Book review by Corey
Gideon the Ninth
Gideon the Ninth follows Gideon Nav, a sword-wielding orphan who wants nothing more than to escape the Ninth House and leave its bones, necromancers, and miserable traditions behind. Instead, she is forced to travel with Harrowhark, the brilliant and deeply irritating heir to the Ninth, after the Emperor calls the heirs of the Houses to compete in a mysterious trial.
The book mixes necromancy, locked-room mystery, science fantasy, and a lot of dark humour. Gideon’s voice gives the story most of its energy, while her complicated relationship with Harrow adds tension underneath everything else. It is weird, funny, violent, and deliberately confusing in places, but once the mystery starts coming together, the payoff is very strong.
The Goods
- Gideon has a fantastic voice
- Great mix of fantasy and science fiction
- Strong lesbian and sapphic representation
- The mystery gets more interesting as it builds
- Very memorable world and characters
The Bads
- The world-building can be confusing at first
- A lot of names and Houses to remember
- Some sections are deliberately vague
- The middle can feel dense
- Not every reader will connect with the humour
My Recommendation
This is a great choice for readers who like lesbian science fantasy, necromancers, strange mysteries, and books with a very sharp sense of humour. Gideon and Harrow’s relationship is complicated, hostile, funny, and emotionally important, which gives the story much more weight than the basic competition setup suggests. If you enjoy LGBTQ+ fantasy that is weird, gothic, violent, and full of personality, Gideon the Ninth is one of those books that really stands out.