Tamsyn Muir

Gideon La Novena / Gideon the Ninth

Gideon the Ninth is the most fun you'll ever have with a skeleton. The Emperor needs necromancers. The Ninth Necromancer needs a swordswoman. Gideon has a sword, some dirty magazines, and no more time for undead bullshit. Tamsyn Muir’s Gideon the Ninth unveils a solar system of swordplay, cut-throat politics, and lesbian necromancers. Her characters leap off the page, as skillfully animated as necromantic skeletons. The result is a heart-pounding epic science fantasy. Brought up by unfriendly, ossifying nuns, ancient retainers, and countless skeletons, Gideon is ready to abandon a life of servitude and an afterlife as a reanimated corpse. She packs up her sword, her shoes, and her dirty magazines, and prepares to launch her daring escape. But her childhood nemesis won’t set her free without a service. Harrowhark Nonagesimus, Reverend Daughter of the Ninth House and bone witch extraordinaire, has been summoned into action. The Emperor has invited the heirs to each of his loyal Houses to a deadly trial of wits and skill. If Harrowhark succeeds she will be become an immortal, all-powerful servant of the Resurrection, but no necromancer can ascend without their cavalier. Without Gideon’s sword, Harrow will fail, and the Ninth House will die. Of course, some things are better left dead.

The Locked Tomb #1

Gideon the Ninth

Clara Gauthier

I've lived my whole wretched life at your mercy, yours alone, and God knows I deserve to die at your hand. You are my only friend. I am undone without you.

Rebecca

Harrow said, with some difficulty: "I cannot conceive of a universe without you in it." 

"Yes you can, it's just less great and less hot," said Gideon.

She said, "Harrow, I can't keep my promise, because the entire point of me is you. You get that, right? That's what cavaliers sign up for. There is no me without you. One flesh, one end." 

fira

Gideon said helplessly, "Someone enlighten me, I am just a poor cavalier," but nobody paid her the slightest damn bit of attention even though she had her hand very forbiddingly on her sword.

imagine not speaking and this is the first thing that comes out from your mouth legendary 

archie

Gideon said, “Did you know that if you put the first three letters of your last name with the first three letters of your first name, you get ‘Sex Pal’?”

The dreadful teens both stared with eyes so wide you could have marched skeletons straight through them. 

The man whơ’d put the sword to her neck was uncomfortably buff. He had upsetting biceps. He didn't look healthy; he looked like a collection of lemons in a sack. 

It would have been neater, perhaps, if all of Gideon's disappointments and woes from birth downward had used that moment as a catalyst: if, filled with a new and fiery determination, she had equipped herself down there in the dark with fresh ambition to become free. She didn't. She got the depression.

This book is so entertaining. Gideon is one of my favourite characters ever. 

Megan BV

“The arms kind of looked like swords. I want to fight it.” 

“Because it looked … a little like swords.” 

“This calls for rigor, Nav.” “Maybe rigor … mortis,” said Gideon, who assumed that puns were funny automatically.

 “My uncle can’t eat with your kind around,” he said. “Please leave.” 

Gideon had a million questions. Like: Your kind? And: Why do you have such a baby uncle, one the colour of mayonnaise? And: Is “your kind” people who aren’t nephews and who have middle fingers? But she said nothing.

Alison

"God, no!'" said Harrow. "All you need to know is that you'll do what I say, or I’ll mix bone meal in with your breakfast and punch my way through your gut." 

Which was, Gideon had to admit, entirely plausible.

vinny<3

"One flesh, one end," said Gideon, and it was a murmur now, on the very edge of hearing.

The land shall receive thee dying, in the same will I die: and there will I be buried. The Lord do so and so to me, and add more also, if aught but death part me and thee,

" said Gideon. "See you on the flip side, sugarlips."

Harrow said, with some difficulty: "I cannot conceive of a universe without you in it."

"Gideon the Ninth, first flower of my House," she said hoarsely, "you are the greatest cavalier we have ever produced. You are our triumph. The best of all of us. It has been my privilege to be your necromancer."

"A necromancer alone can't bring that down, Griddle. That's regenerating bone."

