A review by hanarama
Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

adventurous dark funny mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

The Good:
  •  Snarky, funny main character 
  •  Lots of twists
  • Crosses multiple genres
 
The Bad:
  •  Hard to keep track of side characters 

You Might Like This if You Like:
  •  Thor Ragnarok 
  • Enemies to lovers
  • Lesbians with swords 

Gideon is such a fun main character. It's been awhile since I've read a character with so much snark and attitude. She has loads of big, dumb himbo energy and is everything you could want in a badass, space swordswoman. 

I wasn't expecting a murder mystery plot, but I found it immensely enjoyable as Gideon and Harrow provide a lot of excellent banter. The central mystery is set up well with plenty of secondary reveals that keep you on your toes. 

My one issue was with how many side characters there are. Everyone has nicknames and is known by both first and last name to different characters, so it can be hard to keep everyone straight at the start. 

As a warning, this is an everyone can die type of story. But with necromancer involved, that may not always be super permanent, but frequently it is. 
 
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