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A review by snipinfool
Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Gideon had dreams of leaving the Ninth House and becoming a fighter for the Emperor. She did not expect her chance to come in the way it did. The Emperor summoned the heads of each house to complete challenges set to become one his Lyctors and fight beside him. Harrowhark Nonagesimus, head of Ninth House, would take up the challenge, but needed a cavalier to go with her. Gideon was chosen to attend by her side. Gideon and Harrow had a long and difficult past. They viewed each other as an enemy and frequently went out of their way to goad the other. Gideon knew this trip would test her skills as well as her ability to follow Harrow's lead. They needed to keep their past from working against them. As Gideon and Harrow faced each trial, they realized they would have to trust the other absolutely in order to continue the challenges. To do so, they would have to face the reasons behind their past actions with one another and learn more about each other's truths.
I really, really wanted to love this book. It was an intriguing story. Multiple teams vying for the chance to win accolades is usually a winner for me. While the story centered around Gideon and Harrow, having multiple house teams with both a lead and cavalier made it difficult for me to remember who each person was and what house they were from. I wish the author had written more interactions between the competitors so readers could learn more about their individual characteristics and what role they played. I read the e-book version and there was a "Cohort Intelligence File" at the end which told more about each person in the competition. I would have loved that information at the beginning. I didn't know it was a more detailed cast of characters info until after I finished the story. The pacing of the book was way off for me. The difference between the first half of the book and the second was like night and day. The first half was so slow. I considered DNFing it, but I was reading it for my book group and wanted to give it a chance. The second half was wonderful. It was much more fast paced and I loved every bit of it. Overall, it was an interesting book and I am glad I continued reading it.
I really, really wanted to love this book. It was an intriguing story. Multiple teams vying for the chance to win accolades is usually a winner for me. While the story centered around Gideon and Harrow, having multiple house teams with both a lead and cavalier made it difficult for me to remember who each person was and what house they were from. I wish the author had written more interactions between the competitors so readers could learn more about their individual characteristics and what role they played. I read the e-book version and there was a "Cohort Intelligence File" at the end which told more about each person in the competition. I would have loved that information at the beginning. I didn't know it was a more detailed cast of characters info until after I finished the story. The pacing of the book was way off for me. The difference between the first half of the book and the second was like night and day. The first half was so slow. I considered DNFing it, but I was reading it for my book group and wanted to give it a chance. The second half was wonderful. It was much more fast paced and I loved every bit of it. Overall, it was an interesting book and I am glad I continued reading it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, Toxic relationship, Violence, Body horror, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Gaslighting, Forced institutionalization, and Terminal illness