“Being useful to others is not the same thing as being equal.” – N.K Jemisin, The Obelisk Gate
It feels like an age since we shipped The Fifth Season so it feels fantastic to reveal our edition of The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin, the second book in the much-lauded Broken Earth series!
TFS was the second book I published for Curious King after the success of The Blade Itself. It’s such an incredible series and gave me a chance to try something different with the design and concept. I still think it’s one the most beautiful sets we’ve published, and I’ve been so eager to release the following titles as I know how good they’ll look together when done.
Once again we have John Anthony di Giovanni returning to illustrate the edition with 10 colour paintings. We simply had to have John on this after his incredible work on TFS!
This release is the “Sapphire Edition” as a homage to the Sapphire Obelisk which features regularly in TOG and follows on nicely from our “Amethyst Edition” release of The Fifth Season.
I’m really pleased with how they’ve turned out and they are as I imagined them when I first came up with the concept when working on The Fifth Season.
This is a Series Rights release, so that means owners of TFS will have an opportunity to match their copy. The public pre-order will be for copies not taken up by rights holders.
Our edition has three tiers:
Standard Edition – x500 copies
Deluxe Edition – x200 copies
Lettered Edition – x26 copies
All copies across all tiers continue with their Series Rights, so those who buy The Obelisk Gate will get rights to purchase The Stone Sky.
For now, here is our release of The Obelisk Gate!
The Obelisk Gate
The Obelisk Gate is the sequel to the critically acclaimed The Fifth Season and the second volume in The Broken Earth Trilogy.
The second book begins where the first picks up, as it follows Essun’s journey but also to side step back to explore her daughter Nassun’s journey with her father as they discover more about their powers as ‘roggas’ and navigate a post-apocalyptic world that dehumanises them.
Following on from the first book and its themes, we now explore the depths of the mother-daughter relationship between Nassun and Essun, as Nassun becomes a central character in the story, and about the difficulties of parenting in a troubled world, setting up for a dramatic conclusion in The Stone Sky.
The Obelisk Gate won the Hugo Award for Best Novel in 2016, following along from the success of The Fifth Season, where she was already the first African American author to win the Hugo Award for Best Novel.
N.K. Jemisin
N.K. Jemisin is a celebrated American author whose groundbreaking contributions to speculative fiction have redefined the boundaries of the genre. Her works often explore themes of power, oppression, identity, and resilience, blending imaginative world-building with deeply human stories.
She is known for challenging traditional fantasy and science fiction tropes, creating stories that reflect the complexities of the real world while offering fresh perspectives on race, gender, and social dynamics.
Jemisin made history as the first author to win the Hugo Award for Best Novel three years in a row, for each book in her Broken Earth trilogy: The Fifth Season (2015), The Obelisk Gate (2016), and The Stone Sky (2017). These novels not only showcased her talent for intricate plotting and innovative magic systems but also addressed themes of systemic inequality and environmental collapse in ways that resonated with readers worldwide.
Her other works, such as The Inheritance Trilogy and The City We Became, further demonstrate her ability to craft immersive worlds and compelling characters while pushing the boundaries of genre fiction.
In addition to her fiction, Jemisin is an incredible force for good and advocate for diversity and inclusivity in the literary world. Through essays, interviews, and public appearances, she has challenged the status quo in publishing and highlighted the importance of representation in storytelling.
Her work has earned her numerous accolades beyond the Hugo Awards, including the Nebula, Locus, and World Fantasy Awards.
Jemisin’s influence extends far beyond her novels; she has inspired a new generation of writers to explore untold stories and redefine what speculative fiction can achieve.
Art
Good things come to those who wait! I’ve always been an advocate of trying to get the best possible people on the perfect project, even if it means having to wait. John Anthony di Giovanni is an incredible and versatile artist who is very much in demand and after his work on TFS, there was no question who it had to be.
John is providing 10 full colour illustrations for The Obelisk Gate. 2 Landscape pieces, (Dustjacket and Endpaper) and 8 interior portrait paintings tipped in the book.
John is an American fantasy artist celebrated for his richly detailed illustrations that bring mythical worlds and heroic characters to life. Growing up with a passion for storytelling and illustration, Di Giovanni immersed himself in the world of fantasy and science fiction from a young age, inspired by epic tales and classic mythology.
We’re pleased to reveal the wraparound dustjacket art (exclusive to the Standard Edition) of The Obelisk Gate! An incredible follow up to the brilliant dustjacket on TFS and will be printed on high quality paper and foil stamped on the spine with Title/Author/Series. The images of the Standard prototype don’t have the dustjacket on, but it will come with one when it ships.
