BookWyrm

Lia reviewed Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

This book is a poor imitation of Dune

2 stars

From a universe where necromancy abounds, comes Gideon the Ninth.Her home planet, the Ninth Planet, holds trials to determine who will inherit unimaginable power.

As the heir of the Ninth and the strongest necromancer on the planet, Harrow needs... a sword. Luckily, Gideon knows the sword.

Since they can remember, Gideon and Harrow have hated each other.

The moment Harrow dangles freedom in front of Gideon, Gideon knows she will have to follow through with the plan... even to the very end.

There’s just something about this book that doesn’t work for me. The first time I tried it, I wasn’t able to get into it. My second attempt was more challenging, but I got through it.

It is because of Gideon herself and the style of the book that I did not enjoy it. She sounded like she was trying way too complicated to be edgy and cool. I …

From a universe where necromancy abounds, comes Gideon the Ninth.Her home planet, the Ninth Planet, holds trials to determine who will inherit unimaginable power.

As the heir of the Ninth and the strongest necromancer on the planet, Harrow needs... a sword. Luckily, Gideon knows the sword.

Since they can remember, Gideon and Harrow have hated each other.

The moment Harrow dangles freedom in front of Gideon, Gideon knows she will have to follow through with the plan... even to the very end.

There’s just something about this book that doesn’t work for me. The first time I tried it, I wasn’t able to get into it. My second attempt was more challenging, but I got through it.

It is because of Gideon herself and the style of the book that I did not enjoy it. She sounded like she was trying way too complicated to be edgy and cool. I found the other characters to be one-dimensional - even Harrow doesn’t get much development until the end of the book. Oh, and if you are seeking a good lesbian romance, you will be disappointed. There’s nothing romantic about it.

The second problem was that it felt aimless. The start of the series seemed promising, and for a while it did. However, once it became apparent, it was going to be a pointless tournament arc with murder; I lost interest. There are no rules, only vague objectives, and it is impossible to follow the person solving the puzzle, so things just sort of... happen. The characters and style didn’t appeal to me, which would have been fine if I enjoyed it.

The third problem, I also found the world building to be vague. There was a lot of aesthetic detail on, with skeletons and bones and locked doors everywhere. Beyond that, it was hollow. Despite the brief spaceship journey at the beginning, it is not science fiction, rather fantasy.

What is the purpose of the Emperor? Are there any reasons becoming his servant is so desirable? Where do the other planets stand? What is the purpose of necromancy?

I’m not sure whether I’m going to continue.

You can also find this review on my blog: Click here

Wandering Tardigrade reviewed Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

Fun!

5 stars

I'm not sure how else to describe Gideon. The dark atmosphere of the book is one that I really enjoy. It's got little twists and turns. I found it easy to settle in with and difficult to put down.

schokopflaster 📖 reviewed Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

Spannende Ansätze

3 stars

Schönes Setting, doch zu wenig ausgebaut bisher die Welt. Manche Charas hätten spannend sein können, blieben aber zu oberflächlich, insbesondere halt 90% der Leute aus den anderen Häusern. Der Mittelteil war verworren, der Showdown dafür all over the place?! Werde mir die zwei Folge-Bücher mal anschauen. Mit gefiel auf jeden Fall der space goth Aspekt davon sehr.

Adamgv@book.dansmonorage.blue reviewed Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

Fun, Wild, Fresh, and Deliciously Bizarre

5 stars

Gideon the Ninth is the most fun I’ve had reading a book in over a decade. Muir’s style ping-pongs between arch High Fantasy and banal internet memes that may not be everyone’s cup of tea. That said, her ability to craft tight, adrenaline-fueled sequences, unique magic/religious systems, and rich emotional topography should make this a must read for fans of fantasy, sci-fi, or frankly YA romance lit.

sapphiction reviewed Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

Would make an awesome show...

