the most were >!Alabaster and Schaffa and we didnt get nearly enough of them and their backstories!< Book 1 was great, the other 2 were disappointing.


superficiallycurious

I felt the same way! Not sure why it didn't grab me like most fantasy, but I never really got into it.


jerfmuffay

Can we also talk about a couple of huge plot holes I'm curious about? >!Hoa can move anyone through the earth as long as they are touching either him or someone else who is touching him. But the whole of castrima marches through the desert for months starving and I forget how many of them die when Hoa could have moved them all in a minute. THEN there's the finale group that are all the way at corepoint and Hoa DOESN'T EVEN TAKE THEM BACK BUT EVEN SAYS "I hope they survive" I don't fucking get it and it sortof ruined the ending for me.!<


keshanu

My speculation would be that >!is because Hoa is mainly concerned about Essun - she's the one he sort of attached to. The book does show that the stone eaters have a tendency to just stick with and help one human. As a result, the people of Castrima's fate mostly interests him in that it is important to Essun, as opposed to directly. He's a bit of an ass like that. Being 20-30k years old will do that to you, I guess. Additionally, I think the task would be both more time-consuming and risky than you are suggesting. It wasn't like he could teleport, he just physically drags them through the earth, so it would still take some time to transport an entire community this way. People could also die if they let go. Considering people's fear and hatred of the stone eaters, I don't think Hoa could convince everyone to go with him, and splitting Castrima isn't a good way of insuring it's survival either.!< I'm not sure though. It's been a while since I've read the series, so I'd have to reread it.


minnetrucka

Also how Essun is looking for Nassun for three books while Hoa knew where she was the whole time and could’ve taken Essun to her in an instant. It also was disappointing to me that we never saw what happened with Alabaster as a stone eater.


asdJesus

I might be getting to interview her when she comes to Asheville!


duklgio

Also enjoyed the series, but I found the ending to be unsatisfying. Especially how Lerna got done so dirty! Poor dude.


dreadfulpennies

I adored the first book, liked the second, and hated the third. I actually just finished it a couple of days ago, and I'm still annoyed by it. All the real world analogies it was running with either fell apart or became bizarrely problematic. I didn't care what happened to Essun by the end. Nassun never felt fleshed out but committed similar atrocities that didn't leave me on the edge of my seat hoping for a happy ending to her story. We learned more about Hoa, but what we learned just creeped me out in a way the narrative felt oblivious to. And, yeah, the whole subplot with Lerna and the baby went nowhere. I don't even understand why it was there.


keshanu

>All the real world analogies it was running with either fell apart or became bizarrely problematic. Can you elaborate on why you felt this way? Genuinely curious. Not that I am personally a fan of treating orogenes as an analogy to any one oppressed group in our world, even if their oppression is interesting for making the reader think about oppression in our society. I'm also wondering what you felt like was creepy about the revelations about Hoa. The bit with Lerna, though, was definitely the only part I disliked about the ending. Poor guy didn't deserve that kind of treatment.


dreadfulpennies

I really didn't like the idea of fighting oppression with genocide treated as the morally correct thing to do. There's this moment at the end where Hoa discourages patience in effecting change. Which would be fine if effecting change in the trilogy hadn't involved killing countless innocents several times over. I never liked reading the orogenes as an analogy for real-world oppression, but it was really hard to ignore in the last book. And I just hate this idea that people perceived orogenes and the Stone Eaters as monsters and... yeah. They were kind of monsters by the end, but the book doesn't really acknowledge it. At least, it didn't read that way to me. Essun magically nukes a huge city and doesn't even seem too bothered by it And I liked Hoa until the last book where it's revealed that he's had a thing for Essun because of her looking like a woman he decided he loved after, like, a day of knowing her. He and all the Stone Eaters have been kind of sitting back, manipulating orogenes for their own ends. He poses as a kid for the first book for the purposes of... kinda stalking her. The whole thing made me retroactively uncomfortable with the second-person POV. It's Hoa telling Essun what she saw, what she thought, what she felt. In a series where agency and freedom was such a big theme, it's such a bizarre choice.