"Of course we're not running," said Harrow disdainfully. "I said a necromancer 

Gideon looked over her shoulder at her, and caught the Reverend Daughter's smile. There was blood sweat coming out of her left ear, but her smile was long and sweet and beautiful. Gideon found herself smiling back so hard her mouth hurt.

Her adept said: "I'll keep it off you. Nav, show them what the Ninth House does."

He smiled, and with that strange alchemy he was made lovely, his grey eyes bright and clear.

"You noticed, didn't you, you horrible little Ninth goblin? Just a bit?"

The horrible little Ninth goblin stared at her with tight-pressed lips.

She pressed her mouth to the place where Harrow's nose met the bone of her frontal sinus, and the sound that Harrow made embarrassed both of them.

"Too many words," said Gideon confidentially. "How about these: 

The Ninth House necromancer flushed nearly black. Gideon titled her head up and caught her gaze: "Say it, loser."

"One flesh—one end," Harrow repeated fumblingly, and then could say no more.

"I have tried to dismantle you, Gideon Nav! The Ninth House poisoned you, we trod you underfoot—I took you to this killing field as my slave—you refuse to die, and you pity me! Strike me down. You've won. I've lived my whole wretched life at your mercy, yours alone, and God knows I deserve to die at your hand. You are my only friend. I am undone without you."

"A woman who would be party to this kind of magic," said Silas, "might be party to anything."

The woman who was party to that kind of magic and therefore maybe party to anything opened her mouth to speak,

Palamedes suddenly grinned. It was a curious act of alchemy that turned his raw-boned, plain face into something magnetic: very nearly good looking, instead of being the act of three jawbones meeting a chin.

"Ask me how I am and I'll scream," she said.

"How are you," said Camilla, who was a pill.

They all traipsed after him for the cold hard facts.

Honestly, I went into this knowing nothing about the plot but understanding that it’s queer and beloved by the book community. I enjoyed that it ultimately boils down to a murder mystery. The need to know what the hell is going on carried me through.

To start, I had a few issues. My biggest gripe is too many characters blending into one another. I faced this problem with The Hunger Games as well. With such a fast and adventurous plot, it’s hard to remember who is who, where they’re from, and how they relate to all the other background characters. It was just a lot for my brain to keep track of. My second biggest issue is the ages of the main characters. I was very shocked to find out that they’re 17 and 18 respectively. I think this story could’ve benefited from aging them up a little bit. There were moments where the plot felt like it was happening to people older than teenagers, but then there were other times where the story very much reflected their ages (negatively). Some of the dialogue and comments were juvenile in a way that made me think this should be marketed as YA. It just felt inconsistent in tone and target audience.

That being said, I had a fun time. The lore and world building was very interesting to me. The magic system is so unique and something I was constantly intrigued by. The complicated dynamic between Gideon and Harrow was something I believed wholeheartedly. The descriptions were good enough that I could picture everything in my mind perfectly. The ending has me excited to continue the series. I have a lot more questions that I hope the next two installments will answer.

Nik ✨

Honestly, I went into this knowing nothing about the plot but understanding that it’s queer and beloved by the book community. I enjoyed that it ultimately boils down to a murder mystery. The need to know what the hell is going on carried me through.

To start, I had a few issues. My biggest gripe is too many characters blending into one another. I faced this problem with The Hunger Games as well. With such a fast and adventurous plot, it’s hard to remember who is who, where they’re from, and how they relate to all the other background characters. It was just a lot for my brain to keep track of. My second biggest issue is the ages of the main characters. I was very shocked to find out that they’re 17 and 18 respectively. I think this story could’ve benefited from aging them up a little bit. There were moments where the plot felt like it was happening to people older than teenagers, but then there were other times where the story very much reflected their ages (negatively). Some of the dialogue and comments were juvenile in a way that made me think this should be marketed as YA. It just felt inconsistent in tone and target audience.

That being said, I had a fun time. The lore and world building was very interesting to me. The magic system is so unique and something I was constantly intrigued by. The complicated dynamic between Gideon and Harrow was something I believed wholeheartedly. The descriptions were good enough that I could picture everything in my mind perfectly. The ending has me excited to continue the series. I have a lot more questions that I hope the next two installments will answer.

