Gideon the Ninth
Author: Tamsyn Muir
Series: The locked Tomb #1
Genre: Sci-Fi
Original publication date: September 2019
Book description: Brought up by unfriendly, ossifying nuns, ancient retainers, and countless skeletons, Gideon is ready to abandon a life of servitude and an afterlife as a reanimated corpse. She packs up her sword, her shoes, and her dirty magazines, and prepares to launch her daring escape. But her childhood nemesis won't set her free without a service.
Harrowhark Nonagesimus, Reverend Daughter of the Ninth House and bone witch extraordinaire, has been summoned into action. The Emperor has invited the heirs to each of his loyal Houses to a deadly trial of wits and skill. If Harrowhark succeeds she will become an immortal, all-powerful servant of the Resurrection, but no necromancer can ascend without their cavalier. Without Gideon's sword, Harrow will fail, and the Ninth House will die.
Thoughts:
This was a very popular book since last year when it was going to be released, you saw it in plenty of people's blogs and such, yet I did not know what to expect. For some reason, the only thing people said about it was that it was a story featuring lesbian necromancers. So knowing that did not help me get an idea of what to expect.
This book was simply picked because it was part of the Good Reads Choice Awards for 2019 and that I heard about it for a while.
Being very honest: Difficult to get through. The first third, maybe it was a difficult read. Gideon is shipped off to a planet (or asteroid) in order to compete and help the Reverent Daughter accomplish something important. The task is not something she cares about. She does not get along with her charge, they are supposed to be a team, Gideon is a Cavalier and her purpose in life should be to protect her Necromancer. They do not even spend time together, so no one should be able to be fooled by their very bad acting.
Initially, I was very unsure why Gideon had to be the one chosen to accompany the heir to the Ninth if they did not get along at all. It gets explained a bit later.
She was the only choice.
I really disliked Gideon for a long while. She was annoying, she hated for the sake of hate, at least that's the way it looked. She was not even trying to help her Necromancer and would rather help others, even if they did not get along shouldn't they at least try to pretend?
It is a very hard time getting a clear idea even if I am done with the book. After the first third or maybe the halfway point I got into the story, it becomes a murder mystery, a supernatural aspect, or a monster. You do not know what's going on. They are on a planet, isolated, there is no one else and they cannot contact people outside. So it feels very similar to a who-done-it mystery. I like that aspect most of the time.
As they are doing this task, that is the most annoying training there could be. They get no clear instructions and are told to work and get through to what they should. The instructor is going to provide no real guidance, simply tells them what they can't do and recommends asking for permission to open locked doors.
I spent a lot of time confused, mainly because of who is sent representing which house, and as the story progresses you get familiar with their specific abilities. But oh well, in a reread I would do better or maybe instead of taking the story in audiobook format, it would have been better in writing.
By the way, there is no romance here!
I kept waiting for the romance to flourish, my initial suspicion on who Gideon had feelings for, I was right even if we get a few times hints of different people she might fancy. But I guess there will be no happy ending in the romance department!
Those final pages, the big bad, the fights, the solution they reach and then the Emperor showing up.
It was a lot in very little and there are not many explanations.
I now want to read the next one. I see why many people were raving about it, it is a weird experience, it's confusing and yet, in the end, you feel like you are into the story right as it comes to an end!
I realize that this review tells nothing, I did wait 2 days after finishing this book and yet I am still not very sure how to express myself about it.
Series: The locked Tomb #1
Genre: Sci-Fi
Original publication date: September 2019
Book description: Brought up by unfriendly, ossifying nuns, ancient retainers, and countless skeletons, Gideon is ready to abandon a life of servitude and an afterlife as a reanimated corpse. She packs up her sword, her shoes, and her dirty magazines, and prepares to launch her daring escape. But her childhood nemesis won't set her free without a service.
Harrowhark Nonagesimus, Reverend Daughter of the Ninth House and bone witch extraordinaire, has been summoned into action. The Emperor has invited the heirs to each of his loyal Houses to a deadly trial of wits and skill. If Harrowhark succeeds she will become an immortal, all-powerful servant of the Resurrection, but no necromancer can ascend without their cavalier. Without Gideon's sword, Harrow will fail, and the Ninth House will die.
Thoughts:
This was a very popular book since last year when it was going to be released, you saw it in plenty of people's blogs and such, yet I did not know what to expect. For some reason, the only thing people said about it was that it was a story featuring lesbian necromancers. So knowing that did not help me get an idea of what to expect.
This book was simply picked because it was part of the Good Reads Choice Awards for 2019 and that I heard about it for a while.
Being very honest: Difficult to get through. The first third, maybe it was a difficult read. Gideon is shipped off to a planet (or asteroid) in order to compete and help the Reverent Daughter accomplish something important. The task is not something she cares about. She does not get along with her charge, they are supposed to be a team, Gideon is a Cavalier and her purpose in life should be to protect her Necromancer. They do not even spend time together, so no one should be able to be fooled by their very bad acting.
Initially, I was very unsure why Gideon had to be the one chosen to accompany the heir to the Ninth if they did not get along at all. It gets explained a bit later.
She was the only choice.
I really disliked Gideon for a long while. She was annoying, she hated for the sake of hate, at least that's the way it looked. She was not even trying to help her Necromancer and would rather help others, even if they did not get along shouldn't they at least try to pretend?
It is a very hard time getting a clear idea even if I am done with the book. After the first third or maybe the halfway point I got into the story, it becomes a murder mystery, a supernatural aspect, or a monster. You do not know what's going on. They are on a planet, isolated, there is no one else and they cannot contact people outside. So it feels very similar to a who-done-it mystery. I like that aspect most of the time.
As they are doing this task, that is the most annoying training there could be. They get no clear instructions and are told to work and get through to what they should. The instructor is going to provide no real guidance, simply tells them what they can't do and recommends asking for permission to open locked doors.
I spent a lot of time confused, mainly because of who is sent representing which house, and as the story progresses you get familiar with their specific abilities. But oh well, in a reread I would do better or maybe instead of taking the story in audiobook format, it would have been better in writing.
By the way, there is no romance here!
I kept waiting for the romance to flourish, my initial suspicion on who Gideon had feelings for, I was right even if we get a few times hints of different people she might fancy. But I guess there will be no happy ending in the romance department!
Those final pages, the big bad, the fights, the solution they reach and then the Emperor showing up.
It was a lot in very little and there are not many explanations.
I now want to read the next one. I see why many people were raving about it, it is a weird experience, it's confusing and yet, in the end, you feel like you are into the story right as it comes to an end!
I realize that this review tells nothing, I did wait 2 days after finishing this book and yet I am still not very sure how to express myself about it.
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