This Gilded Abyss was precisely the type of sci-fi/fantasy/mystery mash-up I was craving with a wonderful sapphic dynamic at its heart. It has a fascinating world to explore with deadly consequences for actions and a mythos that intrigued me, as much as it appalled me.
Nix is a battle-weary soldier haunted by the demons of her past—lauded by her squad but hiding away from the darkness that consumed those she loves. That is, until Kessandra reappears in her life, embodying the privilege Nix rails against and reminding her of one of the worst days of her life. Kessandra herself is fierce, loyal and unrelenting in her pursuit of the truth. She is willing to go to any lengths to protect her people and has grown up in the nest of vipers that is the crown court. Behind her perfect façade is a deeply hurt woman that cannot trust anyone around her. They are both layered and lovable, where the world has inflicted deep wounds on them and they ultimately are people that will gladly sacrifice themselves for the greater good. You cannot help but fall in love with them both and will them to notice what is staring them right in the face.
Their dynamic is fantastic with a bloody history between the two of them. They are poles apart in life but once were bonded together in love and loyalty. Thorne injects a dose of humour to this in the initial chapters, setting up a recognisable dynamic that you instantly root for. These exes were torn apart by unspeakable violence and yet are thrown together once more to investigate something that threatens their world. Nix is brilliant to follow along with her snarky nature belying a fiercely loyal heart. She is guarded and driven but would do anything in order to protect those she loves. This unexpected scenario quickly pushes her to her limits and draws her into an investigation that may change everything.
I loved how visual this book felt with the incredible eye for detail that informs the setting. The claustrophobic nightmare of the ship hides behind a gilded pretence of luxury, literally highlighting the class divide with the different levels. When chaos ensues, it becomes a bloodbath. It feels chilling with certain scenes that have not left my mind since. I loved the way classic horror tropes are used but in such inventive ways. Thorne writes such brilliant action sequences that feel sweaty and close and dynamic. They are transportive and utterly immersive. This is a book full of blood and guts and betrayal. It is horrible with scenes that may turn your stomach at times. Intertwined with this all is a wonderful and subtle mythos that has dictated these characters’ entire lives. There is a grand sense of scale that only truly becomes evident in the later sections of the book and recontextualises everything that has happened before. It is a genuine rug-pull of a reveal in a book that is already packed with brilliant and punchy twists. Thorne does not hold back, moving from unease into full-blown gore up to your elbows. The pacing for this is stellar, slowly pulling you into the maelstrom that is about to hit. Even within the calm, you have a sense of foreboding that is swiftly validated. You switch gears throughout without even realising that it has happened and at the centre of it all, it works so effectively because you care deeply about what happens to the brilliant characters you’ve come to know. That speaks to a masterclass in characterisation.
This Gilded Abyss is a genre-defying rollercoaster of a book. Thorne effortlessly blends several epic elements to deliver a story that is hard to pull yourself away from.
This Gilded Abyss is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org, Waterstones, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore.
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Synopsis
From USA Today bestselling author Rebecca Thorne comes This Gilded Abyss, a thrilling lesbian fantasy where Arcane meets Titanic
Sergeant Nix Marr is a damn good soldier, but she’s desperate to leave her haunted past in the bioluminescent ocean, buried alongside old friends…and old flames. Unfortunately, even the icy ocean can’t extinguish some fires. When Kessandra, everyone’s favorite princess—and Nix’s loathed ex—requests Nix’s help investigating a massacre in the abyssal city of Fall, Nix refuses. Vehemently.
But Kessandra always gets what she wants.
Consigned as Kessandra’s bodyguard, Nix grudgingly boards a luxurious submersible that offers the only transportation to Fall. It’s frustrating, irritating, how quickly Nix and Kess fall back in sync—much as she tries to fight, Nix can’t deny their spark. But Kessandra wasn’t truthful—surprise, surprise—and Nix quickly realizes their “investigation” isn’t about the massacre, but rather what caused it: an illness that incites its victims into a violent craze.
When another royal is brutally murdered, it becomes apparent the disease has spread—and no one on the submersible is safe. Suddenly, survival hinges on trusting each other, which would be a hell of a lot easier if Kessandra didn’t keep lying. Injured, fighting for their lives, Nix has to decide if she can trust Kessandra again…and what she’ll lose this time.
