sourkiwi's review
- 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: Blood, Genocide, Murder, Terminal illness, Violence, Body horror, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Child death, Death of parent, Chronic illness, Death, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, and Suicide
bellebeaumont95's review
- 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
Graphic: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Chronic illness, Slavery, Blood, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Suicide, Cannibalism, Confinement, Gore, Terminal illness, and Violence
ratatouilllie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Violence, Grief, Body horror, Death, Gore, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Torture, Cursing, Blood, Bullying, Cancer, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death of parent, Murder, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Medical content, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Child death, Vomit, Emotional abuse, and Gaslighting
achow011's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Graphic: Gore, Murder, Suicide attempt, Injury/Injury detail, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Cannibalism
angelsfw's review
- 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: Chronic illness, Death, Body horror, Cancer, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Cannibalism and Child death
Minor: Suicide
fromthefoxhole's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I would move to say there is next to no romance here, only subtext and potential. I am awash with feelings, a great many of which amount only to "f***". That said, let me try.
Gideon the Ninth is DENSE. Less than 500 pages, and yet, at the beginning, I felt as though I were wading through a bog. You'll have millions of questions about the world, and receive precious few answers. I'm still not 100% sure if the houses are full on planets or space stations or some other secret third thing. I do not really understand what a Lyctor is, or why necromancing is even possible in this world. I understand even less what the hell happened in Canaan House.
Gideon is kind of the prime example for an adult who had a messed up childhood. She is brash, thoughtless, and runs on pure spite. Harrow, her childhood nemesis who also happens to be Very Important to the Ninth House, is cold, reserved, and thinks Gideon has a brain full of rocks. Their mettle and relationship are tested when Harrow half blackmails Gideon into acting as her cavalier (to the furthest I understand, a cavalier is akin to a personal bodyguard?) and accompanying her to Canaan House on the mysterious summons from the Necromancer Prime; the Resurrection; the God of the Nine Houses; the Emperor Undying (yes they're all the one person, and yes, there are actually more titles than the ones listed). Canaan House, as it turns out, is a house of horrors. Nothing is as it seems, no one can be trusted, and the truth is hidden behind doors that should probably have stayed shut. The plot actually picks up around 35% of the way through, and shifts from a slog through unfamiliar terms and jargon into a rather fascinating and terrifying scavenger hunt.
Listen, I liked this book, I think. I plan to read farther forward in the series to truly decide it, but for now it's at least passable. But god, am I mad at that ending, and am I mad at the empire. We do bones, b*tch.
Graphic: Death, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Blood, Confinement, Cannibalism, Vomit, Suicide, Violence, and Toxic friendship
kyeruhh's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Gore, Body horror, and Blood
Moderate: Terminal illness
Minor: Cannibalism
joyandfaye's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Grief, Terminal illness, Death, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, Cancer, Abandonment, Child death, Vomit, Suicide, Murder, Blood, Violence, Toxic friendship, Gore, Cursing, and Cannibalism
misshoney's review
- 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
Graphic: Suicide, Death of parent, Vomit, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Blood, Violence, Murder, Death, and Body horror
Moderate: Cancer and Cannibalism
venuxians's review
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Blood, Violence, Death, Body horror, Gore, Chronic illness, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Murder, and Suicide
Moderate: Cannibalism and Abandonment