Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin

26 reviews

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

---

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

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

---

Content Warnings

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

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

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

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. 

---

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

corriejn's review against another edition

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.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Violence, Xenophobia, Terminal illness, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Body horror, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Murder, and Physical abuse

Minor: Pregnancy and Sexual content

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

---

Content Warnings

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

Minor: Cannibalism, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

filmscore's review against another edition

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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, and Death

Minor: Cannibalism, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail

sugarpal's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-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

4.5

A stunning follow-up to The Fifth Season. Jemisen’s world remains intricate and immersive, her writing highly skilled, though her pacing is on the slower side. Also, I would give a strong content warning for an abusive relationship, specifically child abuse. Jemisen worked as a psychologist and therefore has a horrifyingly real perspective on the psyches of both abuser and abused.

Unlike the first book with its three perspectives, this novel mostly follows two POVs, the main one written in second person like in The Fifth Season, the other in third, with some interludes. (I did find the second person narration more intrusive in this installment, but as I suspected there is a narrative reason for it, so.) Slight spoiler concerning the content warning: one perspective is that of the abuser, the other of their victim, so you really see both sides of the story. The telling rang absolutely true to me, because Jemisen is incredibly sympathetic to both characters, but that’s also why I think this book could be hurtful to someone with trauma in that area. But then, it’s just an incredibly dark book. I advise caution.

On with the actual review, then. Obviously, one of the main focuses of this book is abuse, especially child abuse. Jemisen really examines the abusive cycle, how victims become abusers, how they imitate what they know, how people can do terrible things to people they really do love, and that just because they do them out of love doesn’t make them excusable. I really love (and hate) how balanced Jemisen is with her characters, how she sympathizes with them but never sugarcoats things, and lets the reader decide what they can condemn or forgive. And when, exactly, does a person change enough to redeem themself? Can they ever –– can they choose to become someone new?

Of course, because this is an N.K. Jemisen book, there’s so much more. Between the usual sci-fi/fantasy considerations of morality, murder and survival and sacrifice, Jemisen also thoroughly examines the natures of bigotry and oppression, exploitation and dehumanization. Though these subjects are often touched on superficially in stories, as an African American woman, Jemisen brings an incredibly important and urgent perspective, and she makes it personal. Despite this trilogy’s setting in a far-future post-racial survivalist dystopia, it is a thorough indictment of the status quo.

I didn’t enjoy this book quite as much as the first, but then that bar was sky-high. Still an incredible novel — I highly recommend.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death of parent, Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Child death, Murder, Slavery, and Violence

redthistle's review against another edition

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

---

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

laguerrelewis's review against another edition

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? Yes

5.0

If you’ve already started this series you know why it’s great. Everything I loved from The Fifth Season is expanded upon here, and new elements are just as excellent and appreciated. I’m picking up book three literally right now!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Hate crime, Murder, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Violence, and War

Minor: Sexual content

hanarama's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense 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

5.0

The Good: 

• Melodic, poetic prose. 
• Complex world building. 
• Complex themes of destiny, duty, sacrifice, etc. 

The Bad:

• Struggling to understand at times. 
• Very sad. 

You Might Like this if You Like: 

• Epic, contemplative fantasies. 
• Creative world building and magic systems. 
• Post-apocalyptic stories.
• Characters who make hard choices. 

I feel at times as though I didn't actually read this or Fifth Season, but rather entered a trance and absorbed Jemisin's writing. Her prose is so melodic and unlike anything else that it just washes over me. 

Though this book loses the POVs of Syenite and Damaya, we get chapters from Essun's daughter, Nassun. I really loved that this book goes between mother and daughter. It really emphasizes many of the themes of the book, and after the Fifth Season, it is interesting to see Nassun follow a path very similar to her mother's, but diverging in many key ways.  

There is so much world building in this book. So much of what is introduced in the Fifth Season is expanded upon here. Jemisin is such a talented world builder. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Cannibalism, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Murder, Violence, and Blood