Gideon the Ninth (October 2020) Group Read Discussion

[Althea ☾, Group Procrastinator (On Hiatus)]

This is the group thread for Gideon the Ninth!

This thread is open for discussion beginning October 1st! Please keep in mind that spoilers are allowed (mark as a spoiler) in this thread but only up to the group's current reading place. Do not spoil the book if you've read further than the group. Any extra days of the month can be used to catch up if needed! Page numbers are an approximation based on the hardcover or paperback that is the default on Goodreads.

The Group Read Discussion schedule is as follows:

Week of 10/1
October 1: Pages 1-20
October 2: Pages 21-40
October 3: Pages 41-60

Week of 10/4
October 4: Pages 61-80
October 5: Pages 81-100
October 6: Pages 100-120
October 7: Pages 121-140
October 8: Pages 141-160
October 9: Pages 161-180
October 10: Pages 181-200

Week of 10/11
October 11: Pages 201-220
October 12: Pages 221-240
October 13: Pages 241-260
October 14: Pages 261-280
October 15: Pages 281-300
October 16: Pages 301-320
October 17: Pages 321-340

Week of 10/18
October 18: Pages 341-360
October 19: Pages 361-380
October 20: Pages 381-400
October 21: Pages 401-420
October 22: Pages 421-448


You can read the group book at any time during the month and at your own pace. This is the pace the group will be using, but if you read ahead or will be giving spoilers, please mark them (click the "some html is ok button"). If you have any questions a mod or another member can help you.

[Alexa]

Love love love!

[Roksy]

I started reading today and at 35 pages in I just thought, "damn, this is going to be SO GOOD. I can feel it in my bones..."

And yes, I did facepalm at my brain's ridiculous pun.

[Althea ☾, Group Procrastinator (On Hiatus)]

gonna start this as soon as I finish the book I'm currently reading!!

[Laura ☾]

I've read up to the end of Act 1 so far. To be honest, I'm not entirely sure how I feel about it yet!

[Althea ☾, Group Procrastinator (On Hiatus)]

Currently around 10% which is the end of chapter 4. Not sure how I feel about it yet but she's funny XD

[Laura ☾]

I’m about halfway through and so far it’s all very very slow

[Georgia]

Hi guys! I just found out about this group and I'm happy I joined! I can see you are already half way through, based on the schedule, but I'll try to catch up!

[Althea ☾, Group Procrastinator (On Hiatus)]

Georgia wrote: "Hi guys! I just found out about this group and I'm happy I joined! I can see you are already half way through, based on the schedule, but I'll try to catch up!"

Welcome georgia!!

[Althea ☾, Group Procrastinator (On Hiatus)]

Laura ☾ wrote: "I’m about halfway through and so far it’s all very very slow"

I was going to disagree with you because I was just at the first part but now I'm at 38%.... I agree 😹

Also I'm getting so lost with the characters, I can't keep up for some reason. Or it just lost me at some parts and now I'm missing things. Like magnus... who are they??

[Laura ☾]

Yeah it’s a bit disorienting - too much information with not enough context!

[Laura ☾]

Ok I finished it - honestly it wasn't really my cup of tea . It was too slow and dragged out, with too much irrelevant information and irreleveant characters.

[Althea ☾, Group Procrastinator (On Hiatus)]

I swear I feel like 3 new characters get introduced every chapter 😹😹

[Althea ☾, Group Procrastinator (On Hiatus)]

Yeah so I ended up dnf-ing this for now because the pacing was not working with me 😭😭😭

[Roksy]

I'm on page 310 now, so I'm almost up to date with the schedule. So far, I'm enjoying the book. Muir's writing is engaging and genuinely funny. The story was slow at first, but I'm well into the meat of it now; I'm invested in the characters and I feel like I've got my head wrapped around the magic.

For me, the biggest thing that's been missing is development of the universe in which the story takes place. I love the whole necromancer thing, I can get behind the different houses, but there's not enough depth to tell me WHY the universe is as it is. Why is this trial taking place? How did the houses come to be and then to develop such specific connections and rivalries? The list at the beginning doesn't help much, apart from provide titles and a very vague description of each house's purpose, and some of these are not at all clear. Maybe we're not supposed to know yet. Maybe it's all revealed at the end. But it's been frustrating feeling like I've missed a few key chapters, despite the fact that weren't there to begin with.

[Althea ☾, Group Procrastinator (On Hiatus)]

Oh I agree! The world building just throws you in instead of building it up from scratch. The actual sci fi/magic system was well established for me but it wasn't explained enough for me to understand why everything was even happening.

The list at the beginning was a complete info dump XD I couldn't wrap my head around it even though I read it over and over again, it just wasn't as helpful compared to if it was part of the actual writing.