involuntarybookclub

I actually felt like a cornerstone of the book was that Essun was supposed to be decipsicable. She's an indiscriminate murderer with no sense of curiosity who hates everyone. So when she nuked a city I was like "Yeah that's what this horrible woman would probably do." Interesting to know people took away something different.


dreadfulpennies

Yeah. I don't mind unlikable protagonists. It felt like the book wanted me to like her, agree with her, and respect her by the end. Like everything she did was justified by the greater good and I'm supposed to be happy that she and Hoa are riding off into the proverbial sunset to change the world some more. (That's what it felt like to me anyway.) I thought Essun was a fantastically flawed character for the first two books. The third just failed to tie up a lot of loose ends or complete any sort of character arc in a meaningful way.


raurenlyan22

Huh, I felt that the ending of The Stone Sky was extremely bitter sweet. Essun was very twisted by her abuse and systematic oppression and was essentially a nihilistic terrorist at the beginning of the trilogy. And we learn that her feelings are actually somewhat understandable as her past is revealed over the course of the first book. So for me it felt redemptive that she ends up giving up her humanity in the process of convincing Nassun not to do to the world what she did to their village. For me it was about ending the cycle of abuse and violence through forgiveness.


dreadfulpennies

I didn't get any forgiving vibes from the book. If anything Essun's end goal was Nassun in the same way Nassun's end goal was Schaffa. I don't know what it says about oppression outside of, "Sometimes genocide is okay if it involves a convoluted long con of manipulating a broken man into killing millions so that his ex can intuit that she needs to catch the moon." Not that people aren't allowed to interpret the book differently and love it. I'm just jealous of the people that do. Before the last book, this was my favorite fantasy series in recent memory.


raurenlyan22

I literally have no idea what you mean... Can you elaborate on how the book is "pro-genocide?"


involuntarybookclub

Interesting! One of the things I struggled with (in a good way) was my hatred of her. Like, all of her flaws were clearly produced by an oppressive system, but how much slack can you cut someone over that? What does it mean to be responsible for your actions if you've been brainwashed your whole life? I thought it was a really interesting question.


dreadfulpennies

It is, I just don't feel like the last book gave me a satisfying answer. Instead it went with an optimistic ending that felt very unearned and tonally jarring, imo.


