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A review by j_m_alexander
The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin
adventurous
emotional
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
3.75
A rusting good apocalyptic (maybe???) post-apocalyptic (sort of) science fiction/fantasy that goes beyond an interesting plot (though the plot still feels pretty Earth-shattering!).
Since the first book did so much of the heavy lifting in the world building department (though much of that involved world destruction), this second book could pick right up with the characters and plot and feel relatively grounded. Does it have middle book syndrome? Well, yes, but with great tension building and some effective emotional touch points, so as far as second books in trilogies go, I think this is a good example. It was bridging us from big introductions and revelations on toward what we can only assume will be a cataclysmic (but also maybe rectifying) finale while existing in a somewhat smaller/more contained setting for this one book.
I enjoyed the cleverness of the multiple perspectives in the first novel and the related revelation, but in retrospect I wonder whether it didn't distract, it put constraints on how Jemisin... I think it probably was worthwhile, but by comparison I found that this second book flowed more smoothly since it could now, more or less, have a more traditional structure. Jemisin still plays with tense throughout and it doesn't feel gimmicky (maybe some of the language [rusting rust-it] felt a tiny bit gimmicky), I think it all has value, particularly having the second-person narrative center on a powerful non-white female character. The first book may technically be more interesting/operate on another level, but somehow I found this second in the series to be more enjoyable - perhaps it was just getting settled into this world or the fact that the plot is less complex.
I am often critical of fantasy and science fiction for having really interesting premises without much of an emotional core or tropey characters, but Jemisin is trying to do it all and I think she's scoring points on basically every criteria - so, BRAVO!
Since the first book did so much of the heavy lifting in the world building department (though much of that involved world destruction), this second book could pick right up with the characters and plot and feel relatively grounded. Does it have middle book syndrome? Well, yes, but with great tension building and some effective emotional touch points, so as far as second books in trilogies go, I think this is a good example. It was bridging us from big introductions and revelations on toward what we can only assume will be a cataclysmic (but also maybe rectifying) finale while existing in a somewhat smaller/more contained setting for this one book.
I enjoyed the cleverness of the multiple perspectives in the first novel and the related revelation, but in retrospect I wonder whether it didn't distract, it put constraints on how Jemisin... I think it probably was worthwhile, but by comparison I found that this second book flowed more smoothly since it could now, more or less, have a more traditional structure. Jemisin still plays with tense throughout and it doesn't feel gimmicky (maybe some of the language [rusting rust-it] felt a tiny bit gimmicky), I think it all has value, particularly having the second-person narrative center on a powerful non-white female character. The first book may technically be more interesting/operate on another level, but somehow I found this second in the series to be more enjoyable - perhaps it was just getting settled into this world or the fact that the plot is less complex.
I am often critical of fantasy and science fiction for having really interesting premises without much of an emotional core or tropey characters, but Jemisin is trying to do it all and I think she's scoring points on basically every criteria - so, BRAVO!