"The Emperor needs necromancers. The Ninth Necromancer needs a swordswoman. Gideon has a sword, some dirty magazines, and no more time for undead bullshit.
Brought up by unfriendly, ossifying nuns, ancient retainers, and countless skeletons, Gideon is ready to abandon a life of servitude and an afterlife as a reanimated corpse. She packs up her sword, her shoes, and her dirty magazines, and prepares to launch her daring escape. But her childhood nemesis won't set her free without a service.
Harrowhark Nonagesimus, Reverend Daughter of the Ninth House and bone witch extraordinaire, has been summoned into action. 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.
Of course, some things are better left dead." (Summary per Goodreads)
I used the summary from Goodreads because I couldn't think of a better way to summarize this story. I found this was not a quick read, even though I was enjoying the book, simply because there's a lot of detail to keep track of. You aren't given much backstory on either the characters or the world they live in, and while that's ok, I found I was sometimes going back and double-checking the list of characters at the front of the book just to keep track of who was who. I did like that this is a kind of adventure/mystery/swords and sorcery-necromancy story. I liked that Gideon is a character who doesn't try to be something she isn't; she enjoys her sarcasm and plainly states how she feels about things. I also liked the queer elements in this story, as well as the way that the author plainly puts how characters feel about each other. I also liked that the necromancy here has yucky elements, which is what you'd completely expect but somehow can get scrubbed out of stories. I loved the bone necromancy of Harrowhark and the other characters, as well as the other elements of necromancy. This is a gothic fantasy/science fiction story that not be for every reader, but was something I enjoyed. And I'm already looking forward to the second book, which is annoying considering this book isn't even published yet.
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