You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Scan barcode
bookcapybara's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I don’t think I’ve ever read a book that reads quite like this one.
The story’s voice was wonderfully novel, and the world was original in a way that continued to surprise me. It took a while for the plot to get going, but once it did, I was hooked. I adored the dynamic that developed between Gideon and Harrow as the book progressed.
I’ll run through the reasons that kept me from rating this five stars, but keep in mind that none of these issues were enough to stop me from thoroughly enjoying the book.
First off, while the book was very funny, I feel like there were a few points where this humour undermined the tone of a scene.
The way the world building was introduced made me feel like not only had I been thrown in the deep end, but someone was holding my head underneath the water. While I do prefer this over the other extreme - a slow and tedious introduction to the world - I was regularly being pulled out of the story to puzzle over some unfamiliar terminology or title, trying to remember if this was something I was meant to understand at this point.
On top of figuring out the rules of the world, I struggled to keep track the numerous secondary characters that were introduced in quick succession. The story seemed to expect me to quickly pick up on their first name, last name, which house they came from, and who their corresponding necromancer/cavalier was. I was able to get the hang of it by the end of the book, but until then I spent a lot of time getting characters confused for one another.
I also found I had trouble following the descriptions for a fair few scenes. I honestly can’t specify why, but I had to read over several paragraphs multiple times to try and figure out what the layout of a room was. At least once I just gave up and read on, hoping it would become clear as the characters began to interact with it.
Overall, this is a very good book. If the premise at all intrigues you, I recommend it, and I will definitely be picking up the sequels.
The story’s voice was wonderfully novel, and the world was original in a way that continued to surprise me. It took a while for the plot to get going, but once it did, I was hooked. I adored the dynamic that developed between Gideon and Harrow as the book progressed.
I’ll run through the reasons that kept me from rating this five stars, but keep in mind that none of these issues were enough to stop me from thoroughly enjoying the book.
First off, while the book was very funny, I feel like there were a few points where this humour undermined the tone of a scene.
The way the world building was introduced made me feel like not only had I been thrown in the deep end, but someone was holding my head underneath the water. While I do prefer this over the other extreme - a slow and tedious introduction to the world - I was regularly being pulled out of the story to puzzle over some unfamiliar terminology or title, trying to remember if this was something I was meant to understand at this point.
On top of figuring out the rules of the world, I struggled to keep track the numerous secondary characters that were introduced in quick succession. The story seemed to expect me to quickly pick up on their first name, last name, which house they came from, and who their corresponding necromancer/cavalier was. I was able to get the hang of it by the end of the book, but until then I spent a lot of time getting characters confused for one another.
I also found I had trouble following the descriptions for a fair few scenes. I honestly can’t specify why, but I had to read over several paragraphs multiple times to try and figure out what the layout of a room was. At least once I just gave up and read on, hoping it would become clear as the characters began to interact with it.
Overall, this is a very good book. If the premise at all intrigues you, I recommend it, and I will definitely be picking up the sequels.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Cancer, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Gore, Self harm, Suicide, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, and Murder
chaotic_neurotic's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I love everything about this book. Anything that can make me whisper "oh no oh no oh god why what the hell" is a book to keep forever.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, and Murder
emarie_stone's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
“Lesbian Necromancers explore a haunted gothic palace in space!”.
TW: Lots of blood. In-depth descriptions of bones, body parts, body horror (because necromancy). Death. Death of a child. Death of a parent. Suicide. Cancer.
The cover quote both overestimates and underestimates this book, leaving the reader wholly unprepared for the reality that is Gideon the Ninth. It’s graphic, violent, and told through the eyes of the most badass, hearthrobbing, buff lesbian I have seen to date in fiction.
Let’s start with the first and most important point: this book is not gonna be for everyone. Neither characters nor locations are introduced slowly; rather, the reader is air-dropped into a story that’s already 10,000 years old and expected to figure it out along the way. The prose is thick as molasses, often intentionally confusing, but like an hourglass, the pieces gradually fall into one cohesive piece. By the end, I was excited, I was invested in the story, and the ending itself hit me like a freight train.
If given the option, I would suggest listening to the audiobook over traditional reading. The names of the characters are long and similar, but the narrator gives an excellent variety to their voices to distinguish them. Honestly a delight to listen to, and I’m not sure I would have gotten through it without her.
