Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir Summary
Overview of Gideon the Ninth
Lesbian necromancers in space! Tamsyn Muir's genre-bending masterpiece blends sci-fi, fantasy, and murder mystery into a cult phenomenon that was a Hugo Award finalist. Adri Joy called it "the queer necromantic murder mystery you've been missing all your life."
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A Universe of Necromancy and Swords
In a cosmos where death is merely raw material and bone manipulation is high art, the Emperor's immortal Lyctors are dying after ten millennia of service. Enter Gideon Nav - irreverent, sword-obsessed, and desperate to escape the gloomy halls of the Ninth House where she's been trapped since infancy. Her nemesis? Harrowhark Nonagesimus, the Ninth House heir and necromantic prodigy who has tormented Gideon for eighteen years with skeleton constructs and cruel punishments. When the Emperor summons all nine Houses to compete for the honor of becoming new Lyctors, Harrow makes Gideon an unexpected offer: serve as her cavalier during this mysterious challenge, and afterward receive freedom. The Ninth House exists in perpetual twilight, where skeleton servants tend fields and black-robed nuns perform endless prayers before the mysterious Locked Tomb. Gideon's position is uniquely miserable - neither noble nor servant, but an indentured orphan whose mother arrived brain-dead in a dragchute with infant Gideon in a bio-container. For eighteen years, she's endured Harrow's torments while dreaming of escape to join the Cohort, the Emperor's military. When Harrow thwarts Gideon's eighty-seventh escape attempt, their bitter exchange reveals years of hostility. "You're a waste of resources," Harrow sneers, while Gideon responds with obscene gestures and smuggled magazines. Yet Harrow needs Gideon - specifically her sword arm - to answer the Emperor's summons. With their actual cavalier having fled, Harrow reluctantly offers Gideon freedom in exchange for service. What follows is three months of intensive rapier training that contradicts everything Gideon knows about two-handed combat.
Deadly Games in Canaan House
A House of Secrets and Murder
Necromancer and Cavalier: A Bond Forged in Blood
The Mask Falls Away
The Ultimate Sacrifice
The Legacy of Their Bond
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"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
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From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
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