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Gideon the Ninth (The Locked Tomb Series, 1) Paperback – July 14, 2020

by Tamsyn Muir (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 15,383 ratings
Editors' pick Best Science Fiction & Fantasy
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15+ pages of new, original content, including a glossary of terms, in-universe writings, and more!

A USA Today Best-Selling Novel, and one of the Best Books of 2019 according to NPR, the New York Public Library, Amazon, BookPage, Shelf Awareness, BookRiot, and Bustle!

WINNER of the 2020 Crawford Award
Finalist for the 2020 Hugo, Nebula, and Locus Awards

“Unlike anything I’ve ever read. ” ―V.E. Schwab

“Lesbian necromancers explore a haunted gothic palace in space!” ―Charles Stross

“Brilliantly original, messy and weird straight through.” ―NPR

The Emperor needs necromancers.

The Ninth Necromancer needs a swordswoman.

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

Tamsyn Muir’s Gideon the Ninth, first in The Locked Tomb Trilogy, 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.

Harrowhark Nonagesimus, Reverend Daughter of the Ninth House and bone witch extraordinaire, has been summoned into action. The Emperor has invited the heirs to each of his loyal Houses to a deadly trial of wits and skill. If Harrowhark succeeds she will be become an immortal, all-powerful servant of the Resurrection, but no necromancer can ascend without their cavalier. Without Gideon’s sword, Harrow will fail, and the Ninth House will die.

Of course, some things are better left dead.

THE LOCKED TOMB SERIES
BOOK 1: Gideon the Ninth
BOOK 2: Harrow the Ninth
BOOK 3: Nona the Ninth
BOOK 4: Alecto the Ninth

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Previous page
  1. Book 1 of 3
    The Locked Tomb
  2. Print length
    496 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Tordotcom
  5. Publication date
    July 14, 2020
  6. Dimensions
    5.35 x 1.3 x 8.15 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    125031318X
  8. ISBN-13
    978-1250313188
  9. See all details
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Popular Highlights in this book
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Previous page
  1. Harrowhark said, in the exact sepulchral tones of Marshal Crux: “Death first to vultures and scavengers.”
    Highlighted by 2,303 Kindle readers
  2. He had the eyes of a very beautiful person, trapped in resting bitch face.
    Highlighted by 1,810 Kindle readers
  3. “Surprise, my tenebrous overlord!” said Gideon. “Ghosts and you might die is my middle name.”
    Highlighted by 1,560 Kindle readers
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From the Publisher

The Locked Tomb series Tamsyn Muir

Nona the Ninth Tamsyn Muir The New York Times quote

Nona the Ninth Tamsyn Muir NPR quote

Nona the Ninth Tamsyn Muir Alix E. Harrow quote

The Locked Tomb series Tamsyn Muir

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Deft, tense and atmospheric, compellingly immersive and wildly original.” ―The New York Times

“Unlike anything I’ve ever read. Muir’s writing is as sharp as a broken tooth, and just as unsettling.” ―V.E. Schwab, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author

“With a snorting laugh and two middle fingers, the whole thing burns end-to-end. It is deep when you expect shallow, raucous when you expect dignity and, in the end, absolutely heartbreaking when you least expect it.” ―NPR

“Warm and cold; goofy and gleaming; campy and epic; a profane Daria in space.” ―Robin Sloan, author of Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore

“I can't remember the last time I was so delightedly baffled by a book. An astonishing, genre-defying, hilarious-violent-tragic-horrifying-thrilling wonder of a novel.” ―Kiersten White, NYT Bestselling Author of And I Darken

“Lesbian necromancers explore a haunted gothic palace in space! Decadent nobles vie to serve the deathless emperor! Skeletons!” ―Charles Stross, author of The Laundry Files and Empire Games

“I started this book chuckling at the outrageous premise. I finished it crying, because the ending punched me straight in the gut.” ―Vox

“Space opera, murder mystery, comedy, grotesque horror, and fantastic necromancy spin together in a book like no other.” ―BuzzFeed

And Five Starred Reviews from Publishers Weekly, Kirkus, Library Journal, BookList, and BookPage

About the Author

TAMSYN MUIR is the bestselling author of the Locked Tomb Series. Her fiction has won the Locus and Crawford awards, and been nominated for the Hugo Award, the Nebula Award, the Shirley Jackson Award, the World Fantasy Award, the Dragon 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.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Tordotcom (July 14, 2020)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 496 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 125031318X
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1250313188
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 10.6 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.35 x 1.3 x 8.15 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 15,383 ratings