5 stars

Very fun read!

polymerwitch reviewed Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

dark fantasy for the jaded millennial

4 stars

I loved the characters in this book. Enough so that I greatly look forward to the next in the series. I did find the story structure telling a little light, and it often reminded me of epic adult Scooby Doo. It's a hybrid of the jaded millennial reluctantly participating in society (but on their own terms) and a Shakespeare-ian 5-act play, where the protagonist forms a band who tries to unmask the monster clue by clue. The telling was still lots of fun. I guess it just felt like it couldn't decide if it was quirky pop comedy or something deeper.

Maese reviewed Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

Review of 'Gideon the Ninth' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

Durante más de la mitad del libro no tenía ni idea de que iba,pero aún así me tenía enganchadisimo. A ver cuándo puedo poner las manos encima de la segunda parte.

anaulin reviewed Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

Review of 'Gideon the Ninth' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

My notes: anaulin.org/blog/book-notes-gideon-the-ninth/

Andy Pressman reviewed Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

Joss Whedon has doomed us all

2 stars

Book's okay, with a plot that chugs along and some fun character design and costuming, but it's just so in love with its own voice. Narrator and descriptive text are both arch, clever, "cussy!", and devoid of anything human. As review title suggests, we have yet to escape Buffy.

Darius Kazemi reviewed Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

A love-it-or-hate-it proposition

3 stars

Count me as one of the people who really can't stand the author's extremely strong authorial voice. Sometimes it was genuinely funny and I loved it but it was SO omnipresent and overbearing that eventually it felt like I was being told a pretty interesting scifi/fantasy story by someone who desperately needs me to find them hilarious.

I love the world it's set in, I love the whole goth cultists in space thing. I don't like the protagonist and I don't like that most of the characters are emotionally confused teenagers. It feels like I was tricked into reading a mislabeled YA novel. And like, YA is fine, but I like to know what I'm getting into ahead of time?

I think that if your sense of humor aligns with the author you might love this novel! But if you don't, you might hate it.

salt marsh reviewed Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

necromancer space lesbians, hello

5 stars

this book is just FUN? like there are moments where it could have been a little too on-the-nose or too self-conscious but it pulls it off because it's so enjoyable to read.

and the audio book is great

Jon Fincher reviewed Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

Review of 'Gideon the Ninth' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

Wow.

Just... wow.

This was a hell of a fun ride. I love stories which just throw you into the world, and expect you to figure it out as the story goes along. That is, as long as the author can give you enough clues and description and character development to show you the world she's building.

And Tamsyn Muir is more than capable of doing just that. She is a wonderful writer, and I would read anything else she chooses to write, no matter the genre or material. Hell, even the Acknowledgements at the end of the book were entertaining.

I won't give the plot away, except to say that this is a great twist on the traditional swords-and-sorcery fantasy genre, with a bit of a sci-fi element. Her characters are modern and smart and three-dimensional. The dialogue is crisp and funny and sometimes poignant and always moving …

Wow.

Just... wow.

This was a hell of a fun ride. I love stories which just throw you into the world, and expect you to figure it out as the story goes along. That is, as long as the author can give you enough clues and description and character development to show you the world she's building.

And Tamsyn Muir is more than capable of doing just that. She is a wonderful writer, and I would read anything else she chooses to write, no matter the genre or material. Hell, even the Acknowledgements at the end of the book were entertaining.

I won't give the plot away, except to say that this is a great twist on the traditional swords-and-sorcery fantasy genre, with a bit of a sci-fi element. Her characters are modern and smart and three-dimensional. The dialogue is crisp and funny and sometimes poignant and always moving forward. The characters are well developed and in full 3D, and while you have to be paying attention, it is sooooooo worth it.

There's a reason why this book was nominated for a Hugo and a Nebula. There are a million worse ways to spend your reading time and dollars, and while there may actually be one or two better ways, I can't think of any.

meeg reviewed Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

Review of 'Gideon the Ninth' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

Best book I've read all year.

loppear reviewed Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

Review of 'Gideon the Ninth' on Goodreads

3 stars

Sword-swinging and skeletal magic, nearly all-women, led by a sarcastic saucy misfit (voice as enjoyable as Murderbot, perhaps too close) in a dying galactic empire. Enjoyed the puzzling and locked-room wizarding with these welcome setting twists, but ultimately I may not be the swashbuckling audience.