My first impressions (Writing down my first impressions of the book. NOT an in-depth review)
RANK: Super Sensational

Another fantastic book. Book 2 is setting up to have great ending to the trilogy. This is the 2nd book so I’ll be talking about the spoilers in a tag below.
The reason for the fifth season is because of the moon. The moon has not been seen for thousands of years. If Essun can bring the moon back to orbit, then the fifth season will end. This idea of the moon playing a bigger part is interesting. In book 1, we were told that humans did something to Father Earth. Now we know what they did. On top of that, we learn that Orogeny is just magic. Which explains some of the things the Orogenes can do and how Castrima works. This is seen as Sliver Energy. I like how the magic system is evolving as the story goes on. One of my favorite things is when characters discover something new about the magic system. It keeps things fresh and engaging. I hope that this discover didn’t lead Essun and Nassun becoming op and solving problems with ease. The addition of the boiling bugs is just cool. Bugs that get in your skin and use boiling water to kill you. That’s terrifying. The characters were still alright. 2nd person is back and I still don’t like. I hope that in book 3 it explains why are we in Essun head.
Overall, A great 2nd book that didn’t disappoint me at all. I hope to read the last book in the first quarter of the year.

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This second book in the Broken Earth trilogy adds more depth to the world and the story, more layers to the main characters, and (some) more explanations to the plot as a whole. But, just as Essun and Nassun struggle to understand and assimilate all they are learning and experiencing, the reader also has to piece together the clues and revelations in an effort to understand the bigger picture.

Anxious to see how Jemisin brings this all together in the final volume. ( )

[draft - early notes] The beginning is confusing. I do not think someone who hasn't read the first book would be able to follow. I do appreciate the limited references to the past; that this book does not try to summarize and / or repeat the first book in this book. This book starts with backstories for the beginning and end of the first book. Seems strange, and I'll see where it goes.
— Rebecca

I don't know. I just really don't know how to feel about this book and series. On the one hand, some of the world building and setting is absolutely fantastic. The whole idea of manipulating earth and stone, having guardians to control the orogenes, stoneaters that are outside of their control as well, normal people that are afraid of everyone that isn't "human"....it's all really cool. And the idea that the moon isn't there is causing all of the seasons is pretty cool too.

But I just don't know if I like the actual story. I mean, this book spent all of the time (except for another POV character that is introduced) in one place with Essun basically crying about how she can't control the obelisks and trying to make this comm really nice while conveniently forgetting (oops!) that the world is coming to an end. It just went nowhere in the worst possible way with no discernible tension created until the end of the story where everything came together over about 15 pages.

In fact, I would argue that the absolute best part of this novel is following Nassun and her father. This is heartbreaking and very interesting. The parallels to her mother are pretty neat and her character development was much better. Although, I think it's pretty obvious where this is all going and I wish it didn't feel so one-dimensional, but whatever.

Overall, I enjoyed it but I left feeling the same way I did about the first book. Meh. Surprised that it won the Hugo Award, the second she has taken for this series (in a row--quite an accomplishment). I just don't see it.

I'll definitely be reading the last novel because I've already come this far and it's a good yarn with great world building. I hope that it delivers and doesn't fall into the trap of trilogies where the last book is complete and utter garbage. ( )

What an absolute rollercoaster of a story. I didn't want to put this book down, it was so good. The development of the storyline was jaw-dropping. I was excited to get Alabaster back! But then I fucking lost him, which is bullshit. I also cried at this book I think twice. I'm so excited for the characters that love and now they develop over the course of the book. I'm excited and scared for the last book. ( )

I’m normally a very fast reader. But with this book, I had to slow down. One, the book requires attention and care. It is intricate. There are multiple narrators and character arcs to follow. And two, the story is dark. It’s not the kind of thing that can be easily consumed. It’s violent and frightening in a way that both captured my attention and also made me want to keep the book at arm’s length, if only to protect myself from some of the hurt. I loved reading it, and also kind of hated it, for pushing me, stretching me, making me think and feel and be afraid ( )

I really enjoyed learning more about Schaffa and the other characters--and by extension, saw more of the world explained and explored. ( )

Really great sequel. The character development is really there, but it's just really hard to get all the pieces to fit together at times. There's always a ton of information getting thrown in and I lose a lot of detail.

