The Obelisk Gate
| Company type | Novel |
|---|---|
| Industry | Literature, Science fantasy |
| Founded | 2016 |
| Founder | N. K. Jemisin |
| Products | Book |
The Obelisk Gate is a 2016 science fantasy novel authored by N. K. Jemisin, serving as the second entry in the Broken Earth trilogy—preceded by The Fifth Season and followed by The Stone Sky. It garnered widespread critical praise and, similar to its predecessor, secured the Hugo Award for Best Novel.
Setting
The narrative unfolds on the vast supercontinent known as Stillness, which is periodically ravaged by severe climatic disasters termed "Fifth Seasons." The plot picks up after a particularly catastrophic event that threatens total annihilation. Central to the story are two orogenes—a mother and her daughter—who were separated prior to this recent calamity. Their quest to reunite serves as a vehicle for delving into the origins of these apocalyptic seasons.
Plot
The primary perspective is that of Essun, a formidable orogene displaced during the initial novel’s events, alongside her ten-year-old daughter Nassun.
Schaffa
Schaffa, once Essun’s Guardian, regains consciousness submerged underwater following Essun’s counteroffensive in The Fifth Season. On the verge of drowning, he momentarily surrenders control to the Guardian’s rage-driven essence, saving his life but suffering significant brain injury and amnesia. After being rescued by fishermen along the coast, his Guardian memories resurface when approached by a young boy seeking assistance, prompting them to embark southward guided by fragmented recollections.
Nassun
Following her brother’s discovery as an orogene and subsequent murder by their father in a fit of anger, Nassun is abducted by him, who fears she too possesses orogenic abilities. His intention is to take her south to a faction of Guardians claiming they can "cure" orogeny. Despite a close paternal bond, their relationship is strained due to Essun’s covert training of Nassun in controlling her powers. Early in their journey, an act of violence from her father causes Nassun to emotionally withdraw from him.
Their trek south exposes them to widespread devastation caused by Alabaster’s fracturing of the continent, exacerbating the ongoing Fifth Season. They arrive at Found Moon, a settlement governed by Guardians under Schaffa’s leadership, which serves as a refuge for young orogenes. Nassun quickly advances within this informal Fulcrum and develops a deep connection with Schaffa, who assumes a paternal role.
Nassun broadens her mastery of orogeny beyond manipulating heat to tapping into an enigmatic silver energy associated with living beings. She also learns to draw strength from nearby obelisks, mirroring abilities once held by her mother. However, this burgeoning power results in tragedy when she unintentionally kills a peer during a nightmare-driven episode.
As Nassun’s capabilities intensify, her father recognizes that she is not being cured and attempts to kill her; in self-defense, she uses her powers to petrify him.
Essun
Essun remains within Castrima, an underground community led by Ykka—an orogene who advocates for coexistence between orogenes and stills (non-orogenes). The settlement depends on geode-based systems for air circulation and climate regulation, which function only in the presence of orogenes.
Alabaster, Essun’s former mentor and a powerful Fulcrum orogene, is dying—his body turning to stone after channeling obelisk energy to fracture the continent and initiate the Fifth Season. He is guarded by Antimony, a stone eater opposed by Hoa, another stone eater allied with Essun.
Alabaster imparts crucial insights about obelisks and the essence of orogeny to Essun. He reveals that the Moon has been missing for millennia and that his continental fracture was designed to generate sufficient geological energy for a powerful orogene to use obelisks to restore it—potentially ending the Fifth Seasons. He identifies the silver energy Nassun discovered as magic: the core force behind orogeny and Castrima’s mechanisms. As his condition deteriorates, he assists Essun in harnessing this power while reconciling over their lost child before dying after preventing Essun from destroying Castrima with obelisk magic.
Castrima faces internal discord between orogenes and stills, further complicated by an assault from Rennanis—a rival community aiming to capture Castrima. Unable to overcome Rennanis directly, they besiege Castrima by blocking ventilation shafts.
With no other options available, Castrima prepares for conflict. Rennanis receives support from stone eaters hostile toward Alabaster and Antimony. Utilizing training received from Alabaster, Essun channels the combined energy of all obelisks worldwide through the Obelisk Gate, simultaneously turning every Rennanis inhabitant into stone.
Although Castrima survives this attack, its geode systems suffer irreparable damage, endangering its inhabitants with potential starvation and suffocation. The community begins organizing an exodus amid the escalating Fifth Season in search of safety.
Reception
The Obelisk Gate was eagerly awaited upon release and garnered favorable critiques.
In a review for NPR, poet Amal El-Mohtar expressed that she "could not put it down" and remarked that the novel "surpasses the expectations I held for epic fantasy." It was featured on The Verge's compilation of the top science fiction and fantasy books of 2016, described as "a highly ambitious and significant work" that "expands upon the brilliance of its predecessor." Likewise, Wired regarded it as an improvement over The Fifth Season.[1]
On the other hand, Niall Alexander writing for Tor.com critiqued the novel for exhibiting "middle volume syndrome," suggesting it compromises pacing for a more deliberate narrative and is "smaller and safer compared to the boldness of The Fifth Season," albeit still engaging.[2] Nevertheless, Wired commended the book for sidestepping the common issue of "stalling" often seen in middle entries of series.[1]
Awards
The Obelisk Gate’s victory at the Hugos marked Jemisin as the first writer in over twenty years to achieve back-to-back Best Novel Hugo Awards, following her 2016 win with The Fifth Season, both installments in the Broken Earth trilogy. This achievement contributed to a women-led sweep at the 2017 Hugo Awards, which included honors in categories such as best novel, novella, novelette, and short story.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedWired best of - ↑ Alexander, Niall (17 August 2016). "New Moon: The Obelisk Gate by N. K. Jemisin". Tor.com. Retrieved 12 August 2017.