This novel suffers from middle book syndrome. It continues the story set up in the first book and, hopefully, sets up the third and final book.

Unlike The Fifth Season, this novel fails to coalesce the different POVs into a cohesive whole which was one of the best aspects of the first book.

The Obelisk Gate feels like two different stories that were spliced into each other and suffers for it. But, this doesn't stop the book from being amazing, just less amazing than it could have been IMO.

I'm VERY excited to read the last novel in this trilogy... This series has been riveting thus far and I don't expect that to change.