Still, enjoyed it thoroughly and can't wait to read book 3! ( )

Much like the first in the trilogy, [b:The Fifth Season|19161852|The Fifth Season (The Broken Earth, #1)|N.K. Jemisin|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1386803701s/19161852.jpg|26115977], I found ‘The Obselisk Gate’ clever, interesting, and well plotted, but a real downer. The point is to be grim and dark, I suppose. That’s not really my preferred form of fantasy, though, unless leavened with some dark humour. Jemisin has crafted a fascinating world of survivalists and magic-phobes, in which technology from the distant past has cursed the present. I think this instalment was more depressing than the first because, a) the reader knows what the main character Essun has already been through, b) the other point of view character is a ten year old girl. Both suffer peril, torture, and loss of loved ones, while around them the world falls apart. Indeed, most characters experience physical and emotional pain most of the time. Despite this, the narrative is extremely compelling and I read the whole thing in an evening. Jemisin depicts the fragmentation of civilisation and environmental collapse in a carefully thought out fashion. The treatment of those with magical abilities is a striking and sadly convincing portrait of intolerance in general, and racism in particular. The reader learns more about magic and its uses, which are vivid, weird, and intriguing. Plenty of mystery, peril, and potential for emotional pain remain as the book ends, naturally.

Middle books in trilogies can be difficult and this one certainly kept up the quality and pace of the first. Once again, I got used to the second person narrative voice quickly and the obelisks kept reminding me of Steven Universe. Of course I want to read the final book, although I very much doubt it will be any less grim. Quite a striking contrast with [b:The Magicians|6101718|The Magicians (The Magicians #1)|Lev Grossman|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1313772941s/6101718.jpg|6278977] trilogy, the other fantasy series I’ve been reading recently. ( )

All in all, this book was a continuation of all the good parts of the former and a bit of the bad ones too, but those are quite negligible. To start, the prose in second person is still weeeeird and a huge risk. If done by a writer less talented than Jemisin, this wouldn't work out nearly as well. But in this case it doesn't bother me much.

The characters are, once again, one of the strongest suits of the books. Most of them were pretty awesome and interesting enough that whenever they were in a scene, I wanted to see what else they would do. Essun keeps playing her part very well: a tough and obstinate mother that wants to find her kid in a world that's ending. Nassun is a bit less likeable, but understandable nonetheless. Just a kid in an awful, dangerous world that's clinging to any sort of meaning she can find. Alabaster is back and he's still incredibly fun and charismatic, even in his less than optimal state.

The fact that Essun's story for this book was mostly exposition, training and smaller conflict was interesting and didn't bother me much. I'm not sure if Alabaster being "turned" into a stone eater will have lasting impact in the next entry, but I sure hope so. Hoa is still cool, even if a bit weird. As I mentioned before, Nassun felt kinda tiresome. I could see where she was coming from, but she still feels waaaay more messed up than her mother. Now she's on the side of a literal world ending-threat just to purge the world of the evilness of human life. So yeah, not a fan. I think she'll be something akin to the main villlain of the next book.

All in all, this was a really good entry in a really good series. Almost makes me sad that there's only one more book in the series, but I'm also hyped to see the developments the third entry holds for me. ( )

After really liking The Fifth Season, I found this one disappointing. A bad case of middle book syndrome. The virtues of The Fifth Season are hidden here and its flaws are magnified. In book 1, I really enjoyed the worldbuilding, the plot and the ideas introduced. It felt fresh and exciting. This one adds very little, and we basically spend the whole book accompanying the characters without the overall plot advancing. The characters are rather unlikable, too, committing mass murder for no clear reason. Yes, they have the excuse that the bleak setting shaped them that way, but still, it's not pleasant to spend so much time with them if, unlike in the first book, there's going to be little payoff.

