Harrow the Ninth

by Tamsyn Muir

eBook, 512 pages

English language

Published Aug. 7, 2020 by Doherty Associates, LLC, Tom.

ISBN:: 9781250313201

(54 reviews)

After rocking the cosmos with her deathly debut, Tamsyn Muir continues the story of the penumbral Ninth House in Harrow the Ninth, a mind-twisting puzzle box of mystery, murder, magic, and mayhem. Nothing is as it seems in the halls of the Emperor, and the fate of the galaxy rests on one woman's shoulders.

Harrowhark Nonagesimus, last necromancer of the Ninth House, has been drafted by her Emperor to fight an unwinnable war. Side-by-side with a detested rival, Harrow must perfect her skills and become an angel of undeath ― but her health is failing, her sword makes her nauseous, and even her mind is threatening to betray her.

Sealed in the gothic gloom of the Emperor's Mithraeum with three unfriendly teachers, hunted by the mad ghost of a murdered planet, Harrow must confront two unwelcome questions: is somebody trying to kill her? And if they succeeded, would the universe …

6 editions

Adamgv@book.dansmonorage.blue reviewed Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

“Good Soup”

4 stars

It’s like if David Lynch wrote lesbian sci-fi fan fiction and I love it.

Sergio reviewed Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

Review of 'Harrow the Ninth' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

To me, this book feels like Muir wrote 3 books in-between Gideon and this, that's how much more confident this one's structure and writing feels. Whereas Gideon felt experimental and somewhat messy (in the most generous reading of those words possible), requiring me to commit more effort than I'm used to to pull me through it at times, this one had me hooked from the start, excellently paced, spinning threads that felt convoluted without requiring me to re-read fragments to make sure I'd understood what had just happened, and with a explosive last third or so that made me stay up at night reading through to the end. Loved it and can't wait to see where the series goes next.

Sep 2022 reread: yep still great. Onto Nona!

jess reviewed Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

Review of 'Harrow the Ninth' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

i read shakespeare for fun and this book was so confusing it took me six weeks to read. worth it tho… i think.

tastytea reviewed Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

I didn't like it, but I liked it

4 stars

The first two thirds slightly annoyed me, in the last third it finally made some sense. Would have given this 3 stars if not for the very unexpected dad joke. 😄

anaulin reviewed Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

Review of 'Harrow the Ninth' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

My notes: anaulin.org/blog/book-notes-harrow-the-ninth/

sarah reviewed Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

It’s all about loss, baby

5 stars

I enjoyed Gideon but I liked this one better. Totally different tone and problem: it’s all about wrestling with loss and culpability, so check your mood before jumping in. Especially if you’ve struggled with dealing with someone dying, it can resonate more than you’re expecting.

Antolius reviewed Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

Review of 'Harrow the Ninth' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

Reminds me of Machineries of Empire series by [a:Yoon Ha Lee|3001246|Yoon Ha Lee|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1603220064p2/3001246.jpg].

Good:
Harrow as self inflicted unreliable narrator trick was enjoyable; writing style fits perfectly with mystery plot
lore about the Emperor & his Lyctors fits well with established universe & was satisfying to uncover

Bad:
I miss Gideon's point of view
characterization at times feels self-indulgent, characters are caricatures of what fans expect them to be

Books That Burn reviewed Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

Review of 'Harrow the Ninth' on 'Storygraph'

5 stars

Harrow The Ninth is deeply necromantic and gorgeous; full of the most beautiful body horror with a casual familiarity with death, the dead, and those who refuse to die. For everyone who read GTN and wants to be more confused, for longer, with even more viscera.

First and foremost: If you made it to the end of Gideon The Ninth, and you liked it, you’ll like Harrow The Ninth. If you haven’t read Gideon The Ninth, go do that (or at least read our review) and then come back, this will be here when you return. If you have a phobia of skeletons, viscera, blood, gore, or the frequent removal and rebuilding of bodies... don't read it, it's really okay if this one isn't for you (but I hope for your sake it is, because it's fantastic). It would be deeply disturbing to anyone who has an abiding and genuine fear of such things, so please use your discretion.

