- First published
- 2019
- Audience
- Adult
- Series position
- 1 of 3
- Series status
- Ongoing series
- Commitment
- Medium series
- Profile basis
- Individual book
- Series
- The Locked Tomb
Taste profile
At a glance
- Tone
- Gothic
- Pace
- Fast
- Magic
- High
- Prose
- Moderate
- Romance
- Major thread
A sword-wielding prisoner accompanies her necromancer rival to a lethal trial in a decaying space palace.
The relationship between Gideon and Harrow is a major emotional thread, but the book does not deliver a conventional romantic arc. Readers matching on romance role still need the body text to understand that distinction.
Best if you want
- Gothic necromancy, dark humor, swordplay, and a difficult central bond.
- A dense science-fantasy mystery designed to reward rereading.
Think twice if you need
- A completed series or straightforward explanations.
- Low horror, restrained language, or conventional romance delivery.
Fantasy Fit Matrix
Gideon the Ninth
Individual book / gothic tone / fast pace
Taste intensity
Political intrigue
4/ 5
Darkness
4/ 5
Character focus
5/ 5
Plot complexity
5/ 5
Worldbuilding depth
5/ 5
Taste categories
- Prose difficulty
- ModerateAccessible / Moderate / Literary
- Romance role
- Major threadNone / Subplot / Major thread / Central
- Magic presence
- HighLow / Medium / High
- Magic-system type
- HybridNone / Soft / Hard / Hybrid
Reading commitment
- Series status
- Ongoing series
- Series commitment
- Medium series
- 3 published books
Outside the score
Reader context
Audience and content guidance help prevent unsuitable matches. They do not change what a Matrix value means.
- Intended audience
- Adult
- Profile basis
- Individual book
- The Matrix values describe this volume, not an average for the whole series.
- Series context
- The Locked Tomb
- Volume 1 of 3 published books.
Reader advisories
- Violence
- Strong language
- Horror elements
- Grief and loss
This is practical guidance, not an exhaustive content-warning list.
How the series changes
Each volume changes narrator and structure while revealing more of the empire's history and central relationships.
- Plot complexity
- StartsA lethal trial in one palaceLaterA nonlinear imperial and planetary conflict
- Prose difficulty
- StartsModerate but slang-heavyLaterStructurally and referentially demanding
Data quality
Editorial record
Matrix v1.0 / calibrated / high confidence / reviewed 2026-08-06
If you liked Gideon the Ninth, start here.
The closest matches in the current library, calculated with Matrix v1.0. Scores reflect taste similarity and audience suitability. Books from this series are excluded, and each recommended series appears only once.
79.3%
Calculated fit
Complete series
Red Sister
by Mark Lawrence / Book of the Ancestor
- Best if you want
- A dark female-led academy story with fast combat and strong friendships.
- Think twice if you need
- Low violence, safe schooling, or romance as a major thread.
- Closest match
- The strongest alignment is in character focus and worldbuilding depth.
- Biggest difference
- The clearest shift is in subgenre and tone.
78.4%
Calculated fit
Complete series
Six of Crows
by Leigh Bardugo / Six of Crows
- Best if you want
- A fast fantasy heist with intricate plans and reversals.
- Think twice if you need
- Older protagonists or a slow introduction to the wider world.
- Closest match
- The strongest alignment is in character focus and political intrigue.
- Biggest difference
- The clearest shift is in subgenre and magic presence.
77.6%
Calculated fit
Standalone
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
by Susanna Clarke
- Best if you want
- A complete, deeply researched historical fantasy with literary prose.
- Think twice if you need
- A fast opening, short chapters, or a compact book.
- Closest match
- The strongest alignment is in worldbuilding depth and political intrigue.
- Biggest difference
- The clearest shift is in pace and subgenre.
76.2%
Calculated fit
Complete series
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
by J. K. Rowling / Harry Potter
- Best if you want
- A darker payoff to a long coming-of-age arc.
- Think twice if you need
- A standalone entry point.
- Closest match
- The strongest alignment is in worldbuilding depth and political intrigue.
- Biggest difference
- The clearest shift is in subgenre and tone.
75.4%
Calculated fit
Complete series
The Jasmine Throne
by Tasha Suri / The Burning Kingdoms
- Best if you want
- Dense political fantasy led by women with a major sapphic romance.
- Think twice if you need
- Simple factions, low darkness, or a quickly explained world.
- Closest match
- The strongest alignment is in character focus and worldbuilding depth.
- Biggest difference
- The clearest shift is in tone and subgenre.