Terri M. LeBlanc
Written on Dec 30, 2023
I didn't understand this book in the slightest. Obviously, not a book that was meant for me.
The Emperor needs necromancers.
The Ninth Necromancer needs a swordswoman.
Gideon has a sword, some dirty magazines, and no more time for undead bullshit.
Tamsyn Muir’s Gideon the Ninth unveils a solar system of swordplay, cut-throat politics, and lesbian necromancers. Her characters leap off the page, as skillfully animated as arcane revenants. The result is a heart-pounding epic science fantasy.
Brought up by unfriendly, ossifying nuns, ancient retainers, and countless skeletons, Gideon is ready to abandon a life of servitude and an afterlife as a reanimated corpse. She packs up her sword, her shoes, and her dirty magazines, and prepares to launch her daring escape. But her childhood nemesis won’t set her free without a service. The emperor has called his necromancers to action, and Harrowhark is set on Gideon attending her as bodyguard. If Gideon survives, she’ll be a hero, and a free woman. If not, she can look forward to eternity as a shambling bone-servant.
- ISBN10 1250313198
- ISBN13 9781250313195
- Publish Date 10 September 2019
- Publish Status Active
- Out of Print 5 April 2024
- Publish Country US
- Imprint St Martin's Press
- Format Hardcover
- Pages 448
- Language English
Reviews
Metaphorosis Reviews
Written on Nov 6, 2023
Summary
Gideon, an orphaned foundling raised in the Ninth House - keepers of the Locked Tomb - is desperate to leave and take her martial skills elsewhere. But the daughter of the rulers of the Ninth, her hated rival Harrow, has other plans. Together, they head off to answer the Emperor's call, along with the heirs and champions of seven other necromantic Houses of the Empire.
Review
I tend to be sceptical about The Next Big Thing. Usually, it’s not, though sometimes it’s quite good. Sometimes it’s not. But of course I’m curious. The press for Gideon the Ninth didn’t draw me in, but when I saw a chance to check it out for free, I decided to give it a shot, with mixed results.
I almost invariably finish books I start; I find it very difficult to just stop reading. But within 30 pages of opening Gideon the Ninth, I was contemplating doing exactly that. If it had been an unknown quantity entirely, I might have done so. But since it was so highly regarded, I figured there had to be something there. I’ve found that’s often faulty logic, but nonetheless, I persevered. And I’d have to say that the first 100 pages or more (of a 400 page book) were very rocky. It did get better toward the end.
To be frank, Muir does, as Gideon herself might say, a crap job of setting the stage. We have very little understanding of what the society is or how it’s meant to work – whether the Empire as a whole or even just the microcosm of the Ninth. I’m still not sure whether the Ninth is on a planet, a planetoid, a station of some kind (though probably not), or of what it is the nine Houses are meant to do.
We start the book with Gideon desperate to leave the Ninth and join something called the Cohort. I never did understand what the Cohort was meant to be, how it was organized, or even where it was. It seemed to be an army of some kind, with a high death rate (fighting whom?). Gideon’s eventual companion on a quest, her sort-of ruler Harrow, is desperate to be a Lyctor. And what’s a Lyctor, you ask? Beats the hell out of me, though they seem to work for the Emperor and be part of the First house (which is the Emperor). But there are also Hands, and I don’t know what they are either. And I’m saying this at the end of the book – I still don’t know what the stakes were for anyone involved.
The broad concept is magic necromancy in a science fiction setting, and we don’t get much more than that about how or why it works. There’s just vague handwaving and cool special effects. (In fact, much of the book reads as very video game influenced.) There’s a sort of mechanism to it, but mostly we just have to take for granted that the experts know what they’re talking about.
The prose is oddly confident and solid in some places, clumsy and riddled with semantic errors and flaws in others. After a while, it settles in, but this is what made the first 30 pages so painful for me (and didn’t help the first 100).
The characters are also underdeveloped in some ways. We start with Gideon leaving home, taking only a sword and her porn magazines. But it turns out the porn was just a gimmick to catch our attention; it never really turns up again, and plays no important role in the story (and where did it and her comic books come from, in the rigid, childless society she lives in?). The sword does. There’s an intense rivalry, and a stunningly obvious relationship that goes exactly where we always knew it would go. It's also a little odd that, in an LGBT-friendly book, Gideon seems to mock one character for not being manly enough.
