Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

Gideon the Ninth (Locked Tomb, #1)

by Tamsyn Muir

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.

Reviewed by pamela on

4.5 of 5 stars

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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.

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Reading updates

  • 25 November, 2022: Started reading
  • 25 November, 2022: on page 0 out of 448 0%
  • 27 December, 2022: Finished reading
  • 28 December, 2022: Reviewed