The story has a lot of little elements that really pulls it all together and keeps your interest, from the challenges to the mysterious death, to the teacher and skeletons manning the house – everything, even the smallest details, help to form a bigger picture and more engaging story. Harrow, Gideon and some of the other House members try to work out if it was murder or death by challenge, and the more they unravel the mystery the deadlier the game becomes. However, when the nicest pair of necromancer/cavalier’s dies it pus everyone on edge and the story takes an even darker turn.

The challenges are an amalgamation of puzles, theorems and battles with giant constructs, each of which pose different difficulties and are entertaining in their own way. The challenge to Lyctorhood occurs in a large sort of mansion, with multiple locked doors with secrets behind them that will help the necromancers, but each of the challenges are deadly, risking the necromancers and cavalier’s lives for a chance to solve the puzzle. This was entertaining particularly as the mystery kicked in and people started dying. Gideon and Harrow end up together in a house along with a necromancer and cavalier from each of the other Houses – the goal? To work out for themselves how to achieve Lyctorhood. However, the prose/narrative did not fit well with the story. Gideon The Ninth, by Tamsyn Muir is, undoubtedly, a comical, fun and engaging adventure with witty characters and incredibly magic. But when the King needs more Lyctors, Harrow is called and she needs a sword – a cavalier. Harrow is a necromancer, daughter of the Ninth House and Gideon hates her. Synopsis: Gideon is done with the Ninth house, sick to death of Death, and will do anything to be free.

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