Gideon the Ninth
By Tamsyn Muir
4 stars
I picked this book up on a whim because I found it on sale. Science fiction and fantasy are not my favorite genres so I was a bit skeptical to read it. After reading this book I am able to give credit where credit is due and I think I might have figured out I do like science fiction and fantasy after all.
In Gideon the Ninth we follow Gideon, who brought up by unfriendly, ossifying nuns, ancient retainers, and countless skeletons, 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.
Like I mentioned I ended up liking this book way more than I thought I would, although I had pretty much no idea what was happening in the beginning of the book once I understood the dynamic of the world the author created it was very easy to get caught up in the story. I do have to say that if you are new to the genre I probably wouldn’t start with this book, the world is complicated, there are multiple characters you have to keep track of and the “magic” system has so many rules I sometimes needed to go back and re-read a few things to see if I understood it properly.
The writing style is excellent, it is descriptive and eerie and the author manages to perfectly describe what is going on and where so you feel as if you are there alongside the characters. In my opinion the book could have been a few pages shorter but it wasn’t a deal breaker for me.
The characters are absolutely fantastic, especially Gideon, I loved her, she was funny, smart and very strong. I loved seeing Gideon learn how to become a cavalier and it was super interesting to see how her relationship with her necromancer evolved over time. The secondary characters are fantastic as well and they are developed properly, you feel as if you know most of them and you are able to get emotionally involved in what is happening to them.
For me the best part about this book is the plot, it is richly layered and profound. The author throws multiple plot twist at us that are both shocking and backed up with what was happening in the story. The murder mystery aspect of the book kept me on my toes the entire time and the ending absolutely destroyed me. It honestly took me a while to sort out my feelings about this book after that ending. Definitely intrigued enough to continue on with the series.
Overall, Gideon the Ninth is a complex and richly layered science fiction and fantasy book that will keep you guessing at every turn. I´m glad I gave this book a chance and I am excited to see what the author will do next with this intricate world.
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