If you’re the kind of person who wants to understand the book while you’re reading, this is probably not the book for you. If you want a sarcastic, asshole lesbian to punch whatever’s pissing her off, maybe give Gideon the Ninth a try.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Cancer, Child death, Death, Gore, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, and Death of parent
mweis's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Self harm, and Murder
Moderate: Suicide
Minor: Cancer
sagesapphire's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Being thrown neck deep into this new world as someone who hasn't read intense fantasy or sci-fi in a very long time, it was hard for me to grasp what was happening, and the prose kind of confused me. This is what stopped it from being an easy 5 stars for me. But I was intrigued by the world and the characters enough to continue, and the more the book continued, the deeper and deeper I became wrapped in its glorious bone tendrils.
This was super good and I'm so fucking READY to dive into the next book! The mysteries and how everything was slowly revealed was just super satisfying for me.
This was super good and I'm so fucking READY to dive into the next book! The mysteries and how everything was slowly revealed was just super satisfying for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Cursing, Self harm, Suicide, Blood, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Murder
olivialandryxo's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I’ve heard so many good things about Gideon the Ninth around the internet and was excited to finally see what the hype was all about.
Right away, I was drawn in by the unique world-building and protagonist herself. Gideon is snarky and hilarious, truly a well-developed, stand-out character. As the story progressed, Harrow grew on me as well. I loved the dynamic between the two girls—from enemies to reluctant allies to unexpected friends. The banter? Pure. Gold.
I was a bit disappointed that no romance blossomed between the two, as I thought that was going to happen. I’d seen people call the story enemies to lovers, but lovers, they were not. Ultimately this didn’t make or break the book for me, but if you’re also expecting a sapphic love story, you might want to adjust those expectations a bit.
I was also disappointed by the lack of deeper world-building. The concept of necromancers in space is unique and quite intriguing, but Muir doesn’t build much upon that. I know the story is set in a solar system of nine Houses on nine planets, ruled by some sort of immortal emperor, with each House specializing in a different type of necromancy. Beyond that, I couldn’t tell you anything, really. Gideon and Harrow come from the Ninth House—though Gideon was only raised there, whereas Harrow is the born heir—and the story takes place in the First House.
Additionally, I had many questions while I read, unrelated to the plot itself, that weren’t answered. How did Gideon, at eighteen, not know what a shower was? Sure, the scene where she discovered it by getting blasted with water was comical, but it doesn’t make sense. Do people in the Ninth House not shower? How do they get clean? It’s a small detail, yes, but it caught my attention and I can’t help but focus on what it might mean.
Many of my questions were related to the side characters, the members of the other Houses, Second through Eighth. I couldn’t tell you what kind of necromancy each specialized in; the only one I know is that the Ninth’s specialty was bones. It took half the book for me to figure out who was who and be able to recall them all in a timely manner. Hardly any of them had distinguishable traits, and most only appeared to either aid or oppose the protagonists.
Moving past that, the story is divided into five acts. I was intrigued from the start, but not truly invested until things started going wrong around the start of act three. I believe the middle chunk of the book is the best because of the character and relationship development, as well as the constant suspense. Once I got past the second half of act four, though, things seemed to drag on unnecessarily. There was more and more fighting, and I became less and less interested. The last hundred pages probably could’ve been shortened by about thirty.
And can I just say, I’m really, really not happy with the ending? ‘Cause I’m not. I don’t know why Muir made the decisions they did. Even with the slower pacing, I’d decided on a four star rating, but act five, short though it was, was enough to make me lower my rating by another half star. It also significantly lessened my interest in the sequel.
I know I’ve been quite critical throughout this review, but I did enjoy some aspects of Gideon the Ninth. Both protagonists were complex and entertaining, and Gideon was especially entertaining. Her narration truly made the book more memorable. I just seriously wish that Muir had spent more time developing the rest of the characters and world they created. If the ending was changed, I’d be okay with that too. I’m still planning to read the sequel, but my expectations are much, much lower than they were for this book.
Representation:
Right away, I was drawn in by the unique world-building and protagonist herself. Gideon is snarky and hilarious, truly a well-developed, stand-out character. As the story progressed, Harrow grew on me as well. I loved the dynamic between the two girls—from enemies to reluctant allies to unexpected friends. The banter? Pure. Gold.
I was a bit disappointed that no romance blossomed between the two, as I thought that was going to happen. I’d seen people call the story enemies to lovers, but lovers, they were not. Ultimately this didn’t make or break the book for me, but if you’re also expecting a sapphic love story, you might want to adjust those expectations a bit.
I was also disappointed by the lack of deeper world-building. The concept of necromancers in space is unique and quite intriguing, but Muir doesn’t build much upon that. I know the story is set in a solar system of nine Houses on nine planets, ruled by some sort of immortal emperor, with each House specializing in a different type of necromancy. Beyond that, I couldn’t tell you anything, really. Gideon and Harrow come from the Ninth House—though Gideon was only raised there, whereas Harrow is the born heir—and the story takes place in the First House.
