Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

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Justification

I chose Gideon the Ninth after finishing a reread of The Stand. I needed something funny and fun. Gideon definitely fit the bill. One of my favorite book bloggers, Liberty Hardy, recommended it and thus far, her recommendations are always on point for me.

Response

I struggled through the first part and didn't want to like Gideon the Ninth, simply because the writing felt juvenile, as if a teenager was trying very hard to be grown-up. This actually ended up really working out well, as Gideon is a freshly minted adult who has lived a pretty sorry life that she continually tries and fails to escape. When offered the chance by her "family's" de facto head, she is ultimately thrust into a situation that has to be grappled with, both mentally and physically. The result is a mostly decent space opera mystery solved with necromancy.

I liked Gideon the Ninth well enough to finish it, but it isn't something that comes to mind to recommend if someone wants science fiction recommendations. This isn't a side of the genre I've really read, mostly because the science fiction I have read is by authors I'm familiar with for writing fantasy. The world-building is interesting and engaging, and the magic system is honestly intriguing in regards to necromancy, which is usually an "evil" power

Overall, I'd deem it a decent book worth reading. The initial impression of being juvenile in tone made me want to completely dislike it, but there were some really interesting nuanced layers to the characters and their relationships that make the book worth reading. I'm not sure that I'll ever read Harrow the Ninth, but I'll definitely consider it, since I'd like to find out what happens to Harrow (and Gideon, obviously).

Conclusion

This is very obviously not a secondary-level school library book due to content and language. The necromancy aspect would cause issues in more conservative areas. In the scheme of looking at books to recommend that represent non-binary characters outside of heteronormative relationships and gender roles, Gideon the Ninth is excellent, but I feel like there have to be better options.

Citation

Muir, T. (2020). Gideon the ninth. Tor. 

Genre
Science Fiction, New Adult, LGBT