A review by tatiana_luz
Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense 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

5.0

This book was wild from start to finish. Who opts to put necromancers in space? Muir does. And, bizarrely, it works. There is a lot of depth and nuance to the setting and how the Nine Houses interact throughout the books. Though it is longer in length, it is paced well enough to keep readers engaged. The prose itself is what made me love the book: it is equal parts humorous, tragic, and complex. 
The story has left me with a lot of questions going into Harrow the Ninth, but not in the way that reflects poor explanation on the writer's part. My confusion matches the confusion of the teen characters in the story--trying to figure out how the mysterious Nine Houses System works, and what that means for their own journeys. I feel like I am along for the chaotic ride. I am excited to read more.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, and Violence

Moderate: Cancer, Child death, and Suicide