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| Cover art by Tommy Arnold |
The buzz surrounding Tamsyn Muir's debut novel, 'Gideon The Ninth', book one of 'The Locked Tomb' trilogy was pretty strong. Lest it be said that Tor Publishing certainly knows how to hype up their titles! And with a blurb on the cover that reads "Lesbian necromancers explore a haunted palace in space...", (along with excellent cover art by Tommy Arnold) it's certain to draw some inquisitive looks on the bookshelf. But it's praise and buzz that is very deserving!
Having said that though, the blurb doesn't quite tell the whole truth of the book. Yes, the main protagonists - Gideon Nav and Harrowhark Nonagesimus - are lesbian necromancers that do get to explore a palace that appears to be haunted, although with necromancers, it ought to be kind of expected, and it is in a science fiction space setting. But 'Gideon The Ninth' is much more deeper than that. The main plot is that the Emperor has invited the heirs, and their cavaliers, of the nine loyal houses to mysterious deadly trials of skill, with the victor ascending to immortality. But once our protagonists arrive for the trials, nothing is what it seems, especially when other guests start to be found murdered. The Emperor's invitation turns into a race on two fronts, one: to complete the trials and puzzles before the other houses do, and two: to solve who or what is murdering the other guests!
It's a wonderful whodunnit of a story with plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing and engrossed, with some deliciously over the top characters thrown in for good measure. Gideon is definitely now one of my favourite book characters! A snarky badass, with the wit, muscles and swashbuckling sword skills to defeat any opponent. And we get to view the book mostly through her eyes, complete with all the sarcastic thoughts and snappy back chat between Gideon and Harrow, after all Harrow does kind of blackmail Gideon into becoming her cavalier for this invitation, so it's no surprise that things are a bit frosty between the pair of them, but after a situation changes their relationship forever, things begin to cool and the frostiness begins to dissolve when they are now in each other's company. I enjoyed the cast of supporting characters too, although as we're mostly experiencing the story through Gideon, they're not as well developed as her or Harrow, but they do occasionally have their moments to shine.
'Gideon The Ninth' is a unique read that's fun yet dark, simple but complex, with a glorious lead that is one of the funniest and most relatable characters I've read in a while, and a story that got better after each page as it shifted from oddball SFF to a murder mystery. After meeting the author, Tamsyn Muir, at a book signing at MCM Comic Con London this year, which was an absolute pleasure, you get the feel that her personality certainly weaves throughout the book. It's definitely one of the more original stories I've read, but it is one that I can definitely recommend! Looking forward to book two!
Having said that though, the blurb doesn't quite tell the whole truth of the book. Yes, the main protagonists - Gideon Nav and Harrowhark Nonagesimus - are lesbian necromancers that do get to explore a palace that appears to be haunted, although with necromancers, it ought to be kind of expected, and it is in a science fiction space setting. But 'Gideon The Ninth' is much more deeper than that. The main plot is that the Emperor has invited the heirs, and their cavaliers, of the nine loyal houses to mysterious deadly trials of skill, with the victor ascending to immortality. But once our protagonists arrive for the trials, nothing is what it seems, especially when other guests start to be found murdered. The Emperor's invitation turns into a race on two fronts, one: to complete the trials and puzzles before the other houses do, and two: to solve who or what is murdering the other guests!
It's a wonderful whodunnit of a story with plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing and engrossed, with some deliciously over the top characters thrown in for good measure. Gideon is definitely now one of my favourite book characters! A snarky badass, with the wit, muscles and swashbuckling sword skills to defeat any opponent. And we get to view the book mostly through her eyes, complete with all the sarcastic thoughts and snappy back chat between Gideon and Harrow, after all Harrow does kind of blackmail Gideon into becoming her cavalier for this invitation, so it's no surprise that things are a bit frosty between the pair of them, but after a situation changes their relationship forever, things begin to cool and the frostiness begins to dissolve when they are now in each other's company. I enjoyed the cast of supporting characters too, although as we're mostly experiencing the story through Gideon, they're not as well developed as her or Harrow, but they do occasionally have their moments to shine.
'Gideon The Ninth' is a unique read that's fun yet dark, simple but complex, with a glorious lead that is one of the funniest and most relatable characters I've read in a while, and a story that got better after each page as it shifted from oddball SFF to a murder mystery. After meeting the author, Tamsyn Muir, at a book signing at MCM Comic Con London this year, which was an absolute pleasure, you get the feel that her personality certainly weaves throughout the book. It's definitely one of the more original stories I've read, but it is one that I can definitely recommend! Looking forward to book two!
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