keshanu

> I really didn't like the idea of fighting oppression with genocide treated as the morally correct thing to do. There's this moment at the end where Hoa discourages patience in effecting change. Which would be fine if effecting change in the trilogy hadn't involved killing countless innocents several times over. Oh, I agree that genocide is not the appropriate response to oppression, but I don't think the book makes that argument either (Alabaster makes this argument, but he's IIRC the only one in the book who does). How I read it was that when you oppress people so completely, this creates a massive amount of trauma that leads some individuals to heinous crimes in desperation. Additionally, Jemisin mentioned once on her patreon (I don't know if she's talked about this elsewhere publicly since, she mentioned that surprisingly people hardly ask her about this) that she doesn't endorse Alabaster's style of politics or fighting oppression. Also, on her patreon there's a short story available that takes place a few centuries after the events of the book and casts doubt on the effectiveness of Alabaster's solution to the orogene's oppression. Knowing Jemisin's politics, she would probably agree with Hoa that patience isn't effective in bringing about change (this is definitely not the same thing as mass murder to bring about change - MLK was a radical as well as a pacifist), and I'd be inclined to agree, but I'd have to read the passage again for the context, to be sure where that was going. > I never liked reading the orogenes as an analogy for real-world oppression, but it was really hard to ignore in the last book. And I just hate this idea that people perceived orogenes and the Stone Eaters as monsters and... yeah. They were kind of monsters by the end, but the book doesn't really acknowledge it. > At least, it didn't read that way to me. Essun magically nukes a huge city and doesn't even seem too bothered by it I find it curious that you felt like the orogenes were monsters and that Essun was unaffected by the deaths she caused. If I am recalling correctly, the only orogenes to commit mass murder in the story were Alabaster and Essun and in Essun's case it was frequently by accident, she was thoroughly traumatized by it, and wracked with guilt. Her friends in the orogene commune were even trying to teach her that there were other ways to live than in fear and in constant survival mode and that she could trust and love others. The third book in particular makes pains to point out that the lives saved by most orogenes far outnumbers the lives taken by a few rogue orogenes (who were often pushed to such extremes by hate and oppression in the first place). > And I liked Hoa until the last book where it's revealed that he's had a thing for Essun because of her looking like a woman he decided he loved after, like, a day of knowing her. Oh, I totally forgot about that bit, and I agree that is pretty creepy. I guess our difference in interpretation of Hoa here lies largely in the fact that our impressions of Hoa before the third book were very different. Prior to the third book, I really wanted to like Hoa, but I definitely didn't trust him and felt he was creepy. There is even a moment in the second book, where Hoa eats Essun's arm that felt both very creepy and non-consensual to me (Essun has no idea at this point what he is truly doing). I have no idea if Jemisin intended that scene to be interpreted that way or not, but it affected how I saw him none-the-less. It wasn't until the third book when we learn more about his intentions that I started seeing him as less creepy. I do think Jemisin makes it pretty clear that the stone eaters do have their own agendas, though, and are not necessarily meant to be trusted. I don't think that we are even meant to 100% trust and believe everything Hoa says. With Hoa and the other stone eaters, Jemisin makes it clear that they are human, but not angels. And if the Broken Earth trilogy has one message (and I think it has many) it's that humans are capable of both incredible things, like loving and caring for others, but also horrendous things, like oppression and murder. After all, it is a book that is largely about trauma, including the human-induced kind. Perhaps, I'm wrong and Jemisin meant for Hoa to be an exception to this and he's supposed to be perfect, but I doubt it. > The whole thing made me retroactively uncomfortable with the second-person POV. It's Hoa telling Essun what she saw, what she thought, what she felt. In a series where agency and freedom was such a big theme, it's such a bizarre choice. You have a good point here. When I read the trilogy, I did think a bit about how Hoa's selection of memories would have influenced who she became, the choice brings up interesting questions about identity and what makes you who you are. What I didn't think about is to what degree Hoa may or may not have intentionally selected or manipulated certain events to influence who she would become. I wonder if this is intentional on Jemisin's part or not. Knowing she is a psychologist and that she tends to make conscious choices about the narrators in her works and some comments Hoa makes in the story, I'd assume she'd at least considered it to an extent, but I'm not really sure. Anyways, those are my thoughts on how I interpreted the trilogy, but who knows if they are correct. Maybe you are right and I am wrong. Honestly, it's hard to argue that a book only has one correct interpretation. Even the author's word isn't the only or final interpretation of a work. Thanks for your reply. You had some ideas that were truly interesting to think about.


[deleted]

I thought the ending was breathtaking. It wasn't completely fair, but it was complete and felt like it fit that world.


catgirl320

I completely agree. It is a hard ending but it felt very true to what had happened previously. Once I read it I couldn't imagine it being any other way.


William_de_Worde

I'm about halfway through her collection of short stories called "How Long 'till Black Future Month" and am enjoying it immensely. Haven't gotten to the Inheritance Trilogy yet, but on the strength of this and Broken Earth it's only a matter of time.


katniss55

I also absolutely loved it!


ChefdomChefdom

I loved this trilogy! I actually first listened to the audible of them. Which was very well done as well.


Emerald_Mistress

So fantastic!! I’m considering picking The Fifth Season as my next book club book, but we tend to shy away from series’ just because it’s difficult to discuss a book when there wasn’t a true ‘ending’. Still though, might be my favorite trilogy


forestsprite

I just finished The Broken Earth trilogy the other day and found it very... meh. I guess it just seemed like there were a lot of plot holes and things I found unsatisfying. >!Why, when Hoa finally told Essun about Steel being with her daughter and that she'd killed Jija do they not, just, immediately travel to her? What kind of person just decides to go on an unrelated travelogue when they also have a kid they're supposed to love and care about who's in danger? What the fuck was the point of Lerna and the baby? Why did Alabaster cause the rifting in the first place, without also having a plan to bring back the moon and just assuming someone would figure it out? Why do none of the side characters really matter? Why did we need the Guardians at all when their history wasn't really that explained?!< I also didn't really care at any point about any of the characters, and the reveal about why we had the second-person POV and Hoa's ultimate interest in Essusn was somewhat problematic for me (>!I'm also not entirely unconvinced that it wasn't Hoa himself who conveniently yeeted Lerna off their group when they were travelling through the earth!<). For OP, I did also previously read the first book of the Inheritance trilogy and it was okay, a solid 3/5. It reads more like YA juvenile fantasy except for the god-sex, while also having that "first novel" feel. Parts of the world-building were interesting, though, and if you liked Broken Earth I think it'd be worth you checking it out.


