Let's Talk: Systematic Oppression & "The Fifth Season"

[@LetsReadSFF]

I don't think we're going to find a better review of The Fifth Season anywhere.

[@perpetualpages]

High praise! Thanks so much, Brock :D

[@kandirussell5024]

Absolutely!

[@meltotheany]

Oh my word, Adriana, this is one of the most powerful reviews I've ever read or watched in my entire life. Thank you so much for making this, thank you. You have such a gift and I'm not sure what the world did to deserve your voice on KZbin, but I'm so thankful for it.

[@perpetualpages]

I've been thinking about this comment a lot lately; it means so much. Thank you so much for the gracious words. I appreciate it!

[@itowilltube]

She went deep into the rusting earth. Loreist ! I calling it.

[@thebookwitchscauldron6064]

Adriana!!! DAMN.DAMN.DAMN. This review is fucking powerful and you are, as always, wonderful beyond words.

[@perpetualpages]

Thank you so much, Sara! I wasn't sure how this would turn out but I'm glad I did it :D

[@thebookwitchscauldron6064]

It was wonderful!!!

[@oni8640]

Thank you so much for this rec!!! I typically don't read sci-do but your articulate and eloquent reviews are so compelling! Thank you so much and keep up the great work! New subscriber.

[@perpetualpages]

+Oni Well it's really like a blend of fantasy and sci-fi together, but it's a very accessible story with a lot to offer. I hope you get the chance to try it soon! And thank you :D

[@CamsCampbell]

Great review. I just finished the book today and loved it. You have done it justice in your video!

[@perpetualpages]

Thank you! I'm glad this video still rings true after all these years 😊📚

[@ladymacbook4255]

So articulate, so powerful. We talk about how we need books like The Fifth Season but we also need people like you to talk about them and spread the word. Great video. Also, loving the lil Garnet in the background :D

[@perpetualpages]

This is one of my favorite comments! Thank you so much, I really appreciate that

[@kundanchhabra]

WOW amazing! ALL of this does sound very familiar for me too as a queer Indigenous Person of the Global Majority.

[@cecily5614]

Best review I've seen on this book. Glad I ordered it.

[@perpetualpages]

Thank you so much! I really hope you enjoy it 😄

[@samanthagilmore6578]

I love your videos! You have such an intelligent and truly analytical interpretation of all of the books you read. Even though I haven't read most of these books, just watching your channel is like food for my brain. Thank you!!!

[@perpetualpages]

Thank you so much, that means a lot! Thanks for watching and listening :D :D :D

[@ThatsSoPoe]

Thank you for such a powerful review and discussion of the themes in this book! It was such an intense experience to read it, and it's so helpful to have this discussion video to help solidify some of the thoughts and impressions it left. Truly insightful!

[@perpetualpages]

Thank you so much! I was able to make some really strong connections while reading this book, and I knew it was important to share them. So I appreciate that!

[@lazybookworm]

Just finished The Obelisk Gate and came to KZbin looking for a video that discussed more than just the post-apocalyptic aspect of the book, thank you for so eloquently talking about the themes of oppression

[@kitoushi66]

This was great commentary. I just finished the book. I really liked it. Thank you for perspective.

[@perpetualpages]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@nicolekawa1265]

Amazing review!!! Thank you! I just started reading it and now I can’t wait to finish the series!

[@perpetualpages]

Thank you so much! I hope you enjoy the rest of this amazing series. Each book gets better and better IMO ❤

[@makshussey]

Passionate review! Thank you so much for your words. Definitely gonna check this book out soon ~

[@perpetualpages]

Thank you so much! I'm glad that you got something out of it (: TFS is incredible, so you have some good reading in your future!

[@booksandpieces]

Fantastic review and discussion. I knew I needed to read this book asap but, damn, now I *really* need to read it. I loved Jemisin's past books but I feel like this is going to be taking it to a whole new level. Also HELLOOOOO fellow sticky tabber. I love those things. Can always tell when a book has really made me think because it just becomes a forest of sticky tabs.

[@perpetualpages]

Haha, so true. I thought I had a lot of tabs in TFS from when I first read it, but I think I tripled the amount during this re-read. I can definitely attest that N.K. Jemisin is at her best in the Broken Earth trilogy. You can really see her progression as an author with each book she writes, which I love! So glad TFS won the Hugo, because she is so deserving and this book is incredible

[@kittymachine3798]

Oh my, I really enjoyed your take on this! You're so thoughtful, and well spoken too. I loved everything about this!!!

[@perpetualpages]

Thank you so much ^__^ An incredibly thought-out book deserves an equally thoughtful review, so I owe it all to NKJ's writing for allowing me to make these connections in the first place!

