Books Like Gideon the Ninth
If you finished Gideon the Ninth and want more deadly trials, enemies to lovers, gods and mythology, start here. Each pick shares at least two tropes with it, and we've rated every one for spice and darkness so you know what you're getting into.
For reference, Gideon the Ninth is:
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The picks
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1. A Deadly Education
Shares: deadly trials, enemies to lovers
El is at a magic school with no teachers, where monsters crawl out of the drains and a chunk of every class dies before graduation. She's also prophesied to destroy the world. Her grumpy voice carries the whole thing.
- Academies and War Colleges
- Dark Academia
- Deadly Trials
- Enemies to Lovers
Content warnings
Graphic violence, Gore, Death of a loved one
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2. The Serpent and the Wings of Night
Shares: deadly trials, enemies to lovers, gods and mythology
A human girl raised by the vampire king enters a deadly tournament where the prize is a goddess's favor. Hunger Games energy, gorgeous writing and a rival who's very hard not to like.
- Vampires
- Deadly Trials
- Enemies to Lovers
- Gods and Mythology
Content warnings
Graphic violence, Gore, Physical or emotional abuse, Death of a loved one
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3. Children of Blood and Bone
Shares: enemies to lovers, gods and mythology
The king wiped out the maji and stripped the magic from the land when Zélie was a kid. Now she has a chance to bring it back, with the king's daughter along and his son hunting them. West African-inspired quest with a lot of grief under it.
- Forbidden Love
- Enemies to Lovers
- Gods and Mythology
Content warnings
Genocide, Torture, Graphic violence, Death of a loved one
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4. The Wolf and the Woodsman
Shares: enemies to lovers, gods and mythology
Évike is the one girl in her pagan village with no magic, so she's the one handed over to the king's zealot soldiers. Then she ends up stranded in the woods with their one-eyed captain. Hungarian and Jewish folklore, a lot of body horror and a slow, prickly romance.
- Enemies to Lovers
- Forbidden Love
- Gods and Mythology
Content warnings
Gore, Torture, Physical or emotional abuse, Genocide
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5. The Book of Azrael
Shares: enemies to lovers, gods and mythology
Dianna is a shape-shifting monster who does terrible things for her maker. Liam is a god-king forced to work with her. The main characters really aren't nice people, and it's dark and very horny.
- Enemies to Lovers
- Morally Gray
- Gods and Mythology
- Forced Proximity
Content warnings
Graphic violence, Gore, Torture, Murder
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