Gideon is an unreliable narrator because she's so often looking in the wrong directions, sometimes lacks context to understand which things are important enough to pay more attention, and because she's a terrible terrible tsundere living in denial.
Harrow is an unreliable narrator because she's schizophrenic AND haunted AND lobotomized herself and also is prone to 99 layers of secrecy and cryptics at all times and also most of her story being filtered through Gideon doesn't help.
John is an unreliable narrator because he omits and obscures so much, is terrified of making himself truly vulnerable, and at least some of the time is also lying to himself. Of course not being a true PoV character so we never actually get in his head is also a big factor.
Nona is an unreliable narrator because she simply cannoooooot be bothered to give a shit about the main universe plot, oh my God, she has more important things to worry about, like her friends and family and all these cool dogs.
We all know these things but I've just realized what this also means is:
The most reliable narrator we've had at least in any of the novels, by merit of her only being the PoV character for one whole chapter and spending basically all of it either judging or pining, is Ianthe Tridentarius.
You KNOW that the disembodied soul of Gideon Nav was crying tears of joy in this moment. A life debt to Camilla Hect was sworn for finally correcting Harrow's abysmal swordsmanship.
What's cool about Gideon I think is that she's actually, in-universe non-conforming, rather than just being "butch" or "masc" to our sensibilities but relatively passé within the universe. We read Gideon as masculine, yes, but it's not like Gideon acts like Ortus, or Mortus, or Crux. Nor does she act like Aiglamene, for that matter. The Ninth to me presents a kind of monastic androgyny - everyone shaves their head, everyone wears baggy black robes, everyone paints their face. Gideon, with her "ridiculous" hair and aversion to skull paint, is therefore non-conforming to the gender of Ninth. She's also non-conforming to the gender of cavalier, it's not something she was raised in, it's something she struggles to "pass" as. Gideon is basically transcavalier. And I think that's cool! I've seen a lot of people posit basically "what would it even mean to be 'butch' in a post-gender society" and I think Gideon solves that equation nicely by being "butch" to us in the real world and being decidedly nonstandard for both Ninth cavalier and a cavalier in general within the text. You need to look beyond what we consider arbitrarily "masculine" and "feminine" in order to effectively analyze gender in tlt, and I for one think that's very interesting
something aomething names in the locked tomb series.
john renaming all his friends with fancy neoclassicist names, naming them after shakespeare, because calling them by their original names doesnt feel right.
john, when he gets the chance to name his own child, of his own blood, he calls her kiriona - maori for 'gideon'.
alecto - one of the furies who sought to sow discord during the Trojan war, all in the name of Jove, punishing crimes committed by mortals against god.
how john hates that name.
calls her annabel lee.
he named her. annabel lee, after the poem by edgar allen poe about a love that transcends death, because the name annabel is made up of two words: anna for grace, and belle for beauty/woman.
but also;
it is derived from the latin word "amabilis", meaning "to love".
"that was a good one," he said, and then he wept again.
I know we talk about how John takes away the personhood of his disciples by renaming them, but - I do wonder if it isn't an inherent part of the resurrrection process. The first time he speaks Ulysses' and Titania's names out loud is also the first time he moves them. Gideon needs her soul to be reattached to her body, and she wakes up as Kiriona.
Names have power. We know this. John has been careful not to spill a single drop of blood in the last myriad. He has also, crucially, changed his last name. Arithmonyms are as unique to their bearers as their first names. The lyctors keep their first anmes private from an anyone but each other, and have all but forgotten their last names. The mere mention of the name Alecto makes John flinch, and Nona shatters her middle thoughts.
Abigail for my mothers. Pent for my people. Step two: analyse the soul. Understand its structure, its shape. Three syllables you did not even understand.
And Isis said unto Ra, "O my divine father, tell me thy name, for he who is able to pronounce his name liveth."
Do you guys ever think about how Gideon cared so much about Aiglamene's impression of her and how Aiglamene told her at the very start of GtN “A soldier’s best quality is her sense of allegiance. Of loyalty. Nothing else survives" and how she was probably thinking about that all the time across all 3 books or are you normal
It interests me how unsettling this scene is. Palamedes is only immobilising her in order to save her life - on a practical level this isn't really any different from, say, Gideon dragging Jeannmary away from the explosion in the basement. But the text puts effort into making it feel kind of disturbing - Gideon is "an insect pinned to its backing," Palamedes is looking at her like she's a thing to be controlled rather than a person he knows. For the whole book Harrow has been talking about how Palamedes is a powerful necromancer and therefore a threat. But Gideon doesn't see him as a threat, so her narrative doesn't frame him that way. It's only here that we fully see what it means for Palamedes to be a powerful necromancer - and he himself seems to be slightly in denial about the implications of this.
hello nobody asked but i’m here to deliver. presenting: the cavs as dog breeds. photo sources and caveats after the cut.
