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A review by moth_meg
Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I am obsessed with this book.
Ghosts and monsters…remnants and the dead … the disturbed dead. The idea that someone is still here and furious … or that something has been lurking here forever. Maybe it’s that I find the idea comforting … that thousands of years after you’re gone … is when you really live. That your echo is louder than your voice.
Gideon the Ninth is sharp, gory, indulgent, and wonderfully original. This genre-bending adventure combines sci-fi fantasy with heavy elements of mystery and gothic horror. I love the atmosphere, I love the magic and world-building, and I love the cast of dynamic characters and their complex relationships.
Tamsyn Muir clearly isn’t big on exposition, as she jumps right into a confrontation between our two main characters, Gideon and Harrow, in the opening scene of the book. The reader is left to piece together the intricacies of this conflict as well as the wider world. This can be a bit confusing out of the gate, but I promise it is well worth the investment.
The majority of the story takes place in what is essentially a haunted mansion combined with a mad scientist’s lab. Muir’s writing artfully conveys both the alien nature and the decaying beauty of this environment. Her prose is extremely referential– including both the romantic and morbid elements of catholicism as well as nods to pop culture that feel like inside jokes with the reader.
I really enjoy a science-based magic system, and Muir does not disappoint. There is only one type of magic in this universe, and that magic is necromancy. By narrowing the scope of the supernatural, Muir is able to get very creative and specific about the ways in which this corpse-related power can be used. For instance, Harrow is a bone magician, meaning she specializes in crafting and animating “constructs” from bone. This and many other sects of necromancy are explored throughout the book, tied together through various “theorems”. The characters test these theorems through experimentation, making the magic truly feel like a scientific and academic pursuit. The reader learns about the magic in this world through Gideon's eyes, which is interesting since Gideon is not a magic user. As Gideon’s perception and understanding of how this magic works, we learn with her.
Now I need to talk about Gideon and Harrow. [Light Spoilers]
So, you like enemies to lovers? Allow Tamsyn Muir to introduce you to enemies to allies to begging to die for each other.
Harrow and Gideon have such an interesting dynamic. As the only surviving children of their generation, they grew up in constant competition and conflict. Harrow the golden child, the savior of her house, and Gideon, the interloper, the unwanted and the uninvited addition. They can't stand each other, yet they understand each other in such an intimate way that they can’t help but be loyal to one another.
Some of my favorite moments between our leading ladies:
"If I were in her position … I would have already thrown myself out the window.”
“Stand in front of a window now and I’ll do the hard part”
***
"They had never fought together before, but they had always fought, and they could work in and around each other without a second’s thought"
***
"I’ve lived my whole wretched life at your mercy, yours alone, and God knows I deserve to die at your hand. You are my only friend. I am undone without you.”
Screaming, crying, throwing up.
Some readers might be disappointed that despite all of this tension, Gideon and Harrow are not explicitly "together" in this book. Not me. I live for the slow burn. The relationship between these two characters is the heart and soul of this story, but it is far from the only interesting plot thread. I am more than happy to wait for the payoff while Muir explores other characters, dynamics, and lore.
That said, I am beyond excited to read the final book in this series, Alecto the Ninth. It's been a while since I've been this feral over a release date (I’m normally cool with taking my time between reading books in a series even if they've all been published). One thing I’m certain of is that I’ll be back to reread Gideon while I wait.
Ghosts and monsters…remnants and the dead … the disturbed dead. The idea that someone is still here and furious … or that something has been lurking here forever. Maybe it’s that I find the idea comforting … that thousands of years after you’re gone … is when you really live. That your echo is louder than your voice.
Gideon the Ninth is sharp, gory, indulgent, and wonderfully original. This genre-bending adventure combines sci-fi fantasy with heavy elements of mystery and gothic horror. I love the atmosphere, I love the magic and world-building, and I love the cast of dynamic characters and their complex relationships.
Tamsyn Muir clearly isn’t big on exposition, as she jumps right into a confrontation between our two main characters, Gideon and Harrow, in the opening scene of the book. The reader is left to piece together the intricacies of this conflict as well as the wider world. This can be a bit confusing out of the gate, but I promise it is well worth the investment.
The majority of the story takes place in what is essentially a haunted mansion combined with a mad scientist’s lab. Muir’s writing artfully conveys both the alien nature and the decaying beauty of this environment. Her prose is extremely referential– including both the romantic and morbid elements of catholicism as well as nods to pop culture that feel like inside jokes with the reader.
I really enjoy a science-based magic system, and Muir does not disappoint. There is only one type of magic in this universe, and that magic is necromancy. By narrowing the scope of the supernatural, Muir is able to get very creative and specific about the ways in which this corpse-related power can be used. For instance, Harrow is a bone magician, meaning she specializes in crafting and animating “constructs” from bone. This and many other sects of necromancy are explored throughout the book, tied together through various “theorems”. The characters test these theorems through experimentation, making the magic truly feel like a scientific and academic pursuit. The reader learns about the magic in this world through Gideon's eyes, which is interesting since Gideon is not a magic user. As Gideon’s perception and understanding of how this magic works, we learn with her.
Now I need to talk about Gideon and Harrow. [Light Spoilers]
So, you like enemies to lovers? Allow Tamsyn Muir to introduce you to enemies to allies to begging to die for each other.
Harrow and Gideon have such an interesting dynamic. As the only surviving children of their generation, they grew up in constant competition and conflict. Harrow the golden child, the savior of her house, and Gideon, the interloper, the unwanted and the uninvited addition. They can't stand each other, yet they understand each other in such an intimate way that they can’t help but be loyal to one another.
Some of my favorite moments between our leading ladies:
"If I were in her position … I would have already thrown myself out the window.”
“Stand in front of a window now and I’ll do the hard part”
***
"They had never fought together before, but they had always fought, and they could work in and around each other without a second’s thought"
***
"I’ve lived my whole wretched life at your mercy, yours alone, and God knows I deserve to die at your hand. You are my only friend. I am undone without you.”
Screaming, crying, throwing up.
Some readers might be disappointed that despite all of this tension, Gideon and Harrow are not explicitly "together" in this book. Not me. I live for the slow burn. The relationship between these two characters is the heart and soul of this story, but it is far from the only interesting plot thread. I am more than happy to wait for the payoff while Muir explores other characters, dynamics, and lore.
That said, I am beyond excited to read the final book in this series, Alecto the Ninth. It's been a while since I've been this feral over a release date (I’m normally cool with taking my time between reading books in a series even if they've all been published). One thing I’m certain of is that I’ll be back to reread Gideon while I wait.