Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin

17 reviews

shingekiyes's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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? It's complicated

4.0

this book was SO SLOW but it really expanded on the incredible world established in The Fifth Season. the magic, the science, was all extremely fascinating and i was continually perplexed and in awe of this universe. 

i had to stop reading about 1/3rd through because of a few of the trigger warnings i list below, but i am very glad i kept going. 

NK Jemisin has such a unique way with words and her characters are all so tangible and emotive. Essun and Alabaster ripped my heart out time and time again, and i empathized with Nassun on so many unexpected  levels. i cannot wait to read the (what i have heard will be) thrilling conclusion to the trilogy. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Slavery, Medical content, Cannibalism, Murder, and War

Minor: Sexual content

mgewald's review

adventurous challenging dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Violence, and Kidnapping

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Gaslighting, and Abandonment

ailsaod's review

adventurous challenging dark 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

I read this on a deadline so whenever something messed up happened I just had to shrug and keep going. This book didn't leave as much of an impression on me as book 1 (it had a tough act to follow) but my overall impression is that this book is like someone pulling a rug from under your feet and this causing you to fall down a flight of stairs. Do I know what is going on? No. There were all sorts of factions coming out the woodwork (stonework?) and I have no idea who I'm supposed to be rooting for. Also what on earth is up with Nassun? After spending the whole of book 1 trying to get to her you have this idea of what she is going to be like and having chapters from her pov did not meet those expectations in the slightest! I found her point of view a bit frustrating because I found myself wanting to shake her as she

embarked gleefully on her villain arc!

While I would say this book is less of a shocking experience than book 1 it did almost have me in tears while in the canteen at work on my lunch break (with other people around!!) so there is that. I am a bit mad that it affected me so much as the scene I am vagueing about was not unexpected at all. And then just to put the icing on the cake we had the mess that was the ending with the bugs.It'll probably be a little while until I read book 3 as I need to recover. My expectation from what happened in this book is that is will either be absolutely fantastic and be the best ending I've ever seen or it will bet bogged down by its own intricacies and I won't understand a word. It could really go either way!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Gore

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Genocide and Cannibalism

If you like reading about a man getting boiled from the inside out than this is the book for you! :( Also warning for euthanasia/mercy killing.

vasha's review against another edition

adventurous challenging 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

This installment wasn't quite up to the strengths of the previous volume. It still had lots of great writing but some passages weren't as good (and the device of second-person narration got odd at points). Good interweaving of themes but got baggy toward the end. Another commenter said Nassun often seemed to be "10 going on 30" and I can agree with that. I like the way the series as a whole is shaping up, though.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Slavery

Minor: Excrement, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

laurenleigh's review

adventurous challenging emotional mysterious slow-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

The second installment in this trilogy has solidified my opinion that Jemisin is one of the greatest writers of her generation. Her style is so unique and unlike anything else I’ve ever read. This series is certainly dense (I don’t recommend audio versions even though Robin Miles is amazing), but I like a more challenging read once in awhile. It forces me to stay more present so I can attempt to fully grasp Jemisin’s genius. I can’t even begin to understand how she came up with this fantasy world! I loved the expansion of that world in this second book. The exploration of Essun and Nassun’s relationship was particularly interesting. If protecting someone you love involves sometimes hurting that same person, is it still protection? I hope we get more of Nassun in the third book!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship and Violence

Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Violence, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Death of parent

Minor: Pregnancy

fiveredhens's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Grief

Moderate: Terminal illness

Minor: Torture

angelbabe_cj's review

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, and Terminal illness

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Genocide, Toxic relationship, and Medical content

Minor: Sexual content