Gideon the Ninth - Tamsyn Muir

⭐ 9.0/10

(Originally written by Magdalene)

It's rare to find a book that feels utterly unique, but Gideon is cuckoo bananas in a way that some people will love and some will hate. I read this a couple years ago when it first came out and was blown away by how completely bonkers it was, but for a few reasons had had a hard time really grasping what really went down. Now that the next two books are out, I decided to revisit it in audio this time and see if I'd want to continue with the series. And I think I do!

This book is really hard to describe, but essentially the main character Gideon is a swordfighter living on a planet of necromancers and half-dead nuns and skeletons, and she agrees to be her enemy Harrow's cavalier on a visit to the First House, along with the necromancers and cavaliers of all the other Houses. They're all trying to become lyctors, and there are challenges and murders and so many bones and people breaking out in blood-sweat.

At least half of the book is just wondering "What the heck is even going on??" because you're thrown into this world, and you just have to slowly piece things together. But I don't really think the author cared, and neither do most of the readers seem to. The purpose was really just to throw you into a world that reminded me of Tim Burton's movies. It's kind of dense, and I had to start taking notes to keep all the players straight. But I enjoyed it more this second time, when I knew what I was getting myself into, and it's best to just go along with the weirdness. Another thing that was interesting is that overall the feeling of the book is dark and ominous and just so far removed from our world, but it's also very funny, as Gideon is a very snarky and petty main character.

It would take forever to really do this book justice, so I'll just say if gothic horror snarky lesbian necromancers in space that will make you constantly think "WTF is this" appeals to you, then you might like this book!