Reviews tagging 'Genocide'

The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin

32 reviews

chasinggrace's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious 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? No

5.0

God, Nassun’s hatred for her mother kills me. Also, RIP ALABASTER😭

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Genocide, Mental illness, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, War, and Classism

silversparkles50'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? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Genocide, Violence, Blood, Medical trauma, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail

witcheep'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

5.0

Kirjasarja jatkuu samalla monitasoisella tavalla kuin aiemminkin. Maailmanloppu on alkanut viidentenä vuodenaikana, ja päähenkilöt sekä lukija oppivat lisää sen taustoista ja mahdollisista yrityksistä vaikuttaa koko Tyynimaan kohtaloon. Jokainen on vaikeiden valintojen edessä jatkuvasti sekä oman että heille läheisten ihmisten turvaamiseksi: ketkä nähdään ihmisinä ja ketkä ovat toisia, vihollisia.

Tämä on vieläkin hän. Sinä et pääse eroon siitä tunteesta. Siksi sinä huokaiset ja päästät irti siitä osasta itseäsi, joka haluaa kohdella häntä jonakin toisena, jonakin pelottavana, jonakin vieraana.

Maailmanlopun taustalla on vuosisatoja tai -tuhansia kestänyt sota, jossa on lukuisia osapuolia. Loppujen lopulta kaikki tiivistyy siihen, ketkä ansaitsevat voimakkaimpien avainhenkilöiden – nyt tai kaiken alkupisteessä olleiden kansojen – rakkauden ja millaisiin hirmutekoihin he ovat valmiita rakkaidensa tähden.

Tähän samaan monimutkaisuuteen kytkeytyvät myös kirjan kerrontaratkaisut monissa eri persoonamuodoissa (minä, sinä ja hän). Vaihdokset persoonamuodoissa osoittavat kertojan ja eri henkilöiden välisten suhteiden syvyyttä. On paljastunut, että päähenkilö Essunista kertovissa luvuissa sinä-kertojan ääntä käyttää

kivensyöjä Hoa, joka sanoo rakastavansa Essunia

. Kertoja paljastaa itsestään lukijalle ja

puhuttelemalleen Essunille

lisää sitä mukaa, kun Essun kokee paljastuksia maailmasta, omista kyvyistään ja muista ihmisryhmistä. Samalla kertoja vaikuttaa kuitenkin pelkäävän, että kaikkien paljastusten myötä hänelle tärkein henkilö ei enää välttäisikään hänestä.

Minä haluan jatkaa tämän kertomista sinulle samaan tapaan kuin olen jo tehnyt: mielessäsi, omalla äänelläsi, kertoen, mitä tiedät ja ajattelet. Tuntuuko se sinusta tunkeilevalta? Minä tunnustan, että onhan se sitä. Itsekästä. Kun puhun vain omissa nimissäni, minun on vaikea tuntea olevani osa sinusta. Se on yksinäisempää. Minä pyydän, anna minun jatkaa vielä vähän aikaa.

Kertoja ei ole ainoa, joka säätelee omien tietojensa eteenpäin kertomista tai opettamista sen mukaan, kuinka paljon arvelee yleisönsä kykenevän käsittämään tai kuinka paljon jaettua tietoa kulloinenkin tilanne ehdottomasti vaatii.

Kerronnan kytkeytyminen kerrottavaan tarinaan näin moniulotteisella tavalla on kiinnostavaa! Kerrontaratkaisut tuntuvat enteilevän sitä, että juonessa on luvassa trilogian päätösosassa vielä lisää yllätyksiä.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Genocide, Violence, Medical content, Medical trauma, and War

Moderate: Confinement, Cursing, Death, Blood, Dementia, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Cannibalism, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Deportation

utopiaandmelancholy's review

adventurous emotional tense fast-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

This book was unstoppable, it had so much drive and momentum, and manages to really builds on the existing explanations of the world and its magic system as well.  Every chapter was compelling, I loved the relationships developing between the characters, the intensity of feeling, whatever the emotion. I read the second half in pretty much one sitting. Just fantastic writing. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Genocide, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Medical content, and War

Minor: Alcohol

evelasco's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-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: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Racism, Slavery, Terminal illness, Violence, Murder, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Ableism, Genocide, Suicidal thoughts, and Gaslighting

Minor: Cannibalism

gandalf_a's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad 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

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Genocide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Sexual content, Blood, Cannibalism, Alcohol, and War

brynalexa's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-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? No

4.5

I don’t have much to say about this as it has run together with the first which I think is a strength of the series. The completely intertwined storylines are smart and intricate and hold the story together perfectly. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Deadnaming, Genocide, Hate crime, Racism, Violence, Medical content, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and War

Minor: Alcoholism, Animal death, Confinement, and Alcohol

leguinstan's review

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

I am just amazed at how this series breathes new life into the epic fantasy genre AND the apocalyptic genre. The magic system is unlike anything I've read in other fantasy novels and the world-building is beautifully done *chef's kiss*. You really get a good sense of how the setting influences the behavior of individuals and the social mores of larger communities. I have a hard time picturing any of the characters existing in other fictional universes.

One of my biggest pet peeves in (post-)apocalyptic stories is the abundance of cartoonishly self-serving characters. I'm happy to say this is very much NOT the case in this series. While several character act in a self-serving manner I never got the sense that any of these characters were inherently selfish and each individual self-serving act is understandable considering the past experiences and current circumstances of these aforementioned characters.

I also love how there are not just two, but several groups in this novel with opposing goals and priorities. It's not just Essun and her allies vs. a singular group in direct opposition to her plans. I also really like that we got a better understanding of the stone eaters in this novel.

My only complaint about The Obelisk Gate in particular is that the pacing drags during the many discussions between Essun and Alabaster. Luckily the relationship and history between the two characters are absolutely fascinating and their discussions are very relevant to the plot. Regardless, a fantastic follow-up to The Fifth Season!!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Gore, Violence, and Death of parent

Moderate: Body horror, Child abuse, Genocide, Racism, and Cannibalism

Minor: Ableism and Sexual content

The racism is fantastical in nature and has very little to do with our real-world understanding of race. Ableism: so this is an apocalyptic setting and there is talk of physically disabled characters being a drain on resources and not contributing as much to the survival of their communities. Not a major theme in the novel, but it does come up several times. Cannibalism

zombiezami's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Gore, Physical abuse, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Deadnaming

leahb88's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, and Terminal illness

Moderate: Genocide, Grief, and Cannibalism

Minor: Alcohol