[@lameshahale2990]

This is the ONLY review that has inspired me to pick this book up. NOW

[@HaileyAnnReads]

Why did this review make me tear up? I know this is a couple years old, but this is so powerful. I truly loved this 😭

[@perpetualpages]

I still love it, so thank you!! 💕

[@yama5182]

Thank you so so much!! 💕💕🌹💕

[@faizayousufwitpk]

I read all three books in the past week and I just stumbled upon your review. You are amazing and I just subscribed to your channel. Thank you for doing this.

[@perpetualpages]

Thank you so much! That means a lot 😊📚💖

[@kandirussell5024]

This is one of the best reviews for this book I've seen! Excellent job! The second book is even better. I'll be starting the third in a few days.

[@Alina_Schmidt]

About the „complicating everything“ part: I think it‘s incredible how on the one hand systemic, colonialist and imperialist opression is front and center, no whitewashing, fullstop. And at the same time this is a world in which people who are marginalized and opressed in our world (meaning People of Color and queer People) just exist without a question, without being othered as such. It‘s normalizing of who should be seen as normal but often isn‘t yet in our world. Focusing on opression seems like the opposite of seeing opressed people without being questioned. But it works extremely well together without one „side“ diminishing the other.

[@Sund3v3]

Amazing review! I found the story and characters really haunting and oh so painful. There were points in the book where I felt like the emotion was too intense for me to continue but then the author puts in so many, densely spaced little mysteries in the narrative that you just feel compelled to read on.

[@Kailey-GLS]

WOW WOW WOW. This was such an amazing review.

[@perpetualpages]

Thank you so much! Jemisin's work is so rich and thoughtful that it makes my job as a reviewer very easy ❤

[@Paula-133]

Poc totally get these fantastic books, because its all real life for millions. Great review!

[@perpetualpages]

Absolutely! That's what I've seen as well. And thank you so much 😄

[@LaurenWade]

AMAZING review, thanks Adriana!

[@perpetualpages]

Thank you so much, Lauren!!

[@mystoreysofstories]

Amazing review! You are so articulate about why this book is important, and the way you communicate your thoughts is honestly stunning, like you need to be a motivational speaker because I’ve never heard anyone speak so powerfully about such an important topic as you did here.

[@mortizmetzger]

I had a really tough time getting into this book and your review is making me want to re-read. Well done :)

[@perpetualpages]

Thank you! NKJ's work may seem challenging at first, but if you stay with it, her worlds really open up to you. And this series DEFINITELY only becomes even stronger with multiple reads.

[@lunarvixen26]

I picked up this book earlier this year, but I ended up returning it because I ran out of time. Definitely pushing it higher up on my TBR to read properly this time :)

[@perpetualpages]

Sounds like a good idea! It's worth the read :D Thanks for watching!

[@barbarabianchirolim5188]

This video is amazing. You are amazing

[@perpetualpages]

Thank you so much!

[@AnjiLK1]

Thank you!!!

[@PuccaBabie]

I subscribed the moment you said "systematic oppression." I've never heard of The a Fifth Season but this review was so beautifully done I now have to read it!! Great job!!

[@perpetualpages]

Thank you so much! You should definitely look into it :D :D :D

[@TheCandleLady]

Well done

[@cassandre8503]

Amazing video ❤️

[@jockjones1063]

Great review informative and helpful - just finished 5th season and reading the Obelisk Gate

[@perpetualpages]

Thank you! Hope you enjoy the rest of the series. I think each book really builds on the last in unforgettable ways 📚

[@onsennoodles7461]

"The horror of realizing you've accepted your own death before it even happens." These are some damn powerful words. Thank you for the best review of this book I've seen

[@perpetualpages]

Thank you so much ❤

[@bookswithwings]

This was a brilliant review, I've just finished the book a few minutes ago and after writing my review my second action was coming here to watch this. Loved what you had to say and completely agree with you. I think the way it talked about the idea that there's always going to be people that will have to live with the force fed thought that there are people above them holding all the power and that it was always that way and will always be that way was so well done and extremely important. I don't think I've ever read a book that explains systemic oppression so well and accurately. Definitely one of my new favourites ♥.

[@perpetualpages]

Thank you so, so much! Yes, I absolutely feel the same. TFS was really the first book that put words to things I had experienced and felt all my life, most especially in regards to systematic oppression, so it was extremely validating to read. And I just remember leaving this book like, "Now here's an author who gets it--who sees and who isn't afraid to go there." Honestly NKJ is the author we need and the author we deserve. If you haven't had the chance to read The Obelisk Gate yet, you definitely should! It's just as exceptional, but it's even MORE and pushes the world/characters even further

[@kathyking2515]

Really good review.

[@perpetualpages]

Thanks!

