The Sword and Laser discussion

I’ve just finished this book and I’m starting a new thread in the death throes of February because my thoughts don’t fit neatly in any of the existing threads.

Basically, that ending destroyed me. In a good way. I’m seriously pleased I got past my earlier confusion about the characters and my impatience with the slow story development because wow did Muir stick that landing.

There’s something interesting about how people have been discussing this book. In one thread there was a discussion about whether or not (view spoiler)[ Gideon’s ultimate sacrifice (hide spoiler)] should be read as motivated by love or duty. And in another thread there’s been plenty of discussion about how much bearing Gideon’s sexuality has on the plot.

And I’m here to say: I wanted lesbian necromancers in space. I wanted an epic slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romance. And so far as I’m concerned, that’s exactly what I got.
I found that Gideon’s sexuality DID have plenty of relevance to the plot (view spoiler)[ she’s taken in by the pretty fake Dulcinea, and she’s blind to the danger of Coronabeth’s twin because she’s busy admiring the lovely Corona. And at the end, she explicitly says to Harrow that she doesn’t care about the Ninth, only her. Also that “one flesh, one end, bitch” scene in the pool was one of the sexiest things I’ve read, without any actual sex. (hide spoiler)].

But... I think part of why this book has been so successful is that different people take different things from it. I wanted an epic romance, so that’s how I read it. Others read it as a mystery thriller or a wacky goth adventure with plenty of snark. There’s something very clever in how Muir has woven together the different strands into one book.

What do y’all think?

Interesting. I myself didn't read it the way you did - for me those feelings were never clearly expressed - but I can now totally see where you are coming from. Maybe it's because the sexuality and romance isn't catering to the male gaze, but have a distinct "understated" or "implied" feel that maybe even speaks specifically more to a queer/female audience?

I loved Gideon. She was such a jerk sometimes, but ultimately a necro paladin. :)

I think this was a story about family, and how even in dysfunctional families, there is an underlying love. Gideon and Harrowhark hated and loved each other, but the weight of the family circumstances and how Gideon became part of their house, created great walls between them (view spoiler)[ that come crashing down during the pool scene, which was extremely emotional. The pool represents an acceptance of Gideon and a creation of a tradition out of Harrow's mothers actions. (hide spoiler)]

All the houses had their own forms of dysfunction, and some had love despite the issues, and others became broken. In being forced to work together, Gideon and Harrow (view spoiler)[find a way through their pain to unite and overcome their delusions (hide spoiler)]

Richard wrote: "I think this was a story about family, and how even in dysfunctional families, there is an underlying love. Gideon and Harrowhark hated and loved each other, but the weight of the family circumstan..."

Good response Richard but check those spoiler tags - you need to use the < brackets.

argh, sorry. ☹

... and fixed. Thanks for catching that Ruth. I forgot to preview before posting.

Richard wrote: "argh, sorry. ☹

... and fixed. Thanks for catching that Ruth. I forgot to preview before posting."

No worries!

Maybe I'm not very romantic, but I felt like this book was a study in unhealthy relationships more than a romantic read.

A lot of the early chatter was putting me off this book, but after reading this thread (and hearing the positive response on the podcast) I kind of fancy it. I may pick it up one of these days.

Caitlin wrote: "Maybe I'm not very romantic, but I felt like this book was a study in unhealthy relationships more than a romantic read."

The unhealthy relationship between Gideon and Harrow reminds me of the dysfunctional relationship between Sal the Cacophony and Lisette in Seven Blades in Black, which is also between two women. The parallels don’t end there, with both Gideon and Sal being the snarky action girls who prefer direct confrontation while both Harrow and Lisette are the adults working on a more complex level across multiple interactions.

I don’t have a larger point, just that I find it interesting to see the parallels between these two books.

After reflecting on the book a bit, I think that Gideon always felt a sisterly love for Harrow. It was dressed up as hatred because of their House-defined roles and personal histories, each unknown to the other.

The lesbian POV was "male gaze" as done by a woman. It's somewhat amusing that Muir does this without explanation. She doesn't feel the need to be deep or introspective about Gideon's sexuality, nope, Gideon can be just as shallow as men have traditionally been allowed to be.

In the end, (view spoiler)[Gideon shows her love for Harrow by giving her life so that both may live. This isn't about "two becoming one" although there is that aspect. There isn't any particular romantic love between them. It's a respect as between sisters. Gideon doesn't so much sacrifice so that Harrow can achieve her goal of becoming a Lyctor. Rather, she gives up her independent life to create a shared existence that saves them both. Along the way, Gideon lives up to the soldier's ideal of protecting the Empire. (hide spoiler)]

Given that Muir is a lesbian, I would think she might base the lesbian POV on her own gaze....

Yeah, I see Harrow and Gideon as sisters too. I think the intensity of their relationship reflects how messed up their situations were.