Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

Gideon the Ninth, by Tamsyn Muir

40 reviews

arobear's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny 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

5.0

So conflicted on rating this book. In my heart I know it's a 5...

Spoiler

(but honestly the ending killed me and I want to yell for a long time.... I'm not sure I'm going to be ok anytime soon...)

but my feelings are complicated to put it best. I'll 100% be rereading it in the future though, and the sequels one I give myself a minute to recover. 

Worldbuilding and character development are excellent; the setting feels mysterious throughout and (for better or worse) I love the characters. They're my shitty little children now! 

Be ready for strong emotions though, fair warning. 

Spoiler

I want to see where it goes with the necromancers in space thread next. Not sure it will be for a while though.... just ugh my heart, I have so many feelings...

 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Abandonment, Slavery, Suicide, and Violence

Moderate: Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, and Self harm

Minor: Vomit, Adult/minor relationship, and Confinement

possibilityleft's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Toxic relationship, Grief, Gore, Child abuse, Torture, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Cancer, Body horror, Self harm, Religious bigotry, Murder, Medical content, Genocide, Death, Cannibalism, Blood, Terminal illness, Medical trauma, Injury/injury detail, Death of parent, Child death, Abandonment, and Physical abuse

eatingbrains's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

At the end of this book I experienced emotional damage and I fully expect it to make me cry again on re-reading in the future.

I went into this book knowing almost nothing beyond the tag line of Lesbian Necromancers in Space and that it was genre-bending for sci-fi and fantasy.  That was enough to sell me on reading it, even though I heard mixed things.

Did it deliver on those premises?  Mostly.  There are characters that identified as women and showed attraction/flirted with others that also identified as women, some of those characters were also necromancers.  With regards to being in space, there is very limited space shuttle travel, so I don't know that I would really quantify it that way, though there is ample room for that to change for the future in the series.

This book was indeed a crossover between sci-fi and fantasy in that it involved a technologically advanced civilization (space travel, and such) but with the deep roots of necromancy that almost took it into dark academia territory.  The necromancers are all obsessed in learning new theorems/spells and figuring out things in their specializations, and there are also trials they have to pass and mysteries to solve before they can advance.

There's a lot of tension because it is a competition and you don't really begin to understand the stakes until Act II and then the full whammy hits you near the end.

Also, I feel like I have a conspiracy theory based on the epilogue/info peppered throughout the book so click for spoilers, I guess:

Spoiler

Okay, so Gideon did not die with all the other children even though she was close to the vents for 10 minutes and her parents were hella scared about that.  In the epilogue, the Emperor says they couldn't retrieve Camilla (who was last seen alive) or Gideon's bodies so what if Harrow has Gideon's soul, but like, the body/vessel is still alive?  And Camilla managed to be resourceful because she definitely is wicked smart and they escaped the First planet...?  Or hid until they left?  I dunno.  Maybe I just don't want Gideon to be dead because her gay panic was so relatable.  And everyone else.  I loved the Fourth teens with their perpetual embarrassment and the Fifth cav Magnus was so sweet...

 

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Abandonment, Body horror, Cursing, Suicide, Torture, Medical content, Murder, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Blood, Injury/injury detail, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Cancer, Death, Slavery, Death of parent, Grief, Infertility, Terminal illness, Bullying, Chronic illness, Child abuse, Classism, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Gore, Child death, Stalking, and War

psitstorrie's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

I love this book so much. The prose can be a bit dense at times but the story is entertaining and the characters and dynamics are incredible, with a really interesting and unique plot. 

This book, as well as the next two in the series, share a problem of pacing though. They end in cliffhangers, and the resolution to said cliffhangers is not provided for a very long time. I won’t say the payoff isn’t worth it, bc for me it is, but for some it may not be. Also word of warning, the second book is mostly written in a second person point of view, which is extremely difficult to adjust to, so keep that in mind if you are considering starting this series. There’s reason for it, but it can get frustrating.

That being said, this book (and series) makes me foam at the mouth and makes me want to run through the streets screaming (\pos) and the characters are so complex and interesting and I love them dearly. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Murder, Violence, Gore, Blood, Death, Death of parent, and Body horror

thewickedbookworm's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious tense fast-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

5.0

This is immediately my favorite book of January, and I wouldn't be surprised if it makes my top 10 of the year. I was not expecting the emotional toll and I need to read the sequels immediately. Tamsyn Muir is now an auto-buy author for me.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Suicide, Murder, Physical abuse, Bullying, Child death, Injury/injury detail, Terminal illness, Death of parent, Gore, and Death

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Blood, Body horror, Cannibalism, and Torture

Minor: Religious bigotry, Panic attacks/disorders, War, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Cursing, Abandonment, Blood, Grief, Self harm, Cancer, and Medical content

Spoiler

Mass child murder/sacrifice is a major plot device. Two teenagers are murdered in violent ways. Suicide is a major plot device, including parental suicide.

This is a bloody book full of necromantic characters, supported by personal warriors, who have varyingly dubious morals frequently caused by childhood trauma. There is no sexual violence or animal harm, but most other triggers can be found in this story.

horriblehorrid's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny mysterious 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

5.0

Easily in my top five favorites this whole series is amazing. Expect to have no clue what's going on ever, but to be able to go back after every new reveal and see how the new info plays into the stuff you didn't get the first time thru. very well done plot. A+ characters too. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Abandonment, Body horror, Death, Bullying, Child abuse, and Death of parent

Minor: Suicide

elizmoe's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense slow-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? It's complicated

4.75

regarding the ending: from the bottom of my heart, tamsyn muir — you can get bent (affectionate) (mostly. i’m mad but i get it but also i want them to be in love but also i guess that’s what fan fiction is for. you’re on thin ice tho))
.
.
.
.
actual review:
half the time i had no idea what was going on, but i didn’t care because i was having an incredible time. i wish more books were this unapologetically ambitious with genre, plot, and world building. i’m absolutely feral to start harrow the ninth!!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Medical content, Vomit, Child death, Body horror, Grief, Suicide, Murder, Violence, Gore, and Cursing

Moderate: Abandonment and War

_teoeo's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny mysterious sad 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? Yes

4.0

~3,75 ⭐

It took me so freaking long to finish this!! Also, it was the wrong decision to read the book in English instead of my native language because ngl there was a lot that I didn't understand (even though 90% of the books I read are in English). The final fight was too long for my liking, but all in all it was a good book. I enjoyed it (at least the parts I understood :')) and already bought the second book. Also, I really liked gideon

Spoiler

and I'm really shocked that she died!!

(may or may not she's now one of my fictional crushes)

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Murder, Suicide, Violence, Cancer, Death, Death of parent, Gore, Body horror, Injury/injury detail, and Bullying

Moderate: Child death and Abandonment

tigerproofrock's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny mysterious medium-paced

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

3.25

This book is not what I expected. By leaps and bounds it’s main strength is the narrator’s hilarious, irreverent tone. The plot itself couldn’t be less interesting to me. I kept expecting I was going to stop reading it, but finished it solely to keep hearing the protagonist talk shit about everyone (including, and especially, herself). 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Death, Murder, Gore, Blood, Toxic friendship, Terminal illness, Medical trauma, and Bullying

Moderate: Abandonment and Emotional abuse

ljausten05's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Injury/injury detail, Murder, Terminal illness, Toxic friendship, Suicide attempt, Gore, Toxic relationship, and Vomit

Moderate: Colonisation, War, Abandonment, and Confinement