The Obelisk Gate (Broken Earth series)

[Sarah, Moderator]

We will be continuing with the Broken Earth series in February 2019 with The Obelisk Gate. The series has won quite a few awards so should be good.

So who's in? We have a toppler in February so we need to work around that but any preference otherwise - beginning or end of the month?

[Janice, Moderator]

I'd love to start reading it now, so let's aim for earlier in February than later.

[Sarah, Moderator]

Ha ha! Yes I agree! It truly is a fascinating world!

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Now to work out how to fit it in to the 2019 challenge...

[Lisa]

I would love to join you all for this one. I read The Fifth Season a while ago but haven't continued on with the rest of the series yet. Any time in February is good for me.

[Sarah, Moderator]

Rusalka wrote: "Now to work out how to fit it in to the 2019 challenge..."

It fits fantasy world and fantasy genre. Possibly the first book published since 2000 although i'd need to check, strong female character. That's what springs to mind so far!

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Sarah wrote: "It fits fantasy world and fantasy genre. Possibly the first book published since 2000 although i'd need to check, strong female character. That's what springs to mind so far!"

Thanks! Will have a good look once I work out the Jan challenge, which I am trying to stop running away from me with complexity.

[Margo]

I'm in! This book has been on my shelve for over a year - or maybe 2 years!

[Janice, Moderator]

Sarah wrote: "Rusalka wrote: "Now to work out how to fit it in to the 2019 challenge..."

It fits fantasy world and fantasy genre. Possibly the first book published since 2000 although i'd need to check, strong ..."

It would fit author first published after 2000. It may also fit the strong female character.

I'm going to put it down for author first published (book 9, author task).

[Sarah, Moderator]

It is looking like the toppler will be 2-9th February. So how about starting this book on 10th/11th?

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Works for me! I think a lot of us are talking about reading Perdido Street Station in mid to late Feb. If we lock this in, I'll ask to move that back to late Feb.

[Margo]

Suites me Sarah. I was hoping the toppler would be the second week.

[Margo]

Rusalka wrote: "Works for me! I think a lot of us are talking about reading Perdido Street Station in mid to late Feb. If we lock this in, I'll ask to move that back to late Feb."

Oh yes, i hope that one can wait til this finished. Feb will be a busy reading month!

[Rusalka, Moderator]

I've mentioned it to Lexx, and he should join us. Probably with me as the conduit ;)

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Margo wrote: "Oh yes, i hope that one can wait til this finished. Feb will be a busy reading month!"

I just made that exact same comment.

[Lisa]

Works for me too.

[Jayme]

Works for me too!

[Sarah, Moderator]

Excellent!

[Esther]

I am
In. I have it on hold suspended at the library since December. I'll edit my hold so i should get it in time.

[Janice, Moderator]

It works for me as well, and to punt Perdido Street till after Obelisk Gate.

[Sarah, Moderator]

I'm really excited about returning to the series.

[Sarah, Moderator]

I've not bought my copy yet but i'll get it on kindle. I've been looking every day to see if it drops in price but no such luck. I'll use my xmas money on it nearer the time.

[Margo]

Ooh, they'll never do it while your watching 😆

[Kristie, Moderator]

Margo wrote: "Ooh, they'll never do it while your watching 😆"

Isn't that just so true? It'll go on sale right after the buddy read. lol

[Sarah, Moderator]

Hmm. Now the toppler from 16th. Is our starting date of 10/11th still ok or would you rather move it forward a bit. I don't mind either way.

[Margo]

There is not much wriggle room in february Sarah! I vote we leave it as is.

[Rusalka, Moderator]

I am not sure if I will be able to do all these reads within the times. But I will try.

[Rusalka, Moderator]

There is talk of Perdido Street Station starting on the 3rd, then this on the 10th, and then the toppler on the 16th.

Looking very very tight in Feb, I may be a couple of weeks behind.

[Sarah, Moderator]

Yes very tight especially with it being a shorter month. Perdido is a chunkster too so reading that in a week is pushing it i suspect.

[Janice, Moderator]

Yikes!

[Margo]

LOL We have all bitten of more than we can chew!!! Isn't that what we book addicts always do hehehe

This one is a series not just one book, so that gives it priority I think. The others can work around it.

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Heads up, Lexx is downloading it now and will start it when his current audiobook is done. He wasn't going to start and stop one, which I can understand. So I may post some thoughts from him a few days early depending on his work schedule/weather and whether he can ride home.

