The Obelisk Gate by N. K. Jemisin

Title: The Obelisk Gate

Author: N. K. Jemisin

Pages: 391

Finished: March 17, 2021

First Sentence: Hm. No. I'm telling this wrong.

Summary: As Essun struggles to fit in at Castrima, the Comm is threatened by an Equatorial Comm that wants nothing to do with orogenes or roggas. Meanwhile, her daughter Nassun finds shelter in Found Moon with Schaffa, the corrupted Guardian.

Thoughts: The dedication in this one is "To those who have no choice but to prepare their children for the battlefield."

This book picks up almost entirely where the first book left off though we now add Nassun's story into the mix. I feel about her much the way I feel about all the other characters. I may sympathize with how things have happened, but I don't find her all that likeable. 

This book is a strange balancing act of compelling and depressing. The world-building is top notch and I really want to see what these obelisks are and how Essun is going to solve everything that's happening. There's a number of mysteries at play that will hopefully fall into place in the third novel. And there's a Revolution brewing that I desperately want to end happily.

The prejudice, the hate, and the acts of violence that come from that are just depressing. I don't trust most of the characters, and I start crying when certain bits come across. Which is the point. I must say, Jemisin manages to really do a fantastic job of portraying the anger of a class of people who've been enslaved, mistreated, and attacked simply because they're different. But if you're not looking for that, then this may not be the book for you.

After finishing this book, I immediately started the final in the trilogy. I'm so very curious to see where this is all headed.