Review: The Obelisk Gate

The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Starting where The Fifth Season left off, N.K. Jemisin's The Obelisk Gate explores a society ready for a new Season where survival is a cruel game of endurance.

"What doesn't kill them quickly, will starve them to death slowly."

This is a sentence which captures the dangerous life the people lead. The narrative still centres Essun, one of the most potent orogenes, as she negotiates life in a strange new town while her heart remains anchored to her lost daughter.

Jemisin creates a narrative that is absolutely absorbing. Once more, the language drew me into this fractured universe with a power that seems unavoidable. The emotional weight of the narrative sometimes really got me. Though the planet itself is an unrelenting enemy, the really horrible villains are human actions and decisions. Combined with the frailty of life, the rawness of human feeling creates an experience that is not only real but also somewhat overwhelming.

The Obelisk Gate stands out mostly for its exquisitely written, varied cast. The story gains complexity and the world seems alive from the depth of the individuals and their backgrounds. Though I have no children, the way mother love is shown is sadly wonderful. With such moving clarity, the book catches the core of a mother's love as well as the grief of loss.

The only not so positive thing in this novel is that it occasionally drags its pace and seems to suffer from second book syndrome. Jemisin's slow unfolding of the story was much welcomed, since it raised the suspense and created expectation for the pivotal events that would await me. However, occasionally, especially while considering the fast-paced action of other fantasy books I have loved, I felt yearning for a faster development.

I recommend this book (and this trilogy) to all fantasy lovers. Jemisin is quite exceptional in her ability to combine emotional depth and sophisticated characters with rich world-building. I can't wait to read the third book set in this amazing world.

Content Warnings

Graphic - Child abuse, Violence, Child death

Moderate - Grief, Cannibalism, Death

Minor - Sexual content, War, Alcohol

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