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A review by book_buddy_rob
Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-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? Yes
4.75
I have a new favorite series!
The first 100 pages or so of this book was hard to push through and I was prepared to DNF, but once things started clicking and the underlying mystery in the plot began, is when I got hooked and needed to know what was going to happen.
The bond that develops between Gideon and Harrow is one of the best executions of an enemies to friends trope I have ever read. At the start, these two main characters hate each other but by the end, Muir did a really great job of developing that bond that by the end when they formed a real sisterhood with each other, it felt believable.
The real star of the book though was the unique magic system. All the magic centers around necromancy, or what I like to call dead people magic. But it’s not just poof, raise the dead. In order to access their magic the characters use different theorems and puzzles that require solving and I thought that made it super compelling.
I also thought the mystery woven into the story was well paced. People were dropping dead and Muir did a great job of keeping the reader invested and wanting to know what was causing all these deaths.
I do wish the world building had been stronger. You’re sort of dumped into this world with not a lot of info on the planets, and the characters, but by the end I appreciating figuring everything out on my own because once things clicked is when things really got going.
I do also with the queer themes were explored more within the story. Gideon is a lesbian, but outside of a few one liners from her, it’s not really talked about much within the story.
Overall this is a great start to what I believe will be a new all time favorite series and I can’t wait to dive into the next book!
The first 100 pages or so of this book was hard to push through and I was prepared to DNF, but once things started clicking and the underlying mystery in the plot began, is when I got hooked and needed to know what was going to happen.
The bond that develops between Gideon and Harrow is one of the best executions of an enemies to friends trope I have ever read. At the start, these two main characters hate each other but by the end, Muir did a really great job of developing that bond that by the end when they formed a real sisterhood with each other, it felt believable.
The real star of the book though was the unique magic system. All the magic centers around necromancy, or what I like to call dead people magic. But it’s not just poof, raise the dead. In order to access their magic the characters use different theorems and puzzles that require solving and I thought that made it super compelling.
I also thought the mystery woven into the story was well paced. People were dropping dead and Muir did a great job of keeping the reader invested and wanting to know what was causing all these deaths.
I do wish the world building had been stronger. You’re sort of dumped into this world with not a lot of info on the planets, and the characters, but by the end I appreciating figuring everything out on my own because once things clicked is when things really got going.
I do also with the queer themes were explored more within the story. Gideon is a lesbian, but outside of a few one liners from her, it’s not really talked about much within the story.
Overall this is a great start to what I believe will be a new all time favorite series and I can’t wait to dive into the next book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Violence
Moderate: Gore
Minor: Genocide