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prowitchhazel's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-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? No
5.0
I think this may be my first 5 star book of the year. Will definitely have to reread with dictionaries nearby because the author gave my vocabulary a workout.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Suicide
Minor: Cannibalism
drjoannehill's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-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? Yes
5.0
Science fantasy horror all mixed together. Slow at first, I had an immense amount of questions but went along with it and most of them were answered by the end, although I am still not sure about a few things. There's a lot packed in here - closed room murder mystery, scholarly/sorcerous quest, development of friendships and betrayal ... All set among necromancers and their cavaliers (bodyguards) in a solar system empire that is 10,000 years old and quite rotten, with a competition to find the next generation of like super necromancers. There's a dry sense of humour and wit sprinkled throughout. Definitely looking forward to the rest of the series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Suicide, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cancer and Grief
alaskachan's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
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? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, and Violence
Moderate: Cancer, Child death, Suicide, and Death of parent
Minor: Cannibalism and War
flora_arns's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.25
Great book though. Super unique world-building, great character development, intriguing story. Lost some points as I struggled to get into it, and I found myself lost at several parts. But that might have been because I listened to this as an audiobook. I think a re-read as a physical book would up my rating to at least a 4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, and Gore
Minor: Child death, Suicide, and Death of parent
bhard07'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? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Cancer, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Gore, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, and War
d12inspiration's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
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? Yes
5.0
This was fantastic. I'm fresh off finishing the book so it's hard to articulate the ways that I loved it, but know that the love is there.
Time for spoilers!:God, I REALLY hope that the people who went missing at the end of this book make a mean comeback in HTN. I love Camilla SO much, and I'm very curious to see a post-Canaan Coronabeth now that Ianthe has ascended to Lyctorhood.
Regarding the marketing of this book:I think it the way this book is often pitched might lean a little too much into the "lesbian enemies to lovers" thing. And I get it, it's an easy way to communicate a major development in your story. But just so readers know, this burn is SLOW. Like, it takes almost the entire book slow. And I love that! But in the age of BookTok and its frank obsession with "spiciness" and slapping generalized labels on anything published, just know that this love is not the speed at which a BookTok recommendation may go, nor will it go as far. They don't even kiss. But it's deliberate, it's complicated, and it's REAL. These lesbians hate each other for extremely sound reasons, and the means by which they overcome that hatred is well-paced and SLOW. Just so excited lesbians like myself know exactly how the roadmap is looking.
Time for spoilers!:
Regarding the marketing of this book:
Content Warnings
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
vic_to_ria's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I am still shook by the end like wow.
I loved it, I loved Gideon, I loved Harrow, I loved all the side characters that didn’t matter but did. THE HUMOR OMG I laughed so much reading this because the main character is just an everyday teen pretending to be a silent nun and is having a blast. Which can I just say love that everyone was sapphic and falling for Gideon like what a fun time (no confirmed couple). And all of this in the middle of a murder mystery we stan.
On a more serious note the world building was beautifully morbid and while at times I didn’t know 100% what was going on the base layer vibes and descriptions made up for it and what I mean by that is the author gave such a good base explanation/example of the atmosphere/place that you can build off of it and go along with the story easily. For example the first time we enter the setting we spend 80% of this book in its described as an old crumbling once marvellous while castle on a cliff- that maps out the inside and outside areas of this setting that even if you miss smaller setting descriptions in the middle of the action you know what a courtyard or garden in a castle looks like in this world and can fill in the blank. At least for me.
That plot-twist that last chapter killed me on a spiritual level and I don’t think I will recover.
I 100% recommend this for anyone who loves Sci-fi/Fantasy fusions because I felt that this did this wonderfully like necromancers in space??? Amazing. If you’re coming from fantasy it will take awhile to get into but sci-fi lovers will eat this up.
I loved it, I loved Gideon, I loved Harrow, I loved all the side characters that didn’t matter but did. THE HUMOR OMG I laughed so much reading this because the main character is just an everyday teen pretending to be a silent nun and is having a blast. Which can I just say love that everyone was sapphic and falling for Gideon like what a fun time (no confirmed couple). And all of this in the middle of a murder mystery we stan.
