Reviews tagging 'Genocide'

The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin

29 reviews

rexpostfacto'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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Xenophobia, Death, and Murder

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail and Genocide

Minor: Child abuse and Child death

bwwilhelm's review

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

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

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

kjoli's review

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Child abuse, and Child death

Minor: Genocide

boglord's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Grief, Death, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, War, and Violence

Moderate: Abandonment, Ableism, Blood, Cannibalism, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, Vomit, Genocide, and Gore

Minor: Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Suicidal thoughts, Adult/minor relationship, and Slavery

drkshadow's review

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Genocide, Rape, Racism, Slavery, and Xenophobia

lilifane's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense slow-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

Wow. I think this was the best second book of a trilogy I've every read. I know there are a lot of people who feel differently, but for me this was perfect, and I loved it as much as the first book. I loved how it focused on the characters and their relationships and development and didn't care that not much was happening plot wise. I didn't need it. The world and the characters were fascinating enough that I didn't need any action at all. And the way you learned new things with the characters in the tiniest ways was very satisfying for me. Got to love Jemisin's writing and word use to make your head spin when the revelations become mind-blowing and emotional and epic. The ending was fantastic, and it broke me even more than I thought was possible, and I can't wait to read the last book in the series. 

But again, soooooo so many tw/cw. Not as many and as gruesome as in book one but definitely more than enough. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gore, Grief, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Racism, Violence, and War

byrdies's review

challenging dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• 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: Genocide, Child death, and Child abuse

Minor: Body horror

redthistle's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-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

The Broken Earth trilogy is by far the strangest, most complex, and thought provoking series I have ever read.
I found the first in the series to be a real struggle to get through and while I was glad I read it I didn't find I enjoyed myself all that much. When I started the second in the series (this book) I was nervous I would feel the same way but was pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed this one much more. 
I think that is because Essun was my favorite character in Fifth Season and in Obelisk Gate she gets a lot more development and many more chapters. 
I really loved seeing her relationship with Hoa develop in this book as he is my other favorite character. 
I also really loved getting to meet Nassun as well and learn about her and see her develop along her own journey. 

I personally feel like this series really is more like one novel split up. I think if you read the first it only works if you continue the entire thing, the first makes infinitely more sense the further you read into the series. 
NK Jimisin is a genius, her writing is a masterpiece of science and poetry that leaves you feeling lost and found at the same time. I

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Child death, Death of parent, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence