The shattering conclusion to the post-apocalyptic and highly acclaimed New York Times bestselling trilogy that began with The Fifth Season, winner of the Hugo Award for Best Novel in 2016, and The Obelisk Gate, winner of the Hugo Award for Best Novel in 2017.
Winner of the Nebula Award for Best Novel 2018
Winner of the Hugo Award for Best Novel 2018
The Moon will soon return. Whether this … 2018
Winner of the Hugo Award for Best Novel 2018
A beautiful and gripping conclusion to one of the best trilogies I’ve ever read. For those of you who have been following the series, you’ll be pleased to know that the majority of loose ends are tied up, and burning questions answered in this final installment. I was, gratefully, able to turn the last page with a satisfying sense of closure.
Notably, Jemisin also delves a lot deeper into the universe’s system of magic. Unfortunately, I found some this to be too in-the-weeds and in excess of detail.
To add to this frustration, much of this detail is delivered by characters who don’t have the vocabulary to describe what they’re seeing and learning. This is helpful in feeling immersed in characters’ perspectives, but infuriating in its inordinate amount of “I interacted with those silver things, but not quite things” and “I can’t describe it, but it’s like a string, but not at all” -esque exposition.
Regardless, this was a stunning book with awe-inspiring world building. The fact that this universe was generated by a human mind – and not simply discovered and documented – is almost unbelievable.
N. K. Jemisin’s final Broken Earth trilogy novel is the perfect conclusion to what is an unexpected, fantastical, amazing story. The only thing I hated about this book is that it ended. One of my favorite series ever!
I am so fascinated by this series. I think we all know that at some point, the human race will do something catastrophic to our planet, we just don’t know the exact when, how or who. Jemisin has crafted what I assume to be the future Earth, tens of thousands of years in the future. We learn about the origins of the stone eaters and orogenes, which I’ve been hoping to find out since book one. We even find out how the Fifth Seasons started. Most of my “big” questions were answered, and I ended up satisfied, if a little sad, at the end of the book.
Jemisin managed to make the world another character in her story. She weaves in the landscape, the weather, the topography into the narrative. The Earth is just as beaten down, just as abused as the orogenes. The only difference is, the Earth fought back. The orogenes, as a class of people, had been cast out of society, murdered on site or taken in by the Fulcrum to be used and bred. Is it any wonder that Essun’s daughter decided that, instead of fixing the world, she might as well make it burn? I’m not going to give away any details here, you need to read the book to fully understand the magnificent scope of Jemisin’s genius. Trust me, it is so worth it.
This is the third in Jemisin trilogy about the Obelisk Gate. This is a talented and inventive writer whose worlds are colorful, well balanced, interesting and different. I have enjoyed every word she has written that I can get my hands on. She has so much going on in her books that it keeps you guessing and keeps you involved in the lives and stories of her characters.
Be prepared to have your emotions go through a grinder. N. K. Jemisin is a master at building up conflict and keeping readers engaged. And this time she is pitting mother against daughter. Both believe they know what is right for the world, but one chooses to destroy that which is broken and the other wants to right the wrongs that were done to Father Earth.
The way love is portrayed throughout The Broken Earth Trilogy is complex and messy. Different characters love for different reasons, and their lives have impacted how they love. This level of reality in emotions I have never seen done before. And as the story pulled Nassun and Essun back together, it built this cacophony between the two because of how they perceived love and what was acceptable.
Not only do the characters drive this story forward, but so do the cleverly placed bits of history that have been laid down leading up to The Stone Sky. I have never been so invested in learning about the history of a fantasy world. And N.K. Jemisin brought it all to a head as she started revealing actual scenes from before the shattering. And true to style, no details are spared, allowing readers to see how the atrocities of the world they are reading about came to be.
I don’t want to let go of this world. I wish there were more books to read. It will be very hard for me to find another set of books that can top The Broken Earth Trilogy. I highly recommend this to fans of dark fantasy.
I actually stopped myself from finishing this book at one point because I didnt want it to end. I actually had to put it down and read a few books first because as much as I was chomping at the bit to get to the story I was loathe to be rid of it by finishing.
Read this series, then read it again.
As with my review of Jemisin’s first book, The Fifth Season, I really can’t say enough good things about The Obelisk Gate and The Stone Sky. This is the best series I’ve read since the Lord of the Rings. It offers a brilliant, incisive commentary on human hubris and how we treat the Earth as a resource to be exploited. Again I highly recommend the audiobook version narrated by Robin Miles in particular.
LOVED THIS SERIES. What an amazing imagination! Loved the concept—I’ve been reading fantasy for years. These books were so original and unpredictable!
Absolutely loved this trilogy
The third book in this particular trilogy is excellent. Reading three long books is an investment in time. N.K. Jemisin did not waste that time.
Some series you wonder if the author can bring all the strings of the story together at the end, or if there will be anything not concluded satisfactorily. Going into this book, I already knew Jemisin is an amazing writer, but I was not prepared for what an awesome conclusion to the series this is. Jemisin stuck the landing, without a wobble, and this is one of the best series-ending books I have ever read. Notice, I’m not even saying anything about the characters or plot. Seriously, if you haven’t read these books, do so.