The Obelisk Gate is the second part of N. K. Jemisin‘s Broken Earth trilogy, and it’s brilliant. It continues the heavy character building we got in the first volume. Some characters grow, some change a lot, some change just in our eyes by virtue of being seen through different eyes, for example, our protagonist, Essun, is very different when seen by her daughter. Seeing the kid grow into her own character arc was beautifully done.
All story lines are fascinating, and the pacing is fast and bound to leave you breathless. I appreciated a lot how the book wasn’t coddling its readers: You’re expected to keep up, think along, and remember the past. I read it in about a day or so, and I really really really want to know how the story ends – since, of course, this book ends as much with a bang! as the first one.