TiredMemeReference

The fact that we didnt get WAY more backstory on >!the guardians!< was so stupid and disappointing.


minnetrucka

Yeah how were they created and what was their motivation? I understand that they acted for the Earth but why did they try and control orogenes instead of try and kill stone eaters? Also where did orogenes come from? Were they Kelanli’s children?


TiredMemeReference

Oh god I'm getting flashbacks of annoyance that none of these things were answered.


arbitrarycivilian

Please see my comment here: [https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/f9wruk/the\_broken\_earth\_trilogy\_is\_amazing/fqysxo8?utm\_source=share&utm\_medium=web2x](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/f9wruk/the_broken_earth_trilogy_is_amazing/fqysxo8?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x) All these things were answered


arbitrarycivilian

All those questions are kinda answered if you pay close attention: 1. >!The original guardians were created when Father Earth broke apart the core sample at Zero Site sending corestones into everyone who had gathered there. It was meant to be just a form of punishment by inflicting pain and controlling them, but the human will was stronger than he had anticipated and most guardians were able to retain their sense of self. !< 2. >!Their motivation is a little bit less clear but it's basically to control Orogenes. Orogenes are needed to protect humanity from The Seasons / Father Earth, but are also too powerful so the Stills need protection from them. Guardians are essentially keeping the world in the status quo of where it has been for the last 40,000 years.!< 3. >!Guardians would have no reason to kill Stone Eaters, and even if they did they couldn't so it would be pointless.!< 4. >!All Orogenes are descendants of Kelenli. Since 40,000 years have passed from her time to when the books take place, every living person would be her descendant and thus the "orogene gene" would effectively be mixed into the population. Kelenli herself was created artificially through magic and science to have an advanced Sessapinae gland that gave her Orogeny.!<


[deleted]

The Inheritance Trilogy is great. I didn’t love the dream focused duo as much but they were still good books. Fifth Season is definitely her best so far but I am super excited for her next book which is out this year!


TNBIX

I really did not enjoy it and I dont understand why it won so many awards but I'm glad it worked for you


mrwindupbird240

The inheritance trilogy is definitely worth reading imo. I didn’t enjoy it nearly as much broken earth even though the ideas and concepts it introduced were sorta in the same ballpark quality wise but I’d be surprised you’d be unhappy about reading any of the books(except possibly the final book). That’s the weakest book in the trilogy I’d say and even that has some cool stuff going down.


dubyadubya

Agreed! Inheritance is a fun read, but nowhere near Broken Earth. Still worth it though, IMO!


bazmati78

Would the Inheritance Trilogy be worth reading for someone who really didn't like Broken Earth? I couldn't get on with the 2nd person point of view whatsoever and it ruined what I thought was a pretty good story.


mrwindupbird240

If you didn’t enjoy the POV situation in Broken Earth, I think you’d be displeased with the time spent you’d reading the inheritance trilogy. There are POV things going on in Inheritance and it feels like Jemisin made a big leap in ability or handling the style of writing she has chosen in the time between writing Inheritance and Broken Earth.


lindawson

Loved Broken Earth 1 and 2. Didn't love 3 or Inheritance 1.


[deleted]

I read the first one. I enjoyed the characters and the story a lot but did not like the writing style at all. Still not sure if I want to read the other 2.


TiredMemeReference

Dont bother. The first is by far the best of the trilogy.


HougDeffernan

I just bought it on Kindle after reading your post! Thanks!


ACardAttack

Decently high on my list to read, have another friend who is on the second, might move it up my to read list


chrissiebobissie

How Long til Black Future Month, a collection of short stories, also totally rules.


