第 1 章
A Necromantic Dance of Swords and Souls
In a universe where necromancy powers civilization and the immortal Emperor rules nine noble Houses, Gideon the Ninth burst onto the literary scene like a black-robed warrior with a flaming sword. Tamsyn Muir's 2019 debut novel quickly became a cultural phenomenon, earning the affectionate nickname "lesbian necromancers in space" from its devoted fanbase. The book garnered nominations for the Hugo, Nebula, World Fantasy, and Locus awards, winning the 2020 Locus Award for Best First Novel. With its irresistible blend of gothic horror, science fiction, and mordant humor, the novel attracted celebrity fans including N.K. Jemisin and Charlie Jane Anders. Even Lin-Manuel Miranda tweeted his enthusiasm for this tale of sword-wielding cavaliers and bone-manipulating necromancers navigating a deadly competition in a crumbling space palace. What makes this story so compelling? At its heart lies the relationship between two young women bound by hatred, necessity, and something far more complex than either would care to admit.
第 2 章
The Ninth House: A Prison of Bones and Shadows
Deep in the tomb-like confines of Drearburh, the seat of the Ninth House, eighteen-year-old Gideon Nav has spent her life plotting escape. As the novel opens, she's executing her eighty-seventh attempt to flee the gloomy halls and oppressive rituals of the "House of the Sewn Tongue." With her distinctive red hair hidden beneath a hood and her meager possessions packed, Gideon prepares to board a shuttle and join the Cohort, the Emperor's military force.
The Ninth House is a place of 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 a noble nor a servant, but an indentured orphan with unknown origins. Eighteen years earlier, her mother arrived in a dragchute, brain-dead on landing with infant Gideon in a bio-container. The prison denied her as an escapee, and necromancers couldn't extract more than the name "Gideon" from her ghost.
Gideon's escape is thwarted by her lifelong nemesis, Harrowhark Nonagesimus, the teenage heir to the Ninth House and a necromantic prodigy. Their relationship is defined by mutual loathing-Harrow has spent years tormenting Gideon with skeleton constructs and cruel punishments, while Gideon responds with insolence and obscene magazines smuggled from other Houses. Their bitter exchange reveals years of hostility, with Harrow dismissing Gideon as "a waste of resources" and "a plague on my house."
But Harrow's appearance masks an ulterior motive. The Ninth House has received a summons from the Emperor himself, requesting the presence of its heir and cavalier primary at the First House. With their actual cavalier having fled, Harrow makes Gideon an unexpected offer: serve as her sword-hand during this mysterious summons, and afterward receive freedom and a Cohort commission. Though deeply suspicious, Gideon reluctantly agrees, beginning an uneasy alliance that will transform them both.
第 3 章
The Emperor's Challenge: A Tournament of Deadly Trials
After three months of intensive training in rapier techniques that contradict everything Gideon knows about two-handed combat, the pair departs for the First House. The decrepit splendor of Canaan House awaits them-a once-magnificent palace built upon water, its grand towers now crumbling and shrouded in dead vines. Here, they join representatives from the other Houses: the militaristic Second, the glamorous twins of the Third, the teenage soldiers of the Fourth, the scholarly married couple of the Fifth, the analytical Sixth, the terminally ill duchess of the Seventh, and the religious zealots of the Eighth.
Their host, a sprightly old man known simply as "Teacher," reveals the purpose of their gathering: the Emperor's original Lyctors-his immortal right hands-are dying after ten thousand years of service. These necromancers have been nominated to attempt the "terrible challenge" of replacing them. Success means joining their cavaliers in "joy and power that has sung through ten thousand years." But there's a catch-they will receive no training or instruction. They must discover the secrets of Lyctorhood by exploring the decaying facility and solving its ancient puzzles.
The competition quickly becomes a race to locate and unlock hidden laboratory doors throughout Canaan House. Each lab contains fragments of ancient theorems that, when pieced together, reveal the path to Lyctorhood. Harrow approaches this methodically, mapping the entire facility and documenting every locked door. Beneath the house, they discover an even older facility containing dangerous constructs and forgotten necromantic research.
