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cuteasamuntin's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Death, Gore, Violence, Grief, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Eating disorder, Genocide, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, and War
Minor: Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Drug use, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Vomit, Murder, and Dysphoria
emalderwood's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
- I don't know how Tamsyn Muir manages to make you love so many characters at once (I didn't think I'd ever love anyone as much as Gideon, but this book had so many people to love).
- I don't have any idea who Nona is but I love her.
- I can't wait to see what happens next because I know it's going to be epic.
Moderate: Body horror, Gore, Gun violence, Blood, and Vomit
Minor: Drug use, Eating disorder, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Terminal illness, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Mass/school shootings, War, and Injury/Injury detail
julesadventurezone's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I love Nona's little family very much and cried about them several times toward the end of this book.
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death, Chronic illness, Drug use, Eating disorder, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical content, Grief, Murder, Alcohol, and Colonisation
Minor: Sexual violence and Police brutality
ebp's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Body horror, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, and Car accident
k_aro's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Off the bat, Nona's internal narrative is much more loving and caring than Gideon and Harrow, which is to say I spent so much more of GtN and HtN actively being confused and annoyed by the various characters, where in Nona they're a lot more understandable. NtN really does pull out to look at what the TLT-verse looks like outside of the Houses (and to a certain degree that life outside of them are in fact so fruitful and lively, which is something I just couldn't really imagine previously).
Ianthe is worse than ever, which is a compliment because I love how terrible she is. Muir really excels at the most horrifying relationships, experienced through shreds of narrative. I agree that NtN really feels like a prologue, but frankly a prologue to what I could not say; this seems to be a running TLT joke where each book is just more confusing and more disorienting than the last. Truly, I could not imagine what Alecto will do.
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Genocide, Gun violence, Incest, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Violence, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, Dysphoria, and War
Minor: Terminal illness
Terminal Illness:shottel's review against another edition
- 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
Still, I would say it’s better than Gideon and a mark worse than Harrow - which is to say, it’s very good. I had a harder time following the plot than before, and while Muir makes great strides with diversity in this book, it sometimes comes off a tad awkward (like in the repeated misgendering of a character with they/them pronouns, just for them to correct themselves). But those are pretty small problems compared to the rest of this deeply dark and funny novel. If you liked Gideon and Harrow, I highly recommend it.
Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Violence, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Eating disorder, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Transphobia, Medical content, and Alcohol
Minor: Drug use, Sexual violence, Vomit, and Trafficking
bluestjuice's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Nona is so, incredibly, real. This is one of Muir's great talents - despite writing a series that is utterly over-the-top space melodrama with gothic elements and skeletons and necromantic flourishes all over everything, they nevertheless create people that feel and act utterly peopley. Many authors can't convincingly write youthful characters even in ordinary circumstances; Muir portrays Nona's uncomprehending childishness in a way that is genuine and feels both true to the experience of the young without being the least bit saccharine. I loved Nona, entirely, and her protagonism resonated with me vigorously despite the twisty, adult, machination-y web of deceit and plotting that surrounded her nearly every step of the way.
This is the third book in the series, which I have waited for a long time, and which I should clearly have bothered to do a re-read of previous to this because the lore here is deep and the references are layered in as thickly as Griddle's skull makeup back in <i>Gideon the Ninth</i>. On the other hand, having now skidded out the other side (I'm not kidding: I read the last 100 pages in a rare frenzy of <i><b>you don't understand I cannot put this down until I know what happens</b></i>), I have a burning desire to go re-read everything through again, to line up pieces and notice all the many things I'm sure I missed or didn't realize the significance of at the moment they were deployed.
Anyway, I don't even feel qualified to review this really because my emotions are leaking out all over the place and I don't know what to say to explain how enjoyable I find this series and this installment. In all its infuriating circuitous mystery. I can't believe I have to keep waiting to find out what happens next.
Graphic: Body horror, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Blood, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Grief, Colonisation, Dysphoria, and War
Minor: Child death, Eating disorder, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, and Toxic friendship
krystaldelusion's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
nittiotvaan's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Body horror, Gore, and Blood
Moderate: Death, Eating disorder, Gun violence, Medical content, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, and Vomit
booksthatburn's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
The worldbuilding gets more of a chance to breathe this time around. GIDEON THE NINTH was a murder mystery until other things started being much more important. HARROW THE NINTH is a fever dream of confusion which suddenly snaps into coherence at the 90% mark. NONA THE NINTH is a breath, pausing for a story which has a clear framework, a lovable protagonist, and a sense of rhythm and pattern to her days. This calm amidst the storm is ripped open by a descent into war and the deterioration of her body as the day approaches when the Locked Tomb will open. I like the interludes as John tells the story of how this started. These sections helped with pacing and framing, as well as bringing the extremely welcome event of someone actually explaining what the fuck is going on for once.
As the third book in the series, NONA THE NINTH continues Several things begun in earlier books, specifically, but not only, the fates of a great many characters such as Camila and Palamedes. There's so much in each book that it's very difficult to know which details will be picked up later and which ones have been completely handled in their first treatment, but this does eventually give some answers about things first raised in earlier books. There’s an entirely new storyline related to Nona, her relative newness, and everyone she cares about at home and the school. She’s just so happy in a way that incorporates strangeness and allows for a joking grotesquerie, effortlessly finding beauty in weirdness. It also leaves a huge thing for later, promising that the Locked Tomb will be opened, even counting down to that promised day before leaving the aftermath of its opening to be handled in the next book, ALECTO THE NINTH.
There are many fewer memes than the previous books, but the few that are in there are expertly chosen to devastating effect. There's one near the very end that I refuse to spoil which threads the needs between fantastically illustrating the meaning of the surrounding text and needing to be imperceptible to anyone not already in the know. I applaud the execution of it, even if by its nature it's frustrating that this is what the author decided to include. Masterfully done, I tip my cap.
As was the case for HARROW THE NINTH, if someone tried to read this as their introduction to the series, it would likely make sense almost all the way through... and then the ending would be strange and sideways because it relies on several things established in previous books as well as bringing many returning characters who have been more thoroughly introduced elsewhere. Also, the way that the John interludes are explaining how things came to be like this would be a bit strange without the grounding provided in GTN and HTN.
I think this is my favorite book in the whole series, and I'm looking forward to what ALECTO THE NINTH brings.
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Eating disorder, Gore, Violence, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Animal death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Genocide, Gun violence, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Ableism, Cancer, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Infertility, Panic attacks/disorders, Torture, Excrement, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment