Gideon the Ninth

“One flesh, one end.”

Harrowhark Nonagesimus: a name that refers to the sole daughter and heir to the Ninth House—wherein the term “house” refers to the noble families that rule different planets. With a huge name to live up to, Harrow refuses to let others know of the ailing state of the house. An opportunity to revive it, however, arises when the Emperor invites the Ninth House, alongside others, to a competition, with the most worthy being appointed the role of Lyctor. But to do that, there was one more thing she needed: Gideon Nav.

Gideon Nav is a tough and sarcastic young woman, however, she does not feel at home in the Ninth House, being condemned to life as an outsider. Through a promise of freedom, Gideon agrees to act as Harrow’s cavalier in the competition. Together, the two journey to the First House, fighting through perilous trials, even as those invited are picked off one by one. And of course, what can they do but work to find the one responsible, even if it comes at a great personal cost to them.

Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir is quite possibly a story with the wittiest banter I’ve seen in a while, making it a delight to read. The story’s blend of gothic horror, science fiction, and fantasy make for an intriguing read, one that will not bring, as Muir said: “Sweet dreams”—especially when the words are said through writing in “silky wet red”. But dreams are overrated anyway, I suppose.

At first glance, Gideon the Ninth is a stunning book, with the cover full of creepy, skeletal images, shadowy graves, and infested with blood. Definitely the type of story I could get into. However, when first entering the world of the book, I must admit, it was beyond a little disorienting. I do not think it usually takes me very long to pick up on the world being shown by the author, but this time, it took more than a couple of chapters. I’m not one to read the blurb of a story—as I tend to purely base the stories I read off the cover and how engaging the title is—but in the case of Gideon the Ninth, I needed to pause my reading and skim the blurb just to figure out what was going on. Be that as it may, once the story began to click, it was a far cry from boring. The premise of necromancers—in this case, those with the ability to manipulate thalergy (life energy) and thanergy (death energy)—is an engaging one as I’ve not encountered many stories that deal in them. Due to that, I found myself interested in the way each character was described and their interactions.

Gideon the Ninth tests the loyalty of its characters, of whom there are many. Most evidently this includes Gideon herself and Harrowhark. Gideon’s cynical nature and reluctance to follow along with any plan of Harrowhark’s amused me. The more aggravated Harrow got, the funnier I found the interaction. But, as with most main characters, Gideon has a complex backstory exposing vulnerabilities she’d rather keep hidden. I’ve got to say, she’s possibly my favourite character, if only because I delight in her witty remarks (I know I keep mentioning it, but it has to be said). Harrow was the most infuriating person when she first appeared, probably because we see her more through Gideon’s lens than her own, even though the book is written in third person. When she first came into the frame, leveraging Gideon’s freedom, I decided I disliked her. However, she experienced great character growth, from her cold, aloof self, into someone more willing to express her emotions. I did like how driven and ambitious she was, even if it was for power and immortality, which are questionable motives.

Aside from our two main characters, whom I think make a great pair when in the same scene, we do meet other cavaliers and necromancers who help with the mysterious but also add to them. One of my favourites of the bunch would have to be Ianthe Tridentarious, the Necromancer of the Fifth House. She is powerful, but also someone arrogant. Similarly to Harrow, she is ambitious, fueling competition between the two. Her cunning and ruthlessness make for tense interactions with Harrow and Gideon, seeing as they are portrayed as rivals. I enjoyed reading about her character’s behaviours that often sparked suspicion amongst the group.

Another notable character is Augustine, cavalier to the Necromancer of the Seventh House. He is a polite and kind person, and his good looks made for entertainingly awkward moments between him and Gideon, who tends to have jaded reactions to such people. Whilst I loved the characters once I got to know them, it would have been more impactful if the story had been set up to introduce everyone with more clarity. Although I eventually learned to enjoy all interactions, the beginning had me vexed until I learnt what was actually happening. Another enjoyable aspect of the story was the cliffhanger the book ends on. It kept me wanting to read the next story, especially since the excerpt was not enough to satisfy my curiosity.

I’d recommend Gideon the Ninth to those who enjoy tamer gothic horrors. Considering the cover, the book is not as developed on the horror front as other stories I’ve read, so if intense horror is the endgame, Gideon the Ninth may be too gentle. However, it would be perfect for those who enjoy horror to a milder extent and on the more gothic side. Paired with a love of science fiction, I think it would make a great choice of reading.

All in all, Tamsyn Muir wrote a very fascinating tale that made for a fun read. After that ending and the little excerpt, I think I just may have to go get the second installment. Once my initial confusion wore off, I did enjoy reading this story and I can’t wait to see what else Muir brings to the literary world.

“I was a good person. I was, for a few seconds. Then the universe hit me with a bloody sword and I got a little bit too cynical.”