On the plus side (and there is one), after about page 100, once everyone settles into the quest, things get substantially better. The characters, always somewhat engaging, get considerably deeper. I still found it hard to differentiate many of them (and there are 20 or so key characters to remember), despite Muir’s helpful mnemonic names. And while the emotional path is fairly obvious, it’s interesting to get there. And the special effects of the quest are cool (despite the vague foundation for it all). The latter three quarters of the book are pretty fun, and I’m even curious about what happens next; it’s not out of the question that I’d pick up more books of the series. Part of that is because it’s a sunk cost now; I’m past that painful first hill. There are still some pretty gaping holes in it all, but I know where they are and can see past them somewhat.
Would I recommend this? I’m not sure. You have to have have considerable stamina and tenacity to get to the good part, but when you do, it’s pretty good. If you suffer from FOMO but somehow haven’t picked this up yet, do; just be prepared to fight the book for a while first.
PS the cover is misleading. Gideon is described as a musclebound powerhouse, not a slim and elegant fighter.
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
pamela
Written on Dec 28, 2022
I adored the world of Gideon the Ninth. It was a completely unique tale with such a dense, intricate, and populated world that I'm completely hooked!
Tamsyn Muir's voice shines through the whole narrative. She's created a full cast of unique and interesting characters, each with their own flaws and a world that's dark, gruesome and beautiful. But make no mistake; the narrative is DENSE. Despite having a relatively simple plot, there is so much to key into in regard to politics, setting, and inter-house rivalries. I genuinely think this might be well-served with a re-read in the near future.
Gideon the Ninth is generally well-paced, but I did find the second half of Act 1 to drag a little, with some overlong fight scenes later in the book that failed to keep my interest. But none of that was enough to take away from the fact that this book was just fun, and different, and a joy to read.
anne
Written on Jul 11, 2021
layawaydragon
Written on Dec 6, 2020
I was so worried about the recent audio book DNFs but maybe I've taken enough of a break to go back to reading books again.
littleread1
Written on Aug 31, 2020
Bloody ... well, bloody. But also bloody excellent. So damn good. If I try and tell you why it is good, it is going to sound somewhat stupid. But let me try anyway? Lesbian necromancers in space and also sword-fights and superb insults and murder mystery and gruesome magic. I actually laughed out loud a few times in my car listening while driving. Not just a chuckle or a giggle, but a full on belly laugh. The narrator did the characters spot-on, and the delivery was beautiful. So good. Still SO many questions left unanswered, and I have dozens. You bet I will be watching for the next book like a necromancer watches someone dying so they can play with the corpse.
ross91
Written on Aug 29, 2020
I had lots of issues with the writing style and the dialogues... it was like watching my 50-something aunt trying to be relatable to my little teenage sister ("look at me! I'm cool! I use slang and bad words! Look, here's a cultural reference that only young people get! Have you seen?? HAVE YOU SEEN?? Please like me!").
The "villain" of the book was also very easy to spot from the very beginning.
The ending was interesting enough, so I think I'll continue on with this series.
roundtableknight
Written on Aug 8, 2020
~
My poor bastard of a heart. This book took me on a trip, a full expense paid journey through all ups and downs without telling me that it would. I laughed so much and I screamed so painfully and now I'm ready to read Harrow the Ninth and have my expectations blown away once again.
Kate (Blogging with Dragons)
Written on Jul 5, 2020
Gideon the Ninth takes place in a world that is governed by the undying Emperor, his most powerful necromancers, known as lyctors, and his army the Cohort. Serving him are nine houses of different varieties of necromancers, which are spread across the universe. When the Emperor summons the heirs of the nine houses to compete to become lyctors, the book becomes a very deadly game, filled with murder, mystery, and political battles between houses. Honestly, it feels like reading about the necromancers of Elder Scrolls in a Hunger Games scenario.
“You forget yourself, Gideon Nav,” her teacher said shortly. “You’re no slave, but you’ll serve the House of the Ninth until the day you die and then thereafter, and you’ll commit no sin of perfidy in my air. "
Gideon, who grows up as something of a servant for the dismal Ninth House, finds herself trapped into the role of cavalier to her most bitter rival and heir to the Ninth House, Harrowhark in her quest to become a lyctor. As a cavalier, Gideon must defend and serve Harrow, who she’s hated for her entire existence--brandishing a rapier and knuckles to protect her. Gideon finds herself protecting her against not only the other houses, but also the ancient and deadly experiments laying in the decaying mansion on the First House planet. These experiments point to powerful and lost necromancy techniques that hold the key becoming a lyctor.
The mystery of the secrets in the mansion were really interesting and intriguing to me. It only got more interesting as members of the other houses started turning up dead, unable to be revived by necromancers. But what captured my interest the most was the characters of the book and their relationships. Sadly, for the life of me, I cannot tell you who was a member of what house though. Even though Gideon the Ninth helpfully provides a chart of the members of each house at the beginning of the novel, I was doomed, even with references back to it. Each member of every house is referred to by their first name, last name, house numbers, such as “sextus,” and other names, which made it literally impossible for me to keep everybody straight.