A USA Today Best-Selling Novel, and one of the Best Books of 2019 according to NPR, the New York Public Library, Amazon, BookPage, Shelf Awareness, BookRiot, and Bustle! “Unlike anything I’ve ever read. ” —V.E. Schwab “Lesbian necromancers explore a haunted gothic palace in space!” —Charles Stross “Deft, tense and atmospheric, compellingly immersive and wildly original.” —The New York Times The Emperor needs necromancers. The Ninth Necromancer needs a swordswoman. Gideon has a sword, some dirty magazines, and no more time for undead nonsense. Tamsyn Muir’s Gideon the Ninth unveils a solar system of swordplay, cut-throat politics, and lesbian necromancers. Her characters leap off the page, as skillfully animated as arcane revenants. The result is a heart-pounding epic science fantasy. Brought up by unfriendly, ossifying nuns, ancient retainers, and countless skeletons, Gideon is ready to abandon a life of servitude and an afterlife as a reanimated corpse. She packs up her sword, her shoes, and her dirty magazines, and prepares to launch her daring escape. But her childhood nemesis won’t set her free without a service. Harrowhark Nonagesimus, Reverend Daughter of the Ninth House and bone witch extraordinaire, has been summoned into action. The Emperor has invited the heirs to each of his loyal Houses to a deadly trial of wits and skill. If Harrowhark succeeds she will be become an immortal, all-powerful servant of the Resurrection, but no necromancer can ascend without their cavalier. Without Gideon’s sword, Harrow will fail, and the Ninth House will die. Of course, some things are better left dead. THE LOCKED TOMB TRILOGY BOOK 1: Gideon the Ninth BOOK 2: Harrow the Ninth BOOK 3: Alecto the Ninth

Not what I expected going in, and every page turned was another happy surprise. Funny, inventive, incredibly well plotted, with interesting, distinctive characters (in a large cast) who don’t all talk and act the same. What an achievement!

Margaux Yiu

mom come pick me up i don’t understand anything and everyone’s gone

anya

I enjoyed reading through the second half, because by that point the characters had actually become interesting. In the first half I cannot claim that I enjoyed the characters I was dealing with, but I stuck it through anyway.

Bare on the world building in some ways, but lots detailed in others. The whole necromantic branching, theory, methodologies, house structures, etc was very good. The lack of anything besides was not. I must also admit it’s aesthetic - gothic, sepulchric, contrasted with bitchiness - definitely won it some points. And so do the plot twists, and the few character moments, winning out against flatter character writing elsewhere. The pains of a large cast.

Omar 

Lots of fun!

I enjoyed reading through the second half, because by that point the characters had actually become interesting. In the first half I cannot claim that I enjoyed the characters I was dealing with, but I stuck it through anyway.

Bare on the world building in some ways, but lots detailed in others. The whole necromantic branching, theory, methodologies, house structures, etc was very good. The lack of anything besides was not. I must also admit it’s aesthetic - gothic, sepulchric, contrasted with bitchiness - definitely won it some points. And so do the plot twists, and the few character moments, winning out against flatter character writing elsewhere. The pains of a large cast.

I’ve been sitting on this review for over four years now, unable to find the words to accurately describe how I feel about this book. It’s a good feeling, constantly wanting to talk about how much I love this book, but unable to find the words to properly express it. 

The book drops the audience directly into the deep end: the first chapter is full of dynamics, words, and concepts we don’t fully understand yet. There is a sense of familiarity to us—jokes about porn mags, sunglasses, and running away—intermingled with brand-new things, like necromancy, cavaliers, and the Nine Houses. It’s the kind of book that the more you reread it, the better you can understand the confusing aspects of the characters that we were introduced to at the very beginning of the book—it’s a gradual process, but that makes it all the more satisfying when you go back and are like “oh, <i>that’s</i> why they said that!” 

The world of Gideon the Ninth unfolds before our very eyes—references to a Cohort, with few answers about why the Cohort exists. References to the Nine Houses (each one representing a different planet) and their respective cultures, each one having its own values and ways of life. References to a Locked Tomb that must forever stay that way, and the cultish following that it has amassed. And then there is Canaan House (the First House), with its strange and twisting corridors, locked rooms, and skeletal servants. Canaan House is a stark disparity from the Ninth House we are introduced to at the top of the book, although in similar states of desolation and disrepair, with the once elegant palace being reduced to crumbling stone and dead gardens. 