We have Schaffa, who is turned into an even worse monster than he already was, except that for no visible reason he suddenly loves Nassun. Seriously, why? What makes Nassun different than the countless children he has already tortured and murdered? Particularly when he is more than ever under the grip of the entity that controls him. We have Alabaster, whose way to deal with his problems is destroying the world, murdering countless people, and who for some reason is incapable of telling Essun what he wants of her, because if he had then there would be no reason for this book to exist. We have Essun, equally prone to genocide, whose chapters are still narrated in that second person voice that has definitely overstayed its welcome (that's more than half the book, now that there are only two point-of-view characters). Then we have the stone eaters, as murderous as everyone else, going around mysteriously without telling anyone what they want. This makes more sense, since they are so weird, but it gets frustrating to read for so long without any clue of the characters' motivations.

I suppose I'll read book three, hoping it's more like The Fifth Season than like The Obelisk Gate, but whatever is going to happen in that book, it should have happened here and make this a doulogy instead of a trilogy. ( )

Can I give this 10 stars? Jemisin is a freaking writing god. If anything, this was better than the 1st book. I rate this series alongside the Stormlight Archive and have no doubts that I'll be reading and rereading them both many, many times.

I also recommend the audio version. Robin Miles is a superb narrator. ( )

As the Stillness continues its rollercoaster descent into chaos, N.K. Jemisin's "The Obelisk Gate" unfolds a story that's as gripping as a cat trying to hold onto a particularly slippery fish. In this sequel, Essun's quest for her missing daughter takes center stage, with a side of Alabaster Tenring, destroyer of worlds, dropping in like a bombshell. Hold on to your orogeny gloves; it's about to get frosty!


Pros:
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When I'm not reading this story, I wish that I was.

It's confusing and fascinating and I can't wait to see what happens next. Starting book 3 shortly.... ( )

Good enough for me to immediately move on to the third book in the series. ( )

This second book in the trilogy is even better than the first -- no second book slump here. The stakes are higher and the action just as intense. I'll be reading the third book as soon as I can get my hands on it. ( )

Interestingly, this was a much better book than The Fifth Season (imho), unusual for a second book in a trilogy. The plot was tighter, quite a few questions were answered (and quite a few saved for book 3...), and there was a nice twist with POV's.

I was very impressed with the world-building, this was one of the reasons I couldn't put the book down. It would be nice to have lunch with the author sometime and try to imagine strange worlds together.

So, why not 5 stars?

- just like the first book, this one sometimes suffers from poor characterisation.
- Jija is not believable. At all.
- Nassun is the ONLY really interesting character in this book, somebody who grows and develops. Her loss of innocence is heartbreaking and believable. This also means that I did not much care about anybody else.
- I am not sure certain narrative choices were necessary. It felt like things that happened to the characters/the characters did were there simply to hammer the author's point home. Cringe. (So, I'm a sucker for subtlety. Well...)

Summing it up: a great, yet flawed book. And, yes, I'll be reading book 3. Soon! ( )

The Obelisk Gate is the sequel to the excellent The Fifth Season and the middle volume of the Broken Earth trilogy, N.K. Jemisin's critically-acclaimed take on the venerable Dying Earth subgenre. The Fifth Season was a highly accomplished novel, describing a brand new world with skill and intelligence and blending together elements of fantasy, post-apocalyptic fiction and a dash of the weird to create something compelling and interesting.

Transitioning from where The Fifth Season left off, The Obelisk Gate is a stunning sequel. The non-linear plot of two past timelines and a present one converged towards the end of the first book, and The Obelisk Gate takes the story forward almost immediately with the second person present POV of Essun. There are two new third-person POVs. One is a character from the first book, Schaffa, and another which was only mentioned but not seen, Nassun, Essun’s daughter, who ran away with her father after he beat to death her brother.

