The Obelisk Gate is creative, engaging, and visual. It's a middle-book in a trilogy and it carries the story forward very well and sets the stage for a culmination in the next book. The balance of realism, science, and magic pulls the reader into this amazing world. Great writing, world-building, and storytelling. The presence of inequities, racism, class, violence, and leadership are essential components for Obelisk Gate. If you haven't picked up this series yet, maybe now is the time since all three books are published.