The Obelisk Gate by NK Jemisin, Book #2 of the Broken Earth trilogy
Introduction
The Obelisk Gate by NK Jemisin follows three different narratives. It’s set on a continent called the Stillness. It’s a post-apocalyptic world or possibly a second-world fantasy land. Essun rests in a safe underground city. Alabaster asks her to summon an obelisk. She plans to continue to search for her kidnapped daughter after she satisfies Alabaster. Nassun is Essun’s daughter. Her chapters describe what happens to her after her father kidnaps her and takes her south. She has the potential for great orogene power and she might end up going against Essun’s purpose. Guardian Schaffa comes out of the battle at Meov with lost memories and purpose. He senses someone who reminds him of his former charge, Damaya. He goes to her, searching for his lost purpose. These three tales intersect and come to a dramatic conclusion which continues in the concluding novel of the trilogy, The Stone Sky.
Summary
The novel follows the stories of Essun, Nassun, and Schaffa. Each chapter has a different viewpoint and the viewpoints intersect eventually. Four Interludes provide important information from characters other than the three main viewpoint characters.
Essun’s story is told in the second person. At the beginning of the first novel, Essun finds out her husband Jija has killed her son and taken her daughter to the South. Essun is an Orogene, someone who can manipulate the energy of the earth to perform magical like acts. In the first novel, she traveled to an underground comm with the help of the mysterious Hoa and Tonkee, a woman without a community. Essun rests in this safe comm named Castrima. Her mentor and former lover Alabaster asks her to summon an obelisk. She plans to continue to search for her kidnapped daughter after she satisfies Alabaster’s request. But first, she must protect Castrima from the people who want its resources since resources are scarce during a Season.
Nassun is Essun’s daughter. Her first chapters describe what happens to her after her father kidnaps her and takes her south. Jija had killed her brother since he was an Orogene. But he didn’t kill Nassun when she exhibited signs of being an Orogene as well. In the South, she might find her destiny. She has the potential for great Orogene power and she might end up going against Essun’s purpose.
Summary Part 2
Guardian Schaffa was hurt at the battle at Meov at the end of the previous novel. He starts this novel with lost memories and purpose. The role of the Guardians is as protectors and controllers of the Orogenes. He senses someone who reminds him of his former charge, Damaya. He travels South to find her, searching for his lost purpose.
The three stories are tied together, and the stage is set for the concluding novel of the trilogy.
Recommendation
The Obelisk Gate by NK Jemisin is a challenging novel to read, but it is a great novel. The author expands on themes from the first novel and reveals mysteries. Essun’s chapters are all in the second person and past tense. A narrator, who the author revealed in the first novel, talks to her. Usually, the second-person point of view is difficult to read, but it is easier to read in this novel because it is more familiar, since the author used it in the first novel for Essun’s chapters. Nassun’s and Schaffa’s chapters are in the third person and present tense. I’m looking forward to reading the third novel later this year.
Links
This is the link to the Goodreads page of Obelisk Gate by NK Jemisin
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26228034-the-obelisk-gate
The Fifth Season by NK Jemisin is Book #1 of the Broken Earth trilogy
In The Fifth Season by NK Jemisin, Essun, Damaya, and Syenite, all face hard choices in the Broken Earth of the Stillness. Will they survive?