Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
I had been wanting to get Gideon the Ninth from the library for a long time, but they never had it on the shelf (& I kept forgetting to put it on hold). But then, by chance, it was there! & I (obviously) checked it out!
I found Gideon a bit hard to get into at first; the mix of science fiction & fantasy world can be a little unusual to sink my teeth into. At the beginning of the novel, Gideon can feel a little, well, cringe. Some of the lines are surprisingly contemporary (jokes of modern day, in what I assume is either the far future or an alternate universe) and she’s always a bit horny.
But honestly, what teenage girls aren’t cringe? You have to accept the tone of the novel, immerse yourself fully, and then, you’ll never want to leave.
Gideon the Ninth is a story about two young women who hate each other. They grow up the only two kids on a tomb planet, and they hate each other. Harrowhark, the necromantic heir to the Ninth House, loves duty and bones. Gideon, an orphan with flaming red hair, loves sword-fighting and dirty magazines. Despite desperately trying to escape each other, the pair must go to complete a royal trial that will see Harrowhark ascend to Sainthood (and let Gideon escape the quite literally dead rock where they grew up).
This setup feels a bit young adult (and to be fair, it is!). But the characterization and writing of the novel? Incredible. I felt everything that Harrow and Gideon felt. I fell in love with everyone - Abigail, Palamides, Cam, Coronabeth, even Teacher. This is an ensemble cast perfectly executed: every character felt fully fleshed out, flawed, and interesting. The stakes are high, the mystery is excellently done. How do you become a Lyctor? What do the Trials mean? Who is killing everyone?
My favorite quotes:
The Ninth House poisoned you, we trod you underfoot- I took you to this killing field as my slave - you refuse to die, and you pity me! Strike me down. You’ve won. I’ve lived my whole wretched life at your mercy, yours alone, and God knows I deserve to die at your hand. You are my only friend. I am undone without you.
The emotional growth of Harrow & Gideon is devastating. They realize that they love eachother: one flesh, one end. They’ve been alone together their entire lives. They’re eachothers’ constants, playmates, and foils. I was absolutely devastated buy buoyed by Gideon’s sacrifice.
If it had been possible to die of desolation, she would have died then and there: as it was, all she could do was lie on the bed and observe the smoking wreck of her heart.
And Harrowhark was undone. Completely, utterly, fully unraveled. The yarn is unspun.
One last note: I listened to the next book Harrow the Ninth as an audiobook. I didn’t catch that they were British. I should have. They use a lot of British slang.