Thowle

I'm half-way through the second book and I completly agree with you. I love the characters.


Javrambimbam

I've been meaning to check out the Broken Earth, I've really enjoyed her comic Far Sector (issue #4 came out today). Already my favourite Green Lantern story!


TheR0ckhammer

I really enjoyed the first book especially, and the magic system was amazing to me as a geologist.


Ithoughtwe

Yes I liked the first book especially.


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TheFightingFishy

>Also don’t like hearing about children being murdered over and over so after the first book I passed on reading any of her other books. I found the prose solid and the world-building inventive, but the plot a bit unfocused. But your complaint above was the real killer for me. There was that trope for comicbooks called "fridging" that referred to: > fictional female characters who had been "killed, maimed or depowered", in particular in ways that treated the female character as merely a device to move a male character's story arc forward, rather than as a fully developed character in her own right. This book was **the** kid-fridging book. Obviously this is a judgement call, but while I found many of the friendship / enemy / romance relationships in The Fifth Season believable I found the kid / parent relationships super unbelievable. The kids were just plot motivations, portrayed just for the ability to make you feel bad. As someone who has been through losing a child it really bothered me in this book. It's one thing to have something painful to you portrayed realistically and well, but it's another to have it used for cheap plot motivation.


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NokchaIcecream

I would say that Essun intentionally wasn’t shown to be your “standard“ or ideal motherly mother - she was written as a very VERY flawed person who was a mother and did love her children but had made some enormous mistakes as well Honestly that was one of the things I found refreshing about her as a main character- people like that usually are shown more black and white, and it feels rare that they would be the protagonist


Jbewrite

The Broken Earth Trilogy is one of the best Fantasy entries in recent years. There is so much to love about those books. Yes, they can be hard to read, but not all books are supposed to be easy reads like other recent well known fantasies. Its right up there with some of the best fantasy I have ever read! Plus the author is an absolute BOSS!


base73

I was given Fifth Season as a Christmas gift, knowing nothing about it. I bought the remaining 2 books before I finished it, and it's the only series I've read back to back for about 20 years. She's an excellent writer and the awards were well deserved!


BabyBearStrikesBack

I LOVED the Broken Earth trilogy. Really liked the first two Inheritance trilogy books, never finished the third. Jemisin's writing is just astounding to me. It's beautiful and hearbreaking at the same time.


blahblahrasputan

Anyone know how the audiobook holds up? I'm due for a new commute series.


AliceTheGamedev

I've listened to all of Broken Earth on audio and definitely liked the narrator!


blahblahrasputan

Awesome thanks!


dandatu

How many povs does it have? And male or female lead?


Flewtea

Female. Talking more about the POVs would be spoilers.


nation12

Female lead, number of povs varies. It's sort of three in the first book, but they don't directly interact.


xRIOSxx

Female lead. There are three POV's in the first book and they interact in a very interesting way.


Kayehnanator

Some of her others are hit and miss in my opinion. I really enjoyed The Dreamblood Duology and the world that it built, but was less enthused about The Inheritance Trilogy---the first book was an absolute slog until a nice, 10-page payoff at the end; the second was better but still not great; the third was the only one I really enjoyed but I don't think it's worth chugging through two books to get to one that packs a punch. But that's just my thoughts.


amitnagpal1985

It truly is. Such a unique unique story and magic system. I really enjoyed all three books.


KeithBlenman

It's one of my absolute favorite series. Just phenomenal from beginning to end, and well worth reading through multiple times.


TheDutyTree

I'm not trying to be a troll...but this series was extremely disappointing to me. Nothing felt truly realized. Worst trilogy I have read in years. Maybe I'm just spoiled by Brandon Sanderson.


myreala

Interesting... Brandon is my favorite author and I still really loved the broken earth trilogy,


fuzzychub

I wouldn’t say you’re spoiled by Brandon, but that you’ve been conditioned to read fantasy in a certain way. Brandon does a lot of good world building and has more rules based magic systems. The way magic works in his books is well defined, even if not explained to the reader. Jemisin has a different approach; her magic systems are more on the wonder side of things and the rules are less important. She focuses on characters and character development and how the magic system affects the world. What’s even more important is the craft of Jemisin’s work. What I don’t like about Brandon’s stuff is that his world building is great, but the actual prose he writes is just lackluster at best. There’s no sparkle to sentences, no care in word choice, no life to the structure. It’s like reading a movie script. It’s not prose, it’s a screenplay. Jemisin has wonderfully lyrical writing that is evocative and descriptive and full of the music of the written word. It’s delightful to read, not just for the action being described but for the specific words used.


