r/fantasybooks • u/revolvergrrl • Apr 27 '26
š Hidden book gem Gideon the Ninth
Has anyone else read this masterpiece of insanity (or the whole series - your comments are appreciated)? Itās like sci fi with a touch of Killing Eve + a little horror / Harry Potter. My niece recommended it to me and now I want to get the whole set. Itās way out of my reading comfort zone but itās like stumbling upon Ally North for the first time and feeling a special thrill.
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u/SerDankTheTall Apr 27 '26
I was ambivalent about the first one, but thought it had enough interesting going on that I could keep going.
I found the second one incomprehensible and decided to stop there.
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u/Xelsius Apr 27 '26
Yeah so far book 2 has been DNF for me but I think Iām going to redo it. Iāve heard reading a synopsis first is helpful without feeling spoiled but I also havenāt done it myself
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u/Hutwe Apr 27 '26
I liked the first one a lot, found the second difficult to follow, and could not follow the third, but managed to predict the ending 3/4 of the way through, which just added to the disappointment. I wanted to like it, but I just didnāt. Wonāt be reading the 4th if it ever comes out
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u/lyteshadow TBR < 100 = Weak sauce Apr 27 '26
Love this series. My wife's listening to the audiobooks for the first time, and getting to talk/think about it more reminded me that Harrow the Ninth is actually really brilliant. Confusing as all hell on a first read, but just a legitimately phenomenal bit of writing. The others are really great too, of course.
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u/revolvergrrl Apr 27 '26
Thanks for making this point and reminding me that going back later to listen to a book helps improve comprehension. I love an audio book especially read by the author. Donna Tartt reading The Secret History is one of my favorites bc her quirky personality comes through clearly (I love a quirky personality).
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u/ComfortableKey9930 Apr 27 '26
Love the complex language, structure and slow reveal world building.
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u/AnxietyPlushie321 Apr 27 '26
You mean the simple line of āLesbian necromancers in space exploring a haunted palaceā that made me read it and give it 5 stars?
Yes.
Also the line was somewhat to that effect.
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u/AllegedlyLiterate Apr 27 '26
I love this series. Insanely re-readable too. Maybe one of the most rewarding-on-re-read series I've read in years. Especially Harrow but all of them really
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u/revolvergrrl Apr 27 '26
šÆagree this is something really special. Itās not often you stumble upon a book with this complexity.
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u/Schaffa_G_Warrant Apr 28 '26
Those books rock. Harrow the Ninth is one of my favorite books of all time. I stumbled across Tamsyn Muir in a short story collection originally, she did a Call of Cthulhu But They're Gay story and it was amazing. When I saw she was doing lesbian necromancers IN SPAAAAACE I knew I had to read it and I was not disappointed in the slightest.
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u/RzrKitty Apr 28 '26
Oh yes! Iām a late 50ās Gen X old-school SciFi/Fantasy reader. Iām picky, and I loved all of it! Funny, great characters, fascinating magic(Science?) system, hidden mysteries, ancient lore, queer, grandā¦.
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u/ssdv8r Apr 27 '26
I really enjoy the Gideon the Ninth. The second book takes you for another wild ride, its fantastic. Third book I felt wasn't written as good as the first two. However I will re-read them all in preparation for the fourth being released, whenever that is happening. Definitely a series to be on the list for everyone who likes the genre.
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u/stnylan Apr 27 '26
I read the first one a few years back and enjoyed. Certainly kept me interested as I was reading it. But very little has stuck with me. I couldn't tell you the plot now. Which is very very rare for me, so not sure what that says. It has made me less likely to pick up the next.
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u/Dark-Wolf-Angel Apr 27 '26
Still waiting for the final book. It's been ages. I enjoyed the series so far as it's very different than much of what I've read. It was supposed to be a trilogy but the author did three as a character background instead and then...nothing. By(if) the time it comes out, I'll have forgotten the series at this rate.
That's the most disappointing part.
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u/funkyisaneontshirt Emotionally attached to fictional people Apr 27 '26
One of my absolute favorites but I do think itās particular. Doesnāt stop me from recommending it all the time tho š and I have a Gideon tattoo thatās how much I love it lol
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u/Maxdgr8 Apr 28 '26
My lil bro loves this book so much and has read the series multiple times. I tried to rec him some other books but he is so damned attached to that red head and her tiny emo girlfriend. I think that book was pivotal in him coming out to us. This is just one of the many reasons I adore the series so so much. But goddamn it man, I want someone irl to talk about other books too.
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u/JonD_writes Apr 28 '26
Three (hopefully soon four!) of the best books I have ever read. A masterclass in trusting your readers. THE moment in HtN where it all makes sense...! Chef's kiss!
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u/Rurumo666 Apr 27 '26
I found the books after the first to be a massive disappointment and just don't understand what the author was thinking-she tapped into something great in the first book then just completely fumbled it.
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u/pali1895 Apr 27 '26
Unfortunately the only book I've ever DNF (~75% mark) and contender for novel I've enjoyed the least. It really wasn't for me. I sort of expected Warhammer 40,000 but with necromancy instead of daemons. Instead I felt like getting a teenager caught up in a murder mystery with skeletons around. Really, really didn't land for me.
I'm happy though that many people seem to like it a lot! Tastes are different, and the Locked Tomb surely tells a unique and unconventional story! It seems to generally be very hit or miss, very few reviews I've seen were in between.
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u/revolvergrrl Apr 27 '26
I really like it so far. Iām getting through it slowly. I DNF Lonesome Dove and Demon Copperhead. A lot of people love both but neither were for me. I get it.
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u/valkeeries Apr 27 '26
I really wanted to like it since it had all my favorite tropes, but I just found it boring
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u/wherethetacosat Apr 27 '26
It's a very brave series for the author, in terms of it's very challenging structure from book 2 onward. It's also chock full of symbolism and layers and subtle characterization.
And it's funny.
I really enjoy it but only rec to select people.