Palamedes: It might interest you to know that on the Sixth, pillow talk is a science. Ianthe: It did not interest me.
delightful quips aside, this just Palamedes: It might interest you to know that on the Sixth, pillow talk is a science. Ianthe: It did not interest me.
delightful quips aside, this just took me for a little headspin on more theories about lyctorhood
this is the kind of extra content i live for...more
"Go to hell." "I already exist on a level of hell." "Exist on one that isn’t near mine."
this was lit. 2010s ya dystopian vibes of red queen + shatter m"Go to hell." "I already exist on a level of hell." "Exist on one that isn’t near mine."
this was lit. 2010s ya dystopian vibes of red queen + shatter me with early 1900s SOC + peaky blinders and some macabre fantasy horror elements and more intricate worldbuilding of the locked tomb.
i know throwing all those titles out there sounds like this might be a pale imitation of some of them or a trope-built book, but it's not. it firmly stands on its own feet.
But there was no normal. There never had been. Normal and natural were the greatest lies we had ever created – we humans, with our little minds.
while this is a bit slower paced and there can be some cumbersome worldbuilding, i found myself really intrigued and invested in paige's story and this world. there's an interesting blend of real history and cultural references into this, and i found the blending of the above mentioned elements to be very creative in making a unique setting. i also love how the slang is loosely based on real 19th century london criminal underground slang, it adds a fun touch.
i love the idea of the mime crime and i can't wait to see those politics play out more in the future, as well as the mysterious and elusive origins of the rephaim and their enemies, the emim.
you guys... i seriously cannot believe how fucking good this series is. it's taken over my mind.
(spoilers for gideo“We are one flesh.” “I am your end.”
you guys... i seriously cannot believe how fucking good this series is. it's taken over my mind.
(spoilers for gideon the ninth and harrow the ninth for my review, just fyi)
picking up a few months after HtN, we follow nona, who is assumably in harrow's body... but who is she?
nona is a loveable, wonderful protagonist and for a good portion of the book it's a bit of a relief from the high tension of GtN and HtN, instead focusing on nona's day to day on a strange, pre- (or maybe mid?) apocalyptic refugee planet, which is experiencing political unrest and turmoil from both blood of eden and the emperor's reign.
Sounds like the start of a joke, right? Two scientists, an engineer, a detective, a lawyer, and an artist walk into a bar to help me become God.
interspersed between nona's day to day are scenes with john gaia as we slowly uncover the final days before the great resurrection 10,000 years prior which has lead to the current circumstances. john gaia is delightfully complicated as a villain, as is ianthe i found in this book. i wasn't expecting that from her from (what i at least thought was) fan worship, but maybe that's also the appeal. and of course, we still get to enjoy muir's excellent humor:
He sighed and said, “We had the internet. We decided to stream.” She said, “What is this internet?” And he said, “See, I did make a utopia.”
“What if I don’t like me?” she said. But Pyrrha didn’t seem to understand. “Well, you’ll probably start visiting clubs and trying to hit on the dancers, and going from relationship to relationship not really being able to commit.”
“What does it mean to love God?” “Decent dinner and a bottle of average rosé. Maybe a movie. I’m not picky,” he said.
as with HtN, the curtain is pulled back more and we're able to piece together more information about this complicated universe muir has written for us. there were some excellent twists, turns, and revelations, but muir would never leave us off without more questions and a cliffhanger ending.
We didn’t even do it right … we were children—playing with the reflections of stars in a pool of water … thinking it was space.”
other random thoughts without context to avoid spoiling: ianthe when i catch you ianthe... noodle ily... PAUL ...more
what a ride. the first half can definitely be a bit overwhelming, bc you're thrown into the story about 8 months ish from when gideon the ninwowowowow
what a ride. the first half can definitely be a bit overwhelming, bc you're thrown into the story about 8 months ish from when gideon the ninth ended. the landscape has changed immensely, and you have to piece together much again as this time it's harrow's POV - and she's in the dark and maybe a bit, as she puts it, insane.
i did have a bit of a leg up from seeing a small but important spoiler that gave me a lot of perspective as i read, but even then it's a bit of a mindfuck read. the already not-quite-simple world of gideon expands even moreso in harrow, as we uncover more about the emperor, his lyctors, their complicated relationships, and the dark forces they run and fight.
after about halfway through i felt a noticeable pickup in pace and more pieces of the puzzle start to slowly but steadily come together. i was quite impressed with how muir stepped up with this book. the curtain is pulled back to uncover more than we could have conceived reading book 1.
muir is able to creep me out, have me on the edge, and then unexpectedly make me burst into laughter with her storytelling and endearing characters. it's understandable why there's a strong fandom and coupled with the strong visual style she's crafted for the world justifies the abundance of fan art.
i can see how this might be a challenging read for some, but personally i really enjoyed it and i'm definitely starting nona soon....more
a scifi fantasy time traveling romance told through observance and letters as enemy spies Red and Blu"I want to meet you in every place I have loved."
a scifi fantasy time traveling romance told through observance and letters as enemy spies Red and Blue scatter love letters to each other across alternate universes.
"Love is what we have, against time and death, against all the powers ranged to crush us down."
this is an instant classic and a new all-time favorite. i don't even think my review could do it poetic justice so just give it a go.
"I would rather break the world than lose you. "...more
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