And I believe with my whole heart that every other author out there should aspire to seamlessly create their cast of characters like N.K. The representation is just on an entirely differently level. Plus, I read this with so many tears in my eyes constantly, because even though this earth is trying to kill everyone that inhabits it, it is still the humans that are the terrifying villains.Īlso, this is the most beautifully crafted diverse cast I’ve ever read in any piece of literature. You end up with this experience that just feels so real and so emotionally overwhelming. You can’t help all the connections you will feel and form subconsciously. The narrative of this book just forcefully will pull the reader into this broken world, regardless of if they want to or not.

This is one of the most immersive books I’ve ever read. Essun is also met with new problems and dilemmas that are so much bigger than the community she is residing in. She meets up with old friends who are now also a part of this community, but her thoughts never stray from her daughter that has been missing since the start of The Fifth Season. This book mostly follows Essun, one of the most powerful Orogene in existence, where she is trying to live in a new community in a rather strange location. What doesn’t kill them quickly, will starve them to death slowly. The Obelisk Gate picks up where The Fifth Season left off, where earth’s civilization is beginning to prepare for a new Season. This series is a masterpiece and I hope you read it, but I also hope you learn from it. It shows us the oppression unapologetically, and this oppression doesn’t just live in this SFF book, it’s in our world right now, even if you’re choosing to keep your eyes closed to it. The Broken Earth trilogy makes us feel the things it does because it mimics our world today. “But if you stay, no part of this comm gets to decide that any part of this comm is expendable. The country that’s passing this hatred and violence off as “free speech”. The country that is constantly telling us that we are the greatest and most forward-thinking country of all time. The country that says we are past racism. I also finished this book the same night that white supremacists rallied at Charlottesville and spread their hate in my country. Jemisin for this world, these characters, and these important messages that continue to render me speechless. These books leave me wordless, because there is no explaining how much of a meaningful impact these books have on the world, let alone the SFF community. This and The Fifth Season are so deserving of the awards and praise they receive.

I finished this book just after it won its Hugo award for the best novel of 2017.

The obelisk gate series