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Gideon the Ninth

By Tamsyn Muir
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Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir is a heart-pounding epic science fantasy where lesbian necromancers navigate a haunted gothic palace in space. Gideon, raised by unfriendly nuns and surrounded by skeletons, is a swordswoman ready to escape servitude. However, her childhood nemesis, Harrowhark, forces her to attend as bodyguard on a crucial mission called by the emperor. Filled with swordplay, cut-throat politics, and arcane revenants, this novel combines a solar system's worth of danger and intrigue.
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Format: Hardback
$7200

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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

Gideon the Ninth is ideal for readers who enjoy dark fantasy and science fiction with strong LGBTQ+ themes, gothic atmospheres, and complex characters. Fans of genre-blending, sharp wit, and thrilling adventures will find it captivating.

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Tamsyn Muir's necromantic science fantasy debut Gideon the Ninth is the most fun you'll ever have with a skeleton

Tamsyn Muir's necromantic science fantasy debut Gideon the Ninth is the most fun you'll ever have with a skeleton

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

"Unlike anything I've ever read." - V.E. Schwab

"Lesbian necromancers explore a haunted gothic palace in space!" - Charles Stross

The Emperor needs necromancers.

The Ninth Necromancer needs a swordswoman.

Gideon has a sword, some dirty magazines, and no more time for undead bullshit.

Tamsyn Muir's Gideon the Ninth unveils a solar system of swordplay, cut-throat politics, and lesbian necromancers. Her characters leap off the page, as skillfully animated as arcane revenants. The result is a heart-pounding epic science fantasy.

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. The emperor has called his necromancers to action, and Harrowhark is set on Gideon attending her as bodyguard. If Gideon survives, she'll be a hero, and a free woman. If not, she can look forward to eternity as a shambling bone-servant.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The New York Times calls it "deft, tense and atmospheric, compellingly immersive and wildly original." V.E. Schwab praises it as "unlike anything I've ever read" with writing "as sharp as a broken tooth, and just as unsettling." NPR describes it as raucous, deep, and, unexpectedly, heartbreaking. Robin Sloan refers to it as "a profane Daria in space," while Kiersten White labels it "an astonishing, genre-defying, hilarious-violent-tragic-horrifying-thrilling wonder of a novel." Charles Stross highlights "lesbian necromancers [exploring] a haunted gothic palace in space" amidst decadence and skeletons.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781250313195

Publisher: St Martin's Press

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 10 September 2019

Country: United States

Imprint: St Martin's Press

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 39.0mm

Width: 145.0mm

Height: 218.0mm

Weight: 510g

Pages: 448

Collections

Fiction General Fiction Sci-Fi & Fantasy Science Fiction Tamsyn Muir

About the Author

Tamsyn Muir is a horror, fantasy and sci-fi author whose short fiction has been nominated for the Nebula Award, the Shirley Jackson Award, the World Fantasy Award and the Eugie Foster Memorial Award. A Kiwi, she has spent most of her life in Howick, New Zealand, with time living in Waiuku and central Wellington. She currently lives and works in Oxford, in the United Kingdom. Gideon the Ninth is her first novel.

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    Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir is a thrilling debut that melds the dark allure of gothic storytelling with the visceral excitement of science fiction. Set in a universe where necromancy and swordplay intertwine, the narrative follows Gideon Nav, an orphan raised in the Ninth House with only one goal—escape. Armed with her trusty sword and a collection of risqué...
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