History Literature / GideonTheNinth

* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters: Aside from the characters on the Ninth who only appear in Act 1 (but who get referred to periodically), there are 19 named characters at Canaan House, plus sporadic references to the original Lyctors and their cavaliers, [[spoiler: and the Emperor in the Epilogue.]]

* {{Foreshadowing}}: A hefty amount of later plot twists are hinted at well in advance.
** In an attempt to get Crux to let her leave, Gideon suggests that he say her shuttle exploded. [[spoiler:The shuttle itself did explode after Ortus and Glaurica stole it, from a bomb planted aboard it by Crux.]]
** The Canaan House staff are extremely concerned that the Third brought twin necromancers, which Teacher shrugs off as their own problem that won't affect anyone else. [[spoiler:Only one could become a Lyctor even if they were both necromancers, since it requires one sacrifice per ascension.]]
** Ianthe cryptically warns Gideon early on that it would be unwise to irritate the necromancer of the Third. [[spoiler:The slip is notable because she says "necromanc''er''", not "necromanc''ers''." It's not until much, much later that it's revealed that Coronabeth isn't a necromancer.]]
*** Tying in with the above, [[spoiler:there are tons of small hints towards this reveal throughout the story, such as Coronabeth hanging out with the cavaliers instead of the necromancers, not showing signs of exertion trying to call back the spirits of the Fifth, her familiarity with duels, and being unable to recognize fresh human cremains]].
** During the Fifth's dinner party, Gideon overhears part of a discussion between Abigail and Dulcinea about Lyctoral history and deems the conversation extremely boring. [[spoiler:It's actually the impetus for why Cytherea decided to kill the Fifth as soon as possible.]]
** Ianthe has a disconcerting habit of [[HumanResources consuming parts of Naberius]] for a short term necromantic boost. [[spoiler:She's the only necromancer to willingly choose to ascend to Lyctorhood, and does so by murdering Naberius to burn his soul forever.]]
** When the bodies of [[spoiler: Magnus and Abigail]] are discovered in the labs, Silas tries siphoning Colum and Teacher panics and demands he never do it again because the labs are, as Gideon says, "chocka with ghosts" and it's not safe to have an empty body down there. [[spoiler: Sure enough, Silas's second attempt to siphon Colum in the labs later in the book gets them both killed.]]
** In a bit of thematic foreshadowing more than literal foreshadowing, near the end of Act 3, the Fourth discover that [[spoiler:two bodies have been burnt up in the incinerator beyond all recognition]], and all of the remaining cavaliers (bar Camilla) end up examining this discovery. [[spoiler:Being burnt up forever is the ultimate fate awaiting those cavaliers should their necromancers consume their souls to become Lyctors, and by the end of the book it's happened to both Naberius and Gideon (willingly, in her case), and Camilla is the only cavalier to survive Canaan House.]]
** After [[spoiler:Protesilaus goes missing]], Teacher says that the First will search all of Canaan House except the Lyctoral labs and the quarters of each House, on the off chance [[spoiler:he's]] there. [[spoiler:Several chapters later, Gideon finds his severed head in Harrow's wardrobe.]]
** The revelation of the true secret of Lyctorhood, [[spoiler:that a necromancer has to consume their cavalier's soul to burn them for energy forever]], is very extensively telegraphed by comments the First makes, the ArcWords of ''Gideon the Ninth'', and parenthetical references by Palamedes being disgusted by it, to the point where it's HiddenInPlainSight.
** Several instances of foreshadowing extend forward to ''Harrow the Ninth'':
*** Whenever Harrow mentions Gideon's longsword, she does so with disdain, believes it's "judging her", and actually seems to be afraid of it at times. [[spoiler: Once it becomes her TragicKeepsake following Gideon's death, she believes it is an EmpathicWeapon that hates her, which she hates in turn, but can't bear to be parted from it.]]
*** The note with Gideon's name on it and other peripheral references to a "G." at Canaan House heavily tease at one of the early reveals of the second book: [[spoiler:that the name of the Lyctor from the Second is also Gideon]].

** In one instance that extends forward to ''Harrow the Ninth'', [[spoiler:the note with Gideon's name on it and other peripheral references to a "G." at Canaan House]] heavily tease at one of the early reveals of the second book: [[spoiler:that the name of the Lyctor from the Second is also Gideon]].