John pursued formal training at the prestigious Savannah College of Art and Design, where he refined his techniques and developed a deep understanding of visual narrative. He also attended the Illustration Master Class, a transformative workshop that solidified his approach to bringing grand scenes to life on the canvas. Di Giovanni’s journey from student to professional artist has been marked by his dedication to craft, earning him a respected place in the world of fantasy illustration.
Di Giovanni’s work spans an impressive range of fantasy projects, including book covers, concept art, and game illustrations that draw audiences into their imaginative worlds. John has recently produced some of the most beautiful book cover art including The Devils and The Wisdom of Crowds for Joe Abercrombie.
Standard Edition
Limited to 500 copies only, the Standard Edition is over 320 pages and is letterpress printed on Munken Rough Cream 120gsm paper by master printers Nomad Letterpress. This is the only tier that comes with the wraparound dustjacket art by John Anthony di Giovanni.
Quarter-bound with a hand-marbled blue design by Freya Scott of Paperwilds, it beautifully complements the previous book and encapsulates the Sapphire. The boards are covered in colourplan cream book paper and has two colour foil stamping of the obelisk on the front.
The spine is rounded and has a two-colour foil stamped label affixed. The head and tailbands are blue/white and comes with a dark blue coloured ribbon.
The handmade slipcase is covered in Heritage Regal Buckram bookcloth and has a gold stamped obelisk design on the side. Both book and slipcase are handbound by Ludlow Bookbinders.
This edition is signed by both the author and the artist.
Pre-order Price – £235
Published Price – £250
Deluxe Edition
Limited to 200 copies only. The Deluxe Edition is over 320 pages and is letterpress printed on Munken Rough Cream 120gsm paper.
The boards are handbound in a rich cream goat leather and blind stamped on the front and back. The spine is rounded; foil stamped in gold and blue and has a Lapis Lazuli stone point affixed.
The book is gilded on all three sides and the head and tailbands are blue/white and comes with a dark blue coloured ribbon.
This edition is housed in a curved capped slipcase covered in blue marbled cloth by Freya Scott of Paperwilds and capped with cream leather.
The spine also has two labels adorn the back and both book and slipcase are handbound by Ludlow Bookbinders.
This edition is signed by both the author and the artist.
Pre-order Price – £575
Published Price – £610
Lettered Edition
Limited to 26 copies only, the Lettered Edition is printed on a mouldmade Magnani Pescia 130gsm by master printers Nomad Letterpress of Cheltenham.
The case is a custom hand-made wooden box by expert box maker Peter Canham. The lid is made out of four pieces of wood to ensure no warping in humidity. It also has a unique blue stone embedded within the wood and will be laser etched with the author and title.
The spine of the case has an etched design done by Peter. A piece of blue indigo wood has been inset to the wood and had a blue Lapis Lazuli point cut into the block. Inside, the box has been lined in Royal Dark Blue suedel by Ludlow Bookbinders and comes with a matching blue ribbon for retrieving the book.
The book inside is handbound by Ludlow Bookbinders in finest black Harmatan leather and has a blue obelisk stone embedded in the cover. There is an all over two colour stamped design reaching across both boards and the spine.
The book boards are 6mm with chamfered edges, and the book is gilded gold across all three edges. Inside the book there are marbled endpapers and a further 9 tipped in colour plates.
This edition is signed by both the author and the artist.
Pre-Order Price: £1600
Published Price: £1700
As with other releases I will still be tweaking the designs before they go into production as there are often small improvements that can be made from the initial prototypes.
Pre-order Information
The Rights Holder period for those with Series Rights to the Broken Earth trilogy is now open and owners will be contacted via email later today with a private link to purchase their matching copy.
If you believe you should have been contacted and haven’t by the morning of the 24th of September then please get in contact via our info@curiousking.co.uk address. Please ensure you check spam or any other email addresses you may have used.
Series Rights owners will have until Tuesday September 30th at 15:00BST to take up their copy, any copies not purchased by then will go into the public pre-order.
Any copies not taken up with go up for public sale on:
Tuesday 30th September at 20:00BST
Links will be sent out at the end of the week ready for the sale via newsletter. All copies purchased on the public sale will come with Series Rights to the next book in the trilogy (but they do not come with Publishers Rights).
This release is a pre-order and currently scheduled to ship Summer 2026.
