REVIEW: Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

When New Zealand author Tamsyn Muir’s debut novel, Gideon the Ninth, burst onto the scene last year with all the zeal of a skeleton called from a grave, it certainly caused a stir. A thrilling mix of sci-fi, fantasy, horror and murder mystery (think Knives Out meets The Magicians, but darker), it bent genres like bone matter in the hands of a necromancer. After reading it, I became a little obsessed with the adventures of sarcastic swordswoman Gideon Nav and I wasn’t alone—the book has amassed something of a cult following. But if I thought that the gory zaniness of Gideon would prepare me for its sequel, Harrow the Ninth, I was sorely mistaken. Muir has written a book that builds on its predecessor in entirely unexpected and fantastic ways. I think I might actually love it more.

Tamsyn Muir

(I’ll try to keep this review as spoiler-free as possible, but if you haven’t read Gideon the Ninth, I strongly suggest you stop reading here.)

Harrow the Ninth takes up shortly after the events of the first book with wunderkind necromancer Harrowhark Nonagesimus, Reverend Daughter of the Ninth House, guardian of the Locked Tomb and Gideon’s archnemesis/closest companion. Harrow is, to put it lightly, not in a good way. She has achieved her goal of becoming a Lyctor—an immortal, intensely powerful necromancer—but it cost her the life of the woman she loves. Months later, however, Harrow seems to have no memory of Gideon at all. In fact, her recollection of the events at Canaan House is remarkably different from the events we witnessed, right down to the identity of her cavalier. And her problems don’t stop there. 

Harrow might be one of the most talented necromancers of her generation, but Lyctorhood at the Emperor’s side is a challenge she is utterly unprepared for. Her health is failing her, she’s either haunted or going insane, her only companion is insufferable, and (worse still) another Lyctor is hell-bent on ending her life. And that’s to say nothing of the looming threat of destruction that is drawing closer with each passing day.

Part of what makes Harrow the Ninth so good is the way in which Muir tells it. Harrow’s mishaps in the present are narrated in second person, a risky but inspired choice that truly pays off. The chapters set in the present are offset by flashback chapters to the Lyctor trials at Canaan House, effectively pulling the rug from under the reader as you’re forced to question everything you thought you knew about the story so far. In doing so, Harrow the Ninth retains the atmosphere of mystery that made its predecessor so engaging, and true to form, Muir doesn’t give away the answers so easily. It’s maddening, yet totally brilliant.

The real strength of this book lies, however, in its titular character. For all of her insane creepiness, I dearly love Harrowhark. She’s easily my favourite character and I relished the opportunity to get inside her troubled brain. Harrow’s arc is beautifully developed over the events of the book, as she realises the full extent of her immense power and the toll that it has taken on her life. It’s less a cautionary tale of the dangers of wish fulfilment than it is a clever exploration of what can happen when a dangerously curious necromancer opens Pandora’s box.

After reading it, I can honestly say that Harrow the Ninth is the perfect sequel. It’s a rebellious triumph of a book that will wring out your brain in its bony fingers, filled with scenes that will make you think ‘What the hell did I just read?’ (I’ll certainly never look at a bowl of soup the same way ever again.) Fans of Gideon the Ninth will be more than satisfied.

—Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir (Pan Macmillan Australia) is out now.

Harrow the Ninth

The Locked Tomb Trilogy: Book 2

by Tamsyn Muir

She answered the Emperor's call. She arrived with her arts, her wits, and her only friend. In victory, her world has turned to ash.

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's health is failing, her magic refuses...

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Olivia Fricot

Olivia Fricot (she/her) is Booktopia's Senior Content Producer and editor of the Booktopian blog. She has too many plants and not enough bookshelves, and you can usually find her reading, baking, or talking to said plants. She is pro-Oxford comma.

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