Gideon the ninth is a swordswoman and guess what, she is leaving her post. The girl is tired of all the action that she has to perform against the undead. From her childhood, she has confronted things that she wanted to get rid of but she wasn’t able to. She has not seen the love of her family or parents as she is brought up by nuns.
Most of the time she keeps that angry look on her face because she has just forgotten how to smile. While she was leaving with her sword and of course the dirty magazines which she likes, she is summoned back by Harrowhark. The witch could have left her free but the king at that time announces a competition between all the Houses.
Harrowhark is the witch of the Ninth House so she is also summoned for the competition, if she wins she would be awarded immortality. For this competition, she needed a swordswoman and Gideon was the obvious choice. If Gideon wins for her master then the witch will become immortal and if she loses the Ninth House will go down to nonexistence. Tamsyn Muir makes things difficult for the woman who is already frustrated with her life. Though she is frustrated she does not like losing either.
Moira Quirk in this book and Harrow the Ninth give the leading characters the voice of true warriors. These stories are based on chivalry thus without a strong voice, there would be no amusement for the fans. Not only Gideon, but the rest of the swordswomen taking part in the competition are also presented as strong characters.