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4.27 AVERAGE
4.27 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
four stars because the beginning of this book is a bit abrupt for my tastes and it takes a while to really get going. based on other reviews, i’m not the only one who felt like the plot was hard to keep up with at the start—but once you get the hang of this book it’s impossible to put down. i also felt like the humor was a bit iffy at times, though i generally loved gideon’s personality and it was a delight to view the world through her eyes.
the yearning… the tension… the gut-wrenching, soul-consuming heartbreak… there really is nothing quite like the feeling you get after finishing a book that hollowed you out and put you back together again.
the following quotes are directly responsible for the insanity i’m experiencing right now:
”That’s all it takes, Griddle? That’s all you demand?”
“That’s all I ever demanded.”
”Life is a tragedy. Left behind by those who pass away, not able to change anything at all. It’s the total lack of control…”
”Strike me down. You’ve won. I’ve lived my whole wretched life at your mercy, yours alone, and God knows I deserve to die at your hand. You are my only friend. I am undone without you.”
”I will never ask anything of you, ever again, if you just give me back the life of Gideon Nav.”
the yearning… the tension… the gut-wrenching, soul-consuming heartbreak… there really is nothing quite like the feeling you get after finishing a book that hollowed you out and put you back together again.
the following quotes are directly responsible for the insanity i’m experiencing right now:
”That’s all it takes, Griddle? That’s all you demand?”
“That’s all I ever demanded.”
”Life is a tragedy. Left behind by those who pass away, not able to change anything at all. It’s the total lack of control…”
”Strike me down. You’ve won. I’ve lived my whole wretched life at your mercy, yours alone, and God knows I deserve to die at your hand. You are my only friend. I am undone without you.”
”I will never ask anything of you, ever again, if you just give me back the life of Gideon Nav.”
I am reeling. I have just finished this book, and the propulsive last ~70 pages are the most astonishing chunk of fiction I've read in years, possibly decades. I am overwhelmed, gasping for breath. Revelation after discovery after sudden interruption after twist.
Okay, let's back up a little. This book is about lesbian necromancers in space (well, they're not really in space much, but it's sci-fi). The necromancy is clever and well thought out and scientific-y, the characters are wonderful, there's a part where it's like a delightful morbid cozy mystery, and then it just keeps building and building until the ending is one blow to the brain and heart after another.
If you start this book and think, "Huh, fine, I guess, but not really superior" I was in that same place, and it's a trick. Muir eases you in at first, and then after a while drags you along, and then later begins to toss you ahead, without the least concern for how you're going to handle ALL OF THIS MAGNIFICENCE and really I'm still not sure how I'm going to process this book or wait for Harrow the Ninth to be released because I cannot imagine the months until I get to continue reading, breathing, living all this spectacularly magical writing. I seriously cannot figure out how those last pages could have been put together. It's too much. Too good.
Read this. Read it now.
Okay, let's back up a little. This book is about lesbian necromancers in space (well, they're not really in space much, but it's sci-fi). The necromancy is clever and well thought out and scientific-y, the characters are wonderful, there's a part where it's like a delightful morbid cozy mystery, and then it just keeps building and building until the ending is one blow to the brain and heart after another.
If you start this book and think, "Huh, fine, I guess, but not really superior" I was in that same place, and it's a trick. Muir eases you in at first, and then after a while drags you along, and then later begins to toss you ahead, without the least concern for how you're going to handle ALL OF THIS MAGNIFICENCE and really I'm still not sure how I'm going to process this book or wait for Harrow the Ninth to be released because I cannot imagine the months until I get to continue reading, breathing, living all this spectacularly magical writing. I seriously cannot figure out how those last pages could have been put together. It's too much. Too good.
Read this. Read it now.
adventurous
dark
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
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
adventurous
dark
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:
No
Gideon the Ninth was so, so fun to read. How could it not be? As the quote on the cover says, it’s about “lesbian necromancers exploring a gothic haunted palace in space!” Gideon is reluctantly along for the ride with her childhood nemesis/fearless leader/terrifying necromancer, Harrowhark. While I was reading it, I was often picking up on kind of bizarre writing choices from Muir, like the following sentence:
“She kept looking at Gideon with the screwed-up eyes of someone who had been handed an egg for safekeeping and was surrounded by egg-hunting snakes.”
Reading that made me laugh, but I also thought “why would you say it like that??” But as I read more, I had the realization that these were not bizarre writing choices so much as Muir knowing her protagonist. Gideon is not a typical fantasy/sci-fi protagonist. She doesn't care about the powerful mysteries surrounding the ascension to Lyctorhood… She wants to punch people and swing her sword. In other terms: she’s a jock surrounded by a bunch of people doing nerd shit. The entire book, she just… doesn’t notice key plot developments. She describes happenings in the strangest ways, mostly trying to figure out whether or not she will have to start or finish a fight. It’s so silly, but on the other hand, it’s also awesome. Which, I think, is a good summary of the entire book.
“She kept looking at Gideon with the screwed-up eyes of someone who had been handed an egg for safekeeping and was surrounded by egg-hunting snakes.”
Reading that made me laugh, but I also thought “why would you say it like that??” But as I read more, I had the realization that these were not bizarre writing choices so much as Muir knowing her protagonist. Gideon is not a typical fantasy/sci-fi protagonist. She doesn't care about the powerful mysteries surrounding the ascension to Lyctorhood… She wants to punch people and swing her sword. In other terms: she’s a jock surrounded by a bunch of people doing nerd shit. The entire book, she just… doesn’t notice key plot developments. She describes happenings in the strangest ways, mostly trying to figure out whether or not she will have to start or finish a fight. It’s so silly, but on the other hand, it’s also awesome. Which, I think, is a good summary of the entire book.
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I think im in a reading slump where nothing is hitting the spot and everything is falling flat.
There was nothing wrong with this book I just couldnt connect, there was a lot of characters and I just wasnt motivated to try to figure out who was who. I listened to the audiobook and at times I really like the narration and then other times I found it annoying. I felt like I got dropped in the middle of an epic series where everyone was already expected to know all the terms and that the foundational world building was complete and already communicated to the reader. I feel like it was a me issue that something just wasnt clicking for me to fall into the story. Maybe I should have tried it on paper and not audiobook.
I don't see me reading anymore of. this series.
There was nothing wrong with this book I just couldnt connect, there was a lot of characters and I just wasnt motivated to try to figure out who was who. I listened to the audiobook and at times I really like the narration and then other times I found it annoying. I felt like I got dropped in the middle of an epic series where everyone was already expected to know all the terms and that the foundational world building was complete and already communicated to the reader. I feel like it was a me issue that something just wasnt clicking for me to fall into the story. Maybe I should have tried it on paper and not audiobook.
I don't see me reading anymore of. this series.
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
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
MY DARLING GIDEON!!!!!
I remember being obsessed with this series when I first read it. I simply love this and I cannot wait for Alecto. I do think that it is an acquired taste though, because I do understand why people may not like this book as well.
(more to come, its been a while since i read this and i’ll probably finish the review for this, Harrow, and Nona when Alecto comes out and I have a chance to reread this. The wait is long, but I really recommend this if you want something new in a book.)
I remember being obsessed with this series when I first read it. I simply love this and I cannot wait for Alecto. I do think that it is an acquired taste though, because I do understand why people may not like this book as well.
(more to come, its been a while since i read this and i’ll probably finish the review for this, Harrow, and Nona when Alecto comes out and I have a chance to reread this. The wait is long, but I really recommend this if you want something new in a book.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Emotional abuse
Minor: Violence