The Obelisk Gate

Exquisite.

[b:Fifth Season|19161852|The Fifth Season (The Broken Earth, #1)|N.K. Jemisin|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1386803701s/19161852.jpg|26115977] was epic; Obelisk Gate grows it into capital-S Saga. Complex characters, tensions within and between whom parallel the seismic ones in Jemisin’s tortured Earth and with similar cataclysmic results when faults shift. Factions whose goals you’re never quite sure you understand or trust. Imperfect people acting on incomplete knowledge, doing what they think is best—but best for whom? And what if malevolent agents are manipulating those well-intentioned people, abusing trust for their own ends? (Any similarities to post-2016 USA are purely coincidental.) (Or are they?)

There’s a whole lotta killin’ here too, as in the first one. And prejudice, crippling and so destructive. Also kindnesses, small and large, sometimes more meaningful than intended. Complicated and inconsistent love, often reluctant or baffling (then again, love is like that). Difficult circumstances bringing out the best and worst in people, sometimes all at once. A child pitted against her parents. The fate of the Earth is at stake, and that of humanity… but just what constitutes being human anyway? What if humans with attribute A consider those with attribute B less than human? (I’m no longer sure if I‘m talking about the book or our own world).

This is a series to mull over and contemplate and discuss. I could see forming a book club over it.

Winner of the 2017 Hugo Award and second in the trilogy. I didn't think this book was quite as interesting as the first, but then, it's hard for a second book to live up to the first since it doesn't have that "everything's new" element of surprise. Still, there were a few new things introduced or elaborated on; we learned more about the Guardians, and a lot more about the other intelligent species present on this world beside humans, the Stone Eaters.

Like the first book, this one alternates between viewpoints of different characters. This time our three main storytellers are Essun, from the first book; Nassun, her daughter; and one of the Stone Eaters (though only a small amount from him). The book is basically a search journey, following Essun until she settles in Castrima; and Nassun, following her separate journey and eventual settling into a new home also. There is a lot more detail about the world, its history and legends, its magic systems, and how life on it is affected by the Seasons of hostile climate. We also learn what it is that "angered Father earth" and caused the seasons of cataclysms to start in the first place. I'm a little less enamoured of the ancient-races-built-technological-marvels thing with the obelisks since the seem a little deus-ex-machina to me, but I'm willing to see where this goes in the third and final book of the trilogy before passing judgement.

Again I found the characters and world very interesting and detailed, but found the actual writing a little hard to get into, and I still can't put my finger on why. This isn't a book to be read quickly or with impatience, but it probably is a book I could reread multiple times and continue to get new things out of it each time. I am looking forward to picking up the concluding book and seeing how it all finally ties together and concludes.

It's hard not to continue to come up with geological metaphors for this book. It's dense, striated, complicated, a few pockets that formed that needed shoring up, but overall a great cross section that continues to evolve.

For some reason, I didn't finish writing this before I switched books--so I've got more of a genuflection than a good reflection from the moment the cover closes.

The passions seemed a bit more equalized in this book. No forced hooks or relationships that left you wondering for their inclusion. Once again we are exposed to something more..grand in scale, sometimes we learn a few flights down but we really don't grok the wholeness. Orogenes and their "Magic", Guardians, broken Guardians, Stoneaters--maybe the making of?, Then you've got this great setup for a showdown between families that is sure to be epic. I'm curious if we'll ever know more of the past besides the shadows on the wall and the forgotten architecture as debris. I hope we continue to see it and maybe understand it.

Otherwise, we have the unraveling of the world and psychologies. Perhaps a way to break the cycle or to just damn it all. It's been a treat and I look forward to the final piece.

Engrossing and a fantastic page turner, but had some short comings as the middle book in the trilogy. The Obelisk Gate suffers because The Fifth Season was so good and any faults of this story are only visible when you compare it to the book that preceded it.

Narration that worked in the first story felt repetitive here and lacking a genuine hook. The first instalment covered so much time and story that it was hard to top, and that could be why the pace felt a little slow here. All of those nitpicks aside, The Obelisk Gate expanded the scope of this series and revealed there is a lot of history and depth at play here.

The introduction of Nassun was great and she helped continue to build on an already fascinating world. Her story helped carry the weight as Essun's story in Castrima was a little slow...but then it picked up and was almost moving too fast to follow along with what was happening.

Orogeny as a system of magic is so unique and interesting to read about that I'm glad there are more tricks to it than just causing tremors. Designating Orogeny as "magic" doesn't seem fair either which is a nice change too. However, when Orogeny connects to Obelisks's and the powers that arise is straight up magic and its fantastic.

I have really enjoyed that instead of heralding Orogenes as saviours they are treated as lower class because of their abilities and this delicately walks around sensitive race topics that you wouldn't expect from a story like this.

I'm glad I picked up this series but my only regret is that the finale is still nine months away and any momentum I've gained in the last few weeks will come to a grinding halt.