* ChildlessDystopia: A vent flu 18 years ago wiped out almost every child of the Ninth, making Gideon and Harrow literally the only members of their entire generation. Dystopia because of the monastery's general state of decay and disrepair, then underlined with the fact that everyone on the planet is getting old and gray with no one to replace them, [[spoiler: and that the "flu" was actually nerve gas that Harrow's family used to kill 200 children to ensure Harrow's conception as a necromancer]].

* EthnicMagician: Each Adept is a necromancer, but each specializes in a particular aspect of necromancy. This trope applies most strongly the Eighth, with their cold personalities, much more rigid theology, and their chosen discipline of soul syphoning having a reputation as a DangerousForbiddenTechnique.

* HandicappedBadass: Aiglamene is the Ninth House's swordmaster. She can't serve as Cavalier Primary because she's also late middle age and has a not-quite-functional necromantic prosthesis replacing one of her legs.

* LikeBrotherAndSister: A couple of the House necromancer and cavalier pairs have this dynamic, most especially the Fourth and Sixth, [[spoiler:though Camilla is heavily implied to have a [[AllLoveIsUnrequited crush]] on Palamedes]].
* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters: In addition to people on the Ninth's home planet (who don't appear again after Act I), each of the eight great Houses have an Adept and a Cavalier (plus the Third has an extra Adept), plus Teacher, plus a handful of unnamed priests, plus [[spoiler: the Emperor]] in the Epilogue.

* MysteriousNote: Gideon finds a partial scrap of a note in the Second's Lyctoral study [[spoiler:in which her name is mentioned]], a fact which alarms her but that she doesn't find time to address. It's not until the next book that the note is explained: [[spoiler:Gideon is the name of the Lyctor who used that study.]]

* NotWhatISignedOnFor: All the necromancers have answered the Emperor's summons to potentially become Lyctors, which they regard as a signal honor. [[spoiler:Of the four necromancers who survive long enough to figure out what this process entails, only Ianthe willingly does so. Palamedes and Silas reject the entire concept (the former on morals, the latter as heretical), and Harrow ends up not having a choice and tries to undo it afterwards.]]

* PoweredByAForsakenChild: All but one of the Ninth House's children died when Gideon was an infant. It was blamed on mold in the monastery's ventilation system, but it was actually [[spoiler: nerve gas deliberately deployed by Harrow's parents as part of a ritual to ensure their next child would have necromantic powers]].

* ChildlessDystopia: Childless because 18 years before the start of the novel, every child of the Ninth House save Gideon died when poisonous gas flooded the nursery. The result is that Gideon and Harrowhark are the only people younger than middle age left on the planet. Dystopia because of the monastery's general state of decay and disrepair, then underlined with the fact that everyone on the planet is getting old and gray with no one to replace them.

%%** In one instance that extends forward to ''Harrow the Ninth'', [[spoiler:the note with Gideon's name on it and other peripheral references to a "G." at Canaan House]] heavily tease at one of the early reveals of the second book: [[spoiler:that the name of the Lyctor from the Second is also Gideon]].

** In one instance that extends forward to ''Harrow the Ninth'', [[spoiler:the note with Gideon's name on it and other peripheral references to a "G." at Canaan House]] heavily tease at one of the early reveals of the second book: [[spoiler:that the name of the Lyctor from the Second is also Gideon]].

* UncertainDoom: [[spoiler:Although Camilla, Judith, and Corona are still alive when they're last seen by Gideon's narration, they're nowhere to be found when the Emperor's forces search Canaan House.]]

* FinalSpeech: [[spoiler:Gideon gives one right before her HeroicSuicide:]]
-->[[spoiler:'''Gideon:''' Harrow, I can't keep my promise, because the entire point of me is you. You get that, right? That's what cavaliers sign up for. There is no me without you. One flesh, one end.]]\\
[[spoiler:'''Harrow:''' Nav, what are you doing?]]\\
[[spoiler:'''Gideon:''' The cruelest thing anyone has ever done to you in your whole entire life, believe me. You'll know what to do, and if you don't do it, what I'm about to do will be no use to anyone.]]\\
[[spoiler:'''Gideon:''' For the Ninth!]]

* UnderestimatingBadassery: Judith Deuteros challenges the [[TheSmartGuy Sixth House]] to a duel to make an example of them, and ''everyone'' thinks they're about to see a soldier beat up a librarian. Camilla the Sixth swiftly proves her House is not to be underestimated.

