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dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-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:
Complicated
Suuuper slow to start and largely confusing but overall an interesting book with intriguing twists and turns.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
dark
mysterious
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
adventurous
dark
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:
Complicated
oh my god ohhhhhhh my god oh my GOD
my poor doomed-by-the-narrative girls
my poor doomed-by-the-narrative girls
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
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
I loved this book. The 2 major complaints I've seen in reviews of this book are that the worldbuilding is flimsy, they all seem to use the same word, and the main POV is just an edgy teen. I'm not gonna deny these because they are sort of true, but I think they work in this context. Not every book needs chapters upon chapters dedicated to explaining every intricacy of how the world works, and this book is a mystery. Plus the edgy teen POV character doesn't know much and so we see the world through her eyes.
Speaking of Gideon Nav, she is one of 2 children of the ninth house and she's been an indentured servant her whole life, so I think she is probably correct in being a bit of an edgy teen. Plus I think as the story progresses we get to see a lot more of the nuance to Gideon as she gets closer to the people around her and as all of their lives begin to fall apart.
Here come the major spoilers, literally all about the very end, don't read this I'd you're gonna read the book.
Gideon's sacrifice to Harrow at the end was tragic, painful, and beautiful all at the same time. Obviously in the moment Gideon is choosing to give up her life to give Harrow the power to stop this monster and lyctor intent on destroying them. And that's powerful enough, but I think there is so much more. Gideon isn't just forcing Harrow to become a Lyctor herself, she is also essentially in a way completing the spell that was used to conceve Harrow in the first place. The ninth house killed 200 children and teens so that the monarchs could conceive a necromancer, but Gideon held out, she was supposed to die but was too stubborn, or maybe there's more too it (I have theories), and now as an 18 year old she finally gave up her life to create a new more powerful Harrow just like Harrow's parents tried to do 17 years ago.
I just think it's genuinely a really gorgeous and painful moment.
Speaking of Gideon Nav, she is one of 2 children of the ninth house and she's been an indentured servant her whole life, so I think she is probably correct in being a bit of an edgy teen. Plus I think as the story progresses we get to see a lot more of the nuance to Gideon as she gets closer to the people around her and as all of their lives begin to fall apart.
Here come the major spoilers, literally all about the very end, don't read this I'd you're gonna read the book.
Gideon's sacrifice to Harrow at the end was tragic, painful, and beautiful all at the same time. Obviously in the moment Gideon is choosing to give up her life to give Harrow the power to stop this monster and lyctor intent on destroying them. And that's powerful enough, but I think there is so much more. Gideon isn't just forcing Harrow to become a Lyctor herself, she is also essentially in a way completing the spell that was used to conceve Harrow in the first place. The ninth house killed 200 children and teens so that the monarchs could conceive a necromancer, but Gideon held out, she was supposed to die but was too stubborn, or maybe there's more too it (I have theories), and now as an 18 year old she finally gave up her life to create a new more powerful Harrow just like Harrow's parents tried to do 17 years ago.
I just think it's genuinely a really gorgeous and painful moment.