I wasn't really sure what to expect going into The Fifth Season. The description of the book didn't really draw me in, and I wasn't familiar with N.K. Jemisin's other works. I decided to try it out anyway since it was a book club choice for January, and the reviews were so amazingly positive. 
 I was not disappointed. 
 I was instantly grabbed by the writing style. Irreverent, yet beautiful. Humorous without being goofy. It is not high-handed, and let's face it: many fantasy novels are. There was still so much substance and grit to this world though. I'm not sure I've ever read anything like it. 
 I am a reader that is very character-focused. When I am hunting for new books to read and start browsing through reviews, I'm really looking for one thing. What are people saying about the main characters? Are they likable (or at least entertaining)? Are they well-developed? Do they evolve? When I see reviews that don't mention characters at all, I get nervous. Does this mean that the story is not character-driven? Am I going to get pages and pages of nothing but descriptive narrative? Those were the questions plaguing me when I started looking at reviews for this story. While there were occasional mentions, the reviews tended to shy away from analyzing the characters. 
 Well, now that I'm on the other side, I can testify that there is a good reason for that. It is near impossible to discuss feelings about characters without including any spoilers. I will say this for those who, like me, love good characters: it's worth it. Jemisin is clearly a master in manipulating the emotions of her readers (I mean this in a positive way), and while I can't say I loved all the characters, I was most certainly invested in the story. Lots of fantastic dialogue and great character growth. One perspective is told in 2nd person, which I know some people didn't like, but I actually loved it and think it added to my feelings about certain characters. 
 Why 4 stars and not 5? It's really closer to 4.5, and it's all about a matter of preference. If I rated solely based on the author's talent, it would be a 5, no question. However, I rate based on my own preferences, so we're going to go with a 4. I prefer to read stories set in worlds that I would either want to live in or at least visit. I in no way want to even visit this world. I want to stay far, far away from this version of Earth, thankyouverymuch. I will of course read the next book when it is published later this year, and I will recommend the crap out of this book to anyone who will listen. Is it something I will re-read? No, probably not, but that doesn't mean it isn't beautiful and worth experiencing.