[Margo]

Looking forward to glimping Lexx thoughts. It will be nearly like meeting him :-)

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Hah! I have now found out he hasn't had an audiobook all weekend. And he said to tell you he very much looks forward to nearly meeting you too, Margo. Also he now a little apprehensive of sharing he's thoughts out loud lol

[Margo]

Rusalka wrote: "Hah! I have now found out he hasn't had an audiobook all weekend. And he said to tell you he very much looks forward to nearly meeting you too, Margo. Also he now a little apprehensive of sharing h..."

Oh, you've obviously been telling him about how we tear strangers to shreds! Bad Rusalka - tell him we will be gentle. Lull him into a false sense of security LOL

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Naughty, bad, Rusalkeses :P

[Janice, Moderator]

Ha! I'm not sure who Rusalka's victim is - Lexx or Margo. Maybe both.

[Sarah, Moderator]

So looking forward to reading this one to see where the series goes. I need to finish Dune first which is a whopper. Making good progress though. We're due snow in the next couple days so if I'm not able to get out and about I'll be focusing on that!

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Janice wrote: "Ha! I'm not sure who Rusalka's victim is - Lexx or Margo. Maybe both."

So very true...

[Esther]

are we still starting on Feb 10th?

[Janice, Moderator]

I believe so, Esther. I haven't heard anything to the contrary.

[Sarah, Moderator]

I'll most likely start Monday. I think i'm going to have to put my current book aside for it.

[Margo]

I might be a bit late starting as I have my love book club book to finish read. I had forgotten about it!

[Esther]

I just finished a book so I think I will start tonight (it will be tomorrow in some time zone right?) It has been a while since I’ve read the 1st one. I wonder how confused I’ll get.

[Sarah, Moderator]

You can always read through the buddy read thread for book 1 to refresh your memory Esther!

[Janice, Moderator]

I will likely start tomorrow. I have 3 hours left on my current read, and I might just finish it tonight. I'm away most of Sunday so, I won't get much of a head start. I'm really looking forward to this book.

[Sarah, Moderator]

I'm really looking forward to it too. I have Dune on the go at the moment which I'm loving but it's a really chunkster. I'm off to Bournemouth this weekend working so I won't get much reading in other than in the evenings potentally. Wishing I didn't have to put the book aside especially as we have the toppler after this buddy read. But that's ok, I'll be able to pick up where I left off.

[Tejas Janet]

Excited to see you guys reading this one. I just finished it and really loved it. I'll be interested to see what everyone thinks.

[Janice, Moderator]

I started the other day and have finished to the end of Chapter 3.

The first chapter (view spoiler)[ goes back to when Essen's husband kills their son. It focuses on Nassun, her reaction to finding her father straddling the body of her brother and still wanting to leave the town with him. I wonder why she's so eager to get away from her mother. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 2 (view spoiler)[picks up right where book 1 left off. Essen is in the underground comm. I didn't realize that the obelisks were all different - diamond, garnet, onyx, and topaz. Essen has successfully summoned two, the onyx and topaz. I wonder what's going to happen when they come. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 3 (view spoiler)[ Schaffa survived the collapse of the ship but at what cost? He made a bargain with some entity. I wonder who or what this entity is. He seems to have lost the sense of who he is. Memory is also lost. He has "work" to do, but doesn't seem to know what that work is.

Backing up a bit - before he started drowning and making the deal for his life, he recalled seeing Essen drown her son. He thought it was such a shame because he would have loved the child as much as he loved Essen, and would have turned him into a node. What kind of love is this?

One other comment about that chapter - I thought that when a guardian touched the nape of an origin's neck, it was to bring them under their control. Schaffa seems to draw life force from it, and feeds off it. Maybe this was addressed in the first book & I just forgot. He discovered that the touch would kill a still. He meets an Origin boy and kills his parents and much of his family, and then takes him south. It's kind of hypocritical that he kills indiscriminately, and yet controls the origins under the guise that they could kill indiscriminately. Or is this killing spree as a result of the change he underwent when his life was saved? (hide spoiler)]

[Esther]

Janice wrote:
I have read chapters #1&2
as I mentioned above, it has been a while since i read the 1st one, so I may have missed obvious clues.

Chapter one. I wondered that same thing, Janice.

Chapter 2. (view spoiler)[ Interesting info about the Obelisks. I feel that it's not going to be fun when thy come. I really wonder what game Alabaster is playing. (hide spoiler)]