Fantasy Review: Gideon the Ninth

Finally! Finally!! I got my grubby hands on a copy of Gideon the Ninth. I had this on hold early in the pandemic when the libraries shut down. Then, I bought a copy, only to have the package stolen off my doorstop. We moved to a new city, and a couple on months post-vaccine I finally worked up the energy to go get a library card. I spent an afternoon writing in the library, and as I was leaving, there it was: Gideon the Ninth, sitting on a shelf. I have never a checked a book out so hard.

Reading this book was so fun. Although I'd heard that this book was pretty heavy on the violence and gore, I personally didn't find it to be too graphic. The vibe felt more like a a sixth grade boy's gross humor. Combined with Gideon's personality, this book had me laughing out loud more often than not.

This book was an excellent lesson on voice, and the lack of limits on voice. I never knew a book could have such a distinct personality. I'm excited to try writing a character like Gideon, with a distinct voice that can carry a book.

My only complaint about this book is that the ending felt very sudden. I didn't pick up on the clues at all, so it did feel like the plot twist came out of absolutely nowhere, and then Boom! The book was over. It's a good reminder to make sure to leave those bread crumbs towards the reveal.

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Audely Bensen Writes

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