Despite my eternal confusion at which character was which, the author still managed to make me really care about her characters, their decisions, and their relationships. For me the standout of Gideon the Ninth, was the friendship between Gideon and Harrow. The two started out hating each other’s guts, were trapped together on a planet with no one else they could trust, and forced to help each other survive. I absolutely loved the progression of their bond and development of these characters.
“Isn’t this the part where you give me intel,” Gideon said, standing up and flexing her stiff muscles, “tell me all you know of the tasks ahead, who we’re with, what to expect?"
“God, no!” said Harrow. “All you need to know is that you’ll do what I say, or I’ll mix bone meal in with your breakfast and punch my way through your gut.” Which was, Gideon had to admit, entirely plausible
I freaking loved Gideon. She was such a piece of work, sassing anything and everything--even making “that’s what she said” jokes--bettering others who had actually trained their whole lives as cavaliers in a duel, and proving herself at every turn. Not only is she a capable warrior, but an empathetic person, so it’s no surprise when she falls for the fatally ill necromancer, Dulcinea of the Seventh House, despite Harrow’s disapproval. Though I wasn’t nearly as invested in Gideon’s crush on Dulcinea as I was with her relationship with Harrow, it definitely went down an interesting path. And that’s all I will say to that, cuz spoilers.
Dulcinea had the dreamy, confiding manner of someone who, despite spouting grade-A horseshit, was confident you would understand everything she was saying.”
So on top of all the other genres in the book--science fiction, dystopian society, coming of age, mystery, suspense, horror--there’s also LGBT+ romance. I honestly don’t understand how the author combined so many genres in one book--I’m still in awe--and made it such a coherent and gripping story. It was also initially off-putting that there was so much modern day slang in fantasy novel, but once I got used to it, I really enjoyed it. My only other complaint with Gideon the Ninth, besides my inability to keep the cast of characters straight, was that there wasn’t more time spent on world-building. I barely understood what type of necromancy each house used, where these house planets were, how they co-existed, how/why the Emperor was undying, and why he needed new lyctors.
Perhaps this lack of exposition was a definitive choice on the author’s part in order to drive home the point of what black sheep the Ninth House were, and how their tomb-like planet and way of life voluntarily isolated from the rest of the world. I see that as entirely plausible, as any one who can successfully weave so many genres together, complete with modern slang, is truly a master of their craft. Like the rest of the novel, I also found the descriptions in the book peculiar, unsettling, and engrossing:
The man who’d put the sword to her neck was uncomfortably buff. He had upsetting biceps. He didn’t look healthy; he looked like a collection of lemons in a sack.
The author does such a great job of describing things in an utterly unique way that almost shouldn’t make sense, but somehow does. So despite the lack of time spent on world-building and the fact that I couldn't even keep all of the characters straight, I was entirely invested until the very last page of Gideon the Ninth. I know a lot of other readers found the ending unsatisfying, but I didn’t. To me, the entire reason that Gideon ended up being a cavalier was for her own freedom and independence, and in my eyes, that was something she gained. When Gideon and Harrow are threatened with death and the plot to destroy the emperor, Gideon sacrifices herself in order to make Harrow a lyctor--something that requires cavalier and necromancer becoming one being--giving her friend the power to defeat the mastermind behind the deaths and schemes. To me, no one forced Gideon into that decision, it was her choice, and what she always wanted--to choose her own destiny. I felt that the book was leading up to Gideon and Harrow becoming one the being, a lyctor, the entire time, what with the ancient experiments, and Harrow and Gideon’s making peace with each other. And I’m really excited to see what role Gideon will play in the sequel Harrow, which I frankly needed yesterday.
If you love to escape into worlds in your books,Gideon the Ninth, will suck you into a wholly unique experience. When I say this novel truly has something for everyone, I mean it, and fans of any genre should be able to find something that speaks to them in Gideon the Ninth as easily as necromancers speak to the dead.
Bloggingwithdragons.com
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Beth C.
Written on Dec 20, 2019
And while I'm talking, I have a bit of a bone (HA.) to pick. SO. MANY. described this book as "Lesbian necromancer", which gave the impression that there is a ton of romance among the dead bits. That is SO NOT THE CASE. *Much* more "necromancer" and WAY less "lesbian". I would go with "necromancers in space compete - and die - in a bid to serve the Emperor". Not as eye-catching, perhaps - but definitely more accurate.
Overall, it's a really good read. I'm already thinking of people who might enjoy it, and I'm REALLY looking forward to book two.