ericageorge91's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
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
4.5
“To those who have no choice but to prepare their children for the battlefield.”
This book was a study in generational trauma and I was here for every second of it. After all of the world building of the first book in a series, I love being able to hit the ground running in a sequel 😌
***SPOILERS***
Spoiler
As heartbreaking as it was, I loved getting Nassun’s perspective. We knew that Essun was fucked up. After everything she’d been through, how could she not be? But to see how the trauma aftershocks hit her daughter was 🥲 And to think that Essun isn’t alone in this. There are too many parents who think that preparing their kids for the ugliness of the world is doing them a kindness when they’re really becoming their kids’ first enemy. WHEW!Spoiler
Schaffa 😐 I don’t know how I feel about him. Is this supposed to be a redemption arc? Because I’m not biting. He got the teeniest sliver of sympathy from me for the fact that Guardian creation also seems pretty brutal and that’s all I can afford.TW: Child death, child abuse, grief, death, murder, sexual content (brief), cannibalism, war, toxic relationship
Rep: BIPOC characters, gay side character, bi/pan characters, trans minor character, polyamory (references)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, Child abuse, Child death, Murder, and War
Moderate: Cannibalism and Toxic relationship
gandalf_a's review
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: Confinement, Genocide, Murder, Toxic relationship, Violence, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Child death, Terminal illness, and Medical content
Minor: Animal death, Alcohol, Blood, Cannibalism, War, Alcoholism, Body horror, and Sexual content
sproutedpages's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Violence, Murder, Death, Blood, Racial slurs, Child abuse, and Racism
Moderate: Child death and Grief
Minor: Cannibalism
Use of fictional, in-world racial slurs.hellsjerome's review against another edition
dark
emotional
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
4.0
An enjoyable follow-up! I liked it a bit less than the first. In hindsight, it’s almost all build-up, but it definitely didn’t feel like it as I was reading and I’m incredibly excited for the last book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse and Child death
mrsjodihunter's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-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
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Child abuse and Emotional abuse
Minor: Cursing
takarakei's review against another edition
adventurous
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
Wowowowowwowowowwwwww! Truly masterful fantasy writing. I am in awe of Jemisin's mind. This is technically a reread, but I honestly remembered even less than the first book which I reread last month. Now going into the third book which I've never read I cannot imagine how this is going to end, but I can't wait!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Violence, and Child abuse
Moderate: Grief, Death, and Cannibalism
leguinstan's review against another edition
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!!
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: Death of parent, Child death, Violence, and Gore
Moderate: Genocide, Body horror, Racism, Child abuse, 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. Cannibalismthe_bees_books's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
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
4.0
Loved the second book in this series, even if it did have a little book two syndrome, cannot wait to see where book three takes me to!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Terminal illness, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Child death, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Xenophobia, Bullying, Death, Physical abuse, Violence, War, and Body horror
onthesamepage's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Fools. That’s what you get for pissing off my rogga.
Reading this series reminds me of all the things I love about epic fantasy. The complexity, the constant confusion as you learn new things about the world and the characters that completely change your perception of what is going on, the feeling that the characters have massive impact on their world, and that their choices may save it or break it. This is why I once loved reading series like The Wheel of Time. Jemisin manages all of this with truly stunning writing, a diverse cast of characters that make me feel all sorts of things for them even when they do terrible things, horrors that are written into the story in such a way that it feels almost accidental, except she doesn't waste a word and is definitely highlighting the kind of themes I love to read about. And it's only 3 books long. I'm honestly in awe.
Even as the characters are grappling with a new season and all that entails, there is a lot of room for Jemisin to showcase humanity, the good and the bad. One of the things that I thought she really highlighted well are cycles of abuse. Essun was abused by her guardian Schaffa, and by the Fulcrum, and she passed that on to Nassun. It was interesting to see how both Schaffa and Essun now regret the choices they made and the harm they did, and how Nassun, even though she understands that her mother is the way she is because of the Fulcrum and Guardians like Schaffa, somehow doesn't blame Schaffa for Essun's abuse (and in fact loves him like a father), but blames her mother for the way her father turned out.
As with the first book, there are so many mysterious hints dropped in the narrative. Some of those do get explained, but for the rest I only have a lot of wild theories as to what is going on. That is part of the fun for me, and I trust Jemisin to deliver a cohesive whole that will explain everything by the end.
This is an experience unlike any other, and I completely understand why each book won the Hugo award.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse
Moderate: Death
Minor: Cannibalism
thewileyseven's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
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: Murder, Child abuse, Death, and Racism