Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

 

Greetings Stack Worms! 

I finished! I finished just in time for the end of June. Sadly, that means saying cheerio to PRIDE month. 

Gideon the Ninth was NOT what I was expecting. I liked it though, gave it 4 stars on Goodreads. And like I said on there I mainly brought down the rating because of not being able to visualize what was being described sometimes. Also, the phrasing got a little too weird for me to follow, here and there. 

Anyway, let's get the review started. 

TRIGGER WARNING:

- Death/MC Death

- Gore

- Blood

- Language 

- Abuse/Torture 

- "Slavery" - More of an indentured servant

SPOILER WARNING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! There are spoilers from this point on!!!

Gideon, an orphan to the Ninth house, is trying to join the front lines. She wants to be far away from the dreaded place of Dreaburh, the Locked Tomb, and it's cruel Reverand Daughter, HarrowHark. But she is tricked into staying and ends up becoming Harrow's new Cavalier, after Harrow is called to the First House. At Canaan, Gideon and Harrow have to work together to get Harrow to Lyctor hood. However, their past keeps getting in the way. They must work past old scars to survive the random murders happening to the other Houses. Gideon tries and fails to protect the people she has come to like and care about. One of them happens to be the cause of the murders and Gideon has to fight her in the end, only to sacrifice herself to keep Harrow alive. Harrow "eats" Gideon's soul and accends to Lyctorhood. After defeating the enemy and waking up in The Necrolord's space ship, she begs for him to give Gideon back, but he cannot. Harrow agrees to be his Hand. And that's where it ends. 

Through out the plot, Gideon is falling for Dulcinea from the Seventh House, and feels she has to protect her as she wastes away. Dulci is suffering from blood disease that is killing her. We find out, though, that this is just a ruse. The girl Gideon thought she knew as Dulci is actually one of the first Lyctor that served the Necrolord. She has a chip on her shoulder having lived for about 10k years with her blood sickness. I'm thinking the pain drove her crazy. Anyway, this girl is our antagonist that goes around killing the Houses. She only fails in killing Harrow, the necromancer of the Third, and the Cavalier of the Sixth House. We get a feeling that Dulci does indeed like Gideon, since she keeps leaving her alive and offers to let her live during their battle. 

I'm sure Dulci is hated in the fandom, since she kills the children from the Fourth and a really sweet married couple of the Fifth. Yet, I had a giant crush on her while reading. Unfortunately, she dies at the end. She's not the one that kills the Eighth house though, that was Ianthe. Then one of the priests kills the Second House. The Sixth kills himself, by detonating while trying to kill Dulci, when he finds out she's an imposter and killed the love of his life from the Seventh. 

Also, Harrow and Gideon, become close. So close that Gideon forgives everything Harrow has ever put her through. Which, Harrow is shocked at, because her family had actively tried to kill Gideon as a baby, so that the Ninth House could give birth to Harrow. 

The story has a lot of characters. There are Eight Houses that answer the call from the Necrolord. Each house has 1 Necromancer (that is an heir to their house) and 1 Cavalier. So, that's 15 characters (Third House has twins). Plus, Teacher, who is the caretaker of Canaan House. The First House is the Necrolord and his Lyctors, whom are carrying out their mission. Well, not all, Necrolord has very few Hands left, that's why he made the call for new ones. However, he only gets two, out of the ordeal. Harrow and Ianthe are his two new Lyctors. 

The Houses sort of have a theme for each; Sixth is smart, Ninth is protectors of the Locked Tomb (who holds the Necrolord's nemesis), Seventh is about beauty, Eigth are siphoners, Second are the military. That's all that stood out to me. The others were mentioned (I think) maybe once and I didn't make a note of it. 

The Necrolord is the one that basically brought them Necromancy and brought their world back from death. So, he's their religion and a real person. As are his Lyctors. And to become a Lyctor, a necromancer has to "eat" their cavalier. This is basically binding their souls together. Sort of. Not sure I understood it a hundred percent. 

LIKES: 

- The interpersonal relationships are well developed

- NECROMANCY!! SKELETONS!! AWESOMENESS!!

- GAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!! Seriously, Gideon has titty magazines...and they are referred to as TITTY magazines. Also, there might be something between Gideon and Harrow (well until death do them part) (also, also, Harrow is like in love with a frozen Cavalier in the Locked Tomb). But also, also, also, Dulci and Gideon is my thing. 

- Harrow calling Gideon, Griddle. CUTE!

DISLIKES: 

- Hard to visualize details. At least to me. 

- I wanted a little more explanation of the House. Especially, how the Ninth fell. Also, explanation of their religion would be nice. 

REPRESENTATION: 

- F/F

I think that's it. Toodles!