Reviews tagging 'Xenophobia'

The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin

29 reviews

vasha's review against another edition

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adventurous 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

4.0

This installment wasn't quite up to the strengths of the previous volume. It still had lots of great writing but some passages weren't as good (and the device of second-person narration got odd at points). Good interweaving of themes but got baggy toward the end. Another commenter said Nassun often seemed to be "10 going on 30" and I can agree with that. I like the way the series as a whole is shaping up, though.

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ok7a's review against another edition

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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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drkshadow's review against another edition

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  • 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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alayamorning's review against another edition

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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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corriejn's review against another edition

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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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n_asyikin_'s review against another edition

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challenging 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

5.0

I liked to take my time reading Jemisin's works, because her world was so rich, so complex, you found yourself captivated in an anthropological way.

Set in a dystopia where xenophobia (against orogenes) & ableism were rampant, the Broken Earth series explored morally questionable decisions people made, & were made to choose. The unequal interplay between sociopolitical standings were exacerbated by the power of nature, i.e. Father Earth, highlighting the greater injustices faced by the oppressed. 

If anything, I'm always in awe with how layered the structure to Jemisin's books were. She'd made you questioned who's the narrator, the linearity of the story timeline, the intent of her characters that left you feeling somewhat out-of-sort, but never to the point of confusion. Jemisin's style of writing would teased you & enlightened you in equal measures; it will leave you hooked.

The way Jemisin imbued the characters' complex internal world with the chaos of their reality was mindblowing. I found myself wondering how one could even begun to think of creating such a world. Truly, a brilliant read!

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blakethebookeater's review against another edition

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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

4.0

This book was such a great follow up to the epic Fifth Season.

I’m not going to say much in this review for fear of spoilers, but just know that the narrative gets more and more interesting and you get both answers to questions you didn’t realize you had...and even more questions.

The characters continue to be standouts, with Essun’s story continuing to be outstanding, as well as the new POVs of Schaffa and Nassun. The way these characters’ stories are woven is nothing short of stellar.

I did feel like this book did suffer from some slow pacing, and the action wasn’t as compelling as the first book, but the mysteries contained here are more than enough to compensate.

Overall, I’m so excited to go into reading the finale and can’t wait to see how it ends!

4/5 stars

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fraxisle's review against another edition

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adventurous dark reflective 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

4.25


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azyef's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75


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