As they complete their first trial in a chamber called "Response," Harrow makes a breakthrough: the key to passing these tests involves a necromantic connection between cavalier and necromancer, with the necromancer seeing through their cavalier's eyes to identify the constructs' weaknesses. This revelation marks the beginning of a deeper bond between the reluctant partners, though neither would admit it. Their triumph is short-lived, however, as they discover the broken bodies of Magnus and Abigail of the Fifth House at the bottom of the access ladder-the first victims in what will become a deadly series of murders.
第 4 章
Death in the House of the King
The murders transform the competition into something far darker, shattering the already tense atmosphere of Canaan House. Magnus and Abigail's deaths - discovered in their laboratory with their bodies horrifically twisted and drained of thanergetic energy - spark immediate panic among the Houses. The married couple's expertise in theoretical necromancy makes their deaths particularly disturbing, as few could have overpowered two such skilled practitioners.
Teacher's insistence that "monsters" within the facility are responsible seems increasingly hollow as more victims appear. His explanation of ancient security constructs gone rogue conflicts with the methodical, almost ritualistic nature of the killings. The facility's vast network of corridors and sealed chambers becomes a maze of paranoia, with each House retreating to defensive positions and forming uneasy alliances.
The tragedy of the Fourth House teens proves especially haunting. Fifteen-year-olds Isaac and Jeannemary, the youngest participants, represent their House's future military leadership. Their fatal expedition with Gideon reveals the true horror lurking in Canaan House. The massive bone construct they encounter - described as a cathedral of animated skeletal matter - demonstrates necromantic power far beyond current capabilities. Isaac's death by multiple bone spears shows calculated brutality, while Jeannemary's later murder, with "SWEET DREAMS" written in her blood, suggests a killer toying with survivors.
The deaths expose deep-rooted political tensions between Houses. Captain Deuteros, hardened by years of Cohort service, demands military intervention with characteristic Second House aggression. Her attempt to establish martial law meets resistance from Palamedes Sextus, whose Sixth House scholarly approach seeks answers through forensic necromancy. The fundamentalist Silas Octakiseron channels Eighth House religious fervor into accusations against the Ninth, citing ancient prophecies about harbingers of doom.
The Third House twins present a fascinating study in contrasts during the crisis. Coronabeth's charismatic leadership and Ianthe's calculating intelligence mask their own agenda. Their unified public face begins showing cracks as deaths mount, suggesting internal House conflicts.
Dulcinea Septimus emerges as the mystery's central figure. Her terminal illness and genuine friendship with Gideon make her seem an unlikely suspect, yet her cavalier's disappearance raises questions. Palamedes's discovery about Protesilaus - that his corpse was animated through the forbidden "way of the beguiling corpse" technique - suggests the Seventh House brought their own dark secrets to Canaan House. Finding Protesilaus's severed head in Harrow's quarters creates a web of suspicion that threatens to destroy any remaining trust between Houses.
As participants barricade themselves in laboratories and sleeping quarters, the true nature of the challenge becomes clear. Beyond the competition for Lyctorhood lies ancient knowledge sealed away for good reason. The facility's locked doors and abandoned laboratories hide secrets that someone believes are worth killing to protect, transforming the quest for power into a desperate fight for survival.
第 5 章
The Necromancer and Her Cavalier: A Bond Forged in Blood
At the heart of this gothic space mystery lies the evolving relationship between Gideon and Harrowhark. Their lifelong enmity begins to transform as they face the trials together, though neither easily abandons years of mutual hatred. Gideon initially serves Harrow out of necessity, not loyalty, and Harrow treats Gideon as a tool rather than a partner.
Their dynamic shifts dramatically during a trial that requires Harrow to siphon Gideon's life force to cross a deadly barrier. The process nearly kills Gideon, draining her until blood pours from her face and her body convulses. Yet Harrow returns with unexpected gentleness, handling her cavalier with care and revealing vulnerability for the first time. This moment marks a turning point, though both still resist acknowledging their growing dependence on each other.