The world is densely packed with all kinds of lore, questions we never really get answers to (in this book, that is; our protagonist just doesn’t seem too interested in the schematics of it all—charming, but frustrating to an audience who wants to know more), and a system of necromancy that took me way too long to fully understand.

We follow our protagonist, Gideon Nav in servitude as cavalier primary to the necromantic heir to the Ninth House and the strongest necromancer of her generation, Harrowhark Nonagesimus, as Harrow aims to obtain the secrets to Lyctorhood and rise above her station to serve the Necrolord Prime—who serves as a god-like figure. Gideon is, naturally, unenthusiastic about this, because all she wants is to enlist and serve in the cohort—and get as far away from Harrow as possible.

Gideon is an unreliable narrator in the best possible way. Her flippant attitude, sarcastic quips, and singularly goaled nature give her a certain sort of charm. She’s endearing and good, but also crass and hilarious in her own right. She has this unseriousness about her, coping with the confusing world she’s in through sarcasm and humor, clinging to the few things she finds familiar—her sword, her training, and her sunglasses. 

Gideon as our narrator is such a lovely change of pace because just like the audience, she’s oblivious and blind to the majority of the happenings at Canaan House. There is no omniscient point of view here, just Gideon’s golden eyes and how she sees the world through them. We understand the unfolding of knowledge in the same way Gideon does—the same things that are shocking to us are shocking to Gideon, and her reactions and our reactions are largely similar, making her a sympathetic character. As the audience, we’re able to easily relate to her struggles, invoking a strong sense of sympathy towards the situations she finds herself in and how she aims to get herself out of them.

Watching the story develop through Gideon’s lens is truly lovely, as is learning more about the characters that she interacts with—a vibrant cast of characters, each with their own varying personalities, flaws, and values. The shining jewel of this cast, however, is Harrow.

Harrow is an enigma for the majority of the book, Gideon not only being primarily ignored by her but also completely excluded from Harrow’s activities within Canaan House. When Harrow finally lets Gideon in, we start to feel more affection for her in the same manner that Gideon does—in her own special sort of way. 

The relationship between Gideon and Harrow is one of the most intriguing parts of the book, with their largely antagonistic interactions simmering down into something akin to friendship, and then later into something that might be called affection—or even love. Their relationship journey is something that is both hilarious and bittersweet, with years of growing up together and building walls to keep each other out, only to break them down and learn to trust one another as the story develops. Tensed shoulders melt into something akin to tenderness, something vulnerable, and it’s so refreshing to see the progression of these two characters and their relationship with each other.

Beyond Gideon and Harrow, there is a sprawling, yet defined cast of about fifteen other characters, most of whom go unrealized in the book—no fault of Muir’s. While yes, it is frustrating at times that your favorite supporting character gets only a little bit of screen time due to Gideon’s interest in other characters (I love you forever, Camilla Hect), it works to make Gideon’s reactions even more realistic and sympathetic—I would react the same way if someone I didn’t know did something to me. 

As for everything else: the story itself is comprised of five total acts—starting slow and melodramatic, then rapidly increasing in pace much like other books in the space opera genre. Gideon the Ninth is a jewel of the genre, despite the languidity of the pace in the first two acts. Once things start speeding up, though, they never slow down and it can be difficult to keep track of everything that’s going on. The middle acts (the middle of Act Four, especially) are incredibly chaotic, with all kinds of moving parts intersecting and cutting each other off—I had to take notes to keep track when I first read it. The pacing is a small bit of a challenge for people who prefer rapid action in their books, but I found it tolerable and necessary to fully understand Gideon and how out of her depths she was. The story arc of Gideon the Ninth is a gradual one, slow to start but quick to endear itself to you. The building tension is largely undercut by Gideon’s sheer obliviousness, which can be frustrating at times, but I find that it lends itself to the story. 

