The Fifth Season" is a 2015 science fantasy novel by N.K. Jemisin, the first book in her "Broken Earth" trilogy. It tells the story of Essun, an orogene (a person with the ability to manipulate the earth), who must survive a world-ending disaster and find her kidnapped daughter after her husband murders their son. The novel explores themes of survival, power, and the consequences of societal structures in a world constantly threatened by apocalyptic events.