A review by gothhotel
Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

3.0

3.5. Very fun popcorn read with an engaging world and characters, if a bit trope-y. The fact that the magic system is basically vibe-based didn’t bug me because I’m an idiot but I could see that disappointing some. Loved the humor at first, especially in the muddy first section where not much happens, but it did get to be a bit repetitive and at times disrupted the flow of some scenes. MCU-style quips are fun every now snd then but when shit is hitting the fan you gotta be secure enough in the story you’re telling to focus on it. On the other hand, the ending is fantastic, as are many (if not all) of the character beats. I literally couldn’t put it down for the last 40% and I’m seriously considering buying the second one to cut the line at the library, which I never do. So while my review sounds negative I have to acknowledge that most of this worked for me. I just wouldn’t recommend it for everyone. If you want a queer pulpy read with some cool ideas, I recommend. If you want serious worldbuilding without a constant parade of winking puns and pop culture references, maybe look elsewhere.