chai ♡’s review of Gideon the Ninth (The Locked Tomb, #1) > Likes and Comments
1859 likes · Like
Me, hyperventilating: this... perhaps maybe... may interest me... slightly
Brittany wrote: "So true.
I need this in my life"
huge mood 😩
Nat wrote: "Me, hyperventilating: this... perhaps maybe... may interest me... slightly"
MOST ME THING EVER
Me, crawling out a distance away eating Doritos: WHERE?!
La chance il a juste l’air génial 😍 Comment fais-tu pour avoir des ARC en anglais en France ? Je ne savais pas que c’était possible !
Ambouz: C'est possible d'en obtenir à condition que le blog où tu écris tes critiques/la chaîne YT sur laquelle tu publies tes vidéos soit en anglais.
This is like my most anticipated 2019 release and in my head this book is perfect so I hope you love it!
Taylor wrote: "Me, crawling out a distance away eating Doritos: WHERE?!"
sljfldgj very valid
Ambouz wrote: "La chance il a juste l’air génial 😍 Comment fais-tu pour avoir des ARC en anglais en France ? Je ne savais pas que c’était possible !"
Armalite wrote: "Ambouz: C'est possible d'en obtenir à condition que le blog où tu écris tes critiques/la chaîne YT sur laquelle tu publies tes vidéos soit en anglais."
Ce que @Armalite a dit, mais c'est vrai que lorqu'on est lecteur international, c'est bien plus facile d'obtenir des copies digitales sur des sites comme Edelweiss+ ou NetGalley que de recevoir la version papier des maisons d'édition. Tor, pourtant, sont très généreux avec leur lectorat et incluent fréquemment les reviewers internationaux sur leurs listes!
BookinandCookin wrote: "This is like my most anticipated 2019 release and in my head this book is perfect so I hope you love it!"
omg i hope you love it 💕
The wait for this is KILLING me!!!! ☠️
One of those rares occurrences where you substract from my TBR rather than add to it! ^_^'
Oh shit. Looks like I’m taking this off hold at the library for now lol
I'm afraid now... I was expecting this to be a 4/5 star read.
preraphaelitesiren wrote: "The wait for this is KILLING me!!!! ☠️"
Feral goblin child 🍃 wrote: "I need this book so much ❤️🏳️🌈"
I hope you guys love it more than I did :/
Armalite wrote: "One of those rares occurrences where you substract from my TBR rather than add to it! ^_^'"
IM SO SORRY but I'm honestly still sad over this book :/
Kiara wrote: "Oh shit. Looks like I’m taking this off hold at the library for now lol"
:((( I genuinely hope you end up loving it more than I did!
Isabel wrote: "i can’t stan this book anymore"
SKSKSKS
Jessica wrote: "Why only 2 stars?"
um, please refer to the review above?
Kel wrote: "I'm afraid now... I was expecting this to be a 4/5 star read."
honestly? same :(
Agreed with majority of what you said, but since it is their debut novel, I'll give it some leeway. Hopefully the second novel of this series exceeds the first with more world and character building.
This review nailed it! Both the clarity and prose of this review far exceed those of the book.
Uh......I’d have to disagree. I really enjoyed this book
I'm so glad someone agrees. I couldn't finish past the first 100 pages because of the way it's written. Very disappointing.
Chaima ✨ شيماء wrote: "Jessica wrote: "Why only 2 stars?"
um, please refer to the review above?"
Strange, I was pretty sure there wasn't a review when I posted that? Oh well, now I know for sure! :)
They mention The Office in this book? I didn't catch that. Where was it?
For those asking about the Office reference, I assume that Chai, the author of this review, was under the impression that the phrase “that’s what’s she said,” which appears in this book, originated from the American version of The Office. (It didn’t, for the record!)
Ah! Yeah. Me and my friends were using THAT line back in the 80s when we were teenagers. And I'm assuming that WE got it from the generation before us or from older siblings, etc.
Please reconsider this rating and improve it to 4 stars out of love and respect for how hard i ship Gideon and Harrow. The flaws you mention in the book are real, but Harrow+Gideon is worth 2 bonus stars! <3
I agree with almost everything in this review. GIDEON THE NINTH really disappointed me. Perhaps my hopes were too high, but the massive praise heaped on this book never felt warranted as I got deeper and deeper into it. Still surprised I managed to finish it.
I’m almost glad I read the book just so I could better appreciate what a spot-on review this is.
For all the book’s failings, I really want to like it. I almost want to read Harrow now just to see if it gets better, but there’s too much Scalzi and Jemison piled up in my TBR list, plus Kevin Hearne’s latest offering drops in a couple weeks, and that one gets top priority.
I will say this for Muir. She’s better than Sam Sykes. I could only get halfway through Seven Blades.
People make it sound like Harrow is a very different book, for what it's worth. But I just want to express my approval for this review, and the general idea that I had very high hopes for the novel.
Very good review. i wish now I had read your review before getting this book, because your review is spot on. I'm trying my best right now to finish it.
Don't really understand the function of comments on a review - but just in case that means I get to legitimately respond with my opinion in turn. Disagree wholeheartedly. Can't begin to understand how the world building or character development could ever be described as above. This book is a fast-paced puzzle and requires some actual and exciting work from your brain. The worldbuilding THIN? That's a statement in pure contradiction of the first pages being chock full of jargon - if only because every bit of jargon makes perfect sense if you pay some attention. Gideon's irreverent voice is a delight in contrast to Harrow's necromantic drama. Everything about them is as far from 'tell' as you could get - considering so much is constantly being implied and unreliably narrated.
Tara wrote: "Don't really understand the function of comments on a review - but just in case that means I get to legitimately respond with my opinion in turn. Disagree wholeheartedly. Can't begin to understand ..."
Wow! What book did YOU read? :D
You must have gotten hold of a 2nd revised edition that added some life to the story. Gideon's irreverent voice is about the only thing appealing in the version I read. Harrow called to mind a bitchy, teenager, upper-clique high school girl that would have better been placed in Twilight or some other teen angst YA book. And not a single other character had any personality at all! Just paper cutouts of stock characters. And worldbuilding? I had the feeling the whole book took place in a single dim room with nothing on the walls. Didn't even feel like there WAS a world outside that room to build. Glad you enjoyed it though!
@dano winsky
It really goes to show how differently people interpret exactly the same text huh.... Baffling really.
If Harrow came across like that - I'm... Well I'm not sure how but i can understand it as matter of like or dislike. Personally she seemed and turned out to be a deeply traumatised child who had been led to think of herself as both a monster and the sole heir of an unimaginable responsibility lashing out at Gideon in a way that was deeply poisoned their relationship despite it being the single solitary thing that gave her comfort. A dynamic which I felt was apparent from the first few pages - shockingly - which meant that this book achieved the one thing I've never had a story achieve before: GENUINE enemies to friends (to lovers). It was fun to hate Harrow along with Gideon but the expectedness of it and Gideon's ability to cope meant that I never actually had to - never truly did on some level - just like Gideon.
Like, their childhood was so deeply FUCKED up. Really feel like Gideon's irreverent voice would have fallen mostly flat if it hadn't clashed with the epitome of necromantic ridiculousness that was Harrow. That's just me though, obviously.
But the WORLDBUILDING. We learn in quick succession, without a single blatant exposition dump:
They are on Pluto, this is now the 'Ninth House'. Necromancy is a thing, they can talk to ghosts. They animate skeletons and they function centrally in the Ninths subsistence economy. There are more houses, nine. There is an imperial army, the Cohort. There is a feudal system, and Gideon is a bondswoman which is basically a slave. Feudal society in space. There is an emperor and he is a god. He resurrected humanity. Humanity died? There is a war. With whom? God has saints, who are immortal and extremely powerful. We learn that Earth is the First House, we learn it flooded long ago from how the surface is mostly ocean and Teacher hates water. We learn that each house has different magical specialties, we learn that they serve different functions in the empire. We learn that Palamedes and Camilla are from mercury, jeannemary probably from Saturn etc. We learn that they have advanced technology but it is not often used. We learn what it means to be a cavalier and necromancer 12 different ways. We learn there's something on the ninth house that is being guarded, that the faithful are afraid of, because it might kill god. What is it? How did his Saints achieve immortality? We learn that Canaan house is a laboratory. That it is abandoned. Why did God abandon his house. It's been a 1000 years. If he's so powerful what does he need from all these teens? We learn the fifth house is wealthy and speaks to ghosts. That the third house is resplendent and moulds flesh. The seventh house is concerned with knowledge and bureaucracy and can tell chronological information from material. The eighth consider the Ninth cult as illegitimate and draw power from the River. The River? The place where the dead go. It is suggested by Teacher that Canaan house is a place full of horrors committed - but its the house of the emperor/god who is loved by all. There's skulls everywhere ....are we the baddies?? Nobody even thinks it because they are all zealots Harrow most of all Etc. Etc.
Etc.
There is so much there. Just a litany of things that sketch the picture.
I just don't think that can be counted as thin at all.
Tara wrote: "@dano winsky
It really goes to show how differently people interpret exactly the same text huh.... Baffling really.
If Harrow came across like that - I'm... Well I'm not sure how but i can unders..."
I felt that we were just TOLD all of that about the world. I didn't really feel SHOWN all of that. If that could have been portrayed to me rather than just explained, I might have felt more drawn into the world. Perhaps the second book will be a bit more engrossing for my taste. I think I'll likely give it a shot. I hate to judge a series by one book alone. :)
I did like Gideon from the start but Harrow was just too much of a little teenage drama queen for me. We'll see how book two goes.
After hearing such rave reviews about it, I went into it and dnf'ed it halfway through 😔
back to top
Me, hyperventilating: this... perhaps maybe... may interest me... slightly
Brittany wrote: "So true. I need this in my life"
huge mood 😩
Nat wrote: "Me, hyperventilating: this... perhaps maybe... may interest me... slightly"MOST ME THING EVER
Me, crawling out a distance away eating Doritos: WHERE?!
La chance il a juste l’air génial 😍 Comment fais-tu pour avoir des ARC en anglais en France ? Je ne savais pas que c’était possible !
Ambouz: C'est possible d'en obtenir à condition que le blog où tu écris tes critiques/la chaîne YT sur laquelle tu publies tes vidéos soit en anglais.
This is like my most anticipated 2019 release and in my head this book is perfect so I hope you love it!
Taylor wrote: "Me, crawling out a distance away eating Doritos: WHERE?!"sljfldgj very valid
Ambouz wrote: "La chance il a juste l’air génial 😍 Comment fais-tu pour avoir des ARC en anglais en France ? Je ne savais pas que c’était possible !"Armalite wrote: "Ambouz: C'est possible d'en obtenir à condition que le blog où tu écris tes critiques/la chaîne YT sur laquelle tu publies tes vidéos soit en anglais."
Ce que @Armalite a dit, mais c'est vrai que lorqu'on est lecteur international, c'est bien plus facile d'obtenir des copies digitales sur des sites comme Edelweiss+ ou NetGalley que de recevoir la version papier des maisons d'édition. Tor, pourtant, sont très généreux avec leur lectorat et incluent fréquemment les reviewers internationaux sur leurs listes!
