A review by mal_reads_books
Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

adventurous challenging dark funny mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

The first 35% or so took me almost a month to get through. I struggled especially from when Gideon arrived at First House up until the end of Act II. So many characters, all referred to in multiple names, were introduced that were hard to keep track of. Most of them were indistinguishable (
and they die anyway
). The plot's direction wasn't clear, as nothing seemed to happen for a while at Canaan House. The writing style also took me time to get into; it was dense and felt like reading filler at times. A lot of what was going on flew over my head and I found myself constantly rereading parts.

Despite these challenges, I loved the two main characters, the setting, and the murder mystery that unveiled. I loved Gideon's feistiness, insults, and her dynamic with Harrow. I know Gideon's quips and the story's very Millennial (and already dated) sense of humor turns off some readers, but I kind of enjoyed it. The world was very unique and intriguing, though grim and disturbing. It leaves a lot of questions to be answered, which I expect will be covered in later books.

I heard the Harrow sequel is just as confusing and chaotic, but the reveals toward the end have convinced me to continue. I'll definitely reread Gideon the Ninth sometime. With a better understanding of what's going on, I'll probably appreciate it more.
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