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abakedwaffle86's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicide, Violence, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Terminal illness, and Medical content
This book is the first in a line of wonderfully written lesbian space necromancer nun goodness. I have listened to this multiples times and will keep coming back to it in the future!gallifreya'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
You're thrown in to a universe through the mind of Gideon Nav, a mind that doesn't totally comprehend or know either her own past, the state of the empire she plays a part in, or the necromantic powers that hold it all together. It's not so much unreliable narrator, as it is an uninformed narrator. But this doesn't prevent her perspective on the world around her being just enough to draw you in to a wholly new environment, the kind that makes new sci-fantasy so delicious.
The prose is beautiful and at times lyrical and creative, showing off Muir's command of the English language (that really shines in her names). This is juxtaposed expertly with the reality of how Gideon and the child-rulers around her actually speak and think. You're not getting treacly, archaic dialogue of kings and sages non-stop, and it adds a fun and refreshing tone to the book totally appropriate to the character of Gideon.
The characters are complex and reacting to a system you can't quite see - perhaps the only time the book faltered for me was when I briefly could not comprehend why anyone was acting the way they were acting. But ultimately, they're disgustingly bizarre and lovable (if this is your kind of book, they will be your kind of people, at least). As a researcher who will square tf up at a moment notice, I had a particular soft spot for Palamedes and Camilla. But even the ones you hate, you love to hate them, because Gideon loves to hate them.
The plot rarely languishes, and if it does, it's on purpose (Gideon's early entrapment in the Ninth House, for example). And it revels in the idea that life - and people - don't make narrative sense; the brief if frantic sprint for one, two, [...], nine punches nearly made my head spin, but ultimately made me desperate for more. It's a mystery, but not really one you can hope to solve through the eyes of Gideon. This is part of what makes her such an enjoyable narrator, and makes me so grateful Muir opted for this perspective over Harrow's. And it all ends in a crescendo of threats and last-last-final-v4-ditch efforts characteristic of the best of 80s and 90s sci-fi. (If you're ridiculous about the only two women characters on a spaceship who speak maybe three times across an entire series/movie, this one's for you.)
My one issue was that I was left wondering why. Yes, it's a commentary on the bizarre the things our religion, society, cultures, and family ask of us when we can see them from the outside - the nature of duty. Yes, it's a commentary on fate and choice. But to what end? Maybe I just haven't read the rest of the trilogy; maybe the lack of the point is the point itself. Or maybe I'm just used to being punched on the nose with subtext from too much Star Trek. But this is the only thing that knocks off the .25 for me. It's not stopping me from IMMEDIATELY buying the next instalment. You should read this book.
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Suicide, and Death of parent
Moderate: Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Terminal illness, and Blood
Minor: Cursing and War
ayeitsdaye'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
4.75
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Physical abuse, Slavery, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Religious bigotry, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Cancer, Chronic illness, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Gore, Medical content, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Child death and Pandemic/Epidemic
afroonyx_'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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, and Physical abuse
d12inspiration'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
5.0
Time for spoilers!:
Regarding the marketing of this book:
Graphic: Body horror, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Genocide, Gore, Self harm, Suicide, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Bullying, Confinement, and Grief
Minor: Abandonment
olivi_yeah's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Gore, Suicide, Terminal illness, Medical content, Suicide attempt, and Toxic friendship
mhaap's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
2.0
Moderate: Death, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Death of parent
Minor: Child abuse, Confinement, Genocide, Gaslighting, and Abandonment
wickedgrumpy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Minor: Ableism, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Infertility, Mental illness, Self harm, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic
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: Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Gore, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Bullying, Cancer, Chronic illness, Cursing, Blood, and Death of parent
Minor: Child death, Confinement, Genocide, Infertility, Mental illness, Medical content, Cannibalism, and Religious bigotry
connanro's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, and Violence
Moderate: Child abuse