A review by rlobel
Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Gideon the Ninth was a beautiful, deadly, atmospheric read. The book explores a world of nine houses, each residing on its own planet and occupying a school of necromancy. The story follows Gideon Nav as she becomes a (pretend) cavalier in order to assist her childhood nemesis, Harrowhark Nonagesimus, the reverend daughter of the Ninth House, in becoming a Lyctor (an immortal necromancer). The book was visually stunning as the macabre imagery meets with the cosmic descriptions. Gideon was such a fun character to follow; she was complex and witty. She often hid her trauma behind humor, which made her relatable and interesting. The dynamic of her relationship with Harrow was complicated, making for an incredible character-driven narrative. While I loved how their characters interacted and pushed the plot forward, I was told it would be a romance when it was not. Gideon and Harrow had undulating tones of romance, but it never fully realized its potential. So while I won’t say this is a love story, it does overflow with subtext.

Overall, I loved the gothic atmosphere and the characters. However, the actual plot at times felt weak, a bit like an afterthought until the end. Furthermore, one of the storylines about who/what Gideon is wasn’t resolved, which made me feel a bit unfulfilled. Another point I want to make is the execution of the exposition. As a reader, you are kind of thrown into the world without much context as to what the rules are. It takes a while to catch on and follow; however, over time, you do begin to understand it. Nonetheless, Tamsyn Muir did a fabulous job of creating a haunting world along with characters you can’t help but want to learn more about. All in all, this was a solid read. I can’t wait to pick up the second book in The Locked Tomb series, which follows another journey featuring Harrow. I give this a 3.5/5.