The Stone Sky

The Stone Sky presents many different versions of community. Which community is most ideal? How do successful communities avoid the pitfalls of those that fail? What makes it so difficult to create an equitable and just society in this world?

The Obelisk Gate raised the question of whether someone like Schaffa can redeem themselves after a lifetime of violence and abuse. By the end of The Stone Sky, do you think he has earned redemption? Why or why not?

Nassun and Steel both see the world as broken beyond repair, while Essun and Hoa maintain hope that they can rebuild it. Explore the difference between their worldviews and the factors that influence them.

Given Hoa’s love for Essun, is he a reliable narrator? Provide specific examples from the novel to support your answer.

Climate disaster has been central to The Broken Earth series since the first book. What do Syl Anagist and the events that led to the Shattering suggest about the nature of climate disasters? About the relationship between empire, systemic oppression, and climate disaster?

Toward the end of The Stone Sky, lorists become major figures in the story: Kelenli reveals that she sees herself as continuing the Niess lorist tradition; Danel insists on accompanying Essun to Corepoint because she believes history is being written. What is the role of lorists in The Stone Sky’s society? Why are they important, and what problems can they pose?

There are several parallels between the ways the tuners and orogenes are treated by their respective societies. Compare and contrast their situations. In what ways are they the same? In what ways are they different?

Why do you think Jemisin chose to structure the book with Syl Anagist chapters as interludes? How do these sections contrast with or elucidate the action in Essun and Nassun’s chapters?