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yvarg's review against another edition
adventurous
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
3.75
erinsbookshelves's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
aranafyre's review against another edition
4.0
I can understand why this book got nominated for awards but I can also see why it didn't win.
The concepts were interesting. The technology depends on society adhering to a specific calendar with all the holidays and remembrances and rituals. Heretics follow different calendars. The society is run by six factions including the Kels, the suicidal solders, and the Shous (sp), the spies. However there used to be seven factions.
This book throws you into the world with little explanation. But it was a bit too much to pick up quickly. I found myself struggling to get into the plot and seriously thought about dnf this. Once I got more into the world it was better. Even later though the flow of the narrative felt off at places.
I found the interplay between Jedao and Cheris the reason to keep reading. I was disappointed by the resolution of Jedao's trickster status.
The concepts were interesting. The technology depends on society adhering to a specific calendar with all the holidays and remembrances and rituals. Heretics follow different calendars. The society is run by six factions including the Kels, the suicidal solders, and the Shous (sp), the spies. However there used to be seven factions.
This book throws you into the world with little explanation. But it was a bit too much to pick up quickly. I found myself struggling to get into the plot and seriously thought about dnf this. Once I got more into the world it was better. Even later though the flow of the narrative felt off at places.
I found the interplay between Jedao and Cheris the reason to keep reading. I was disappointed by the resolution of Jedao's trickster status.
northisnotup's review against another edition
There was both too much and not enough exposition - they're setting the MC up in a leadership position but not letting her have a whole lot of screen time or allowing a personality to shine through.
geekwayne's review against another edition
3.0
'Ninefox Gambit' by Yoon Ha Lee is the first book in a military SF book where math is a weapon and the undead can be brilliant tacticians.
Kel Cheris is a young commander caught using unconventional methods of battle against a heretical enemy. Her next assignment is going to be to take the Fortress of Scattered Needles, a seemingly impossible target. She is given unusual help in Shuos Jedao, an undead and highly dangerous ally. Jedao is unbeatable, but also more than a little crazy. Cheris rides the knife edge of trusting Jedao, while those around her warn her to be ready for him to turn on her.
I confess to being a bit lost on this one. I liked the concepts and the characters, but much of it seemed to whoosh right over my head. I do want to read more in the series, and I hope that going forward things become a bit clearer. It's a really interesting approach to space battles and military in space.
I received a review copy of this ebook from Solaris, Rebellion, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.
Kel Cheris is a young commander caught using unconventional methods of battle against a heretical enemy. Her next assignment is going to be to take the Fortress of Scattered Needles, a seemingly impossible target. She is given unusual help in Shuos Jedao, an undead and highly dangerous ally. Jedao is unbeatable, but also more than a little crazy. Cheris rides the knife edge of trusting Jedao, while those around her warn her to be ready for him to turn on her.
I confess to being a bit lost on this one. I liked the concepts and the characters, but much of it seemed to whoosh right over my head. I do want to read more in the series, and I hope that going forward things become a bit clearer. It's a really interesting approach to space battles and military in space.
I received a review copy of this ebook from Solaris, Rebellion, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.
zmull's review against another edition
4.0
There's a lot of talk about how confusing this book is. It isn't. Just stop trying to understand how the technology works. It doesn't matter. Stop worrying about it.
meemzter's review against another edition
4.0
Reading Ninefox Gambit is like solving a puzzle. Every chapter is laid out in secrets and tangles and knots - and you, the reader, are expected to follow the complex thinking of a brilliant mathematician talking about technology you don't understand, as well as a brilliant tactician who thinks 50 steps ahead. The first time I read it, it was a demanding challenge, this second time - a joyful one.
I understood significantly more this time around. I read Raven Stratagem last year - which is a much more accessible read in my opinion, and it helped me to get a pretty good handle on exotics, invariants, calendrical warfare, formation instinct, etc - which were all things that mystified me for much of my first read of Ninefox Gambit.
However - I still didn't get everything. Even with a decent understanding of the background, I still found myself rereading paragraphs and entire pages to make sure I hadn't missed something. Sometimes I just had to accept that I *had* missed something and let it go. Sometimes I wasn't sure if I was even supposed to know the thing I was confused about. (Like Vahenz??? I have so many questions.)
Some people would probably find the difficulty of this book annoying or frustrating - and if it wasn't driven by such compelling characters, I probably would, too.
But this is the story of Kel Cheris and Shuos Jedao - and it's UTTERLY compelling. The tension between them, the mysterious history of Jedao, the strange world they inhabit - it makes all the difficulty worth it.
Ninefox Gambit still holds plenty of mysteries for me - which is why I'm confident I'll be back to read it again. For now - onto my reread of Raven Strategem!
I understood significantly more this time around. I read Raven Stratagem last year - which is a much more accessible read in my opinion, and it helped me to get a pretty good handle on exotics, invariants, calendrical warfare, formation instinct, etc - which were all things that mystified me for much of my first read of Ninefox Gambit.
However - I still didn't get everything. Even with a decent understanding of the background, I still found myself rereading paragraphs and entire pages to make sure I hadn't missed something. Sometimes I just had to accept that I *had* missed something and let it go. Sometimes I wasn't sure if I was even supposed to know the thing I was confused about. (Like Vahenz??? I have so many questions.)
Some people would probably find the difficulty of this book annoying or frustrating - and if it wasn't driven by such compelling characters, I probably would, too.
But this is the story of Kel Cheris and Shuos Jedao - and it's UTTERLY compelling. The tension between them, the mysterious history of Jedao, the strange world they inhabit - it makes all the difficulty worth it.
Spoiler
Not to mention!!! That the ending of this book!!!!!! Is the stuff of legends!!!!! You spend the entire book being like /I kinda feel like Jedao... definitely wants to bring down the Hexarchate... and I kinda feel like Cheris... might too..... and I definitely think the Hexarchate needs to go.../ and then after all this subtle maneuvering and all these clues (that I missed the first time because I was desperately trying to figure out what the hell was going on) Jedao says "I wasn't crazy when I killed everyone at Hellspin Fortress" and it kicks off this epic series of chapters to close the book and amazing setup for book 2!!!!! I will never forget reading this for the first time. Incredible. Yoon Ha Lee is a master.Ninefox Gambit still holds plenty of mysteries for me - which is why I'm confident I'll be back to read it again. For now - onto my reread of Raven Strategem!
centaurea's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25