Overall, my final rating for Gideon the Ninth is 4.5, but I’ll round up to 5 stars simply because of how much I absolutely adore the book! I think that what Muir has done here is ambitious and works well, especially for her debut novel. I think about this book all the time and have spent way too much time rereading, analyzing, and consuming as many scraps of this book as I can.

I’ve been sitting on this review for over four years now, unable to find the words to accurately describe how I feel about this book. It’s a good feeling, constantly wanting to talk about how much I love this book, but unable to find the words to properly express it. 

The book drops the audience directly into the deep end: the first chapter is full of dynamics, words, and concepts we don’t fully understand yet. There is a sense of familiarity to us—jokes about porn mags, sunglasses, and running away—intermingled with brand-new things, like necromancy, cavaliers, and the Nine Houses. It’s the kind of book that the more you reread it, the better you can understand the confusing aspects of the characters that we were introduced to at the very beginning of the book—it’s a gradual process, but that makes it all the more satisfying when you go back and are like “oh, <i>that’s</i> why they said that!” 

The world of Gideon the Ninth unfolds before our very eyes—references to a Cohort, with few answers about why the Cohort exists. References to the Nine Houses (each one representing a different planet) and their respective cultures, each one having its own values and ways of life. References to a Locked Tomb that must forever stay that way, and the cultish following that it has amassed. And then there is Canaan House (the First House), with its strange and twisting corridors, locked rooms, and skeletal servants. Canaan House is a stark disparity from the Ninth House we are introduced to at the top of the book, although in similar states of desolation and disrepair, with the once elegant palace being reduced to crumbling stone and dead gardens. 

The world is densely packed with all kinds of lore, questions we never really get answers to (in this book, that is; our protagonist just doesn’t seem too interested in the schematics of it all—charming, but frustrating to an audience who wants to know more), and a system of necromancy that took me way too long to fully understand.

We follow our protagonist, Gideon Nav in servitude as cavalier primary to the necromantic heir to the Ninth House and the strongest necromancer of her generation, Harrowhark Nonagesimus, as Harrow aims to obtain the secrets to Lyctorhood and rise above her station to serve the Necrolord Prime—who serves as a god-like figure. Gideon is, naturally, unenthusiastic about this, because all she wants is to enlist and serve in the cohort—and get as far away from Harrow as possible.

Gideon is an unreliable narrator in the best possible way. Her flippant attitude, sarcastic quips, and singularly goaled nature give her a certain sort of charm. She’s endearing and good, but also crass and hilarious in her own right. She has this unseriousness about her, coping with the confusing world she’s in through sarcasm and humor, clinging to the few things she finds familiar—her sword, her training, and her sunglasses. 

Gideon as our narrator is such a lovely change of pace because just like the audience, she’s oblivious and blind to the majority of the happenings at Canaan House. There is no omniscient point of view here, just Gideon’s golden eyes and how she sees the world through them. We understand the unfolding of knowledge in the same way Gideon does—the same things that are shocking to us are shocking to Gideon, and her reactions and our reactions are largely similar, making her a sympathetic character. As the audience, we’re able to easily relate to her struggles, invoking a strong sense of sympathy towards the situations she finds herself in and how she aims to get herself out of them.

Watching the story develop through Gideon’s lens is truly lovely, as is learning more about the characters that she interacts with—a vibrant cast of characters, each with their own varying personalities, flaws, and values. The shining jewel of this cast, however, is Harrow.

Harrow is an enigma for the majority of the book, Gideon not only being primarily ignored by her but also completely excluded from Harrow’s activities within Canaan House. When Harrow finally lets Gideon in, we start to feel more affection for her in the same manner that Gideon does—in her own special sort of way. 

The relationship between Gideon and Harrow is one of the most intriguing parts of the book, with their largely antagonistic interactions simmering down into something akin to friendship, and then later into something that might be called affection—or even love. Their relationship journey is something that is both hilarious and bittersweet, with years of growing up together and building walls to keep each other out, only to break them down and learn to trust one another as the story develops. Tensed shoulders melt into something akin to tenderness, something vulnerable, and it’s so refreshing to see the progression of these two characters and their relationship with each other.