Second House: Marta Dyas
UKC-registered German Shepherd, stock coat. A working breed characterized by its focus, confidence, and fearlessness; obedient to a fault. Strong intelligence, drive, and energy, but at manageable levels suited to all-purpose organizational use (unlike their more intense sibling breed, the Belgian Malinois). Dominates in Schutzhund (obedience & personal protection) trials.
Third House: Naberius Tern
UKC-registered Standard Poodle, red coat cut Continental. A breed with a reputation for wealth, beauty, and proud attitude, all of which distracts from its surprising intelligence and steady work ethic. A well-rounded gundog that, given the correct training and handler, dominates at both sporting and conformation events. Intolerant of rugged terrain (highland herding, search and rescue, etc.), though well suited to swimming.
Fourth House: Jeannemary Chatur
AKC-registered Belgian Malinois, mahogany coat. A legendarily intense and capable working breed, with high intelligence, drive, and fitness. With sufficient training to sate its drive for stimulation, becomes a fabulously impressive working dog. When fulfilled, will win obedience, Schutzhund, extreme vertical, and obstacle course competitions. Not well suited to scent work, diving, and herding, and lacks the patience for boring tasks like conformation. With insufficient stimulation or an unconfident handler, becomes a destructive, vocal, nervous wreck; can and will take its frustrations out on others. Benefits from the influence of living with calmer dogs. An AKC-recognized breed, but not UKC recognized; would be a source of strife with handlers that prefer UKC (… Third House).
Fifth House: Magnus Quinn
Show-line UKC-Registered Irish Setter, mahogany coat. The beautiful coat and regal bearing of this breed obfuscates its extremely goofy and friendly nature. Because of its beauty, playful attitude with children, and capability as a gundog, it is a sought-after breed of the wealthy. Working-line setters have higher stamina and intelligence for long days afield; show-line setters are suited to conformation and social settings, and are therefore wonderful family pets.
Sixth House: Camilla Hect
Unregistered Border Collie, lilac short coat. A breed with intense intelligence, focus, and drive; must be put to work constantly by its handler or will resort to self-destructive behaviors and be liable to develop strange obsessions. Movement at work is shockingly fast for its body size and build; does not speak while working, unlike other herding breeds, instead relying on glare-based intimidation. Well suited to rough terrain and independent problem solving. Lilac coat caused by rare recessive genes expressed thru inbreeding; causes grey brown eyes, as well.
Seventh House: Protesilaus Ebdoma
UKC-registered Afghan Hound, cream coat, unmarked. A lithe, long-legged athlete with regal bearing and a beautiful appearance. Independent, aloof, and generally indifferent to instruction, though loyal and affectionate with a single handler; will strongly resist a change in handlers. Whiplike tail.
Eighth House: Colum Asht
UKC-registered Great Pyrenees, white coat, slight tan markings. Unflappably calm; intelligent, but with a tendency towards indifference. A large, stalwart flock guardian that shrugs off being bloodied. Patient and careful with its flock and with children, but vicious against physical threats.
Ninth House: Ortus Nigenad
Black and Tan Coonhound. Large and strong, though without the cleverness of some other working breeds. Excels at scent-tracking over long hours. Highly vocal when bored (and, frankly, at all other times), with a booming voice. Handler focused, but can be very stubborn.
Ninth House: Gideon Nav
Australian Kelpie with red coat, or perhaps Red Heeler—lineage is unclear; genetic testing may reveal dingo ancestry. A vigorous and hardworking herder, with high stamina in rough terrain and harsh weather. Stocky and solidly built. Always eager for a job to do. Not overly affectionate, even with long-term handlers, but intensely loyal. Infrequently vocal; tendency towards shyness and reactivity around strangers and new circumstances. May have light brown (amber) eyes.
GSD: Minthe Hartman on Facebook
Poodle: Bijou Poodles, breeder site
Mal: Breed standard website
Setter: Brittanica
BC: C Bar C Ranch, breeder site
Afghan: AKC
Pyr: Intuition Farm, breeder site
Black&Tan: Showsight Magazine
Kelpie: AKC
Heeler: Jane Dogs
Also, some caveats: obviously, I wanted to find an Aotearoa native dog for Gideon. Unfortunately, because of colonialism, all Polynesian dog breeds I could find records of on short notice are extinct due to genocidal violence against their peoples. The history of dog breeds and the pedigrees thereto is one that is, like all history, influenced by colonialism. Also, I am very familiar with a large variety of breeds, but only those primarily used in dog sports, competitions, and working professions in North America. My choices of breed reflect both of those biases.