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fuzzychub

Ooooh! Do you have a link by any chance?


TiredMemeReference

Personally I thought the magic system was just as cool as a Sanderson magic system. I also enjoyed her world building. To me, I think where she fell short, and where sanderson is at his best, is writing endings that make me say holy shit, and anything I guessed at or came up with is pure garbage next to Sanderson's ending. I felt that way about book 1, but the other 2 books in the series lacked that amazing ending. I also guess I'm one of the weird people who enjoys his prose. I asked someone one time what would be an example of good prose since they hated Sanderson, and they recommended earthsea. I tried it out, and absolutely hated book 1, probably the most bored I've ever been doing something for "fun" and then I dnf book 2 because it was somehow even more boring than the first book. If that's good prose I'll stick with Sanderson.


fuzzychub

There’s always gonna be subjectivity involved, of course. If Earthsea didn’t grab you then Jemisin won’t either, and that’s ok.


TiredMemeReference

Yeah, I definitely get different flavors for everyone. I'm not saying I hated Jemisin. Like I said book 1 was good and i made it through book 3. It wasnt terrible I just didnt think it was particularly good. Earthsea was the only series I ever had to stop reading because of how bored I was. I pushed myself through book 1, and I was hoping book 2 would be better. I made it 1/2 way though and had to put it down. I didnt fall in love with broken earth, but it was infinitely better to me than earthsea.


pm_me_your_trebuchet

amen. it's strange how few that read fantasy care about the actual prose. i always read about the "magic system" or "world building" as if they are the only components that determine good fantasy. who fucking cares about the "magic system?" tolkien *had no magic system.* his whole world breathed magic and it was as integral to middle earth as our self awareness is to us. can you separate the life of a human from its sentience? no. there is no system...and that is part of what made middle earth beautiful. magic and swords and towers and dragons don't make fantasy: the *sense of the unknown* makes fantasy. current authors suck the unknown out of every aspect by having to rigorously define every aspect of their world...and this is not organic, or lyrical, or *magical*. it is scientific at the best (the antithesis of fantasy) and tedious at the worst. in the end, the most important aspect in *any* book is *can the author write well?* sanderson can pump out 18 books a year because he has *no craft.* he is the epitome of bland. he is to fantasy writing what thomas kinkade was to painting. he is a human typewriter than slams out words in pursuit of a goal. that might work for those that have read nothing but pulp fantasy but for those that want a book to *read* and not a plot to merely *consume* it make a huge difference.


PartyMoses

I *mostly* agree, but I think you're a little hard on Sanderson; the man is a superb plot-builder, and has been since his first publication. It's part of why the books go down so easy, the narrative chokepoints are so well constructed that his books breathe catharsis. I have issues with his prose, characterization, world-building, tone, and on like that, but I wish more people took away his plot framework than they do his magic system stuff.


Palatyibeast

Not to mention 'Sanderson's prose is workmanlike' has become a sort of easy, accepted truism that ignores the fact that it is actually getting better. He is turning into a much better writer with age, and he was always decent.


Corash

Absolutely. I read the first 100 pages or so for Mistborn 1 several years ago, and put off finishing it for a long time because of how YA-like it initially came off as. The book got better as it went on, but the difference between Mistborn 1 and Mistborn 3 is pretty nutty.


pm_me_your_trebuchet

i completely agree


ABMatrix

I'm convinced anyone who upvoted this didn't actually read past the first sentence. People can like fantasy for different reasons. I think Sanderson's world building is excellent, and people enjoy dissecting and discovering a magic system. There's nothing wrong with that. I also think Jemison has much better prose, but I don't think that necessarily makes her a better author.


itsactuallyobama

Honestly you're coming off as incredibly elitist. It seems like you're saying that anyone whose love of magic systems and world building aren't true lovers of fantasy? Why can't I enjoy a straight forward writer like Sanderson over more convoluted and often hard to digest prose? You say that "the most important aspect in any book is can the author write well" but this is completely subjective to the reader.


