The Broken Earth Trilogy revolves around Essun in the World of Stillness. Earth is being pestered with devastating earthquakes that will start the Fifth Season. In this season earth is afflicted with mutations in flora and fauna, boiled oceans and ashy skies. The Oregenes, people who can manipulate the earth, can prevent the disaster. Alabaster, friend and mentor from Essun and a powerful Oregene, however, started of the next Season by drawing power from floating Obelisks. These objects seem to have power but they are a complete mystery in what they do. Can Essun end the cycle of the seasons by using the power of the Obelisks?

The Obelisk Gate won the Hugo Award in 2017. So must be good, right? But unfortunately I didn’t like this book as much as many seem to do. Yes, it did get on with the story right where we left it. Yes the pacing was the same as the first book, slow but I never mind that. But the surprise and the puzzle of Damaya, Syenite and Essun was gone which meant that the Obelisk puzzle remained. Enough, you would say? Yes, you would think so, but the search in what these Obelisks are and how they function was so minor, that it kind of bored me. Okay, there was an interesting new POV, the daughter of Essun, and that was refreshing. But it let me down as the story more or less followed the same patterns as in book one. Because of it I lost my interest completely. The only reason I kept reading was the immaculate worldbuilding and the mystery revolving around the Seasons. This book had the second book syndrome if you ask me. I hope that part three will make up for it.