The Broken Earth Trilogy is Fantastic
Half Science Fiction, half Fantasy, and completely enjoyable from start to finish, N.K. Jemisin’s work is excellent
I read N.K. Jemisin’s trilogy of books this summer after reading multiple rave reviews. The books weren’t at all what I was expecting (through no fault of reviewers or marketing), but they’re extremely enjoyable and well written. The story starts with The Broken Earth, continues in The Obelisk Gate, and finishes in The Stone Sky.
It’s difficult to discuss much of the plot without heavy spoilers, which I’d prefer not to do. If you’re looking for a brief description, though, these books take place in a far-future, post-apocalyptic world. This world is periodically marked by “Seasons,” periods of catastrophic storms, famine, volcanic eruptions, and any other number of events that make it difficult for humanity to survive. There are also people who can control the world around them called “Orogenes,” people who can negate Orogenes’ power called “Guardians,” and another group of people called “Stone eaters” who have their own characteristics (and are nearly impossible to write about without spoiling more).
Jemisin’s world is deep and intricate, but the human characters drive both the plot and the trilogy’s emotional resonance. Despite the fantastical setting, familiar themes like oppression, resistance, and suffering dominate the pages of all three books. The narration switches between several different points of view, a technique that allows Jemisin to tell a story that is remarkably complex, despite the relatively small cast of characters. These people grow and mature throughout the stories, and the climactic finale delivers on a plot level and an emotional one.
The writing is also excellent. This aspect is doubly impressive given how often Jemisin changes perspectives. The people she speaks for often have vastly different motivations or personalities, and it’s to her credit as a writer that every single person is well-developed and fully-explained. Jemisin also deserves credit for completely leaving out anything close to a stock character. There are figures that writers won’t like, or won’t identify with, but there are none that feel shallow or simple.
Out of these three books, The Fifth Season is by far my favorite. The plot moves a little more briskly than in the other two, and the last few chapters carry a powerful emotional weight that I felt the following works didn’t quite match. The other two books also carry their own impact and uncover fascinating mysteries, but I enjoyed the first step in this trilogy the most. I’d be interested to see what other people who read this series think about my take here, so yell at me on Twitter if you think I’m wrong.
One of my favorite aspects of this trilogy is how delightfully bizarre and weird it is. For some reason, I expected a fairly realistic take on the destruction of the world in the future. For many reasons that become more and more clear as the stories develop, The Broken Earth trilogy isn’t that. This is why — if pressed — I’d call these stories more “fantasy” than “science fiction.” Jemisin has imagined and created an intricate and unsettling world, and it’s one that is intentionally much different than the one we live in today.
As far as final thoughts go, I’d recommend this series to anyone interested in science fiction, fantasy, or even just good writing. I’ve never read Jemisin’s work before, but now I’m curious to see what her other books are like. This series is weird, and unlike few other things I’ve read before, and I mean that as one of the highest compliments I can give a work of fiction.