* MusclesAreMeaningful: Cavaliers are all very fit and muscular--Jeannemary is jealous of Gideon's biceps. In fact, it turns out that the tradition of cavaliers using rapiers is because [[spoiler: they need to use a blade that the generally [[SquishyWizard less-fit necros]] can handle. When Ianthe absorbs Naberius, despite getting his fighting skill, she quickly has to switch back to necromancy while fighting Colum, who's twice her size (though Naberius actively struggling against her certainly isn't helping). And although Gideon is able to help Harrow use her two-hander immediately after they merge, she says that Harrow's going to need to do a lot of push-ups.]]

* DwindlingParty: [[spoiler:The body count begins with Magnus and Abigail, and only grows from there. By the end of the first book only two of the twenty-one named characters at Canaan House are found alive, with three others last seen alive but missing, and one vanished corpse.]]

** When Gideon's narration recounts her [[MysteriousPast mysterious origins, it begins with "Nav was a Niner name". The exact same phrase is repeated near the very end of the book [[spoiler: as Gideon lets go of her hatred of the Ninth right before killing herself to save Harrow and Camilla.]]

* EldritchAbomination: Canaan House is ridiculously haunted, and there are constant suggestions that ''something'' is down in the labs. When a bone golem starts killing people in impossible ways, it's almost a relief. [[spoiler: Canaan House itself ends up not being the real danger, with Cytherea and her construct behind the murders of the Fourth, Fifth, and Seventh. But Silas finds out that the vengeful ghosts of the First are not just an ominous warning when a number of them possess Colum's empty body and stab the necromancer through the throat.]]

* NeverFoundTheBody: [[spoiler: Gideon's HeroicSuicide leaves her corpse resting in the open, but her body was never located when the Emperor's forces when search Canaan House.]]

** The very beginning of the book has Gideon and Harrow fighting each other, and the ending sees them fighting side by side for the first time

** One of the first uses of her necromancy that Harrow demonstrates aside from bone constructs is creating a bone shield, something that fascinates Palamedes. [[spoiler:When cornered by Cytherea, she escalates the same technique by making an entire wall of regenerating bone, though the effort exhausts her to the point of near-death, and Gideon is truly impressed that Harrow managed such a feat.]]

* DwindlingParty: [[spoiler:The body count begins with Magnus and Abigail, and only grows from there. By the end of the first book only two of the twenty named characters at Canaan House are found alive, with three others last seen alive but missing, and one vanished corpse.]]

* EldritchAbomination: There is ''something'' down in the labs. When a bone golem starts killing people in impossible ways, it's almost a relief. [[spoiler:The bone golem, however, was not the real monster, just Cytherea's tool. Something else entirely was the real danger, and it possesses Colum's empty body while Silas is siphoning him.]]

** In one instance that extends forward to ''Harrow the Ninth'', [[spoiler:the note with Gideon's name on it and other peripheral references to a "G." at Canaan House]] heavily tease at one of the early reveals of the second book: [[spoiler:that Gideon's namesake is the Lyctor from the Second]].

* NeverFoundTheBody: [[spoiler:The last time Judith is seen she's bleeding out from a mortal wound, and Gideon's HeroicSuicide leaves her corpse resting in the open, but Judith isn't found alive or dead, and Gideon's corpse was never located when the Emperor's forces when search Canaan House.]]

* UncertainDoom: [[spoiler:Although Corona and Camilla are still alive when last they're seen, they're nowhere to be found when the Emperor's forces search Canaan House.]]

-->[[spoiler:"Why leave me though?" Gideon demanded. "They murdered the rest of the House, but left me off the list?"]]\\

* EldritchAbomination: There is ''something'' down in the labs. When a bone golem starts killing people in impossible ways, it's almost a relief. [[spoiler:The bone golem, however, was not the real monster, just Cytherea's tool. Something else entirely was the real danger, and it possesses Colum's empty body while Silas is siphoning him]].

** The revelation of the true secret of Lyctorhood, [[spoiler:that a necromancer has to consume their cavalier's soul to burn them for energy forever]] is very extensively telegraphed by comments the First makes, the ArcWords of ''Gideon the Ninth'', and parenthetical references by Palamedes being disgusted by it, to the point where it's HiddenInPlainSight.

''Gideon the Ninth'' is the first book in ''Literature/TheLockedTomb'' trilogy by Tamsyn Muir.

Harrowhark Nonagesimus, Reverend Daughter of the Ninth House and [[TheNecromancer bone witch extraordinaire]], has been summoned into action. [[{{God}} 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.

[[folder:Tropes in ''Gideon the Ninth'']]

[[/folder]]

[[redirect:Literature/TheLockedTomb]]