Additionally, I had many questions while I read, unrelated to the plot itself, that weren’t answered. How did Gideon, at eighteen, not know what a shower was? Sure, the scene where she discovered it by getting blasted with water was comical, but it doesn’t make sense. Do people in the Ninth House not shower? How do they get clean? It’s a small detail, yes, but it caught my attention and I can’t help but focus on what it might mean.
Many of my questions were related to the side characters, the members of the other Houses, Second through Eighth. I couldn’t tell you what kind of necromancy each specialized in; the only one I know is that the Ninth’s specialty was bones. It took half the book for me to figure out who was who and be able to recall them all in a timely manner. Hardly any of them had distinguishable traits, and most only appeared to either aid or oppose the protagonists.
Moving past that, the story is divided into five acts. I was intrigued from the start, but not truly invested until things started going wrong around the start of act three. I believe the middle chunk of the book is the best because of the character and relationship development, as well as the constant suspense. Once I got past the second half of act four, though, things seemed to drag on unnecessarily. There was more and more fighting, and I became less and less interested. The last hundred pages probably could’ve been shortened by about thirty.
And can I just say, I’m really, really not happy with the ending? ‘Cause I’m not. I don’t know why Muir made the decisions they did. Even with the slower pacing, I’d decided on a four star rating, but act five, short though it was, was enough to make me lower my rating by another half star. It also significantly lessened my interest in the sequel.
I know I’ve been quite critical throughout this review, but I did enjoy some aspects of Gideon the Ninth. Both protagonists were complex and entertaining, and Gideon was especially entertaining. Her narration truly made the book more memorable. I just seriously wish that Muir had spent more time developing the rest of the characters and world they created. If the ending was changed, I’d be okay with that too. I’m still planning to read the sequel, but my expectations are much, much lower than they were for this book.
Representation:
- two lesbian protagonists
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Self harm, Slavery, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Child death, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Grief, and Medical trauma
Minor: Bullying, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Cannibalism, and Religious bigotry
keen's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book throws you into the body of Gideon as you try to unravel the strange universe created by Tamsyn Muir. It can be difficult to figure out what's going on, but commentary from Gideon helped relieve me by letting me know she doesn't know what's going on either. Sometimes it can feel like you're a third wheel in a conversation that has no regards for you or how much context you have. It gives you the chance to take a moment and try to look deeper at hints sprinkled about the book before the answer is given. But not all answers are revealed. I'm excited to see what more Harrow the Ninth has in store for me.
I also found the narration delightful. I'm used to book with serious narrators, but Gideon manages to go from serious to fun very quickly. Several times I wondered how people considered this a horror book before a situation forces Gideon to focus on the situation at hand. And when there's horror, it's horrifying. The descriptions painted a vivid picture in my head. No wonder there's so much fanart of this book. On the downside, some of the words and terminology went over my head and forced me to use a dictionary frequently. Luckily, that didn't stop me from enjoying the story.
Also, I'm very happy Gideon and Harrow didn't get together at the end. My shipping brain says it would've been cute, but overall, the way they grew up together and the way Harrow treated Gideon for so long makes the idea of a healthy relationship between the two seem unbelievable and very discomforting.
I also found the narration delightful. I'm used to book with serious narrators, but Gideon manages to go from serious to fun very quickly. Several times I wondered how people considered this a horror book before a situation forces Gideon to focus on the situation at hand. And when there's horror, it's horrifying. The descriptions painted a vivid picture in my head. No wonder there's so much fanart of this book. On the downside, some of the words and terminology went over my head and forced me to use a dictionary frequently. Luckily, that didn't stop me from enjoying the story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Cancer, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Gore, Terminal illness, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Cannibalism
Minor: Child abuse and Physical abuse
willardfillmore's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Death, Gore, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Bullying, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Medical content, and Grief
Minor: Cancer, Child death, Chronic illness, Self harm, Terminal illness, and Vomit
The predominant feature of the story is necromancy--magic involving the manipulation of death and the dead (mostly skeletons). The world the characters inhabit is built on a foundation of death. Within the narrative this isn't portrayed as negative, but much of the action involves what could be considered desecration of corpses. This happens in a very fantastical way, though--think "Jason and the Argonauts" with its army of risen skeletons, but on a bigger, weirder scale. Toward the end of the book, the violence becomes more grisly, and more intense:kxisanri's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Self harm
evbyrd's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror
Moderate: Self harm and Suicide