Reviews

The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin

odin45mp's review against another edition

4.0

A worthy follow-up to The Fifth Season. We pick up right where the last book left off with not quite enough recap for my needs - it has been almost a year since I read book 1.

That said we are in the middle of a developing Season (an ecological shift not unlike a meteor impact and dust cloud that threatens to end human life) and not all characters have reached the safety of a comm (community). We flash back and pick up the trail of Nassun, the main character's daughter, who was separated from her mother when the Season began. I enjoyed her development and growth coming to terms with her ability to manipulate the earth. Meanwhile not all is well with the rest of our protagonists in the comm they are living in... and the stakes are raised. Significantly.

I look forward to the conclusion of this story.

bedbugbeyond's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

4.75

mitskimonday's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

cvbrannaman's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

tylerarianna's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

slinkmalink's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

Continued the excellent world-building as more about the way orogeny (and magic) work was discovered. 
I still love Alabaster and I love their relationship to eachother

and I was so sad he died even though I knew it was coming I think I tried to convince myself otherwise

I think I didn't enjoy it quite as much as the first one because I missed Syenite's perspective (yes I know technically we still had it) and it also felt a bit more bleak which makes sense as the world is ending

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent, Death, and Murder

Minor: Cannibalism and Child abuse

kittycat2302's review against another edition

5.0

This took me much longer than expected to finish but it was also something I wanted to savor- after all, we have to wait a year for the conclusion!!

This was a wonderful sequel to THE FIFTH SEASON and did a nice job really solidifying what the finale book is likely to address. There weren't as many shocks in this one, in my opinion- it was more straightforward- but elegantly and wonderfully told. Can't wait for the final book in the trilogy!

jasmijn_'s review against another edition

4.0

istg I love this series so muuchhhh, I did like the first book better but this was still verryyyyyy goodddd.

pancakepan's review against another edition

slow-paced

4.0

jstark545's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Book two was just as good as book one! I liked that, we got to learn about the daughter in this book. All of these characters are so complex and compelling. I am making a prediction now that the mother will die at the end of the third book. The daughter will live and destroy the current workings of the world.