A review by hanarama
The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin

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. 
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