Muir hasn’t lost her touch. You’ll get necromantic body horror, bone explosions, and existential dread—followed by lines like, “You couldn’t even eat a fucking egg.” The locked-room murder mystery now unfolds in a haunted space mansion called the Mithraeum, with three other Lyctors who hate each other.
You love puzzle-box narratives, grief as a theme, and books that demand rereading. Skip it if: You need a straightforward sequel or find experimental narration frustrating rather than fun. Harrow the Ninth
The book is largely written in second person, with “you” referring to Harrow. It’s jarring at first, but it becomes a powerful tool for empathy and mystery. You feel her dissociation and her desperate love for someone she can’t remember. Muir hasn’t lost her touch
After finishing, you’ll either be desperate for Nona the Ninth or need a week to recover. Both reactions are correct. Skip it if: You need a straightforward sequel
Here’s a helpful review of Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir, focusing on what readers should know before diving in, without major spoilers. Rating: 4.5/5 Best for: Readers who enjoyed Gideon the Ninth but are ready for a radical shift in tone, structure, and point of view. Not for: Anyone who needs a linear plot, reliable narration, or a light read. What Works Brilliantly 1. The Unreliable Narrator Harrowhark Nonagesimus, now a Lyctor, is grieving, guilty, and quite possibly losing her mind. The novel opens with her hallucinating, skipping through time, and addressing you—the reader—directly. This disorientation is intentional and masterfully done. You’re not confused because you missed something; you’re confused because Harrow’s memory has been altered. Trust the process.