Reviews tagging 'Torture'

Gideon la Neuvième by Tamsyn Muir

63 reviews

tobibi's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny sad 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? It's complicated

4.0

This really reinvigorated my reading mood. It took a bit to build up, but the world building is presented very well (little to no infodumps) and the characters are introduced slowly, so you get a general feel for them throughout the book. The horror elements are good, though a bit less striking than I thought they would be, but that's likely due to our POV (Gideon). I enjoyed seeing the back and forth in Griddlehawk's relationship progression, and the ending was heartbreakingly good. I'm looking forward to reading the next book.

favorite lines

 

"... Where I'm going, I promise to piss fidelity all the livelong day. I have lots of fealty in me. I fealt the Emperor with every bone in my body. I fealt *hard*." (p. 43)

 

 

"With the proper motivation, Griddle could wield two swords in each hand and one in her mouth. While we were developing common sense, she studied the blade." (p. 53)

 

 

"Harrow said, "No."
"I want to go," said Gideon.
"This sounds impossibly vapid."
"I want to eat a dessert."" (p. 167)

 

 

Harrow's voice, almost a whisper: "A light, Nav."
"What?"
"You *did* bring a torch."
"This is a service I was unaware I was meant to provide," said Gideon. (p. 204)

 

 

... "Thoughts?"
Gideon said, "Did you know that if you put the first three letters of your last name with the first three letters of your first name, you get 'Sex Pal'?" (p. 274)

 

 

"Ask me how I am and I'll scream," she said.
"How are you," said Camilla, who was a pill.
"I see you calling my bluff and I resent it," said Gideon... (p. 305)

 

 

Once Gideon would have loved to hear Corona talk to her with that low, breathy intensity, maybe saying "Your biceps... they're eleven out of ten," but right now she did not want anyone to talk to her at all. (p. 327)

 

 

"... Look, Nav. You ratted out your childhood nemesis to get her in trouble. You didn't kill her parents, and she shouldn't hate you like you did, and *you* shouldn't hate you like you did."
He was peering at her through his spectacles. "Hey," she objected lamely, "I never said I hated myself."
"Evidence," he said, "outweighs testimony." (p. 336)

 

 

... "I'm an abomination. The whole universe ought to scream whenever my feet touch the ground. My parents committed a necromantic sin that we ought to have been torpedoed into hte centre of Dominicus for. If any of the other Houses knew of what we'd done they would destroy us from orbit without a second's thought. i am a *war crime*." (p. 353)

 

 

"... I made myself watch, when my parents -- I could not do the slightest thing my House expected of me. Not even then. You're not the only one who couldn't die." (p. 355)

 

 

... "You apologize to me now? You say that you're sorry when I have spent my life destroying you? You are my whipping girl! I hurt you because it was a relief! I exist because my parents killed everyone and relegated you to a life of abject misery, and they would have killed you too and not given a second's goddamned thought! I have spent your life trying to make you regret that you weren't dead, all because -- I regretted I wasn't! I ate you alive, and you have the temerity to tell me that *you're sorry*?" (p. 356)

 

 

"Hm," said Camilla neutrally, and Gideon knew immediately that she organized Palamedes's and her socks by color and genre. (p. 365)

 

 

... She didn't need a very long look to tell that Dyas was dead. For one thing, her skeleton and her body had apparently tried to divorce. (p. 372)

 

 

"She took Babs," she said, which seemed fair enough.
But then Corona started crying again, big tears leaking out of her eyes, her voice thick with misery and self-pity. "And who even cares about Babs? Babs! She could have taken *me*." (p. 394)

 

 

Harrow said, with some difficulty. "I cannot conceive of a universe without you in it."
"Yes, you can, it's just less great and less hot," said Gideon." (p. 437)

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Slavery, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

iane_reads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Self harm, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Mental illness, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, and Classism

Minor: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Genocide, Hate crime, Miscarriage, Dementia, War, and Pandemic/Epidemic

lmaloney's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Vomit, and Murder

Moderate: Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and War

themiscyra_anna's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, and War

amsswim'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? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

This is the first fantasy I have read in a decent amount of time, and I think it was a good step back in. Reminded me of all the reasons I used to love fantasy; magic, ancient worlds, sword fighting, etc. I thought the story in this was very interesting and kept me interested the whole time, but I find myself unsure if I want to continue the series. 

I have a weird relationship with multi-book series, regarding if the story of a book is self contained with individual books in the series. I tend to like every book to a have a fully contained plot which, without spoilers, this book does very well. Maybe I'll try #2, unsure as of now. 

My main complaints would be around dialog, which felt silly sometimes, and side character development, which was really good some spots but lacking in other areas. Generally though it was a good read and has motivated me to actually read all the Brandon Sanderson books my partner has!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Cursing, Death, Genocide, Physical abuse, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Torture and Medical content

bookmark3brodi's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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? It's complicated

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

scifi_rat's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Violence, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Bullying, Cancer, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Child abuse, Child death, Emotional abuse, Vomit, Medical content, Cannibalism, and Gaslighting

tbd24's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny mysterious tense fast-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

4.75

fantastic read. the only reason I didn’t give it a full 5 stars is that it’s a bit confusing in the beginning, trying to figure out who everyone is and how they relate to each other. I wish the author gave us just a cursory background in the beginning. But once I hit the middle of the book it was like a switch flipped and I felt like I understood everything and also I loved it. The cavalier/necromancer relationship is MY SHIT.  Fuck enemies to lovers, how about enemies but they’re duty bound beyond every fiber of their beings to back each other up and they eventually learn that they’re secretly best friends AAAAAH i’m incoherent. Jovial prose, tidy plot writing, characters you can love and hate and relate to and judge,  the perfect amount of sexiness in the face of danger, seriously this book had it all for me. Can’t wait to read the next one

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Cancer, Child death, Cursing, Death, Gore, Self harm, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Confinement, Slavery, Torture, Religious bigotry, and War

lujisa's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Violence, Blood, and Murder

Moderate: Child death, Cursing, Death, Genocide, Suicide, Torture, and Death of parent

joyandfaye's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Child death, Cursing, Death, Gore, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail