My Rave Review Of. . .
Gideon
the Ninth
Born into
servitude in the dreariest, most dismal of the great necromantic houses; raised
by a coven of wizened old nuns possessing all the warmth of a frozen graves;
surrounded by decrepit, unfeeling retainers; harangued by countless skeletons
(Don’t forget the skeletons!); and shunned by just about everyone she knows,
Gideon Nav hates her life.
The only thing
going in her favor is the fact that she’s an accomplished swordswoman. Not that
anybody cares. So, she risks everything by launching the latest in a string of
daring escape attempts with the aim of running away and joining the military.
Of course, things
don’t go as planned, and she is foiled at the last second by her greatest
rival, Harrowhark Nonagesimus, the Reverend Daughter of the Ninth House, and
bone witch extraordinaire, who demands Gideon stay and do the Ninth House one
last service – a service that will guarantee Gideon the freedom to pursue her
dreams.
The catch?
(Because you know, there’s just gotta be one)
A call has been
issued by none other than the Emperor – Necrolord Prime and King of the Nine Renewals
– for new postulants willing to submit themselves for the position of Lyctor,
(all-powerful immortal servants of the everlasting resurrection), to help him
fight against the empire’s greatest foes.
Okay . . . but
what’s the actual catch?
Well, no
necromancer can ascend to lyctorhood without their cavalier – a sword-wielding
champion – by their side. For the trials require them to act as one, brain and
brawn together, to stand a chance of succeeding. And the Ninth’s cavalier is
not only unwilling to accept the challenge, he’s next to useless anyway. Thus
Harrowhark’s ultimatum. If Gideon is willing to serve as her sword-hand
throughout the trials, she’ll be released from servitude forevermore, with full
honors.
You KNOW there’s
still a catch, don’t you?
And it’s rather delicious . . . (Don’t worry – NO SPOILERS).
Gideon and
Harrowhark end up on a decaying world in a mazelike facility run by ancient
wardens. Once there, they are required to complete a baffling series of complex,
mind-bending, life-threatening tests, while fending off the murderous
shenanigans of the representatives of the other houses. As if that wasn’t bad
enough, Gideon also has to contend with her hate/hate relationship with
Harrowhark, one based on manipulation and betrayal which has come to blows in
the past.
Oh the joy of
skeletons in the closet making things more complicated.
And they do –
because those skeletons I mentioned are everywhere, and neither woman can hope
to survive unless they trust one another enough to cooperate fully.
Do they?
You’ll find out,
it what I can honestly say is one of the most subtly appealing stories I’ve
read in a long time. That it’s moody, macabre and gothic goes without saying.
You only have to get a look at the cover to receive a hint of what’s coming.
But it’s what’s inside those dark uncomfortable pages that will haunt you. For
it whispers in your ear, enticing you; it spellbinds you to accept the
unbalanced and the bizarre as normal; it keeps you on a knife-edge and at a
distance, so that when the hooks do eventually sink in, you’ll willingly let
yourself be drawn to the other side and immersed in a miscreation of woe.
It’s a grim world
the author, Tamsyn Muir has painted. As psychologically draining as it is
harsh; as unforgiving as it is hostile. But gritty humor and incisor-sharp
dialogue help the narrative along at a bone-jarring pace. And therein lies its
balance and appeal.
And the weird
thing is, it’s not until the end – during the emotionally charged, action
packed, blood & guts climax – that the full power of this story truly hits
you.
Wow! I loved it. A
movie in the making if ever there was one.
