It's been a rough couple of years if you're a connoisseur of Foe Romance Subtext. Between the Star Wars sequels and the She-Ra reboot, there's been a real pattern of bad pacing and structure: instead of a rewarding upward curve to the relationship development, there's usually way too much focus on the enmity, generally involving a rollercoaster drop into seething mutual contempt after the villainous one flies their asshole flag way too high, which is then unconvincingly forgotten about in a weak final instalment. Actual enemies-to-lovers stories that grasp that the to is the most important part, not the enemies, have been thin on the ground.
With the notable exception of Gideon the Ninth. (Okay, and I've heard The Dragon Prince did it well. Still need to get around to watching it.)
GTN shows a relationship that starts with hostility, then gradually, believably evolves into something greater; Muir doesn't just know what the enemies-to-lovers tropes are, she also knows how to use them. Locking the first book to Gideon's perspective was a genius move; it means that she seems to be genuinely moving past her understandable hostility to Harrow - it feels like she's committed, not just being tied up in the Red String, plus it gives the characters a feeling like they care about more than just hurting each other. The characterisation on the whole is sharp and compelling. There's good worldbuilding and snappy dialogue, and even the memes only feel a little jarring. And Harrow the Ninth is a worthy, if deliberately confusing, follow-up.
GTN is probably the best enemies-to-lovers story of recent years, and it's definitely the best one to feature a buff lesbian with enigmatic origins and a big sword. Alecto the Ninth cannot come soon enough.
Literature Gideon the Ninth: Enemies-To-Lovers Done Right
It's been a rough couple of years if you're a connoisseur of Foe Romance Subtext. Between the Star Wars sequels and the She-Ra reboot, there's been a real pattern of bad pacing and structure: instead of a rewarding upward curve to the relationship development, there's usually way too much focus on the enmity, generally involving a rollercoaster drop into seething mutual contempt after the villainous one flies their asshole flag way too high, which is then unconvincingly forgotten about in a weak final instalment. Actual enemies-to-lovers stories that grasp that the to is the most important part, not the enemies, have been thin on the ground.
With the notable exception of Gideon the Ninth. (Okay, and I've heard The Dragon Prince did it well. Still need to get around to watching it.)
GTN shows a relationship that starts with hostility, then gradually, believably evolves into something greater; Muir doesn't just know what the enemies-to-lovers tropes are, she also knows how to use them. Locking the first book to Gideon's perspective was a genius move; it means that she seems to be genuinely moving past her understandable hostility to Harrow - it feels like she's committed, not just being tied up in the Red String, plus it gives the characters a feeling like they care about more than just hurting each other. The characterisation on the whole is sharp and compelling. There's good worldbuilding and snappy dialogue, and even the memes only feel a little jarring. And Harrow the Ninth is a worthy, if deliberately confusing, follow-up.
GTN is probably the best enemies-to-lovers story of recent years, and it's definitely the best one to feature a buff lesbian with enigmatic origins and a big sword. Alecto the Ninth cannot come soon enough.