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professorguanaco's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Gore, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Chronic illness
Minor: Cancer
ehoustonmyatt's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I found the first half of this book so tedious that if it had not been a book club book I would have DNF’ed it.
I agree with other reviewers that it picked up in the second half but I didn’t love the way it ended. Hopefully things take a turn for the better in the second two books of this series but I feel like a break is necessary before attempting them.
I agree with other reviewers that it picked up in the second half but I didn’t love the way it ended. Hopefully things take a turn for the better in the second two books of this series but I feel like a break is necessary before attempting them.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Chronic illness, Suicide, Violence, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Cancer, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Grief, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
gladiusglave75's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
For some reason, I had a tough time getting into this book at first, but 250+ pages in I really got invested!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Gore, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Cannibalism, and Murder
cryptofauna's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
im honestly unclear on how i feel about this one?? its like a 3.75-4 but im not sure which one. it was def not what i was expecting but generally i had a good time? WAYY more dense than i was expecting for what i had heard about this book, and i had a really hard time keeping all the characters straight, especially because they would alternate between last names and first names when referring to them and would also switch out the order of if their last name comes first or whatever.
super interesting plot and story and it was certainly really innovative but it almost had too much happening. if i read this in print i could have been referring to the glossary and the overview at the beginning but on kindle its kind of difficult and takes up way more time so i was in the dark for like. most of it
i didn't love the ending but i see how it was being set up throughout for the most part (mystery and baddie reveal wise), but generally i am annoyed that she died??? it kind of ruins the whole enemies to lovers thing i really thought they were teasing (THERES NO LOVERS), and them just not being able to find her body afterwards is so stupid to me. they're literally all necromancers but in order for ur big dramatic moment to work you just have to conveniently make her disappear?? frustrating
the characters were interesting when i could actually tell who was who, it has a cool magic system and is written in a way that can be a little work to get through but it was also funny and having it from gideon's perspective adds some much needed levity to a lot of these scenarios. i was invested in them as characters and as a couple and i felt like the relationship between harrow and gideon was pretty well set up. i don't love enemies to lovers because it doesn't always make sense to me ("u hated each other why r u doing this") but their interactions felt pretty realistic and not like things were just happening to happen.
it wasn't what i was hoping for or expecting but it was good i think
super interesting plot and story and it was certainly really innovative but it almost had too much happening. if i read this in print i could have been referring to the glossary and the overview at the beginning but on kindle its kind of difficult and takes up way more time so i was in the dark for like. most of it
i didn't love the ending but i see how it was being set up throughout for the most part (mystery and baddie reveal wise), but generally i am annoyed that
the characters were interesting when i could actually tell who was who, it has a cool magic system and is written in a way that can be a little work to get through but it was also funny and having it from gideon's perspective adds some much needed levity to a lot of these scenarios. i was invested in them as characters and as a couple and i felt like the relationship between harrow and gideon was pretty well set up. i don't love enemies to lovers because it doesn't always make sense to me ("u hated each other why r u doing this") but their interactions felt pretty realistic and not like things were just happening to happen.
it wasn't what i was hoping for or expecting but it was good i think
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Suicide attempt, and Murder
ruscin's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.25
The audiobook is such a delightful listen! The narrator did such a great job. Funny, smart, and a very interesting world.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Cannibalism, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
redshiftcasualty's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Muir has perfected a use of the English language so animated and vibrant that I at times wondered if there was real-life magic at play. I've never met characters so strongly detestable and yet so loveable precisely because of their awfulness, and I've never been so thoroughly surprised in a way that makes so much sense. It also contained a surprising amount of murder mystery. This is one of the best books I have ever read and not just because I cried myself ugly at the ending.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Trafficking, Murder, Toxic friendship, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body horror, Cancer, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic
essiie's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
I'm not ok
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Cancer, Child death, Gore, Slavery, Torture, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Vomit
charlieeew's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Terminal illness, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Cancer, Child death, Suicide, Terminal illness, Vomit, Cannibalism, and Colonisation
p0ndscum's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore and Murder
Moderate: Cancer and Child death
Minor: Suicide, Cannibalism, Death of parent, and War
ceruleanshelves's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
“I cannot conceive of a universe without you in it.”
“Yes you can, it's just less great and less hot,” said Gideon.
omgggg where do i even start??? i first tried to read this about 3 years ago when i first got back into reading and i just wasn't prepared for this level of high SFF worldbuilding, so i put it down.
i'm glad i did that bc i think all my reading since is what really prepared me to start this series.
“If you do not find yourself a galaxy, it is not so bad to find yourself a star.”
the magic system is both mystical and meticulous; this is, to me, a true example of the blending of sci-fi and fantasy. macabre, eerie, calculated, mysterious. the well-placed elements of horror only add to the atmosphere and keep the stakes raised. as a reader you're constantly reassessing what you think you know of the canaan house alongside gideon.
“Why was I born so attractive?”
“Because everyone would have throttled you within the first five minutes otherwise.”
gideon is honestly a hoot that i was not expecting. NO ONE TOLD ME THIS WAS FUNNY. if you know me, you know there's nothing i appreciate more than a fantasy book that also makes you laugh. death, destruction, the world and universe at peril are all great dramatics... but if the author can give me a moment of respite from it all to laugh and momentarily forget my favorite characters are in dangerous, i will be beholden to them forever.
“Harrow,” said Gideon, “if my heart had a dick you would kick it.”
gideon's tumultuous and resentful (though i think that word might be a bit light for what it describes) relationship to harrowhark, the ninth house heir, is similar in vein to damen x laurent of captive prince (i'm biased being permanently in capri brainrot but i swear the dynamics are parallel). deeply reluctant allies who are quite ready to betray the other if they ever got the chance, the tension starts high as they head into the canaan house as necromancer and cavalier.
the mystery of canaan house itself and the then ensuing deaths of its attendents forces gideon and harrow to embark on the tightrope of a road to their friendship, to being a true cavalier and necromancer duo.
the ensemble of characters were intriguing and illustrious, and thank god for authors who write a dramatis personae at the start of their books esp w names like those bc i had to constantly refer back to it to keep track.
with its intriguing and driving plot, unique world, and admirable characters, gideon the ninth is a must-read for any seasoned SFF fan.
and with that ending, i'm definitely tuning into book 2.
one flesh, one end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body horror and Gore
Minor: Cancer, Child death, Suicide, Vomit, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury