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cdc95's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping and Child abuse
Moderate: Murder and War
Minor: Sexual content and Child death
snipinfool's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
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
4.25
This second book in the series took up where the first book left off. Essun, Hoa, Alabaster, Tonkee, and Lerna were living below ground in Castrima. Tensions continued as many of Castrima's residents were uneasy living with orogenes. The desolation above ground continued to threaten the lives of those barely surviving. Essun was reunited with and learned that Alabaster was responsible for the rift. He was slowly being turned to stone and eaten by the stone eater, Antimony, who cared for and protected Alabaster. Alabaster's fate was a consequence of the causing the rift and the current season. He hoped to be able to teach Essun what she needed to know to complete what he started. Alabaster wanted her to learn the special "magic" that allowed him to use the obelisks in the sky to complete the task.
This book told the reader about what happened with Nassun and Jija. We learned in the first book that after Jija killed Uche, they left their village. No other information was given about them. Jija took them toward the south. When the rift hit, Nassun was able to save them by using her orogenic abilities. Jija was noticeably upset. He killed his son, Uche, when he suspected the child to be an orogene. Jija decided to take them to a place he heard could cure orogenes called, Found Moon. Once they arrived, the readers met up again with Schaffa, who was Essun's Guardian. He ran Found Moon with two other Guardians. Shaffa agreed to mentor Nassun and teach her how to improve her orogenic skills. Jija was led to believe that in order to be cured of orogeny, one must master the skills to an exceptional level. Jija allowed Nassun to train with the other young orogenes in order to master those skills and then expected her to cure herself.
Both Essun and Nassun learned and studied to improve their skills in hopes of changing the course of the season and allow those left to survive. Both used their skills to make changes, but they also created new problems for each to solve.
I read The Fifth Season at the beginning of the year and had forgotten so much more than I realized about the important details of the story. I found an online summary of that book that brought me back up to speed. I enjoyed The Obelisk Gate very much. The book was written the same style as in that it bounced back and forth between different different points of view. It wasn't as compelling as the the first book, but that is often the case. I am assuming this book was mostly about filling in the necessary information to take us to the final part of the story. I look forward to reading the final installment in the trilogy very soon so I don't have to scramble to remember the details necessary for this world and characters. I am very interested to see how this story ends.
This book told the reader about what happened with Nassun and Jija. We learned in the first book that after Jija killed Uche, they left their village. No other information was given about them. Jija took them toward the south. When the rift hit, Nassun was able to save them by using her orogenic abilities. Jija was noticeably upset. He killed his son, Uche, when he suspected the child to be an orogene. Jija decided to take them to a place he heard could cure orogenes called, Found Moon. Once they arrived, the readers met up again with Schaffa, who was Essun's Guardian. He ran Found Moon with two other Guardians. Shaffa agreed to mentor Nassun and teach her how to improve her orogenic skills. Jija was led to believe that in order to be cured of orogeny, one must master the skills to an exceptional level. Jija allowed Nassun to train with the other young orogenes in order to master those skills and then expected her to cure herself.
Both Essun and Nassun learned and studied to improve their skills in hopes of changing the course of the season and allow those left to survive. Both used their skills to make changes, but they also created new problems for each to solve.
I read The Fifth Season at the beginning of the year and had forgotten so much more than I realized about the important details of the story. I found an online summary of that book that brought me back up to speed. I enjoyed The Obelisk Gate very much. The book was written the same style as in that it bounced back and forth between different different points of view. It wasn't as compelling as the the first book, but that is often the case. I am assuming this book was mostly about filling in the necessary information to take us to the final part of the story. I look forward to reading the final installment in the trilogy very soon so I don't have to scramble to remember the details necessary for this world and characters. I am very interested to see how this story ends.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness, Child death, Blood, Child abuse, Body horror, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Grief, and Gore
Moderate: Violence
squidnamedfinger's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
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
4.75
almost as good as the first. really close. pacing falls just a BIT short in my eyes--understandably, being the second of a trilogy. Jemisin is excellent at driving the plot through the middle installment though. so many hard-hitting character moments and tense scenes play out in exciting ways, even if there's not as much that this book is juggling compared to the first.
the prose in this novel is even better than The Fifth Season, though. I found myself rereading certain passages several times over to glean the full depth of Jemisin's writing. the way she describes the sensations of magic use are exceptionally striking.
her characters continue to shine through as well. Schaffa was a surprise hit with me, and Tonkee and Hjarka are my favorites in Castrima.
very much looking forward to seeing how this series concludes. lots of tension still lingering even after the end of this installment.
the prose in this novel is even better than The Fifth Season, though. I found myself rereading certain passages several times over to glean the full depth of Jemisin's writing. the way she describes the sensations of magic use are exceptionally striking.
her characters continue to shine through as well. Schaffa was a surprise hit with me, and Tonkee and Hjarka are my favorites in Castrima.
very much looking forward to seeing how this series concludes. lots of tension still lingering even after the end of this installment.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Murder, Racism, War, and Violence
biobeetle's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical trauma, Mental illness, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Death, and Murder
Moderate: Violence, War, Child abuse, Xenophobia, Abandonment, and Terminal illness
Minor: Chronic illness and Stalking
kimia_hyperfocuser's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Even though I recognize how the story in this one is not as fast-paced and gripping as book 1, it touched my soul, so 5 stars.
But can we get a proper explanation of the magic system please?!
But can we get a proper explanation of the magic system please?!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia, Grief, Child abuse, and Child death
swyant42's review against another edition
dark
emotional
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Child abuse
evelasco's review
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Slavery, Terminal illness, Violence, Hate crime, Murder, Child abuse, Toxic friendship, Racism, and Child death
Moderate: Ableism, Gaslighting, Genocide, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Cannibalism
bergha1998's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
3.75
This book is so full of big ideas, one of the most ambitious feats of literature I’ve read. I liked this one being a dual timeline with the daughter Nassun. Though part of it being in second person, although that person was obviously Essun or Hoa, felt a bit off to me. I’m sure plot wise perhaps in the third book it will make more sense as a choice. I just am not a fan overall of second person.
Found Family, Duo POV, Second Person
“Like those weird cults that crop up from time to time. I heard of one that asks an old man in the sky to keep them alive every time they go to sleep. People need to believe there’s more to the world than there is.”
“The dreamer, the rebel, always reconsidering the way things have always been because maybe they should never have been that way in the first place.”
Found Family, Duo POV, Second Person
“Like those weird cults that crop up from time to time. I heard of one that asks an old man in the sky to keep them alive every time they go to sleep. People need to believe there’s more to the world than there is.”
“The dreamer, the rebel, always reconsidering the way things have always been because maybe they should never have been that way in the first place.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Alcohol, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Drug use, and Gaslighting
thenextbookdilemma's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror
Moderate: Child abuse and Child death
ericageorge91's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
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
4.5
“To those who have no choice but to prepare their children for the battlefield.”
This book was a study in generational trauma and I was here for every second of it. After all of the world building of the first book in a series, I love being able to hit the ground running in a sequel 😌
***SPOILERS***
TW: Child death, child abuse, grief, death, murder, sexual content (brief), cannibalism, war, toxic relationship
Rep: BIPOC characters, gay side character, bi/pan characters, trans minor character, polyamory (references)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, Child abuse, Child death, Murder, and War
Moderate: Cannibalism and Toxic relationship