The traditional cavalier oath-"One flesh, one end"-becomes significant as they observe other Houses' partnerships. The married Fifth House pair work in perfect harmony. The Sixth House's Palamedes and Camilla share absolute trust. Even the fanatical Eighth House's Silas and Colum maintain a bond of duty and sacrifice. By contrast, Gideon and Harrow's relationship remains fractured, their potential power limited by their inability to truly connect.
Their breakthrough comes after a bitter argument when Harrow forbids Gideon from seeing Dulcinea. Their fight escalates until Harrow coldly declares Gideon irrelevant to her path to Lyctorhood. This pushes Gideon to betray Harrow by answering Silas Octakiseron's summons, though she ultimately cannot go through with it. The discovery of Protesilaus's head in Harrow's quarters forces Gideon to confront her complicated feelings-if Harrow is a murderer, what does that mean for Gideon's loyalty?
In the novel's emotional climax, Harrow finally reveals the Ninth House's darkest secret: as a child, she sacrificed two hundred children to ensure her own birth, leaving only herself, Gideon, and one other child alive. This confession leads to a moment of genuine connection in the pool room, where Gideon embraces Harrow despite her thrashing resistance. They exchange the cavalier oath-"One flesh, one end"-cementing their new bond. That night, they talk openly for the first time, with Gideon sleeping at the foot of Harrow's bed, finally free of nightmares.
第 6 章
The Truth Behind the Mask: Dulcinea's Deception
While Gideon and Harrow forge their new alliance, Palamedes Sextus makes a shocking discovery: "Dulcinea Septimus" is an impostor. The real Dulcinea never left the Seventh House, having succumbed to her terminal illness before the Emperor's summons even arrived. In her place stands Cytherea the First, one of the Emperor's original Lyctors from ten millennia ago, who has masterfully infiltrated Canaan House with a meticulously planned murderous agenda. Her performance as the sickly, gentle Dulcinea was flawless, down to the perfectly mimicked blood-flecked coughs and trembling hands.
This revelation casts a sinister light on the mounting deaths at Canaan House. Cytherea has been systematically eliminating participants to prevent the Emperor from gaining new Lyctors, each murder carefully staged to appear like accidents or the result of competition between houses. The bone constructs found throughout the facility, the sabotaged communications systems, the strategic elimination of both cavaliers and necromancers-all were precisely orchestrated components of her elaborate scheme. Each death served a dual purpose: thinning the ranks while simultaneously sowing discord and suspicion among the survivors.
Palamedes confronts "Dulcinea" with this knowledge, armed with twelve years' worth of correspondence with the real Dulcinea Septimus. His extensive collection of letters revealed subtle inconsistencies in the impostor's behavior, from missing childhood references to slight variations in writing style. When faced with Palamedes's evidence, the impostor finally abandons her carefully constructed facade of frailty. Cytherea reveals herself as a being of terrifying power, her true form crackling with necromantic energy accumulated over ten millennia of service. Her particular interest in Gideon-whom she deliberately befriended and manipulated through false vulnerability-stemmed from immediate recognition of Gideon's unusual golden eyes and exceptional fighting prowess, hinting at deeper mysteries about Gideon's true origins that remain tantalizingly unexplored.
The revelation of Cytherea's true identity transforms the competition into a desperate fight for survival. The remaining Houses must quickly overcome their ingrained rivalries and suspicions to unite against an enemy whose power is almost beyond comprehension. Cytherea possesses not only ten thousand years of refined necromantic knowledge but also the perfectly preserved combat skills of her long-dead cavalier, making her a dual threat of unprecedented magnitude. The final confrontation will test not just their combined magical abilities and combat skills, but also the strength and authenticity of the bonds they've formed under pressure. Their only hope lies in turning Cytherea's greatest weapon-their division and distrust-into their strongest asset through genuine collaboration.
第 7 章
The Secret of Lyctorhood: Perfect Necromantic Consumption
As the survivors piece together the ancient theorems, they discover the terrible truth about Lyctorhood: becoming a Lyctor requires a necromancer to consume their cavalier's soul. This perfect necromantic consumption grants the necromancer immortality and their cavalier's combat abilities, but at the cost of the cavalier's independent existence. "One flesh, one end" takes on new meaning-the cavalier literally becomes one with their necromancer, their consciousness absorbed but not destroyed. The process, hidden in cryptic texts and ancient blood wards, reveals why the Emperor's Lyctors are both revered and feared throughout the nine houses.
