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Content snapshot
Flag an inaccuracy →What's in this book, at a glance — five things readers want to know before they start.
Violence
Very heavy
Apocalyptic violence; child murder in the opening; mass death throughout—world-ending scale
Language
Some
Contemporary language; some strong words
Sexual Content
Some
Mild sexual content; an important relationship is same-sex
Substance Use
Barely any
Social drinking in enclave contexts
Emotional Intensity
Very heavy
The second-person narration creates unusual psychological intimacy with a protagonist experiencing devastating loss; child murder opens the book
What this book is about
On a dying planet called the Stillness, Essun comes home to find her husband has killed their son and taken their daughter. She follows them across an apocalyptic landscape. Told in second person, The Fifth Season weaves together three timelines that slowly reveal what has happened and why. Winner of the Hugo Award.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
Child murder opens the novel
Apocalyptic mass death throughout
Second-person narration—unusual and immersive
Oppression of orogenes (people with earth-moving powers)—allegory for racism
Graphic violence
Reader Verification
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