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plumpaperbacks'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: Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Body horror, Chronic illness, Terminal illness, Self harm, Slavery, Physical abuse, Murder, Emotional abuse, and Child abuse
Moderate: Child death, Grief, Medical content, Medical trauma, Suicide, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Bullying, Cannibalism, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Religious bigotry, and Suicidal thoughts
katesigrist's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
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: Gore, Gun violence, Chronic illness, Terminal illness, Child death, and Body horror
Moderate: Suicide
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