Ianthe Tridentarius is the first to complete this process, consuming her cavalier Naberius Tern's soul while her twin sister Corona watches in horror. Ianthe outlines the seven-step process with clinical precision: preserve the soul through careful theorems of stasis, analyze its complete spiritual makeup, absorb it without consuming it (maintaining its integral structure), fix it in place within the necromancer's own soul, incorporate it without being overwhelmed by the cavalier's essence, consume the physical flesh, and finally reconstruct spirit and flesh together in perfect unity. Each step requires precise timing and absolute control, with failure resulting in the destruction of both souls. The result is a being of tremendous power-Ianthe demonstrates her new abilities by fighting with Naberius's perfect swordsmanship despite her frail body, moving with a grace and precision that seems impossible for someone who never trained with a blade.
This revelation forces the remaining necromancers to confront an impossible choice: achieve immortality by sacrificing the person closest to them, or reject Lyctorhood entirely. For Harrow and Gideon, whose newfound bond is still fragile, this presents a particularly wrenching dilemma. Their relationship, built on years of antagonism followed by recent understanding, makes the choice even more complex. Can Harrow sacrifice Gideon after finally acknowledging their connection? Would Gideon willingly give herself to save Harrow and the Ninth House? The theological implications are equally troubling - if this is what the Emperor demands of his servants, what does it say about his true nature?
The question becomes academic when Cytherea launches her final assault, forcing them to fight for survival rather than Lyctorhood. In the climactic battle, Harrow and Gideon achieve perfect synchronization despite never having fought side by side before. Harrow's necromantic guidance flows directly into Gideon's mind as they target the construct's weak points together, their movements perfectly coordinated as if they'd trained together for years. This moment represents what true Lyctorhood should be-perfect harmony between necromancer and cavalier, each enhancing the other's strengths without the need for soul consumption. Their natural synchronization raises questions about whether the Emperor's path to Lyctorhood is truly the only way, or if there might be another method that preserves both souls while achieving the same power.
第 8 章
The Ultimate Sacrifice: Gideon's Choice
The final confrontation with Cytherea brings the novel to its devastating conclusion. Despite their newfound unity, Harrow and Gideon face an opponent of overwhelming power. When Cytherea easily shatters Harrow's skeletal constructs and summons her massive bone spider, Harrow creates a protective bone dome to shield them temporarily.
Inside this shelter, with Cytherea's construct hammering at their defenses, Harrow-bleeding from every pore-urges Gideon to escape with the wounded Camilla while she provides a distraction. Gideon refuses, cradling her necromancer as their shelter crumbles. In this moment of desperation, Gideon confesses what truly matters: "I don't give a damn about the Locked Tomb. I only care about you."
What follows is Gideon's ultimate act of sacrifice. Understanding the secret of Lyctorhood and seeing no other way to save Harrow, Gideon willingly offers herself. "One flesh, one end," she says, and kisses Harrow's forehead. In that moment of perfect trust, Gideon's soul flows into Harrow, granting her the power to defeat Cytherea.
The epilogue reveals Harrowhark awakening in a sterile white medical bay aboard the Emperor's ship, staring out at the diamond-like stars of deep space. Her heart is "a smoking wreck of desolation." The Emperor Undying himself sits nearby, instantly recognizable by his black sclera and rainbow-oil irises. When Harrow throws herself at his feet begging for Gideon's life back, he explains the terrible truth: Gideon's soul is now inside her, and extracting it would destroy them both.
Only Harrow and Ianthe Tridentarius have survived as Lyctors. The Emperor reveals the Empire is dying, threatened by forces even death cannot keep down. Despite her grief, Harrow agrees to serve as his Lyctor, vowing to eventually discover what happened to Gideon's body and the other missing people from Canaan House. "Then rise, Harrowhark the First," says the Emperor, as Harrow begins her new existence with Gideon's consciousness somewhere within her own.
