Reading: Gideon the Ninth

[white_hart]

Tamsyn Muir's Gideon the Ninth is a book that almost everyone seems to have been raving about, to the point where I did wonder if it would live up to the hype. I'd seen it described as 'lesbian necromancers in space', which I take some issue with; there are lesbian swordswomen as well as lesbian necromancers, and most of the novel takes place on a planet, rather than in space, but it's a good tagline, and if lesbian necromancers in space is the kind of thing you'd like you'll probably like this.

The novel is the first in a planned trilogy, and centres on Gideon Nav, an orphan and foundling who has been raised in the service of the Ninth House of the galactic empire, and Harrowhark, heir of the Ninth and Gideon's lifelong rival. After Gideon fails in the latest of many attempts to escape the Gormenghast-like Ninth House, Harrow offers her freedom and a commission in the empire's military Cohort if she will accompany Harrow to the First House, where the Emperor has summoned the heirs of all the houses, along with their cavaliers, to undertake a series of tests designed to determine whether they are worthy of joining the Emperor's elite cadre of immortal necromancers.

Part gothic horror, part murder mystery, Gideon the Ninth isn't quite like anything else I've ever read. For me, it absolutely lived up to the hype. The characters are vividly drawn and deeply human, and the plot is twisty and complicated with plenty of tension. The novel is told in tight third person from Gideon's perspective, and I suspect that some readers would be put off by the Tumblresque style of the narrative, but for me it worked perfectly to convey Gideon's personality and yet never obscured the different personalities of the secondary characters. Muir has invented a detailed, complex system of necromancy with numerous different branches as the background to her trilogy; there are also glimpses of a wider political background which I hope will be explored further in the other books. I enjoyed this a great deal; I was quite sad to finish it. and have already pre-ordered the sequel.

Comments

[honigfrosch]

the Tumblresque style of the narrative

I would be grateful if you could explain to me, a not-Tumblrer, what you mean by that. I'm so out of the loop it's not funny anymore.

[white_hart]

Lots of snarky asides and current slang mixed with some consciously grandiose language. A sample paragraph from early in the book:

The Lady of the Ninth House stood before the drillshaft, wearing black and sneering. Reverend Daughter Harrowhark Nonagesimus had pretty much cornered the market on wearing black and sneering. It comprised 100 percent of her personality. Gideon marvelled that someone could live in the universe only seventeen years and yet wear black and sneer with such ancient self-assurance.</blockquot

[honigfrosch]

That's... huh.

Huhhh.

[hilarita]

I also really enjoyed it, and extremely rapidly pre-ordered the sequel. Such fun, and such squelchy doom!

[cmcmck]

Sounds intriguing.

[mountainkiss]

I loved this book. It’s one of the best I’ve read for a long time.