I like to celebrate creativity and originality. Gideon the Ninth is both of those. It is a blend of science fiction, fantasy, horror, and gothic mystery into a suspenseful and darkly humorous story. The main character is Gideon Nav, a rebellious and sarcastic swordswoman with a complicated past, who is forced to serve as the cavalier to Harrowhark Nonagesimus, a necromancer of the Ninth House. Together, they are summoned to a mysterious and deadly trial in a decaying gothic palace on a distant planet. The challenge is to compete against other necromancer-cavalier pairs from the Emperor’s ten Houses to win the position of Lyctor, an immortal servant of the Emperor.
The characters were great and well developed. Not just Gideon and Harrowhawk, but also the personalities of the competitors. Gideon’s is irreverent and relatable, full of biting humor and vulnerability beneath her tough exterior. Harrowhark, in contrast, is brilliant, enigmatic, and deeply complex. They don’t trust each other and their uneasy partnership evolves through sharp dialogue and tense moments that balance humor with the live and death situation.
The world-building is both imaginative and involved, combining necromancy with futuristic technology. The setting is a labyrinthine palace filled with secrets, traps, and corpses, which adds a gothic atmosphere. The story is fast-paced with lots of surprises. In addition to all of its other elements, it is a well-crafted murder mystery. Although the book was a bit dark, I found it very engaging. I listened to the audio version and the reader was outstanding. This is the first in a series, but was satisfying as a stand-alone. Both the book and the series were finalists for the Hugo awards.