the fifth season

2 stars

A disappointing, painfully slow science fiction novel.

Looks like I’m in the minority about this book. I just couldn’t get into it. It is very well written, but I didn’t find the story compelling or like any of the characters.

One day a giant rift opens and spews ash in the air, darkening the sky for possibly decades. This will eventually kill most of the people on the continent. A woman in a small town comes home to discover that her husband has killed their young son and run away with their daughter. She sets out on foot to find them, and meets various strangers that connect to her story in unusual ways. Multiple stories are told at once, which requires the reader to really pay attention and follow the story closely. I know that first books in a series are often slow because a lot of worldbuilding is required, but this one was particularly slow. I kept waiting for something to happen, but it never did.

I can’t bring myself to read any more books in this series.