PositiveGrim Dark MagazineMind-bending but deeply compelling tale of necromancers, cavaliers, the Nine Houses…and a sweet-natured girl with golden eyes ... This isn’t a straightforward, easy book. It starts off pretty slow, contrasting Nona’s point of view with strange, revelatory dream segments, and it quickly becomes clear that while this definitely feels like a natural continuation of the series, it very much has its own tone ... As the book progresses it explores the history of the Locked Tomb setting in a way that links it to reality in an unexpected, but very effective fashion ... You might consider this something of a setup book, laying the groundwork for the dramatic series finale still to come, but that would be unkind to Nona the Ninth and would ignore the depth and context that Nona’s story offers to the setting and the ongoing narrative ... What Nona the Ninth won’t do is change anyone’s mind on the series as a whole; readers who struggled with Harrow, for example, may not find this much easier, and Muir is unapologetic in her determination to tell this story in her own fashion. It is, in its own way, a strange and confusing book which demands trust from the reader.
Tamsyn Muir
RaveGrimdarkWhile Gideon was sort of a sinister, necromantic whodunnit, this time it’s more of a what-the-hell-is-happening, digging further into Muir’s deeply thought-out world while posing all manner of unexpected questions ... Muir’s choice to tell a non-linear story in a mixture of second and third person – second for the ‘present day’ sections and third for flashbacks to Harrow’s childhood – emphasises this right from the off ... Combine this with Muir’s rich, dense prose and absolute refusal to spoon feed exposition to her readers and you’ve got a book which deliberately takes an unexpected narrative tangent and demands concentration, patience and trust. What it offers in return is more of the brilliant world building and razor-sharp dialogue that made Gideon so much fun, a deeper exploration of just how messed up, fabulously capable and utterly determined Harrow is, and a plot which, when it finally resolves, is a masterpiece in complex, mind-bending storytelling. Oh, and a few great new characters in the other Lyctors. If you loved Gideon the Ninth then chances are you’ll love this too, but just be prepared to be patient (and keep a copy of Gideon by your side for reference) – it will be worth it in the end!
