Reviews tagging 'Terminal illness'

The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin

39 reviews

clarabelitz's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious tense medium-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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Violence, and Terminal illness

Moderate: Murder

Minor: Cannibalism

anwade88's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-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

Just wow. This book sucked me in and I couldn’t put it down. Jemisin is a master at diverse characters, complex world building, and somehow still layering it into a fascinating plot. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Abandonment, Racism, Child death, Terminal illness, and Racial slurs

Moderate: War, Child abuse, Grief, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Body shaming and Cannibalism

bwwilhelm's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Terminal illness, Violence, War, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Death, and Racism

ailsaod's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark medium-paced

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

5.0

I read this on a deadline so whenever something messed up happened I just had to shrug and keep going. This book didn't leave as much of an impression on me as book 1 (it had a tough act to follow) but my overall impression is that this book is like someone pulling a rug from under your feet and this causing you to fall down a flight of stairs. Do I know what is going on? No. There were all sorts of factions coming out the woodwork (stonework?) and I have no idea who I'm supposed to be rooting for. Also what on earth is up with Nassun? After spending the whole of book 1 trying to get to her you have this idea of what she is going to be like and having chapters from her pov did not meet those expectations in the slightest! I found her point of view a bit frustrating because I found myself wanting to shake her as she

embarked gleefully on her villain arc!

While I would say this book is less of a shocking experience than book 1 it did almost have me in tears while in the canteen at work on my lunch break (with other people around!!) so there is that. I am a bit mad that it affected me so much as the scene I am vagueing about was not unexpected at all. And then just to put the icing on the cake we had the mess that was the ending with the bugs.It'll probably be a little while until I read book 3 as I need to recover. My expectation from what happened in this book is that is will either be absolutely fantastic and be the best ending I've ever seen or it will bet bogged down by its own intricacies and I won't understand a word. It could really go either way!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Gore

Moderate: Murder, Terminal illness, Violence, Child abuse, Child death, Medical content, Toxic relationship, Blood, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Cannibalism and Genocide

If you like reading about a man getting boiled from the inside out than this is the book for you! :( Also warning for euthanasia/mercy killing.

vigil's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad 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? It's complicated

4.5

not as good as the fifth season, but nowhere near bad. the entire book is a slowburn for the real plot coming in towards the end, but i didn’t mind what i was reading in the meantime.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Animal death, Cannibalism, Grief, Blood, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Murder, Violence, Colonisation, Cursing, Gore, Terminal illness, War, Body horror, Confinement, and Injury/Injury detail

emzhay's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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

4.5

The book overall meanders around which can get boring at times (though I personally enjoy that kind of writing) and the first half is rather info-dumpy which got frustrating. The stand out to me is the narrative about childhood. About growing up under abuse, realizing your parent no longer loves you, confronting the oppressive system that made them that way and choosing to break the cycle yourself. It was complex and breathtaking and heart wrenching.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Racism, Blood, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, and Terminal illness

Moderate: Slavery

Minor: Cannibalism

Insects

ok7a's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious slow-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, and Terminal illness

Moderate: Child death, Xenophobia, War, and Trafficking

Minor: Abandonment, Cannibalism, and Death of parent

elenatamsen's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional sad tense medium-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? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Terminal illness, Toxic friendship, Death, Hate crime, and Racism

Moderate: Death of parent, Emotional abuse, and Medical content

Minor: War, Blood, Bullying, Murder, Slavery, and Violence

alayamorning's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Murder, Xenophobia, Physical abuse, Child death, Colonisation, Death, and Violence

Moderate: Abandonment, Grief, Terminal illness, Animal death, and Medical content

Minor: Ableism, Cannibalism, and Sexual content

corriejn's review

adventurous emotional mysterious reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

Sequels are frequently disappointing, but Jemisin has managed to pick up seamlessly where The Fifth Season left off, masterfully keeping the reader engaged and looking forward to the final installment of the trilogy.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Violence, Xenophobia, Terminal illness, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Body horror, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Murder, and Physical abuse

Minor: Pregnancy and Sexual content