About the author

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Tamsyn Muir

Tamsyn Muir

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TAMSYN MUIR is the bestselling author of the Locked Tomb Trilogy, which begins with Gideon the Ninth, continues with Harrow the Ninth, and concludes with Alecto the Ninth. Her 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.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
15,383 global ratings
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4 Stars
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Overall I’m happy to finally get the book I had a hard time finding it. I am a little sad it came with a stain and damage but oh well
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Top reviews from the United States

Mitsea
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book, annoying vocabulary
Reviewed in the United States on April 29, 2024
Verified Purchase
4⭐ Fantasy Sci-fi Lgbtq+ (YA or new adult?)

This story is really interesting and unique, the sci-fi fantasy setting is pretty cool and the overall story was great. I've heard this book called, "lesbian necromancers in space," add solving mysteries to the end of that phrase and that pretty much explains the whole story.

The book was full of archaic words that thankfully I read on kindle so I could simply click to get the definitions. The language was really just tiring, and it was quite odd against the modern slang and conversational language used by the MC. The mc really says, more than once I might add, "that's what she said." Good grief.

I've read so many reviews where people thought this book was so romantic, I feel like we didn't read the same book. Yeah, Gideon is a lesbian, but like the point of that was questionable imo.

I loved all the characters, but it was difficult to keep track of who was who, which pair were which, the skills of each person in the pair, relationships among everyone etc. I wish that parts of the prologue had come earlier, it would've been nice to read the character reports when I was struggling with the characters!

The epilogue is basically just a compilation of useful information that would've made the story easier to understand. Definitions, explanations of roles, character fact sheets, pronounciations, etc. This part is why people re-read the book for a much better understanding. There's also a final chapter at the very end of the 50 page epilogue lol

I did really like this book once it got going, but I struggled with the beginning. I will be reading the next book because I'm hoping we'll get more Gideon.
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Eniola Malomo
4.0 out of 5 stars Slow at first but once you're in you're hooked
Reviewed in the United States on February 19, 2024
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It was an amazing journey. Muir captures every aspect of a character, highlighting their flaws.

The book was funny. I had moments where I would burst out laughing. Gideon and Harrow's dynamic is so entertaining. You can feel the hatred between the two.

My favourite part of the book is it's dialogue. Learning about how the different houses work in the universe and their opinions about one another really anchored the story.

Overall it was a wild journey. "Nuns in outerspace" isn't my go-to genre but I was astonished how much I enjoyed it. I'm not sure if it's a book I would recommend but to anyone with an open mind, looking for something fresh or different. Go ahead!
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SpeakingBookish
5.0 out of 5 stars Skeletons abound!
Reviewed in the United States on September 21, 2019
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Harrowhark Nonagesimus, Heir to the House of the Ninth, is in desperate need of a Cavalier. She must be accompanied by one if she is to accept the invitation from the Lord Undying himself and travel to the First House to study to be a Lyctor. Her original Cavalier has flown the coup leaving her with one option: Gideon Nav. The problem is that Gideon hates Harrow and the feeling is mutual. Gideon has spent her whole life attempting to escape the House of the Ninth and join the military. With promises of freedom, Harrow manages to convince Gideon to step into the roll of Cavalier Primary and accompany her off-planet. Studying to be a Lyctor is not what Harrow, or any of the other seven house representatives, expected and the price to be paid to attain this goal may be more than anyone is willing to pay.

Necromancers in space. Those are the bare bones of Gideon the Ninth but not even close to all this book is about. The world is very hard to picture and is one of the things that made the first half of this book pretty hard to get through. The reader is thrown unceremoniously into this strange world and you either sink or swim. Many people reviewing this book said they didn't finish it, quitting before getting to the half-way mark. Those are the sinkers. Those of us that pushed through the first half of the book are the swimmers. I can understand why so many people chose to stop reading. I found myself struggling to understand the world, the role that each person played, and how high the stakes were to each character. But I pushed through because the writing was so different than anything I'd ever read before, the characters were fantastic, and I was eager to see where the story was going even if I didn't totally understand what was going on. I was rewarded handsomely for my endeavors.