Yeah there definitely was a feeling of missing chapters for me too especially as the story went on. I was interested to know more but I wasn't getting attached to much of the characters or the plot.

[Michelle]

Just now starting. Taking your comments to heart. May make a list of characters.

[Althea ☾, Group Procrastinator (On Hiatus)]

Michelle wrote: "Just now starting. Taking your comments to heart. May make a list of characters."

enjoy! hope you enjoy it more than I did XD making your own list is a good idea

[Roksy]

I finished reading this today. I won't post spoilers: I'll just say that overall I enjoyed the story and found the writing witty and funny, but I would have liked to see more detail in the world-building. I'll be interested to hear everyone else's thoughts.

[Michelle]

I love Gideon's put downs when she is angry. Too funny!! Her vulgar mouth shocks me often, but it totally her character. Beginning was slow to build, but kept me interested. Lost a bit of interest in the middle. As stated before way to many characters with numbers. Did they really need 9? about 1/4 left to go.

[Michelle]

I finished the book but it was a big push to get it done. Very tedious, so not my favorite.

[mina, Group/Buddy Reads Procrastinator]

I started this last night, I wanted to read the first chapter to see what I'll think and if I would want to read more.. which didn't help much, so I read up to chapter 5 today, and will read a bit more.

It's really confusing so I'm *shrugs* whatever, hoping it'll get more explained or something. I don't care for the characters, Gideon made two, maybe three, things sound funny, but I find that bad because liking only two sentences in 50 pages 😬
I don't know if I mind the cursing, I think I'm not used to this amount and it feels a bit too much. But the thing I have the most problems, and which could be the reason I DNF it if that happens, is the tone of the narration. I feel like it's trying way too hard to be funny, not caring and cool.

[mina, Group/Buddy Reads Procrastinator]

I started playing a game while I listen to this because I found it easier than to read along.. and maybe because I'm not giving it full attention, but it's getting a pinch better

[mina, Group/Buddy Reads Procrastinator]

I finished it.. and surprise.. I actually liked it 😅 The beginning was 😬 not that great, but I got used to it and Gideon's humor. I stil don't understand half, and maybe more than half, of the things I have read but nevertheless I liked the book.

[Laura ☾]

That’s great! I’m glad you enjoyed it

[Alexa]

Hey! I'm at 22% of the reading and... I don´t know, nothing is happening... It does get better right?

[mina, Group/Buddy Reads Procrastinator]

Hi :D I don't know if things get better, but things certainly do happen more and it gets an interesting plot. I didn't like in the beginning, but I warmed up to it.

I forgot to say yesterday, but I was shocked how it ended (view spoiler)[I wasn't expecting Gideon to die. Considering it's a dark fantasy, it kinda makes sense that someone will die 😂 Also, I like how from enemies they kinda got to semi-friends or something. (hide spoiler)]

[Althea ☾, Group Procrastinator (On Hiatus)]

mina wrote: "Hi :D I don't know if things get better, but things certainly do happen more and it gets an interesting plot. I didn't like in the beginning, but I warmed up to it.

I forgot to say yesterday, but ..."

omg I read that spoiler and suddenly got a wee more intrigued. If I actually finished it, I wouldn't have seen that coming

[mina, Group/Buddy Reads Procrastinator]

@Althea I don't remember what actually happened around 50% where you stopped, but things started being more interesting, I'll put in a spoiler tag some things that shouldn't be a big spoiler if you by any chance do pick it up some time. (view spoiler)[some tasks are added that the contestants had to do, murder is added (hide spoiler)]

[Alexa]

I will continue with the reading... I promise.

[mina, Group/Buddy Reads Procrastinator]

😂 Okay, Alexa. I'm curious too see what you'll think reading of it as you read more of it.

[Althea ☾, Group Procrastinator (On Hiatus)]

mina wrote: "@Althea I don't remember what actually happened around 50% where you stopped, but things started being more interesting, I'll put in a spoiler tag some things that shouldn't be a big spoiler if you..."

oooh that is interesting at the part that I stopped the last thing I remember was (view spoiler)[one man that starts with an M dying (hide spoiler)]. Perhaps I'll pick it up again next halloween. Now I'm interested to know what the second book is about.

[mina, Group/Buddy Reads Procrastinator]

Althea | themoonwholistens ☾ wrote: "mina wrote: "@Althea I don't remember what actually happened around 50% where you stopped, but things started being more interesting, I'll put in a spoiler tag some things that shouldn't be a big s..."

(view spoiler)[Magnus or something. So you had a taste of that.. it gets more complicated as they try to find out what's going on. (hide spoiler)] I'm interested too for book 2, but I'm not sure even though I read the synopsis, even though I read this book.. it's really confusing, or at least it is for me. But things got bigger on another level.