Beyond Gideon and Harrow, there is a sprawling, yet defined cast of about fifteen other characters, most of whom go unrealized in the book—no fault of Muir’s. While yes, it is frustrating at times that your favorite supporting character gets only a little bit of screen time due to Gideon’s interest in other characters (I love you forever, Camilla Hect), it works to make Gideon’s reactions even more realistic and sympathetic—I would react the same way if someone I didn’t know did something to me. 

As for everything else: the story itself is comprised of five total acts—starting slow and melodramatic, then rapidly increasing in pace much like other books in the space opera genre. Gideon the Ninth is a jewel of the genre, despite the languidity of the pace in the first two acts. Once things start speeding up, though, they never slow down and it can be difficult to keep track of everything that’s going on. The middle acts (the middle of Act Four, especially) are incredibly chaotic, with all kinds of moving parts intersecting and cutting each other off—I had to take notes to keep track when I first read it. The pacing is a small bit of a challenge for people who prefer rapid action in their books, but I found it tolerable and necessary to fully understand Gideon and how out of her depths she was. The story arc of Gideon the Ninth is a gradual one, slow to start but quick to endear itself to you. The building tension is largely undercut by Gideon’s sheer obliviousness, which can be frustrating at times, but I find that it lends itself to the story. 

Overall, my final rating for Gideon the Ninth is 4.5, but I’ll round up to 5 stars simply because of how much I absolutely adore the book! I think that what Muir has done here is ambitious and works well, especially for her debut novel. I think about this book all the time and have spent way too much time rereading, analyzing, and consuming as many scraps of this book as I can.


asmo

This is definitely one where you have to push past the first 100 pages or so where the plot is bogged down by corny-ass dialogue and more forced edginess than an angsty goth teen. After you get past that, the book really takes off (the dialogue doesn't get better but it grows on you). By the end of the book I couldn't put it down. It's essentially a YA novel for adults. Really looking forward to the rest of the series, glad I stuck it out.

Simon Crocker

mystery! magic! space! swords! golden retriever butch, black cat femme! and they're LESBIANS!! what more could you want really 

avie

loki

This book started out insanely slow to me. There was a lot of information and description thrown into the first two acts (and even following that), and I found myself getting lost and bored. But I have heard such good reviews of this book and I was determined to see it through. At times, I was unsure if I had missed vital information or world-building buried in those first two acts; the power systems and types of necromancy each house was using came at me fast and without too much expansion, though I'm not sure if it wasn't provided or, again, if I was just losing it in the (still beautiful) descriptions. Once I hit act 3, the pacing was so much better and I finally felt like I got to the action of the book. The last 150ish pages absolutely FLY. I couldn't put the book down until I turned the last page and I wish the whole book had had that pacing. Gideon and Harrow are such sharp, witty characters and I think they really got to shine in the latter half of the book. Overall, super super good and I picked up Harrow the Ninth already, but be prepared for a slow beginning and a LOT of infodumping.

Itzel

I was so slow reading this book, I felt like I wasn't gonna be able to get through it. Then the deaths began and I finally felt it kicking off. 

When I think about it, the Nine Houses universe is fascinating, and I want to know more about it. However, you are thrown into it without any explanation and it might be one of the reasons why the first half of the book was hard for me to get through. There is a glossary at the end, and a friend had told me about it when she read it. Alas, I didn't remember that particular warning, but it would have helped so much. 

I picked this book as part of the Clear Ur Sht readathon for a prompt for a book with an ambitious character, and indeed it is full of ambition. Ended up very fond of Harrowhark and Gideon and the Sixth House, so much that I actually can't wait to read Harrow the Ninth. 

 I liked the story a lot, I think the prose is what made me like it a little less, except for the little jokes in it: I maintain that "said the war crime" is the best dialogue tag to ever exist.

Elena

2.5/5 (no spoilers)

I was really disappointed that this book sounded so perfect for me but I just could not get the hang of it.

I don't know if I waltzed into the book with false expectations, but it was absolutely not what I thought it would be.

For me, there were definitely too many characters at once in this new setting and world and the overview in the beginning did not help. I did not at all care for the characters whose names were thrown around all the time. Also,
 I don't know how this world is set and I don't know if I read some parts too fast to understand them or if there was little(/to no) explanation that I immediately understood.

