Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

Lesbian necromancers in space. How can you not want to read a book with a hook like that? Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir is the first book in the Locked Tomb Trilogy. Gideon hates her life as part of the Ninth House. She hates everything about the nuns, the gloomy atmosphere and especially her nemesis Harrow, the Reverend Daughter of the Ninth House. The only things she enjoys are her dirty magazines and her sword, with which she is quite skilled.

After her latest attempt to escape the planet fails, Gideon reluctantly agrees to accompany Harrow, a skilled bone witch, as her cavalier. They journey off-planet to Canaan house, the home of the emperor, where he has invited each of the houses to appear for a trial of wits and skill. Gideon and Harrow do not care for each other but their skills do complement one another.

Canaan house is staffed by odd caretakers and is a bit of a maze. Solving the secrets and trials of the house is the test for each of the representatives from the various houses to solve in order to become a Lyctor; a powerful necromancer who would serve at the right hand of the emperor. Secrets and mysteries abound both among the representatives from each of the houses and between Gideon and Harrow and the history of their own house. The story is propelled forward by trying to solve these mysteries while at the same time learning more about each of the characters and their relationships, especially the relationship between Gideon and Harrow. They start out as simple rivals who need each other but interestingly developed a far more complicated and nuanced relationship.

Tension is displayed throughout the story both by the shifting relationships between the characters as well as the gradually uncovered history of Canaan house itself and the motivations of the emperor who brought them there.

The one thing that didn't work for me in this book was the world-building. Both the house from which Gideon and Harrow came and Canaan house felt more like buildings than worlds. I have no sense of the planet surrounding these buildings nor their part of the universe. It was a little disconcerting.

Gideon the Ninth is an inventive and entertaining book. It is filled with fascinating, complicated characters. The challenges the characters must compete in reveal much about themselves as well as the history of the house.

The narration by Moira Quirk is excellent. Her voice characterization captures both the humble upbringing and rebelliousness of Gideon as well as the haughty privilege of Harrow and the subtle distinctions between all the other characters. She does an impressive job with the pacing and the tone of the story.

Anyone looking for something new and different in their science fiction or science fantasy would be well served to check out Gideon the Ninth.

I was provided a copy of this audiobook by the publisher.

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