The Fifth Season: Booktrack Edition

By: N. K. Jemisin

Narrated by: Robin Miles

The Fifth Season: Booktrack Edition adds an immersive musical soundtrack to your audiobook listening experience! *
At the end of the world, a woman must hide her secret power and find her kidnapped daughter in this "intricate and extraordinary" Hugo Award winning novel of power, oppression, and revolution. (The New York Times)
This is the way the world ends...for the last time.
It starts with the great red rift across the heart of the world's sole continent, spewing ash that blots out the sun. It starts with death, with a murdered son and a missing daughter. It starts with betrayal, and long dormant wounds rising up to fester.

This is the Stillness, a land long familiar with catastrophe, where the power of the earth is wielded as a weapon. And where there is no mercy.

Listen to the first book in the critically acclaimed, three-time Hugo award-winning trilogy by NYT bestselling author N. K. Jemisin.

*Booktrack is an immersive format that pairs traditional audiobook narration to complementary music. The tempo and rhythm of the score are in perfect harmony with the action and characters throughout the audiobook. Gently playing in the background, the music never overpowers or distracts from the narration, so listeners can enjoy every minute. When you purchase this Booktrack edition, you receive the exact narration as the traditional audiobook available, with the addition of music throughout.

Critic reviews

"Jemisin is now a pillar of speculative fiction, breathtakingly imaginative and narratively bold."—Entertainment Weekly

"Intricate and extraordinary."—The New York Times

"[The Fifth Season is] an ambitious book, with a shifting point of view, and a protagonist whose full complexity doesn't become apparent till toward the end of the novel. ... Jemisin's work itself is part of a slow but definite change in sci-fi and fantasy."—Guardian

"Astounding... Jemisin maintains a gripping voice and an emotional core that not only carries the story through its complicated setting, but sets things up for even more staggering revelations to come."—NPR Books

"Jemisin's graceful prose and gritty setting provide the perfect backdrop for this fascinating tale of determined characters fighting to save a doomed world."—Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

"A must-buy...breaks uncharted ground."—Library Journal (starred review)

"Jemisin might just be the best world builder out there right now.... [She] is a master at what she does." —RT Book Reviews (Top Pick!)

"The Fifth Season is a powerful, epic novel of discovery, pain, and heartbreak.... It is a novel that demands much of its readers; it rewards them aplenty and is one of those novels that becomes more powerful after deep consideration and subsequent readings."—SFF World

"This is an intense, exciting novel, where survival is always on the line, set in a fascinating, original and dangerous world with an intriguing mystery at the heart of it. I can't wait to see what happens in the next book!"—Martha Wells

"Brilliant...gorgeous writing and unexpected plot twists."—Washington Post

"[A]ngrily, beautifully apocalyptic."—B&N.com

"Heartbreaking, wholly unexpected, and technically virtuosic, The Fifth Season is a tour-de-force. I felt every shock--and the book is packed with them--in my marrow. It's no exaggeration to say that Jemisin expands the range of what great fantasy can be."—Brian Staveley, author of The Emperor's Blades

"With every new work, Jemisin's ability to build worlds and break hearts only grows."—Kirkus (starred review)

Not for everyone but what I was looking for

If you are looking for a YA epic fantasy you’ve come to the wrong place. This is just what I was looking for: Mature characters,no teenage angst, mature love stories that are subtle and move the plot forward. Even when dealing with younger characters it’s told from an adult perspective. The book is slow as world building takes place along with the story telling and some chapters are written in 2nd person, Which is different/difficult to read/listen too. I enjoyed the background sound and music which really helped build suspense and added a depth to the narrator who I enjoyed listening to. I give 4 stars because the big “reveal” I figured out quite early in the book. I also recommend either downloading a print copy or buying a physical book because of the made up language and difficult names. I’m glad I gave the book a chance to get going and can’t wait to read the next one.

Deserves the praise

A rare book that deserves all the accolades it has received. Deep worldbuilding, complex characters, inspired narrative structure, and a a well earned sense of payoff make for a rewarding experience. Excellent narrator as well.

Fantastic world building. Dark but powerful story.

Cynical dystopia with epic world-building. The narrator was exceptional and the story is unique. One of the best fiction books I’ve read in a long time.

Worth it!

There's a lot of heavy narrative, and complex world building, but stick around for the action-packed ending.

Beautifully Constructed and Executed

I rarely review books, but this story was so masterfully done that I had to. The plot is original for me and the twists and turns that the author takes you on are breath taking and satisfying. I found myself identifying with the main characters and thoroughly enjoying the setting and backstory. I would highly recommend this book for any fantasy lover.