The middle volume of The Broken Earth series did not grab me as much as the mindtwister of the first volume, but it's still a captivating story that I cannot wait to see concluded.

Our protagonist Essun stops her search for her daughter Nassun as she is swept into a comm that seems friendly to orogenes, Castrima. There, she meets her old friend [spoiler]Alabaster[/spoiler], who is beseeching her to complete the task he's started, to possibly destroy the world. But it's a Fifth Season, and there are factions at work who do not want Essun to be able to access the obelisks as she is being taught.

We also get to meet Nassun, who flees to Antarctica with her father, and there gets to meet Schaffa of all people, the Guardian who was in charge of her mother at the Fulcrum. Just like her mother, she also learns to control obelisks, setting out for the same task of changing the world forever.

I have to admit that the overarching plot is still doing my head in a bit. I don't understand the different factions yet. Why are some stone eaters trying to stop Essun, while Hoa supports her? I am sure we'll find out more in the final book of the series.

I really enjoyed the damn good writing of this book, but it didn't wow and surprise me quite as much as the first volume. I mean, at this point you expect N.K. Jemisin to be as outstanding as she is. It's still the best goddamn series I have read this year.