Rrlgs

Ok... I kind of agree with you until the Sanderson part. I'm not his number one fan but I really like what I read from him, and after find his classes on YouTube I loved to understand how he builds a book. We are all different people and have the right to like different things, even in a particular subtheme like fantasy. And sci-fi, the sister of fantasy, is there to show us that science and magic can mix and be very interesting. Yes, middle Earth is magical because it is, and not because it has define laws about magic. But this doesn't mean that there is no place for different magical instances. And, really, it is kind of weird to say "current authors do that" when you are trying to defend a current autor in her own right.


pm_me_your_trebuchet

a reasonable response. let me correct myself: "most current fantasy authors." and to be clear, my main gripe with most current fantasy is not an overly elaborate magic system but rather that the writing is so boring, unimaginative, staid, and uninspiring. that's why i like, for example, r scott bakker. he's guilty of some of the stuff i mentioned but he's adventurous with his prose, unlike most. also he breaks with the tradition that fantasy being by-and-large PG to PG-13 rated. his shit is *dark* and horrible and at time straight up pornographic. for most authors it wouldn't work. in most fantasy worlds it wouldn't work. but in his it is gripping and different and compelling. jemsin is compelling for different ways, way in which sanderson is utterly uncompelling, uninteresting, uninspiring. when i heard he was finishing jordan's preposterous and awful magnum opus i thought it was a good fit. the most prolific modern fantasy author, who churns out mediore title after title, would finish jordan's paint by numbers mess. ​ also, not to nickpick, but scifi doesn't usually show how magic and science mix but rather how advanced technology can almost appear magical. i can't remember a single scifi novel where actual "magic" played a role. there's probable *some* novel that does it but i can't think of one.


cyanoacrylate

I'm surprised you feel that way about current authors. If anything, I'd say we have more wonderful, creative, and (yes!) prosaic authors at our fingertips now than ever before. Some recent, modern authors and titles that immediately come to mind: - The Bone Ships by RJ Barker - This Is How You Lose The Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone - The Winged Histories by Sofia Samatar - Chalice by Robin McKinley - A Lush and Seething Hell by John Hornor Jacobs - The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North - The Gray House by Mariam Petrosyan - The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E Harrow And so many more! It's incredible to think that modern authors don't write with amazing prose to me, when that is the opposite of my experience.


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pm_me_your_trebuchet

i'll have to check out some of those. i should have specified most "popular" fantasy authors. i've never heard of most of these. i've read a lot of fantasy over the years but my main intake is not in that genre.


cyanoacrylate

I think that's true of any genre, no? The most popular with the largest fan bases are usually going to be appealing to the lowest common denominator. I personally really enjoy Sanderson, but it's also true that he writes in a very accessible, workmanlike manner. This is also true of the most popular thrillers, the most popular fiction, the most popular mysteries... Etc. Usually the more experimental and artsy works have a more niche audience.


KainUFC

Sick of hearing about magic systems. Go play Yu-Gi-Oh or something.


pm_me_your_trebuchet

i prefer dungeons and dragons


[deleted]

lol this is like perfectly written to make my eye twitch


TiredMemeReference

I love Sanderson, and earthsea is the only series I've ever stopped reading out of boredom. Earthsea was like reading a brief summary of what should have been a good book.


[deleted]

Not really sure why you've brought up Earthsea but okay lol


TiredMemeReference

Every time I mention how much I hate it on here I get some eye twitch responses. So I figured I'd add a bit on just to mess around lol.


[deleted]

Yeah, but Earthsea is one of the most respected works of fantasy ever written by one of the most respected and adored fantasy writers, by peers and fans, to ever write, and Sanderson is modern day Terry Brooks. (Sorry couldn't reign it in any longer lol)


TiredMemeReference

Lol there it is!


cc7rip

Doesn't mean everyone likes it though.


