Gideon the Ninth

This follows Gideon from her attempted escape from the Ninth House through to her reluctant partnership with Harrowhark on a quest to become a Lyctor. What unfolds is essentially a locked-room murder mystery with lesbian necromancers, as representatives of the Eight Houses find themselves stranded together in pursuit of Lyctorhood - only to begin dying one by one, whether at the hands of a monster or each other.

There’s a lot to enjoy here: Gideon’s rebellious, distinctive personality and her hilariously dramatic clashes with Harrowhark; the sheer number of powerful female characters; and the inventive blend of fantasy and science fiction - necromancy and bones alongside starships and distant planets. I particularly enjoyed the show more D&D-style dynamic between the frail necromancers and their muscle-bound cavaliers, which Muir balances with humour and style.

Two aspects were a little trickier for me, though they’re inherent to the genre. Listening as an audiobook, I found the large cast - each with multiple names, nicknames, titles, and insults - occasionally confusing to track. (The collective “horrible teens” was a welcome shorthand!) And, as one would expect with necromancers, there’s a strong thread of body horror: decay, death, and gruesome imagery are handled matter-of-factly, which isn’t usually my preference.

Despite that, it’s an incredibly clever book - with exceptional world-building, vivid characters, and a plot that ties together beautifully. The ending is both satisfying and complete, which for me means I may leave it there rather than diving into the sequel. Still, it’s a standout example of originality and audacity, and I can see why it’s become such a modern favourite. show less

Gideon the Ninth was a rare five star read (or listen) for me. This is an amazing pulpy genre mash-up of a novel and I loved it but I can see it being a bit of a marmite book (love it or hate it) although I think the things some hate about it will be the same things others love. This has a bit of everything making it very hard to classify: necromancy and space opera, gothic castle and skeletons, locked room murder mystery, swordfights and cavaliers, a lead character who gives zero f*cks, high in sarcasm, lesbians (but not really any romance). I listened to the audio book read by Moira Quirk and her voice-acting was so good I would happily listen to anything else she narrates. I loved the book so much that I bought the hardback after show more finishing the audio (and Tor.com are hosting a reread so I might join in with that). It's the first book in a trilogy and there is a cliffhanger ending but it's worth it. show less

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the books I'm enjoying most during lockdown are fantasy novels. In this case I took the rare step of buying a new copy, after finding out that my favourite local bookshop is offering book deliveries by bike at the moment. I really hope Edinburgh's independent bookshops all survive the lockdown. Anyway, 'Gideon the Ninth' proved to be a joyous gothic romp. Much of it is set in Gormenghast, if the endless castle was full of ambulatory skeletons. Although it uses the language of fantasy, magic rather than tech, the context is of a decaying interplanetary empire in the far future. I was somewhat reminded of the [b:Viriconium|304217|Viriconium (Viriconium #1-4)|M. John show more Harrison|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1347891771l/304217._SX50_.jpg|295248] series, an old favourite.

Approximately half the characters in 'Gideon the Ninth' are necromancers and the other half professional sword fighters, the remainder consisting of mysterious priests and skeletal monstrosities. Gideon, the protagonist, falls into the second category. She has a magnificently tempestuous relationship with the acerbic necromancer Harrowhark, who she grew up with. Their interactions provide the most compelling scenes in the book, although Gideon's narration is consistently great whether she's arguing with Harrow, eating breakfast, or fighting for her life. Such a flamboyantly grimdark setting would be tedious if it took itself completely seriously, so Gideon is the perfect narrator as she refuses to take anything seriously. I loved the crepuscular castle, sardonic dialogue, epic sword fights, and creepy magic. The mystery driving the plot is well-sustained and the denouement suitably dramatic. What a consistently delightful novel. Conveniently enough, the sequel is coming out next month. EDIT: Now delayed until August, sadly.

EDIT 19/03/23
To date I've read the Locked Tomb novels in the following order: Gideon, Harrow, Harrow again, Nona, and Gideon again. I rarely reread books but this series is a special case; it makes me so happy. Gideon is a joy to experience again in light of subsequent books. For one thing, it was great to be able to keep track of precisely who is in each House, which I couldn't manage the first time round. Favourite lines upon rereading:

"We have a door to open."
"Yes, tomorrow morning after at least eight hours' sleep," Gideon suggested without hope.
"An admirable attempt at comedy in these trying times," said Harrowhark. "Let's go."

[...]

"Hm," Camilla said neutrally, and Gideon knew immediately that she organised Palamedes' and her socks by colour and genre.

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Cheeky lesbian necromancy in a mysterious space castle, with hilarious bad jokes, creepy body horror, and a cast of suspicious characters? More, please!

I can't say that Gideon the Ninth was a perfect book, but I CAN say that this beautiful genre-crossing slam dunk of a wild fucking novel took my heart with humor, disaster lesbians, heart-break and imagination I can barely comprehend. If you can listen to the audiobook to hear Gideon's and Harrow's voices, I URGE you to do so. It brings so much character and heart to the book.

The characters of Gideon the Ninth are deeply invested in understanding, controlling, and circumventing the processes of death and decay that define human existence. Their world is dying. Their lives are small and bleak. Their necromancy is usually horrific, frequently disgusting, and occasionally beautiful, sacred and desecrating at the same time. Their history is ancient. Their God is alive. If they want to survive, they must confront the violence, secrets, and broken promises that define their relationships to one another.
The book has a large cast--over 15 characters of interest--and pretty much all of them are deeply strange and enormously interesting. Every description of every character and setting is dripping with personality. show more There's a perfect balance between horror and humor, pain and catharsis, hope and despair. Gideon the Ninth basically a perfect novel, and I can't recommend it enough. show less

There's a lot I can't talk about without getting spoilery, but suffice to say that the "lesbian necromancers in space" tagline, while true, isn't quite perfect - it's closer to [book:And Then There Were None|16299] with a lesbian swordswoman and the most toxic goth woman you've ever seen, which I quite like from one of the top reviews on Goodreads.

Good lord the homoeroticism is running CONSTANTLY under the surface; that tension ratcheting up alongside the running tension of the murder mystery is great.

4.5 stars, highly recommend.