BookinandCookin wrote: "This is like my most anticipated 2019 release and in my head this book is perfect so I hope you love it!"omg i hope you love it 💕
I need this book so much ❤️🏳️🌈
The wait for this is KILLING me!!!! ☠️
One of those rares occurrences where you substract from my TBR rather than add to it! ^_^'
Oh shit. Looks like I’m taking this off hold at the library for now lol
I'm afraid now... I was expecting this to be a 4/5 star read.
preraphaelitesiren wrote: "The wait for this is KILLING me!!!! ☠️"Feral goblin child 🍃 wrote: "I need this book so much ❤️🏳️🌈"
I hope you guys love it more than I did :/
Armalite wrote: "One of those rares occurrences where you substract from my TBR rather than add to it! ^_^'"IM SO SORRY but I'm honestly still sad over this book :/
Kiara wrote: "Oh shit. Looks like I’m taking this off hold at the library for now lol":((( I genuinely hope you end up loving it more than I did!
Isabel wrote: "i can’t stan this book anymore"SKSKSKS
Jessica wrote: "Why only 2 stars?"um, please refer to the review above?
Kel wrote: "I'm afraid now... I was expecting this to be a 4/5 star read."honestly? same :(
Agreed with majority of what you said, but since it is their debut novel, I'll give it some leeway. Hopefully the second novel of this series exceeds the first with more world and character building.
This review nailed it! Both the clarity and prose of this review far exceed those of the book.
Uh......I’d have to disagree. I really enjoyed this book
I'm so glad someone agrees. I couldn't finish past the first 100 pages because of the way it's written. Very disappointing.
Chaima ✨ شيماء wrote: "Jessica wrote: "Why only 2 stars?"um, please refer to the review above?"
Strange, I was pretty sure there wasn't a review when I posted that? Oh well, now I know for sure! :)
They mention The Office in this book? I didn't catch that. Where was it?
For those asking about the Office reference, I assume that Chai, the author of this review, was under the impression that the phrase “that’s what’s she said,” which appears in this book, originated from the American version of The Office. (It didn’t, for the record!)
Ah! Yeah. Me and my friends were using THAT line back in the 80s when we were teenagers. And I'm assuming that WE got it from the generation before us or from older siblings, etc.
Please reconsider this rating and improve it to 4 stars out of love and respect for how hard i ship Gideon and Harrow. The flaws you mention in the book are real, but Harrow+Gideon is worth 2 bonus stars! <3
I agree with almost everything in this review. GIDEON THE NINTH really disappointed me. Perhaps my hopes were too high, but the massive praise heaped on this book never felt warranted as I got deeper and deeper into it. Still surprised I managed to finish it.
I’m almost glad I read the book just so I could better appreciate what a spot-on review this is.For all the book’s failings, I really want to like it. I almost want to read Harrow now just to see if it gets better, but there’s too much Scalzi and Jemison piled up in my TBR list, plus Kevin Hearne’s latest offering drops in a couple weeks, and that one gets top priority.
I will say this for Muir. She’s better than Sam Sykes. I could only get halfway through Seven Blades.
People make it sound like Harrow is a very different book, for what it's worth. But I just want to express my approval for this review, and the general idea that I had very high hopes for the novel.
Very good review. i wish now I had read your review before getting this book, because your review is spot on. I'm trying my best right now to finish it.
Don't really understand the function of comments on a review - but just in case that means I get to legitimately respond with my opinion in turn. Disagree wholeheartedly. Can't begin to understand how the world building or character development could ever be described as above. This book is a fast-paced puzzle and requires some actual and exciting work from your brain. The worldbuilding THIN? That's a statement in pure contradiction of the first pages being chock full of jargon - if only because every bit of jargon makes perfect sense if you pay some attention. Gideon's irreverent voice is a delight in contrast to Harrow's necromantic drama. Everything about them is as far from 'tell' as you could get - considering so much is constantly being implied and unreliably narrated.