Let's start with the writing. The author has a way of using words in a different context than they are normally used in. Tamsyn uses words like "nuggety" and "robust" to describe people. Descriptions that make little sense yet you know exactly what the author is trying to tell you. She has a completely unique writing style and I doubt you'd ever be able to confuse it with anyone else's. This was the first thing that grabbed my attention in this book. The second being Gideon. I wholeheartedly have a female crush on Gideon Nav. She's absolutely crackers and mouthy and badass and I will never get enough of her snark. She also makes hilarious and vulgar jokes from the beginning to the end of this book, usually at Harrow's expense, and doesn't think that being in a life or death situation is quite reason enough to stop. I loved it. Yet, she garners your sympathy for the life she lived and you also just want to hug her. I haven't been all up in my feelings over a character like this in a long time. The dynamic between Gideon and Harrow is genius. They hate each other but are now in a situation where they must rely on each other for survival and it's awesome to see that play out on the page.

This book does take its sweet time getting to the point. I believe that this story will lose a lot of readers based on this fact alone and it's a real shame. Once you hit the half-way mark in the book things start picking up speed very quickly. The story goes from meandering to full speed ahead in 6 seconds flat so the pacing isn't one of its stronger suits. All of the heirs and their cavaliers are from one of eight houses and I believe that each house represents a different planet. From what I gathered each planet is also quite different. The people hailing from them are all different as well; they share different beliefs, they dress differently, talk differently. The only thing linking them all is their service to the Emperor. The planets and the dynamic between them is one of the elements that is seriously lacking information. I am hopeful that much more will be explained on this front in the next two books. As for this book, the whole story is narrowed down to this one building- which is also hard to describe other than to say it's huge, old, and dilapidated-on this one planet. All the characters are residing here in order to ascend to Lyctor.

There are skeletons everywhere. They are used as laborers and housekeepers and cooks. Harrow is able to raise skeletons fully formed from a single knuckle bone but that isn't the case for all the necromancers. Their gifts all lie in different areas and not all of them raise the dead in the way you would imagine. Again, an area that needs more explanation. When reading about raising the dead you can pretty much assume it's going to get dirty. And it does. Downright disgusting. I wasn't expecting the level of blood and gore that I found in this book but it worked.

This is possibly the hardest review I've written. This book is extremely hard to explain and because of that my explanations lack fluidity. Just know that this book does have its faults but all in all I found it to be a fantastic story. It has a unique plot, extremely diverse and interesting characters, and the ending left me with a latent need to have the next book NOW. Which isn't going to happen and I'm pretty beat up about it. As stated on the back of the book, Gideon the Ninth is LGBT+ friendly and all different types of people are represented. There are some triggers to be aware of: Violence, Blood/gore, extremely vulgar language, suicide, death of a parent/s, death of a sibling, mass death of children, abandonment, chronic/fatal illness.
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Top reviews from other countries

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Cristina
5.0 out of 5 stars Worldbuilding
Reviewed in Brazil on May 29, 2023
Verified Purchase
O que mais me impressionou nesse livro foi o mundo e como a autora faz seu worldbuilding. Foi um daqueles livros que não dá para parar de ler.

Já os personagens... Melhor ficar sem spoiler, recomendo a leitura.
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Cliente de Amazon
5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect
Reviewed in Mexico on July 7, 2021
Verified Purchase
Es simplemente perfecto, Gideon es genial y todo los que pasa en el libro cada paso que das descubres algo nuevo tanto del mundo en el que están como de los personajes, en todo momento sientes que son personajes tridimensionales y dinámicos
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TC
5.0 out of 5 stars Hate de relire ce livre en VO
Reviewed in France on April 14, 2024
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Un beau livre, arrivé en parfait état, RAS.
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Nat
5.0 out of 5 stars One flesh, one end.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 7, 2024
Verified Purchase
From the get go this book offers an action packed story filled with emotion and humour. Muir uses a refreshingly informal narative for the book, which makes this an easy and fun read.

The gothic imagery of the Ninth House is gorgeously written making the reader feel as surrounded by the skeletons as Gideon herself. The enemies to lovers trope starts out strong with Gideon and Harrowharks rivalry in the Ninth, the animosity between the two is electric. Even though these two clearly hate eachother, there is a magnetic pull between them that keeps dragging them back together.

Muir has created a wonderful cast of fleshed out (pun intended) characters who each manage to show off their own personalities without over shadowing the main two and their story. The murder mystery/ who dun it is gripping and keeps the reader guessing until the very end.
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David
5.0 out of 5 stars Cool story
Reviewed in Sweden on February 2, 2024
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Cool book with a great story
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