[@DevSerAna]

Great review! This book is really awesome. Kisses from Brazil :)

[@perpetualpages]

I think so too! And thank you 😁

[@ozkaa]

Great review, I came here after watching MercysBookishMusing's review. So I was relieved to hear an actually intelligent perspective.

[@perpetualpages]

Thank you! I still think about this series' impact to this day, so I'm glad I was able to package a little bit of that in this discussion 📖

[@KatieLovestoRead]

Oh how I adore this book, I really should've reread it before the sequel as I found for the sequel I was a tiny bit lost now and then.

[@KatieLovestoRead]

Also, this review is so intelligent and eloquent, this is by far the best review of The Fifth Season I've watched, it makes me want to pick it up and reread it all over again.

[@perpetualpages]

Definitely recommend re-reading it! It was so worth it! I'll be re-reading The Obelisk Gate before book three for sure :D :D :D And thank you so much for all the kind words and support

[@Joe_Maysky]

You've officially sold me on this. I was nervous about starting Jemisin because I thought it might be dense, but between your review and Sam's, plus reading the first few pages in the Amazon preview that while a slow burn, it's not dense or obscure, it's just delightful.

[@perpetualpages]

I'm so glad to hear that! Her Broken Earth trilogy really is sensational and next level. I think you'll be glad that you didn't let yourself miss it! That's the perfect way to describe her writing. It's captivating, it's engaging, it's easy to get behind and understand where these characters are coming from. I really hope you enjoy The Fifth Season!

[@dannown]

This review captured feelings I didn't even know I had about the book. Great work.

[@perpetualpages]

That means a lot, thank you!

[@hatesHatersxx]

And another book i am going to put on my to-read list! I love how you talk about social injustice and topics that so many choose to ignore or dismiss. You always inspire me to go out there and do something, instead of surpressing all the problems and distract myself from them. I often feel very hopeless, so thank you ♡

[@perpetualpages]

I'm so glad to hear that! Wow, that means so much to me, thank you for saying that ^__^

[@lapaulg1]

Preach preacher!

[@AGardner81]

You are a beacon. Insta-subscription! I loved this book too.

[@perpetualpages]

Thank you!

[@yurkdawg]

What a wonderful review! For the reason you speak of (and many others) this has to be the best book I've read in a VERY long time!

[@perpetualpages]

+yurkdawg Thank you! I'm glad to hear you've started this incredible trilogy ❤

[@shock2yoursystem]

If I wasn't convinced that I need to read this book before, I definitely am now. Very happy that a book dealing with something so important won the Hugo!

[@perpetualpages]

I'm glad to hear that! You should definitely look into it. This was one of the years where I feel like the Hugo voters definitely got it right, this book is so deserving

[@ikbennorine]

Still the best non-spoiler break down of this book on youtube ... hell on the internet!! Ari thank you 4 this. I picked this book up 2017 because of you 😊 ... and it slaps even harder now that George Floyd happened.

[@julmar5857]

"Every Dam Day!" *even with the audacity to believe otherwise*. I have been stirred by your remarkable presentation. N.K. Jemisin's "The Fifth Season" is in my shopping cart. Her work is something I will share with my Social Justice Bookclub. Thank you, thank you. p.s. Happy New Subscriber 📚

[@perpetualpages]

+Seasoned WeMoon Thank you so much. I'm glad you plan on picking this one up and sharing it with others. That's such a great way to spread the word.

[@Wraithing]

Thank you so much for your words. Having just discovered the existence of the author and this series of books, I've been deciding whether to invest my money and time. Now I know I will get off the fence… and it's your video that's spoken to me more than anything anyone else has said. I look forward to discovering this new world that sounds as though it will have many points of familiarity.

[@MsMalcolmHughes]

This review Is absolutely stunning! You covered so much here in a very short time. Yes, it is very similar to our world and hopefully more people will read it and recognize the embedded flaw in our own societies.

[@machinaheart]

I adored The Fifth Season (and The Obelisk Gate), thank you for putting into words why. And so utterly eloquently, too. This video sure is a treat!!

[@Majesticon]

This might be the best review of a book I've ever seen on youtube.

[@MsAwesomeSaucey]

This book really hits different because of the relevance and apt ness in terms of climate change that is going on currently. Thank you Adri for this amazing review!

[@mehali384]

Keep adding closed caption into your videos. I have come to your channel just because of closed caption that Youglish showed to me.

[@perpetualpages]

Of course! I've been captioning my videos for the past five years, I believe, and I have absolutely no intention of ever stopping or ever putting out uncaptioned content 😊

[@ladydiora]

I wish there was a spoilers warning ⚠️ still I couldn’t stop watching your review because it’s so well done.

[@perpetualpages]

Thank you! I keep all my reviews general, and even though this discussion touches on deeper themes of the text, I don't reference any specific plot points or reveals that would warrant a spoiler warning ^__^