第 9 章
Beyond the Ninth: A Universe of Necromantic Wonders
Gideon the Ninth creates a richly detailed universe where necromancy forms the foundation of an interstellar civilization. Each of the Nine Houses represents a different aspect of necromantic practice: the militant Second, the political Third, the scholarly Fifth, the analytical Sixth, the artistic Seventh, the religious Eighth, and the death-obsessed Ninth. This complex social hierarchy, with the Emperor and his Lyctors at its apex, provides the backdrop for the personal drama between Gideon and Harrow.
The novel's setting-Canaan House-is a masterpiece of atmospheric worldbuilding. This decaying palace with its countless rooms, hidden laboratories, and ancient secrets becomes a character in its own right. The facility beneath it, with its sterile corridors and abandoned research, hints at the darker origins of necromancy and the Emperor's rule. References to "pre-Resurrection" technology suggest a cataclysmic event in humanity's past, while the Emperor's ten-thousand-year reign indicates a history far longer than our own.
Most intriguing is the mystery of the Locked Tomb itself. Harrow reveals that beyond magical barriers and salt water lies a frozen corpse of a girl, chained by wrists, ankles, and throat, with a sword laid across her breast. "When I saw her face I decided I wanted to live," Harrow confesses, "forever just in case she ever woke up." This revelation suggests that the Ninth House's primary purpose is not just religious devotion but containment-keeping something ancient and potentially dangerous sealed away.
Muir's universe balances cosmic horror with sardonic humor, creating a tone entirely its own. Gideon's irreverent voice provides comic relief amid the gothic atmosphere, while the necromantic practices blend elements of science fiction and fantasy in innovative ways. The result is a world both familiar and utterly alien, where death is not an ending but a resource to be manipulated by those with the knowledge and power to do so.
第 10 章
A Sword and a Promise: The Legacy of Gideon Nav
Gideon the Ninth concludes with its titular character absorbed into Harrowhark through the process of Lyctorhood, her independent existence seemingly ended in a moment that reshapes both characters irrevocably. Yet Gideon's presence persists throughout the narrative's conclusion-manifesting in Harrow's newfound mastery of sword combat, her uncharacteristic determination to uncover the truth about Gideon's physical remains, and in subtle shifts in Harrow's personality that suggest something of Gideon's consciousness survives within her. The novel deliberately maintains ambiguity about Gideon's fate, suggesting that rather than simple death, she has undergone a complex transformation that defies easy categorization.
This ambiguous ending serves as a powerful culmination of the novel's central themes of sacrifice, transformation, and the intricate blurring of boundaries between self and other. The evolution of Gideon and Harrow's relationship traces a compelling arc from their initial status as bitter childhood enemies, through their grudging cooperation as cavalier and necromancer, to their development of genuine trust and perhaps even love. Their final union through Lyctorhood represents both the pinnacle of this journey and its tragic interruption-they achieve the perfect unity they've been working toward, but at the devastating cost of Gideon's separate existence. This duality reflects the novel's broader exploration of how intimacy and loss are often inextricably linked.
The legacy of Gideon Nav resonates far beyond her sacrifice, embedded in every aspect of the story's conclusion. Her characteristic irreverent humor, which persisted even in the face of death, her unwavering determination to forge her own path despite her circumstances as an indentured servant, and her remarkable final choice to save someone who had tormented her for years make her an unforgettable protagonist whose absence creates a palpable void in the novel's final pages. As Harrow emerges as a Lyctor, carrying Gideon's soul within her, the story raises profound questions about identity, consciousness, and the nature of sacrifice: what aspects of Gideon's unique personality will survive this transformation, and how will they shape Harrow's development and future choices?
In the end, Gideon the Ninth transcends its surface elements of necromancy and swordplay to become a deeply nuanced exploration of agency and sacrifice in a world of limited choices. Gideon's final decision-to give herself fully to save Harrow-transforms what could have been merely another act of necromantic consumption into a profound expression of love and self-sacrifice. In a universe where death is treated as simply another state of being to be manipulated by necromantic power, Gideon's willing sacrifice imbues both her life and death with deeper meaning. This ensures that even as Harrowhark the First takes her place as the Emperor's new Lyctor, something essential of Gideon Nav's spirit endures-a testament to the power of choice and sacrifice to transcend even death itself.
