Reviews tagging 'War'

Ninefox Gambit by Yoon Ha Lee

32 reviews

jesshaleth's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious 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? It's complicated

3.25

I understood about 65% of this book. Read 100% of it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Body horror, Suicidal thoughts, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , War, and Gore

Moderate: Confinement, Child death, and Rape

pedanther's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, War, Violence, Suicide attempt, and Rape

Moderate: Body horror, Colonisation, Blood, Confinement, Grief, Mental illness, Sexual content, Torture, and Xenophobia

Minor: Ableism, Drug use, Gun violence, Slavery, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Alcohol, Bullying, Child death, Classism, and Cursing

m3lwar3's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark tense fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Violence, War, and Murder

Moderate: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Violence, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Grief, Genocide, Suicide attempt, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Murder, Mental illness, Gun violence, Death, and Colonisation

Minor: Gaslighting, Cursing, and Blood

bea_evans's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.25

Very confusing book. Strange world, hard to know what was going on. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Suicidal thoughts, Gore, Rape, Blood, Death, Violence, War, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, and Gun violence

Moderate: Torture, Suicide, and Murder

hexillith's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective 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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Death, and War

Moderate: Rape and Genocide

zimmerea's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-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

4.75

Incredibly cool fantasy book in space with a distinct dystopian sci fi regimented society. Throws you into its action and terminology by the first page and if you can wade through it, rewards connecting dots. Great protagonists, and I love the sense of duty and moral values that intermingle and collide with such care.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Suicidal thoughts, Slavery, and Violence

Moderate: Sexual violence and Rape

grandiose_r's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Death, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Murder, Gore, Gun violence, War, and Genocide

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Torture

Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, Animal death, Suicide attempt, Panic attacks/disorders, Child death, and Suicide

ducktective's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, War, and Death

Moderate: Sexual harassment

Minor: Drug use

storyorc's review against another edition

adventurous challenging mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

The magic system masquerading as hard science is the most fascinating part of this world. Calendrical rot. Consensus reality. Exotics. Invariable ice. Carrion bombs. Every name and every description of devastation is evocative. If this were a painting, I would call it impressionist rather than realistic since I don't have a clear picture of any of the fortresses or ships, but I am clear on the many varied ways a blast from their weapons might unmake me. Perhaps most original of all is that Yoon Ha Lee, a Stanford mathematician, envisions all this resting on the back of mathematical equations rather than magic.

The two lead characters enjoy nuance in their motivations and ethics, though I was a little disappointed how Cheris becomes more a vessel to explore Jedao once he shows up than the quiet, principled captain we met in the first quarter. Luckily, Jedao is compelling. There is little to bite into in the way of secondary cast, however; the Hexarchate - their government - and the factions eating other within is more vibrant than anyone else beyond Cheris and Jedao. Being drip-fed information about them through their manners, meetings, and machines was as good fun as any murder mystery. I would have swapped about 10% of the military talk for another strong character who stuck around - especially an antagonist, as there were a couple intriguing prospects - but the fans of military SF this book targets might disagree.

I imagine my rating would increase upon a re-read since I would understand more of the lingo and implications now I have the basics down*, but there wasn't quite enough to ground me in the setting and character to make me want to rush back in. The ending is bold and implies book #2 will tackle the permeability of one's identity, however, so I can't say I'm not tempted.

*This is a dirty lie; I needed about 10 more IQ points or 10% less abstract language to grasp Jedao's attack on the shields; as it was, it felt a little like a friend describing their dream. Limited to only a very high-level understanding, I don't think I was quite as wowed by his genius as intended. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape and War

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail

sofipitch's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.25

I struggled a little orienting to the world in the beginning, and that is on purpose, but a lot of what is supposed to keep your attention are these large military space battles, which isn't necessarily my favorite thing. But the end when things make it all come together is excellent. It also contains an interesting and nuanced portrayal of colonialism and the subtle/cultural ways a colonizing force can take power as well as horrible war crimes. I think if the Texicalaan series is the cultural aspect and Baru Cormorant is the brutality, this book is the most realistic for how well it captures both

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Genocide, Violence, Gore, Gun violence, and War

Moderate: Dysphoria