Review of ‘The Gilded Abyss’ (The Titan’s Wrath Trilogy #1) by Rebecca Thorne. Discover the biopunk romantic thriller that plunges you into a deadly undersea palace teeming with secrets, gore, and unresolved heartbreak. Rebecca Thorne delivers a gritty sapphic lovers to enemies to lovers story soaked in tension and betrayal. With a locked-room mystery, political unrest, and a toxic ex-girlfriend dynamic you can’t look away from, The Gilded Abyss is perfect for fans of Gideon the Ninth or Yellowjackets with a deep-sea twist.
The Gilded Abyss by Rebecca Thorne left me breathless, claustrophobic, and begging for book two
Synopsis
Sergeant Nix Marr is a damn good soldier. She’s also desperate to leave her haunted past deep in the bioluminescent ocean, buried alongside her best friend, Quian. So, when Subarch Kessandra, Valkesh’s favorite royal–and Nix’s loathed ex–requests Nix’s help investigating a massacre in the abyssal city of Fall, Nix refuses. Vehemently.
She should have known Kessandra would fight back.
Consigned as Kessandra’s bodyguard, Nix grudgingly boards the Luminosity, a luxurious submersible that offers the only transportation to Fall. But Kessandra wasn’t truthful–surprise, surprise–and her “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, Nix and Kess realize the disease has spread–and no one on the Luminosity is safe. If they’re going to survive until Fall, they’ll have to trust each other… but considering Kessandra is responsible for Quian’s death, that won’t be easy.
Review
Three days trapped in a luxurious undersea ship.
All Nix has to do is keep her royal ex-girlfriend alive.
It’d be easy if she wasn’t still half-ready to kill her herself.
I devoured this book. Not just because the setting was unsettling and utterly captivating (think Titanic meets Alien but gayer), but because the dynamic between Nix and Kessandra had me on edge the whole time. Their lovers to enemies to lovers arc? Chef’s kiss. Messy, emotional, sharp-edged, and somehow still tender. I was completely obsessed with watching them unravel and re-tangle themselves over and over again.
Nix is such a compelling lead. Scarred, stoic, and so very tired, she’s not here for royal games or Kess’s lies. Except she kind of is, because underneath all that pain is unresolved grief and some dangerously lingering feelings. Watching her try to hold herself together while the ship descends into chaos had me totally hooked.
And let’s talk about the ship. The Luminosity is such a brilliant setting. It’s not just claustrophobic, it’s alive with tension. Eerie luxury wrapped around bio-horrific death. I loved the way the ship served as both a physical trap and an emotional one. It forced these characters to face each other while everything around them fell apart. Every corridor felt like it could hold a secret. Every lounge was a crime scene waiting to happen.
The pacing was a little choppy, though. The first half definitely moved slowly in places. While I appreciated the slow burn tension, some chapters felt like they spun their wheels before the story finally kicked into high gear. But once it did? The last 10 percent was wild. Twists everywhere, brutal reveals, and emotional gut-punches. I tore through those final pages with my heart racing.
As for themes, this book does not shy away from the dark. There are heavy, graphic moments throughout. Blood, body horror, grief, and violence. The pandemic element was particularly intense, but I think it added a layer of realism and urgency that worked really well. Definitely check the content warnings if you’re a sensitive reader.
I’ve been wanting to read something from Rebecca Thorne. I actually am obsessed with the limited edition Fae Crate set of her Tomes & Tea series and that just made her name stick in my head. I wanted to read the first book in the series Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea but it wasn’t available on Storytel. So I decided to read this one and it did not disappoint! Oh and this cover?? Stunning!
Despite a few pacing issues, The Gilded Abyss was a gripping, emotionally charged start to what promises to be a dark and thrilling series. It gave me everything I crave in a sci-fi fantasy… messy sapphics, political danger, unresolved tension, and a world that felt chillingly real. I’ll absolutely be continuing the series.
Final thoughts? If you’re into sapphic tension, eerie undersea vibes, morally grey royals, and stories about survival and second chances, then The Gilded Abyss should be at the top of your TBR. It’s queer, gritty, intense, and unexpectedly moving. Not perfect, but absolutely unforgettable.
Rating
7/10
Details
- Trigger warnings: Graphic death, violence, gore, blood, injury, murder, gun violence, pandemic/epidemic, body horror, grief, sexual content, classism, cursing, war, mental illness, vomit, panic attacks/disorders.
- Representation: Queer/lesbian main characters, POC main character, racially diverse background
- Pages: 446
- Publication date: Jun 6, 2023
- Publisher: Rebecca Fornwalt
- About the author:
Callie Hart is an obsessive romantic who lovesthrowing a dark twist into her stories. Her charactersare imperfect, flawed individuals who dictate whenshe eats, sleeps, and breathes. A British expat now living in California, Callie can most likely be found sequestered away in the corner of a library, fantasizing about exciting new realms and the brooding anti-heroes who occupy them.
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