The Fifth Season (novel)

The Fifth Season is a 2015 science fantasy novel by N. K. Jemisin, the first book in her Broken Earth trilogy. The novel is set on a world called the Stillness, which is periodically subjected to devastating cataclysms known as "Seasons," ranging from volcanic eruptions and earthquakes to climate change and societal collapse.

The narrative follows three distinct timelines, which eventually converge. The protagonists are:

• Essun: A middle-aged orogene (a person with the ability to manipulate earth and energy) whose son has been murdered by her husband, who then disappears with their daughter. She embarks on a journey to find her daughter.

• Damaya: A young girl discovered to be an orogene and taken to the Fulcrum, an academy where orogenes are trained and controlled.

• Syenite: A powerful young orogene sent on a breeding mission with a more experienced, and powerful, orogene named Alabaster Tenring.

The novel explores themes of oppression, prejudice, environmental destruction, motherhood, and the nature of power. The orogenes are a marginalized and feared group, often subjected to violence and control because of their abilities. The Seasons are not simply natural disasters, but deeply connected to the history and fate of the Stillness and its inhabitants.

The Fifth Season received critical acclaim, winning the Hugo Award for Best Novel in 2016. The subsequent novels in the Broken Earth trilogy, The Obelisk Gate and The Stone Sky, also won the Hugo Award for Best Novel, making Jemisin the first author to win the award for three consecutive years.