No piece of media has landed me with as visceral of an emotional response than Gideon the Ninth which left me sobbing for a generous hour. I struggle to even articulate remotely coherent thoughts about this book. I am also beyond biased based on my weakness for sapphic content, necromancy, and Cool Goths.

While it's an immediate gut-reaction 5-star read for me, there are a few flaws pertaining to plot weaknesses and chaotic confusion during action scenes. In general, this book can get really confusing at times. A LOT happens. This confusion ultimately became a non-issue for me (though I can see how they contribute to the divisive reception) out of intense fondness for Gideon's character and POV. Upon further reflection, I realized some of my plot confusion came from the fact that Gideon outright glosses over some 'clues' to everything happening around her because 'hnnng ladies hot,' and I think that's beautiful.