Ninefox Gambit by Yoon Ha Lee

Ninefox Gambit (The Machineries of Empire, #1)

by Yoon Ha Lee

New York Times Best-Selling Author – Nominated for the 2019 Hugo Award for Best Series – Winner of the 2016 Locus Award – Nominated for the Hugo, Nebula and Arthur C. Clarke Awards

When Captain Kel Cheris of the hexarchate is disgraced for her unconventional tactics, Kel Command gives her a chance to redeem herself, by retaking the Fortress of Scattered Needles from the 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.

Reviewed by Danielle Ackley-McPhail on

4 of 5 stars

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This is an amazing, intricate, difficult book. I had to work to get through the beginning, but once I did I couldn't stop. It took all of my focus but also held all my attention. Brilliant and unique in such a way that I cannot even give specifics because to do so would be a pale reflection of the original. I am in awe of the author's ability to tell this tale. Not an easy read, but well worth it.

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  • 19 August, 2018: Reviewed