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.
author
N.K. Jemisin is a celebrated American author whose groundbreaking contributions to speculative fiction have redefined the boundaries of the genre. Born on September 19, 1972, in Iowa City, Iowa, and raised in Mobile, Alabama, and Brooklyn, New York, Jemisin’s diverse cultural background and experiences heavily influence her writing. 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
The incredible John Anthony Di Giovanni is the illustrator on this book (and each in the series) and will be producing 10 full colour images for this edition. John’s painted realism works so well in both Fantasy and Sci-Fi and was the perfect match for the series.
John will be completing two landscape images (Dustjacket and Endpapers) as well as 8 further tipped in portrait pieces.
Both myself and N.K. Jemisin are thrilled with the dustjacket depicting Essun and Tonkee first arriving at Castrima-Under, the town carved from a Geode. I can’t wait to see the rest of the imagery from John as we progress through the year.
This isn’t quite the final image, but it certainly gives you an idea of the picture and the concept behind it. John is a genius!
standard
edition #1
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
the
series
This is part of the The Broken Earth series. Curious King plans to publish the entire season. Books in this series include:
The Fifth Season
production