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Book Review: Gideon The Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

 Gideon the Ninth 

By Tamsin Muir 


Published Year: 2019

Page Count: 448 pages 

Medium Used: Kindle PW 

Genre : Action, Fantasy, Magic, Necromancers, Adventure, Murder Mystery, Suspense, Lesbian, 2024-read. 

Rating : 4.75/5 🙂🙂🙂🙂🌟




Wow. The twists!! And wow wow wow .. the lies!! The deceptions ! Its exotic and steamy! Unputdownable. Highly Addictive.

Been wanting to read this for a while now! The paperbacks being so expensive, I settled in for a Kindle experience. I am not disappointed. The lack of smut - which I expected/anticipated when I heard its lesbian fantasy - is such a relief. The tone of the narrator is serious throughout. I had some laugh out loud moments once or twice but that's it. One of the best fantasy book series ever! 


I think it is the prose and writing style that I had to read this book real slow so as not to miss anything out. There is action in this book , necromancer magic, fantastic games and there are murders to solve and lyctorhoods to win. A dead corpse can be made to act like a living one through magic. Additional energy can be added to one's own,  through siphoning it, off a dying person - making them act like a battery. Bones can be turned into servant like skeletons. There are more serious and unpatented magical surprises in the plot that make it all the more appealing. 


Necromancers(adepts and their cavalier pairs) from different houses (Nine in all) come to a Canaan house(on first house planet) to participate in different games and competitive challenges, for the adept of a house to win the title of Lyctor. The necromancer adept representing ninth house is Harrowhark/Nonagesimus and her cavalier is Gideon the Ninth. An adept is the one who uses knowledge and wisdom to guide the hand of a cavalier who is all action and physically oriented like a fighter/warrior. As they begin clearing one after the other levels and gathering keys to different rooms around the block, some unknown entity  - presumed supernatural - is taking out some of the houses. Either an adept is gone or their cavalier .. and there is confusion as to who would be gone next or why. Fight for the victory eventually turns into fight for survival. It is intriguing to see who lasts how long and who gets taken out. Some are killed and slaughtered by their own adepts..who want to win at all costs. Some are murdered by other house adepts/ cavaliers..


So what is special about Harrow or Gideon? What is their past? Why is Gideon chosen for this role despite her not wanting it? I thought some questions on Gideon's past need answering. Like how she survived the slaughter attempt as a child. What is different about her that she thrived when two hundred other souls perished. 


I liked the history and sister like hate-love bond of Harrow and Gideon. The character development is so good .. I got emotionally invested in Harrow from the start. I think Harrow is more likeable than Gideon..just gut feeling. I liked the theorems they had to solve as part of the challenge. I liked the introduction of several necromancer magic theorms and seeing them in action - like siphoning, corpse beguiling, soul embodiment etc.  The prose is good.. although made me read slow..it is very picturesque. Fighting regenerating skeletons was so much fun. Everyone - even Gideon - is expendable. Cool. Bring it on!! 😄


Do read this and enjoy the ride !! 


Cheers! 

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