Reviews tagging 'Blood'

The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin

56 reviews

some_random_person_hi's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

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

4.0

Second book syndrome (or maybe the other books in the trilogy were just too good).

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Confinement, Cursing, Gore, Stalking, and Alcohol

Minor: Animal death, Drug use, Genocide, and War

catsy2022's review against another edition

adventurous sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, and Cannibalism

Moderate: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, and Death of parent

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

Minor: Genocide and Cannibalism

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.

queer_bookwyrm's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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? No

4.0

4 ⭐ CW: Violence, natural disasters, prejudice, murder, descriptions of blood and gore, child abuse, child death, cannibalism mention

The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin is book two in the Broken Earth trilogy. This book was much less confusing than the first books, so it was much easier to stay invested in the story. 

We pick back up with Essun in Castrima as she tries to learn more about the obelisks from Alabaster, all while still wanting to find her daughter. I appreciated Essun's growth and the dynamics of the mixed comm. We get to see Nassun's pov this book and find out what has been happening to her. Turns out she's a powerful little girl in her own right, and her story is fascinating and makes me wonder what will happen in the next book. 

I found it interesting that Jemisin chose to use second person narration, with having Hoa the stoneeater telling us what is going on. It gave fascinating insight to him as a character. We also learn more about Guardian Schaffa this book as well. 

I loved that one of the themes in this book was how educational institutions can be elitist and limit your thinking, by only teaching you one way. We see this playing out between a Fulcrum trained Essun and feral self-taught Ykka. Sometimes our educational institutions stifle unique thought and limit our possibilities. Can't wait to finish the series, Jemisin is brilliant. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Gore, Violence, Blood, and Murder

Minor: Cannibalism

youstina_m's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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: Child death, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Blood, Grief, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Cannibalism

nodogsonthemoon's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Violence, Blood, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Death of parent

Minor: Cannibalism

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

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

Moderate: Slavery

Minor: Cannibalism

Insects

boglord's review against another edition

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, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail

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

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

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

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

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