Now that you’re here: Harrow The Ninth is perfect for anyone who read Gideon The Ninth and said to themselves, "I would like to spend longer not knowing what's happening but having a great time." Every phrase I want to use to describe this book reminds me of how people who have done drugs talk about how they feel. I was disconcerted frequently, confused generally, and loving every minute of it even though I didn't know what was going on (and clearly wasn't supposed to). It felt good to read, the prose had a visceral quality (both in terms of the syllabic density and its propensity to describe actual viscera). About halfway through I had a guess at what might be going on (and I was only partially right), it wasn't until 70%-80% of the way through that I reached the explanation and truly understood. But that turning point where I finally got what was happening, wow, I think it was an even greater emotional payoff for me than when I finally understood what was happening in Gideon.

As for my usual book two check for series of at least three books (as this is a trilogy): This wraps up several things from the previous book (but you don't really understand how until very far in). There is an entire storyline which only is within this book, in one way, but also transcends it and encompasses the first book in even more bizarre ways, so... I don't know whether this qualifies as having a storyline unique to this book, I really don't know. I think there is a major thing which is introduced and resolved wholly within this book, but with how trippy these books are it's totally possible that I'll re-read Gideon and realize it was actually begun there. This definitely leaves some major things to be addressed in the third book, which is good. The POV character did change, and the voice is very distinct from the previous narrator, oh yes. Lastly, this is a bizarre case where the first 60% of the book might actually be less confusing if the reader had not read the first book. I don't recommend picking up this one as your starting point, since the conclusion will make absolutely no sense without having read Harrow, but since this is a trilogy and not a long-running series this criterion isn't super important. TLDR: This book defies my usual book two checks and that feels appropriate. It's a great continuation while also having plenty to hold its own, and the narrator feels distinct from the first book's narrator. This makes me need the sequel as soon as I can get it.

meeg reviewed Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

Review of 'Harrow the Ninth' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

Bury me with a copy of this book, please. There's a Locked Tomb books 1 and 2 (and let's be realistic, book 3 even though it's not even out yet) shaped space in my heart forever.

Hope reviewed Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

Review of 'Harrow the Ninth' on 'GoodReads'

5 stars

I was prepared for this to suffer from second book syndrome, but to still very much enjoy it. I was not prepared to sit clutching my head and staring out into the middle distance for at least two thirds of this book as the plot thickened, and thickened, and thickened until I had to give up trying to be clever and figure it out and just see what was ahead. I am particularly furious at how good the manipulation of tone was throughout the different sections, never giving anything away but still carrying so much weight. Also I started acting like harrow while reading this book, covering myself in a black scarves and collecting bones from the seashore. I don't know what that says about the book, more about me maybe.

Old_Tim reviewed Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

Review of 'Harrow the Ninth' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

Just as Gideon managed to surpass my expectations, Harrow took what I expected and simultaneously delivered and subverted my expectations. While just as weird and wonderful as the first book, this book manages to deepen the world building and mythology while both answering some questions and creating new ones. All the while keeping the reader in a (wonderful) state of confusion.

My only real disappointment was that the next book was not yet able to be ordered.

Strakul reviewed Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

Review of 'Harrow the Ninth' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

Holy shit this was an incredible book. It has it all: a very intriguing setting that keeps you wondering how things work. A plot that keeps you glued to the story; I had many theories on what was going on- most of them wrong. And characters that are fascinating to read about, whether they are discussing the mysteries of life and death, visiting other planets, or just enjoying some soup. I highly recommend this series and can't wait for the next book!

Read my full review at my blog (warning: has spoilers for [b:Gideon the Ninth|42036538|Gideon the Ninth (The Locked Tomb, #1)|Tamsyn Muir|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1546870952l/42036538.SY75.jpg|60943229]): strakul.blogspot.com/2020/08/book-review-harrow-ninth-by-tamsyn-muir.html