I’ve been obsessed with 'Gideon the Ninth' since it dropped, and Gideon’s death hit me like a ton of bricks. She sacrifices herself to save Harrowhark, her longtime rival-turned-companion, during the climactic battle in the Canaan House. Gideon’s always been this brash, sword-swinging powerhouse, but her final act is pure selflessness. She uses her two-handed sword skills to hold off a monstrous construct, buying Harrow the time she needs to complete her necromantic transformation. The irony is brutal—Gideon spends the whole novel wanting freedom, only to give it up for someone else. The way Tamsyn Muir writes it, you can feel every moment of her defiance and resignation. It’s messy, heartbreaking, and so very Gideon.