N.K. Jemisin
468 pp Orbit $10
Mood
Earth shattering and heart-wrenching.
Pairing
I would pair this book with Blanton’s Bourbon. Some whiskeys you mix, but this whiskey stands alone. Blanton’s bourbon is my favorite whiskey of all time, just like this series.
Review
The Broken Earth series starts out with The Fifth Season, where N.K. Jemisin builds a world so intricate, it requires two glossaries. The world which intimately become to know is the Stillness, which is in a constant state of impending apocalypse, as Father Earth is at war with humanity. The phrase “Angry Earth” is used to angrily curse at misfortune, as the Earth is not only composed of its natural components, but is a seemingly vindictive sentient being in this story. Our heros in this story are a caste of people called orogenes, individuals who can affect seismic activities and ultimately trigger earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, floods, etc. These apocalyptic events triggered by the orogenes are called Seasons, where each period of life is defined by disaster. In this high-fantasy dystopian novel, we follow three women, who are orogenes, at various points in their lifetime – Essun, Damaya, and Syen – in the Stillness.
At first, the narratives of Essun, Damaya, and Syen weave together so artfully that is is confusing to draw out the differences and to keep track of the characters. Throughout the book the perspective switches between the three women in overlapping ways, which adds an edge of mystery and intrigue. Although it may be a challenge at first to keep track of the lore of the Stillness and each character’s timeline, ultimately, the dedication to keeping with the narrative and prose is worth it as the story is so well drawn out.
The most intriguing part of The Broken Earth series is the mythology surrounding the Orogenes. Orogenes, because of the outcomes of their powers, are feared by most of humanity and are called “roggas,” an oppressive slur. Orogeny is not just a word created for this story. Orogeny means mountain-building. Orogenes are differentiated from Stills, their human counterparts who have no powers, and as children are brought to the Fulcrum, an underground orogene school, to train. This is not only due for the safety of the orogenes, as they are widely hated by Stills, but because they are needed to stall new Seasons. All of the characters we follow are in various stages of the realization of what they can do with their earth-altering abilities.
The first character we are introduced to is Essun, whose heart is ripped apart when she discovers that her husband has killed her infant son and escaped with their young daughter. The second is Syenite, an orogene who is leaving the Fulcrum for her first mission with a higher-level orogene, Alabaster. The third is Damaya, a young orogene who is arriving at the Fulcrum to begin her training.
Although each character experiences great loss at the beginning of their narrative, they do not lose hope nor do they revel in victimhood. Each of them takes their story into their hands and learns how to fully utilize their powers to suit their goals. In watching and being witness to each of these women’s stories, it is refreshing to see them each take control over their own destinies.
Jemisin’s world-making is inventive and a heart-wrenching comparison of the world we live in; she artfully illustrates through allegory how we are affected by our environment and oppression It is not ironic that this book has become so popular within the last few years as we are asking ourselves more questions about human’s impact on global climate change and resource conservation. Therefore, it is no surprise that this book has received the praise it has as The Fifth Season and the second book in the trilogy – The Obelisk Gate – won Hugo Awards for Best Novel. This series is a masterpiece and I look forward to seeing what N.K Jemisin does next.
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