The more the book came to an end the more I enjoyed it (for more than the reason of the end being near). So now I am interested in reading the second book (and maybe the rest) as well.

Fenix Voliton 

i haven’t cried because of a book in a long long time. i am in shambles.

katrina montgomery

my best friend sent me this book, and i was skeptical because it seemed so campy—but it’s easily the best sci-fi book i’ve read in years.

orwyn

I love this setting, I love Gideon, I love her relationship with Harrow -- will soon have to reread to fully understand and recall the characters of the other necromancers!

Oliver Magnanimous

Didn’t get it, too weird, too many characters, never really cared

chloe rae

4.5*

This was a reading experience truly unlike any other.

I have never been thrown so hard into a world before and felt so completely LOST at the beginning. The first 100 pages or so were rough…I was intrigued but I didn’t understand the logistics of this trial and the magic and the character dynamics. My friend and I were reading this for our book club and we kept texting each other “Am I stupid? Am I supposed to understand?”

Then everything starts to make sense, or maybe you just start to love the characters and the story gets exciting. But either way, once I hit the 100/150 page mark, I was totally and completely hooked.

This is such an interesting book. It’s original and different; I’d love to know how she came up with this idea. It is so beautifully written! Her language and prose was so fun and contrasting. The dialogue would be hilarious and a little juvenile - but then she’d have these delicious descriptions and sentences using words I had to look up! It was so fun to read. Gideon had such a unique voice - she was just a pleasure to get to know. I loved all the characters, once I was able to decipher them all from each other (there’s a lot of characters!).

The best part for me was the mystery (or even more so, the MURDER mystery). I loved trying to figure it all out with Gideon and Harrow and the whole necromancer squad!

This was most definitely worth the read. I can’t wait to continue on with the series. Just don’t be like me and check the glossary before starting!

Was confused throughout most of it, it grew on me

Sasja Koning

Gideón Nav esta intentando escapar, una vez más, del planeta en el que ha sido torturada toda su vida. Y una vez más sus esfuerzos quedan frustrados por Harrowhark Nonagesimus, la real gobernante de la decadente Novena Casa de un universo decadente.

http://lectorcompulsivo.com/2024/01/gideon-la-novena-tamsyn-muir/

Jose Vera

Gideón Nav esta intentando escapar, una vez más, del planeta en el que ha sido torturada toda su vida. Y una vez más sus esfuerzos quedan frustrados por Harrowhark Nonagesimus, la real gobernante de la decadente Novena Casa de un universo decadente.

Hice una reseña del libro en mi blog:

http://lectorcompulsivo.com/2024/01/gideon-la-novena-tamsyn-muir/

Ayla Hawthorne

really wanted to love this book (hello?? lesbian necromancers?!? in space?!???!?) but honestly the unexplained world building and large cast of characters really confused me. i liked gideon and harrow, though, and will definitely be reading the next book. a lot of homestuck vibes from this (in a good way). also, tamsyn muir is a kiwi! what an icon

Tatiana

Gideon the Ninth: 4.5/5


  “One flesh, one end, bitch.”

Premise:
Gideon, the Ninth, mainly follows two characters Gideon, a swordfighter, and Harrowhark, a necromancer for the Ninth house. One day the Emperor has invited the eight necromancer heirs from all eight loyal Houses to compete in unknown trials that most likely will cost them their lives, to ascend into something immortal, but a necromancer also needs a caviller to fight; thus, Harrowhark and Gideon team-up.

Not all is as it seems, though when the trials themselves turn out to be extremely dangerous, and cavillers and necromancers start mysteriously dying. Told with a series of twists and turns, Tamsyn Muir keeps the reader begging for more through her witty characters, comical writing, and an enthralling plot.


  “I cannot conceive of a universe without you in it”

Writing & Plot:
This reading experience is like no other. I am head over heels in love with Tamsyn Muir's writing style. Although the plot is taut, the writing keeps the story funny and witty. It's this extreme juxtaposition that is wildly enthralling. 

I will say, though, the writing is pretty dense, and it is confusing for the first 100 pages. It definitely took a few days of concentrated reading to get into it, but it was so worth it. I cannot stress enough that it will all work itself out if you get to part two. This is genuinely my only criticism of the book.

