Books › The Obelisk Gate
Hugo Award for Best Novel 2017
The Obelisk Gate
512 pages
A heavy, awe-inspiring descent into the mechanics of a broken world and the fractured family destined to either save or shatter it.
What it feels like
Reading this middle chapter of the trilogy feels like standing at the epicenter of a slow-motion earthquake. The narrative settles into a steady, deliberate rhythm, trading the frantic survival of its predecessor for a deep, claustrophobic exploration of power, trauma, and systemic rot. The signature second-person prose remains as sharp as obsidian, pulling you intimately into the minds of a mother and daughter separated by a dying continent but united by their world-breaking abilities. The atmosphere is heavy with volcanic ash and unspoken grief, yet shot through with moments of staggering, terrible wonder. It is a demanding, emotionally resonant experience perfect for readers who want their epic fantasy to be unflinching, politically astute, and fiercely, painfully human.
- Mood
- oppressive
- tense
- melancholic
- awe-inspiring
- Tone
- unflinching
- intimate
- authoritative
- urgent
- Pace
- steady
- Themes
- generational trauma · mother-daughter estrangement · systemic oppression · the burden of power · survival and sacrifice
- The writing
- Distinctive and immersive, utilizing a visceral second-person perspective alongside sharp, geological metaphors.
- The arc
- Moves from a desperate search for stability into a harrowing realization of the immense, world-breaking sacrifices required for true change.
- Who it's for
- Readers who crave complex, boundary-pushing fantasy that tackles heavy systemic issues through deeply flawed, powerful characters.
Content notes
- child endangerment
- systemic abuse
- graphic violence
- trauma
- apocalyptic themes
About the book
""Intricate and extraordinary."--New York Times on The Fifth Season (A New York Times Notable Book of 2015) The second novel in a new fantasy trilogy by Hugo, Nebula & World Fantasy Award nominated author N.K. Jemisin. THIS IS THE WAY THE WORLD ENDS... FOR THE LAST TIME. The season of endings grows darker, as civilization fades into the long cold night. Essun -- once Damaya, once Syenite, now avenger -- has found shelter, but not her daughter. Instead there is Alabaster Tenring, destroyer of the world, with a request. But if Essun does what he asks, it would seal the fate of the Stillness forever. Far away, her daughter Nassun is growing in power - and her choices will break the world. For more from N.K. Jemisin, check out: The Inheritance Trilogy The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms The Broken Kingdoms The Kingdom of Gods The Inheritance Trilogy (omnibus edition) Shades in Shadow: An Inheritance Triptych (e-only short fiction) The Awakened Kingdom (e-only novella) Dreamblood Duology The Killing Moon The Shadowed Sun The Broken Earth The Fifth SeasonThe Obelisk Gate"--
"Essun--once Damaya, once Syenite, now avenger--has found shelter, but not her daughter. Instead there is Alabaster Tenring, destroyer of the world, with a request. But if Essun does what he asks, it would seal the fate of the Stillness forever. Far away, her daughter Nassun is growing in power--and her choices will break the world"--
Description from Open Library.
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