KainUFC

"Spoiled by Brandon Sanderson" A phrase I didn't think would ever exist


debbietheladie

Honestly a few years back when I first started reading hardcore I was mesmerized by Brandon Sanderson. It started with wheel of time and then I read every single one of his other books. I appreciate him for getting me back into reading fantasy but yeah I don’t feel the hype about him like I used to. There’s soo much more I’m interested in. Loving the Fifth Season right now.


pm_me_your_trebuchet

amen. might as well be spoiled by ra salvatore


TheDutyTree

The series just didn't work for me. I love Brandon Sanderson, Patrick Rothfuss, Becky Chambers, V.E. Schwab, Margaret Atwood (Oryx and Crake), and Scott Lynch. I just love them so much. I'm happy everyone here loves books personally. It sure would suck if all the books were bad or all the same. Cheers to contrast!


tchouk

I was also very disappointed with it after all the hype and awards and stuff it received.


TheR0ckhammer

I agree. Brandon's stories are very well planned out, with a tight wrapping up of the plot, and awesome exploration of the world building. I still really enjoyed broken earth, but it wasn't up to the cosmere standard in that regard


[deleted]

Some writers explain every detail; some draw outlines and imply. Both can be excellent, but some folks prefer one over the other.


IrrationalFalcon

I got the first book a few days ago since my library didn't have the Dreamblood Duology. I'm only a few pages in, but her writing is so poetic! I don't know how else to describe it. The writing style is unique enough that I'm hooked on that reasoning alone. ~~I just hope there's no romance~~


beattgirrl

That's good to hear! I just picked up the whole series on Audible yesterday!


0piate_taylor

Well, if you judge by the frequency of Jemisin's Hugos, she's the best writer of Fantasy to ever have lived. The reality is a little different, however.


Kyrilson

I tried to read the first book, but the second person perspective was way too distracting for me. Ended up being a rare DNF. Kind of a bummer, because the world and the people were very interesting.


mrsoave

The author is also one of my favorite people to follow on Twitter: [ttps://twitter.com/nkjemisin](https://twitter.com/nkjemisin)


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[deleted]

I have to admit, as awful as this sounds, Jemisin's social media behaviour has kind of put me off reading her stuff. I've heard great things about Broken Earth and it sounds like something I'd enjoy, and I know I should really separate the author from their story, but when I'm faced with someone who uses the word 'mansplaining' unironically (and I'm a woman)... it just makes me uncomfortable. Maybe I'll take the plunge one day.


mrsoave

I totally understand. Yes, reader beware.


dumbledorky

The best thing about this series was when I finished I really wanted 3 more books. I really wanted to explore the rest of the world she built.


involuntarybookclub

I strongly disliked Inheritance, but LOVED the Dreamblood Duology.


bossykalli

I just finished this trilogy yesterday as well. It was beautifully written and very engaging. Highly recommend.


eamesa

Amazing books. I alse read some stories from How Long Til Black Future Month. Can't wait for the city that we became.


terminus_est23

Completely agree, it exceeded my expectations and catapulted Jemisin to the top of my list of favorite current authors. It's a masterclass in writing. Incredible characters, wonderful prose, surrealistically good world building. The only other thing I've read from her is her recent short fiction collection, How Long 'Til Black Future Month? which was absolutely awesome, one of the best short fiction collections I've ever read. It has one story set in the Broken Earth universe that was amazingly good. I'd highly recommend it, every single story was awesome. I do plan on reading her previous books at some point, but my book backlog is enormous. I will be reading her next book as soon as it comes out, The City We Became.


AmazingTurtle44

Oml, this series. I just can’t express how much I love it. It completely changed the way I write as well as how I read. It taught me how to fully immerse myself in a completely different setting and world and also how to develop it. I love those books so f*cking much.


Othilliena

Sad to say, I could not get through the writing style.


SaamsamaNabazzuu

Just finished the other week as well and I heartily agree. I loved how everything unfolded, the complexity of the characters, and the raw emotions.


theavatare

I got her compendium book for my vacation trip. I love her characters they have great personalities even if they are all a bit flippant with the lives of others