Tamsyn Muir

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." 

horu

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.

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.

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

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

Gideon La Novena / Gideon the Ninth

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. 

The world building was a little boring some of the characters fell flat but Gideon is a sexy beast and carries it. I didn’t love the execution of the general conflict but it was still an engaging read.

Daphne Li-Chen

Such a weird book! In a good way!

The world building was a little boring some of the characters fell flat but Gideon is a sexy beast and carries it. I didn’t love the execution of the general conflict but it was still an engaging read.

oh my god jesus christ i am writing this review 30 minutes after finishing the book and going to the library to get the other two books in the series and i am still in shock. so good everyone should read it - it is also emotionally devastating. the pure gay obsession in this book too - i am dying

Geoffrey Froggatt

Once I heard that the elevator pitch of this book was “lesbian necromancers in space”, I knew I had to pick it up for myself. The beginning of this book reminded me of certain parts of Dune where the world building came fast with jargon and lore that is never initially explained. While I am not a fan of exposition and info dumping, I did feel like I was dropped into a new alien world without a map or dictionary at the beginning of this novel. This was both a good thing and a bad thing for immersion. Content warning for everything to do with death magic and necromancy: child death, discussions of death, pseudo necrophilia, body horror, self-harm, suicide, etcetera. The style of the story reminded me of Nevernight without the grim-dark edgelord crap. 

This was the author’s debut novel and unfortunately the writing and story suffered for it. The world building and the characters have so much potential that doesn’t feel truly realized and the story is encumbered by the dense writing. The lack of initial character descriptions made it hard for me to visualize any of the characters and the lack of descriptions from scene to scene prevented me from visualizing the setting. The mystery and reveal didn’t hold much weight with me because I wasn’t able to envision most of the characters, especially the secondary ones. The weight and potential of this story collapses under the amateur writing, but the brilliant premise kept me going. I got the gist of the world building, but I wish that it was presented in a way that I could feel more attached to the world and the lore. 

I want to be a fan of this series, so I’m going to read the sequels despite how many problems I had with this first book. Much like Nevernight, I would love to see an anime adaptation of this book series in the same vein as Netflix’s Castlevania. This book really made me realize that the Goodreads rating system is flawed in the sense that I cannot rate books with half-stars. Saying this book is rated two stars is selling it too short but saying this book is rated three stars is giving it too much credit. I chose to round up to three stars because I did ultimately enjoy the premise and the world.

muir intimately understands that tragedy can also be comedy, if you're willing to concede the two can't exist without each other. which they can't. so. good book. i am extremely normal about it.

the way she opened up my brain and scratched it in a million orgasmic ways she really GETS IT

Cathy Trình

PERFECT. LESBIAN NECROMANCERS IN SPACE. NO NOTES.  

fris🐝

That was quite the ride ! A pretty strong start to a trilogy. Tamsyn Muir imagined a fascinating universe and society for this book. 

 with very strong intense moments and parts where almost nothing was going on challenging my focus hahaha. Just like the pacing my attention wavered at times.

I really liked the characters. Dynamic and fun exchanges. It was very entertaining to listen to their reactions at some events. I found Gideon very likeable and many others I hope to see again in Harrow’s book. 

Amira BEN

That was quite the ride ! A pretty strong start to a trilogy. Tamsyn Muir imagined a fascinating universe and society for this book. 

However I found the pacing very wavy with very strong intense moments and parts where almost nothing was going on challenging my focus hahaha. Just like the pacing my attention wavered at times.

I really liked the characters. Dynamic and fun exchanges. It was very entertaining to listen to their reactions at some events. I found Gideon very likeable and many others I hope to see again in Harrow’s book. 

2nd edit: I appreciate this more and more with each reread

Edit: bumping this to 4 stars upon rereading.

Most of this i really loved but some parts fell a bit short of what I was expecting. I found I wasn't as excited about the climax as I wanted to be. But overall I enjoyed it and will be reading the following book too.

it feels like i missed a whole chunk of context even after finishing the book, a whole part of it feels very vague. i am genuinely convinced no one got through the entire book without going through the locked tomb wiki. might be a skill issue on my part. i dont know. but even if it is confusing, the descriptions and dialogues are deeply amusing and a joy to read. the book uses such precise and unique wording that if you put it in another work it would stick out, and that in itself is so beautiful.

wished there were more parts of lesbian romance, as advertised, though. 

it feels like i missed a whole chunk of context even after finishing the book, a whole part of it feels very vague. i am genuinely convinced no one got through the entire book without going through the locked tomb wiki. might be a skill issue on my part. i dont know. but even if it is confusing, the descriptions and dialogues are deeply amusing and a joy to read. the book uses such precise and unique wording that if you put it in another work it would stick out, and that in itself is so beautiful.

wished there were more parts of lesbian romance, as advertised, though. 

Gideon the Ninth The Locked Tomb #1

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