Reviews tagging 'Grief'

The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin

90 reviews

ticktock'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? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

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

surdiablo's review against another edition

adventurous 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

2.0

This book felt like such a let down for me unfortunately, considering I loved the first one and this one seems to suffer from the 'middle book syndrome'. It took reading until 60% before I was really hooked again as nothing much happened during the first half, besides random exposition dumps which would pique your interest temporarily and slows down again. The characters from the first book you love are rather passive for the majority of time which made it hard to keep my interest, and I didn't really care much about the new character until the ending. The last 25% was amazing however, just as good as the first book, but it felt like such a slog to reach there that I don't know if it was worth it. Still gonna read the next one however as I am curious enough to see how it will end. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, and Gun violence

Moderate: Death, Gore, and Grief

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

vasha's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Slavery

Minor: Excrement, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

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

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

alayamorning's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Physical abuse, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Murder, and Colonisation

Moderate: Animal death, Terminal illness, Medical content, Grief, and Abandonment

Minor: Ableism, Sexual content, and Cannibalism

lilifane's review against another edition

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

viorvix's review against another edition

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Blood, and Grief

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Cannibalism, and Suicide attempt