PS. The ending broke me.


  “But Gideon was experiencing one powerful emotion: being sick of everyone’s shit.”

Characters:
Amazing. Immaculate. Perfection. Gideon is probably one of my favorite literary characters that I have ever read. She is witty, talented, and so badass. Her dynamic with Harrow is to die for. If you like funny lesbians that take no shit, this is the book for you. I am so happy this is not a standalone novel, and I can continue reading from their perspective because it makes this book magic. I cannot rave about the characters enough. Just read it.

Conclusion:
Besides the struggle of getting into the book and understanding how the universe functions, this book is fantastic. It is such a great fantasy novel that checks all the boxes. The characters and plot are wildly enjoyable and Tasmyn Muir's writing is like nothing you've experienced before. This book reminded me why I love fantasy so much. Read it.

this book was beautiful and so tragic at the same time; maybe a parallel to life and death itself. it starts off a bit slow and confusing for sure, and you’re definitely going to forget many of the characters’ names and level of importance a few times in the beginning, but my god does it bleed into such a perfect story once you get over that and into the heart of what’s going on. there’s something poetic in reading something like this, so sure you know how this story goes, only for the author to pull the rug on you at the end. nothing has gripped me like this book has in a LONG TIME, and i desperately cannot wait to read the next book following this. 

tiffany tercero

Madison Grady

i am not lying when i say you will not know wtf is going on for a solid portion of the book but when it rains it pours

Gideon the Ninth is the first book in the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Locked Tomb Trilogy, and one of the Best Books of 2019 according to NPR, the New York Public Library, Amazon, BookPage, Shelf Awareness, BookRiot, and Bustle! WINNER of the 2020 Locus Award and Crawford Award Finalist for the 2020 Hugo, Nebula, Dragon, and World Fantasy Awards “Unlike anything I’ve ever read. ” —V.E. Schwab “Lesbian necromancers explore a haunted gothic palace in space!” —Charles Stross “Deft, tense and atmospheric, compellingly immersive and wildly original.” —The New York Times The Emperor needs necromancers. The Ninth Necromancer needs a swordswoman. Gideon has a sword, some dirty magazines, and no more time for undead nonsense. Tamsyn Muir’s Gideon the Ninth unveils a solar system of swordplay, cut-throat politics, and lesbian necromancers. Her characters leap off the page, as skillfully animated as arcane revenants. The result is a heart-pounding epic science fantasy. Brought up by unfriendly, ossifying nuns, ancient retainers, and countless skeletons, Gideon is ready to abandon a life of servitude and an afterlife as a reanimated corpse. She packs up her sword, her shoes, and her dirty magazines, and prepares to launch her daring escape. But her childhood nemesis won’t set her free without a service. Harrowhark Nonagesimus, Reverend Daughter of the Ninth House and bone witch extraordinaire, has been summoned into action. The Emperor has invited the heirs to each of his loyal Houses to a deadly trial of wits and skill. If Harrowhark succeeds she will be become an immortal, all-powerful servant of the Resurrection, but no necromancer can ascend without their cavalier. Without Gideon’s sword, Harrow will fail, and the Ninth House will die. Of course, some things are better left dead. THE LOCKED TOMB TRILOGY BOOK 1: Gideon the Ninth BOOK 2: Harrow the Ninth BOOK 3: Alecto the Ninth At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

The start of this was terrible and I decided I didn’t want to waste my time or invest in this series. You get a bunch of character names and stuff thrown at you but I still know nothing about out the world. World building? Non existent. And Gideon? Am I meant to like her? Because they do not come across in anyway endearing. And I know there’s a potential romance with Harrow but I don’t think I believe I could be invested from her intro. Just hope hard pass I won’t waste my life on this one. 

Becky

DNF @ 5%

The start of this was terrible and I decided I didn’t want to waste my time or invest in this series. You get a bunch of character names and stuff thrown at you but I still know nothing about out the world. World building? Non existent. And Gideon? Am I meant to like her? Because they do not come across in anyway endearing. And I know there’s a potential romance with Harrow but I don’t think I believe I could be invested from her intro. Just hope hard pass I won’t waste my life on this one. 

Gideon La Novena / Gideon the Ninth

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