Apr 2025 READER Ninefox Gambit by Lee

[Teresa, Plan B is in Effect]

For April 2025 we chose two Reader Picks. This thread is for Ninefox Gambit by Yoon Ha Lee. Please use this thread to post questions, comments, and reviews, at any time.

Official description:
The first installment of the trilogy, Ninefox Gambit, centers on disgraced captain Kel Cheris, who must recapture the formidable Fortress of Scattered Needles in order to redeem herself in front of the Hexarchate.

To win an impossible war Captain Kel Cheris must awaken an ancient weapon and a despised traitor general.

Captain Kel Cheris of the hexarchate is disgraced for using unconventional methods in a battle against heretics. Kel Command gives her the opportunity to redeem herself by retaking the Fortress of Scattered Needles, a star fortress that has recently been captured by heretics. Cheris’s career isn’t the only thing at stake. If the fortress falls, the hexarchate itself might be next.

Cheris’s best hope is to ally with the undead tactician Shuos Jedao. The good news is that Jedao has never lost a battle, and he may be the only one who can figure out how to successfully besiege the fortress.

The bad news is that Jedao went mad in his first life and massacred two armies, one of them his own. As the siege wears on, Cheris must decide how far she can trust Jedao–because she might be his next victim.

[John]

I'll be reading this one.

[Caitlin]

Excited to comment on this one! It is a real mind bender. I read it in February and I might use this thread as a good excuse to start in on the sequel, Raven Stratagem.

[Aeryn]

I am reading this and it will be a reread for me 😃

[Aeryn]

Caitlin wrote: "Excited to comment on this one! It is a real mind bender. I read it in February and I might use this thread as a good excuse to start in on the sequel, Raven Stratagem."

Yes, I've read the first two chapters and already want to just read the trilogy again.

[Caitlin]

I’m almost done with the sequel and it’s so good, I may just dive into Revenant Gun after this. :)

[Trike]

I found the book to be fast-paced but odd and I couldn’t quite put my finger on it until I learned that Yoon Ha Lee has aphantasia, a condition that inhibits visualization. He can’t picture scenes or characters in his head and his descriptions — or lack thereof — reflect that.

I suspect that the whole “consensual reality” aspect of the story — where if enough people believe a thing then it manifests in the real world — might stem from that aspect of his brain, because he perceives stories differently than many people do.

As to the story, I probably would’ve liked it better if I hadn’t figured out where it was going by the halfway point. I can see why people really like it, but ultimately that undercut my enjoyment of the book.

[John]

Trike wrote: "I found the book to be fast-paced but odd and I couldn’t quite put my finger on it until I learned that Yoon Ha Lee has aphantasia, a condition that inhibits visualization. He can’t picture scenes ..."

That's fascinating Trike - I'd never heard of Aphantasia, and I find it amazing that it doesn't seem to hinder creativity.

[John]

Starting this tonight - and looking forward to it following the comments from Caitlin, Aeryn, and Trike.

[Caitlin]

@Trike, I was interested to learn that Yoon Ha Lee has aphantasia—it definitely informs the way he writes, I think, since much of Ninefox Gambit and its sequels deal with highly abstract concepts that would be hard for anyone to visualize.

It can make for a less visual reading experience than I am used to, though I think he still pulls off some vivid scenes.

[John]

I'm about 15% of the way through this at the moment. Its been a slow - but intriguing - read so far.

[John]

Now halfway and enjoying it greatly.

[John]

Finished Ninefox Gambit, which seemed to take a long time. I'd have to say that my enjoyment of it declined as the book went on. While in many ways it's very clever, I found it too confusing, too difficult to visualise what was happening, and too difficult to like any of the characters. I'm glad I read it, but it's unlikely that I'll read any others in the series.

[Caitlin]

I found my enjoyment dipped in the middle when Lee inserts a bunch of vignettes from other characters’ POVs; that didn’t really work for me. But I got reinvested at the climax when the focus is back on Cheris and Jedao.

Having now read the other two books in the series, I actually think Ninefox Gambit has the weakest character work; I found far more likable characters and interesting relationship dynamics in Raven Stratagem and Revenant Gun.

[John]

Caitlin wrote: "Having now read the other two books in the series, I actually think Ninefox Gambit has the weakest character work; I found far more likable characters and interesting relationship dynamics in Raven Stratagem and Revenant Gun."

Based on that, Caitlin, I may try Raven Stratagem later in the year.

[Trike]

Caitlin wrote: "Having now read the other two books in the series, I actually think Ninefox Gambit has the weakest character work; I found far more likable characters and interesting relationship dynamics in Raven Stratagem and Revenant Gun."

Makes sense, as Ninefox is a debut novel.

[Caitlin]

@Trike, Yes, Lee was clearly finding his feet with his first novel. Luckily the series improves as it goes on.

@John, if you give Raven Stratagem a try, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

[Paul]

John wrote: "Finished Ninefox Gambit, which seemed to take a long time. I'd have to say that my enjoyment of it declined as the book went on. While in many ways it's very clever, I found it too ..."

Hi John, I found exactly the same thing with this, I was disappointed after all the hype and praise it has received