Reviews tagging 'War'

Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

96 reviews

clarabooksit's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Cursing, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Violence, Blood, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Grief, Alcohol, and War

zghutcheson01's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

I didn’t love it as much as the prev book and the jokes felt a bit more forced and out of place than in the first book, but it was still absolutely fantastic. I was super confused but never to the point that I was irritated, mainly because it didn’t expect you to know what was going on and if you thought you knew, you were wrong. I didn’t love the second pov but it also wasn’t something I couldn’t get over.

 

For so much of the book, I was FREAKED THE FUCK OUT about where Gideon went like ??? She’s my favorite character and you take away all memory of her??? Then you tell me she’s Jesus???? AHHHHHH

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, and Grief

Moderate: Medical content and Toxic friendship

Minor: Confinement, Colonisation, and War

irisraerah's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense fast-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

5.0

If you're looking for a book that's as awesome as it is confusing, Harrow is a great option, but you absolutely must read Gideon the Ninth first. I fell completely in love with Muir's world in this book. I'd thoughted I'd loved it before but that was a mere crush. A universe of goth and often gory magic that spends this book expanding on all of the above is exactly my cup of tea (though Harrow herself would pick a different comparison, being a fan of neither tea nor words under four syllables), all while I grew to care more and more about each of the characters involved.

Also, as a queer woman, there is something so deeply comfortable and affirming about reading a story like this, full of queer characters, relationships, and tragedy, but without queerness being the source of any tension or tragedy. Queerness is simply a fact of life in a way that feels like home, though I personally have never lived as part of a space faring necromantic society, and my swordplay has been limited to a single college fencing credit. 

A word of caution to the squeamish reader: gore and the aesthetics of gore feature strongly in this series, though this is a case where the book's cover should have warned you about that clearly enough. Despite the goriness, I find Muir's setting to actually be quite beautiful in the grotesque, and scenes that might be something of nightmare felt vivid and terrific.

Having praised the highbrow content, I'd be remiss to not mention the low: spoilers for jokes you'll want to be caught off guard by as you read them in read time.

How the hell did Muir pull off "choke me daddy," "none pizza with left beef," and "Hi, *double spoiler,* I'm Dad" in a serious book? I'm impressed.

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Gun violence, Suicide, Medical content, and Death of parent

Minor: Cancer, Sexual content, Torture, Vomit, Cannibalism, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Colonisation, and War

tymtoread's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

4.5

I'm honestly more confused ending it than I was starting it, but I kindof love it. Its a huge tone shift from Gideon The Ninth, which makes it feel like a completely different series, but I just love Harrow's character so.. I thought the play with second and third person was super f*ckin cool, which just made what happened later ALL the more fun. Muir does a great job of hiding the truth of literally everything from you until she deems you fit to know, which is a surefire way to keep me invested in the story. I desperately need answers and certain resolutions to come about so hopefully Book 3 doesn't disappoint. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Blood, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Sexual content

everie's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Very interesting, but definitely a book that took me a long time to finish. A much more serious in tone sequel to Gideon the Ninth. Sometimes felt like it needed an editor to step in and ask if a long long section was really REALLY necessary, but Muir is one of the only authors I know who can have a character use every word in the thesaurus in one line and let loose with a meme in the next. Sparks joy ngl

Hm. Hmmmmmm. Either way, still love some disaster lesbians in necro-space!! Might need some recovery time before the next one.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and War

Moderate: Body horror, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Terminal illness

msradiosilence's review against another edition

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail

possibilityleft's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Dementia, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Dysphoria, War, and Injury/Injury detail

catgirlforyou's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious 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? No

5.0

When I first picked up this book, I was incredibly sick with Covid. Covid-brained me could not handle the second person after the ending of the first book. It took me quite a few months to finish, and honestly, it was a bit of a confusing slog for the first 3/4.

HOWEVER, it is all for a higher purpose with AN INCREDIBLY REWARDING PAYOFF. Once I got to that point where I sort of figured out what was going on, I went “OH THAT IS WHY!!!” A phenomenal narrative framework that really does the story justice. I have the urge to read it from the beginning with this knowledge in mind.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Grief, and War

rainydaycookies's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Murder, and War

guessgreenleaf's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Blood, and Murder

Moderate: Addiction and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Minor: Genocide, Sexual content, Grief, Death of parent, and War