Tara wrote: "Don't really understand the function of comments on a review - but just in case that means I get to legitimately respond with my opinion in turn. Disagree wholeheartedly. Can't begin to understand ..."Wow! What book did YOU read? :D
You must have gotten hold of a 2nd revised edition that added some life to the story. Gideon's irreverent voice is about the only thing appealing in the version I read. Harrow called to mind a bitchy, teenager, upper-clique high school girl that would have better been placed in Twilight or some other teen angst YA book. And not a single other character had any personality at all! Just paper cutouts of stock characters. And worldbuilding? I had the feeling the whole book took place in a single dim room with nothing on the walls. Didn't even feel like there WAS a world outside that room to build. Glad you enjoyed it though!
@dano winskyIt really goes to show how differently people interpret exactly the same text huh.... Baffling really.
If Harrow came across like that - I'm... Well I'm not sure how but i can understand it as matter of like or dislike. Personally she seemed and turned out to be a deeply traumatised child who had been led to think of herself as both a monster and the sole heir of an unimaginable responsibility lashing out at Gideon in a way that was deeply poisoned their relationship despite it being the single solitary thing that gave her comfort. A dynamic which I felt was apparent from the first few pages - shockingly - which meant that this book achieved the one thing I've never had a story achieve before: GENUINE enemies to friends (to lovers). It was fun to hate Harrow along with Gideon but the expectedness of it and Gideon's ability to cope meant that I never actually had to - never truly did on some level - just like Gideon.
Like, their childhood was so deeply FUCKED up. Really feel like Gideon's irreverent voice would have fallen mostly flat if it hadn't clashed with the epitome of necromantic ridiculousness that was Harrow. That's just me though, obviously.
But the WORLDBUILDING. We learn in quick succession, without a single blatant exposition dump:
They are on Pluto, this is now the 'Ninth House'. Necromancy is a thing, they can talk to ghosts. They animate skeletons and they function centrally in the Ninths subsistence economy. There are more houses, nine. There is an imperial army, the Cohort. There is a feudal system, and Gideon is a bondswoman which is basically a slave. Feudal society in space. There is an emperor and he is a god. He resurrected humanity. Humanity died? There is a war. With whom? God has saints, who are immortal and extremely powerful. We learn that Earth is the First House, we learn it flooded long ago from how the surface is mostly ocean and Teacher hates water. We learn that each house has different magical specialties, we learn that they serve different functions in the empire. We learn that Palamedes and Camilla are from mercury, jeannemary probably from Saturn etc. We learn that they have advanced technology but it is not often used. We learn what it means to be a cavalier and necromancer 12 different ways. We learn there's something on the ninth house that is being guarded, that the faithful are afraid of, because it might kill god. What is it? How did his Saints achieve immortality? We learn that Canaan house is a laboratory. That it is abandoned. Why did God abandon his house. It's been a 1000 years. If he's so powerful what does he need from all these teens? We learn the fifth house is wealthy and speaks to ghosts. That the third house is resplendent and moulds flesh. The seventh house is concerned with knowledge and bureaucracy and can tell chronological information from material. The eighth consider the Ninth cult as illegitimate and draw power from the River. The River? The place where the dead go. It is suggested by Teacher that Canaan house is a place full of horrors committed - but its the house of the emperor/god who is loved by all. There's skulls everywhere ....are we the baddies?? Nobody even thinks it because they are all zealots Harrow most of all Etc. Etc.
Etc.
There is so much there. Just a litany of things that sketch the picture.
I just don't think that can be counted as thin at all.
Tara wrote: "@dano winskyIt really goes to show how differently people interpret exactly the same text huh.... Baffling really.
If Harrow came across like that - I'm... Well I'm not sure how but i can unders..."
I felt that we were just TOLD all of that about the world. I didn't really feel SHOWN all of that. If that could have been portrayed to me rather than just explained, I might have felt more drawn into the world. Perhaps the second book will be a bit more engrossing for my taste. I think I'll likely give it a shot. I hate to judge a series by one book alone. :)
I did like Gideon from the start but Harrow was just too much of a little teenage drama queen for me. We'll see how book two goes.
After hearing such rave reviews about it, I went into it and dnf'ed it halfway through 😔
I need this in my life