The Obelisk Gate mainly moves between Essun's story and that of her daughter’s Nassun. The first book was an extended road trip - mainly through the eyes of Essun, the second book alternates between Essun's static story in a local comm and Nassun's long journey across thousands of miles into the far south with her abusive father, who desires to cure her “orgeny”. This changes things up nicely and means that Essun, now a guest of the community of Castrima, has to actually stay put, learn what's going on from Alabaster and help defend the community from outsiders that would steal their supplies, even while she fears prejudice and hatred from members of her own comm.

The worldbuilding deepens in this installment, with fresh revelations about the distant past and the true and alarming nature of the enigmatic stone eaters. But as in the previous volume, it’s the people who take front and center: Nassun and Essun are fascinating characters. And Jemisin’s depictions of mob behavior are frighteningly realistic.

This rightfully deserved the Hugo award. The Obelisk Gate is a powerful middle volume.

Put this series next to Lord of The Rings for best Fantasy.
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You just need to know that this is a superb book and an amazing sequel. ( )

It's rare: finding a second book in a trilogy that does half as much as the first. The Obelisk Gate does that and half more. It was such a pleasure to sink even deeper into Jemisin's world-building, and the depth of character she gives us is unparalleled, in cases, literally depth of character.

Still reeling at the newness of this trilogy. Absolutely read it! ( )

SO GOOOD ( )

It's been a few years since I read The Fifth Season so I had to read an online summary to refresh my memory. I was worried I wouldn't appreciate The Obelisk Gate as much because of the time between the two it took me, but I still ended up really enjoying this. Jemisin clearly has a great talent for world building, and I thin she chose the right elements to focus on in this volume versus what was already covered. I think the one area that's lacking is a clear understanding of what certain characters' goals and motivations are, but that almost felt intentional. However it didn't come across mysterious so much as just confusing. I think I'll probably jump right into The Stone Sky after this so I don't have to end up rereading another summary to catch myself back up. ( )

It's been a few years since I read The Fifth Season so I had to read an online summary to refresh my memory. I was worried I wouldn't appreciate The Obelisk Gate as much because of the time between the two it took me, but I still ended up really enjoying this. Jemisin clearly has a great talent for world building, and I thin she chose the right elements to focus on in this volume versus what was already covered. I think the one area that's lacking is a clear understanding of what certain characters' goals and motivations are, but that almost felt intentional. However it didn't come across mysterious so much as just confusing. I think I'll probably jump right into The Stone Sky after this so I don't have to end up rereading another summary to catch myself back up. ( )

Wow. NK Jemisin is a force. Every bit as good as the Fifth Season, Jemisin has basically turned the genre on its head to produce something truly original, but with all of the nostalgic resonance deserving of an epic fantasy trilogy.

Keeping a brisk pace in this second book, with tons of plot reveals and twists Nassun taken in by Schaffa! and character development (including a deepening of the relationship between Alabaster and Essun, which may be my favorite relationship in a modern book.) The characters are rich, nuanced, broken (so broken) and really relatable. There's an intimacy to the story, which mostly takes place within the confines of Castrima in this middle book, despite having world-altering consequences.

I think one of the places where Obelisk Gate really shines is exploring the metaphysics of orogeny and depicting how it's much broader than Essun (and we!) have been given to believe from the Fulcrum. I was also really drawn in by Schaffa's story and the deepening of our understanding of Guardians in general.

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As much as I appreciated Book 1 in the series, I'm not sure I could say I enjoyed it--it was compulsive reading and a fascinating story, but I felt detached enough from the characters that I never quite crossed that territory into really enjoying the read. With this book, I did. For some reason, even though it took me some time to get back into the story, the characters felt closer in this second book, and it felt like I had more room to fully understand their decisions--even going back into the first book's actions. There were still times where I felt like the world-building overtook the story-telling, and times where I felt like the book was a bit over-burdened with terminology and world-building, but all told, I really enjoyed it and I'm looking forward to the third book in the series. ( )