Reviews tagging 'Grief'

The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin

75 reviews

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?!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia, Grief, Child abuse, and Child death

madamenovelist's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Grief, Gore, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Death of parent, Medical trauma, Medical content, Body horror, and Blood

Minor: Cannibalism and Alcohol

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***

As heartbreaking as it was, I loved getting Nassun’s perspective. We knew that Essun was fucked up. After everything she’d been through, how could she not be? But to see how the trauma aftershocks hit her daughter was 🥲 And to think that Essun isn’t alone in this. There are too many parents who think that preparing their kids for the ugliness of the world is doing them a kindness when they’re really becoming their kids’ first enemy. WHEW!

Schaffa 😐 I don’t know how I feel about him. Is this supposed to be a redemption arc? Because I’m not biting. He got the teeniest sliver of sympathy from me for the fact that Guardian creation also seems pretty brutal and that’s all I can afford.

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)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, Child abuse, Child death, Murder, and War

Moderate: Cannibalism and Toxic relationship

gandalf_a's review

dark emotional mysterious reflective 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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Confinement, Genocide, Murder, Toxic relationship, Violence, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Child death, Terminal illness, and Medical content

Minor: Animal death, Alcohol, Blood, Cannibalism, War, Alcoholism, Body horror, and Sexual content

sproutedpages's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Violence, Murder, Death, Blood, Racial slurs, Child abuse, and Racism

Moderate: Child death and Grief

Minor: Cannibalism

Use of fictional, in-world racial slurs.

mrsjodihunter's review

adventurous dark mysterious sad tense medium-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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, and Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Child abuse and Emotional abuse

Minor: Cursing

takarakei's review against another edition

adventurous 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

Wowowowowwowowowwwwww! Truly masterful fantasy writing. I am in awe of Jemisin's mind. This is technically a reread, but I honestly remembered even less than the first book which I reread last month. Now going into the third book which I've never read I cannot imagine how this is going to end, but I can't wait!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Violence, and Child abuse

Moderate: Grief, Death, and Cannibalism

apersonfromflorida's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Violence, and Child abuse

Moderate: Cannibalism, Grief, and Death

Minor: Injury/Injury detail

zombiezami's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Murder, Death of parent, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Grief, Genocide, Death, Blood, Body horror, Xenophobia, Child abuse, Cursing, and Physical abuse

Minor: Deadnaming

discarded_dust_jacket's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.25

Truly, the brilliance of this series cannot be overstated. Like any second installment in a trilogy, this book could have easily plateaued, but it didn’t. The added perspective of additional points of view kept the plot engaging (and, per the norm for this series apparently) heartbreaking.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Child death, Murder, Death, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, and Violence

Minor: Child abuse and Cannibalism