Book Review: Gideon The Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

I picked up this book after constantly hearing about it on various social media channels and websites. It's considered one of the best books from 2019 and is a finalist for the Nebula awards. Combining fantasy, science fiction, mystery, and horror with a personal tale of fraught relationships I can see why this book is so well regarded.

Read on for my full review.

Overall Impression
I have a habit of alternating reading science fiction and fantasy, mainly because I'm interested in both genres and like to keep things fresh. This was going to be my fantasy read, but it quickly became apparent that this is science fantasy- a great blend between the two genres (and others). With incredible characters, an intriguing mystery, and fast paced action, this book was a joy to read.

Plot
The story of this book revolves around Gideon's attempts to free herself from servitude to the Ninth House, while at the same time honoring obligations as she and her necromancer, Harrowhawk Nonagesimus, are summoned to learn about the process of becoming Lyctors, the immortal hands of the Emperor. The plot is fairly fast paced, especially once the characters are established and we get to the mystery as to what exactly is going on in Canaan House. It feels a bit like a reality TV show, or something like the Hunger Games- the eight necromantic houses have sent each a necromancer and a cavalier and they're all living together and trying to figure things out. Until they start dying and suspicions and tensions flare up.

Characters
The main character is, without a doubt, Gideon Nav, cavalier of the Ninth House. She has a complicated relationship with her necromancer Harrow, which is a main subject in the book as they grow together and start to air their grievances. After all the magic and science fall through, it's fascinating how well-written their relationship is in the end. Gideon actually reminds me a bit of Sal the Cacophany from Seven Blades in Black by Sam Sykes. The characters are different, but they are both badass women ready to throw a punch and pick up a sword to get what they're after.

Beyond Gideon and Harrow, there are also plenty of other interesting characters, representatives all from the various houses, including the sweet but frail Dulcinea Septimus, the kindly Palamedes Sextus, and the zealous Silas Octakiseron. Each one is quite unique and it's interesting to see how they interact with each other and how their necromancer-cavalier pairs work.

Setting / World Building
This is a fascinating world to explore. We actually don't see much of it, but we know that the Emperor, the King Undying, the Resurrection, the Necrolord Prime, etc, etc, has ruled for 10,000 years and created a sprawling galactic empire with nine noble houses. Each house appears focused in a particular aspect of necromancy, the magical arts concerning the dead. Some are experts at animating skeletons, others at siphoning life energy, others at speaking to spirits. It's very cool to see all these different aspects present in the world. There's also an attempt to tie them all together with the science of thanergy, which is again another way that science fiction and fantasy magic are blended in this novel.

Canaan House, the location in the planet of the First House, where the various necromancers and cavaliers have met up, is also an interesting location. It's filled with mysteries, broken down relics, secret laboratories, and exquisitely crafted skeletons to attend to the guests needs. It's the mysteries hidden in this place that will allow a necromancer to become a Lyctor. Lyctorhood is described a bit in the book as the characters work towards it, but from the get-go you know it's something that will grant immortality and great power and that everyone wants a piece of it.

Final Thoughts
Overall, this was an incredible book to read and I can see why it's being praised so highly. I though the characters were great and I wanted to learn more about the individual Houses and what made them unique. The plot was very engaging as well and I raced through the last hundred pages or so. The book is also quite funny with the humor serving to balance our some of the grimness (check out some of my highlights for examples). I look forward to the next in the series, which I understand is coming out in June of this year, and I highly recommend it for fans of either fantasy or science fiction.