On a more serious note the world building was beautifully morbid and while at times I didn’t know 100% what was going on the base layer vibes and descriptions made up for it and what I mean by that is the author gave such a good base explanation/example of the atmosphere/place that you can build off of it and go along with the story easily. For example the first time we enter the setting we spend 80% of this book in its described as an old crumbling once marvellous while castle on a cliff- that maps out the inside and outside areas of this setting that even if you miss smaller setting descriptions in the middle of the action you know what a courtyard or garden in a castle looks like in this world and can fill in the blank. At least for me.
That plot-twist that last chapter killed me on a spiritual level and I don’t think I will recover.
I 100% recommend this for anyone who loves Sci-fi/Fantasy fusions because I felt that this did this wonderfully like necromancers in space??? Amazing. If you’re coming from fantasy it will take awhile to get into but sci-fi lovers will eat this up.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Blood
Minor: Suicide, Terminal illness, and Death of parent
olivi_yeah's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
slow-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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Gore, Suicide, Terminal illness, Medical content, Suicide attempt, and Toxic friendship
nexon's review against another edition
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? It's complicated
4.25
Honestly, really good. I didn't quite jive with the humour, which often ruined my immersion, but aside from that I enjoyed it thoroughly.
The world was extremely interesting. It's definitely inclined more towards fantasy than sci-fi, but the elements are still there. In fantasy works, necromancy is too often presented as some kind of dark, unethical magic that only evil people participate in, so it's certainly refreshing to have that not only be a common form of magic in the world, but the main (only?) form.
Gideon was kind of annoying to me. She was okay, I just don't really like when characters are snarky in every single line of dialogue they have. It made her, and at times the book, feel extremely juvenile—especially when she talked to more eloquent characters like Harrow. Most of the other characters were great, though, and even the ones I disliked were still well-written and had distinct voices and personalities. (Minor spoiler? Tagging it just in case, no names mentioned)The deaths didn't feel cheap or slotted in for shock value. They may have been avoidable, but they were reasonable, and many of them made me sad.
The ending wasn't quite unexpected, but it was still shocking. I do admire the author for being able to have an ending that both makes sense and makes my jaw drop, but I can't say I'm happy with it.Gideon and Harrow's tenuous relationship resulting in Harrow absorbing her soul is somewhat pertinent, I think, but I was really hoping to see more of them together in the next book. Judging by the preview for Harrow the Ninth, there will instead be a lot more of Ianthe, which I'm not particularly looking forward to. Basically, it was fitting, but not satisfying.
In a vacuum, the book is 5 stars. With my issues with Gideon, the humour, and the ending, I knocked it down to 4.25. However, I will absolutely be continuing with the series.
The world was extremely interesting. It's definitely inclined more towards fantasy than sci-fi, but the elements are still there. In fantasy works, necromancy is too often presented as some kind of dark, unethical magic that only evil people participate in, so it's certainly refreshing to have that not only be a common form of magic in the world, but the main (only?) form.
Gideon was kind of annoying to me. She was okay, I just don't really like when characters are snarky in every single line of dialogue they have. It made her, and at times the book, feel extremely juvenile—especially when she talked to more eloquent characters like Harrow. Most of the other characters were great, though, and even the ones I disliked were still well-written and had distinct voices and personalities. (Minor spoiler? Tagging it just in case, no names mentioned)
The ending wasn't quite unexpected, but it was still shocking. I do admire the author for being able to have an ending that both makes sense and makes my jaw drop, but I can't say I'm happy with it.
In a vacuum, the book is 5 stars. With my issues with Gideon, the humour, and the ending, I knocked it down to 4.25. However, I will absolutely be continuing with the series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Blood
Moderate: Suicide and Terminal illness
jelliclejules'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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Death, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Chronic illness, Self harm, Suicide, Terminal illness, Grief, and Cannibalism
Minor: Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Genocide, Infertility, Miscarriage, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and War