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booksthatburn's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
NONA THE NINTH deals with a necromantic version of plurality in a way whose groundwork was laid in GIDEON THE NINTH and HARROW THE NINTH. Much as "one flesh, one end" is undeniably queer, Camila and Palamedes display a version of plurality, which is necromantic in its origins, but familiar to me in its general shape. I’m a singlet, not a plural system, but several important people in my life are plural, and so much of how Nona interacts with Camilla and Palamedes echoes my interactions with those people in my own life. There’s a line in the second half of the book that makes it clear that at least some of the characters know about plurality, even if what’s happening with them is a specific magical version which canonically involves souls. In some ways plurality is more canonical to the text than any particular style of queerness (except perhaps for sapphic attraction), though this book (and the whole series) is undeniably and wonderfully queer.
The worldbuilding gets more of a chance to breathe this time around. GIDEON THE NINTH was a murder mystery until other things started being much more important. HARROW THE NINTH is a fever dream of confusion which suddenly snaps into coherence at the 90% mark. NONA THE NINTH is a breath, pausing for a story which has a clear framework, a lovable protagonist, and a sense of rhythm and pattern to her days. This calm amidst the storm is ripped open by a descent into war and the deterioration of her body as the day approaches when the Locked Tomb will open. I like the interludes as John tells the story of how this started. These sections helped with pacing and framing, as well as bringing the extremely welcome event of someone actually explaining what the fuck is going on for once.
As the third book in the series, NONA THE NINTH continues Several things begun in earlier books, specifically, but not only, the fates of a great many characters such as Camila and Palamedes. There's so much in each book that it's very difficult to know which details will be picked up later and which ones have been completely handled in their first treatment, but this does eventually give some answers about things first raised in earlier books. There’s an entirely new storyline related to Nona, her relative newness, and everyone she cares about at home and the school. She’s just so happy in a way that incorporates strangeness and allows for a joking grotesquerie, effortlessly finding beauty in weirdness. It also leaves a huge thing for later, promising that the Locked Tomb will be opened, even counting down to that promised day before leaving the aftermath of its opening to be handled in the next book, ALECTO THE NINTH.
There are many fewer memes than the previous books, but the few that are in there are expertly chosen to devastating effect. There's one near the very end that I refuse to spoil which threads the needs between fantastically illustrating the meaning of the surrounding text and needing to be imperceptible to anyone not already in the know. I applaud the execution of it, even if by its nature it's frustrating that this is what the author decided to include. Masterfully done, I tip my cap.
As was the case for HARROW THE NINTH, if someone tried to read this as their introduction to the series, it would likely make sense almost all the way through... and then the ending would be strange and sideways because it relies on several things established in previous books as well as bringing many returning characters who have been more thoroughly introduced elsewhere. Also, the way that the John interludes are explaining how things came to be like this would be a bit strange without the grounding provided in GTN and HTN.
I think this is my favorite book in the whole series, and I'm looking forward to what ALECTO THE NINTH brings.
The worldbuilding gets more of a chance to breathe this time around. GIDEON THE NINTH was a murder mystery until other things started being much more important. HARROW THE NINTH is a fever dream of confusion which suddenly snaps into coherence at the 90% mark. NONA THE NINTH is a breath, pausing for a story which has a clear framework, a lovable protagonist, and a sense of rhythm and pattern to her days. This calm amidst the storm is ripped open by a descent into war and the deterioration of her body as the day approaches when the Locked Tomb will open. I like the interludes as John tells the story of how this started. These sections helped with pacing and framing, as well as bringing the extremely welcome event of someone actually explaining what the fuck is going on for once.
As the third book in the series, NONA THE NINTH continues Several things begun in earlier books, specifically, but not only, the fates of a great many characters such as Camila and Palamedes. There's so much in each book that it's very difficult to know which details will be picked up later and which ones have been completely handled in their first treatment, but this does eventually give some answers about things first raised in earlier books. There’s an entirely new storyline related to Nona, her relative newness, and everyone she cares about at home and the school. She’s just so happy in a way that incorporates strangeness and allows for a joking grotesquerie, effortlessly finding beauty in weirdness. It also leaves a huge thing for later, promising that the Locked Tomb will be opened, even counting down to that promised day before leaving the aftermath of its opening to be handled in the next book, ALECTO THE NINTH.
There are many fewer memes than the previous books, but the few that are in there are expertly chosen to devastating effect. There's one near the very end that I refuse to spoil which threads the needs between fantastically illustrating the meaning of the surrounding text and needing to be imperceptible to anyone not already in the know. I applaud the execution of it, even if by its nature it's frustrating that this is what the author decided to include. Masterfully done, I tip my cap.
As was the case for HARROW THE NINTH, if someone tried to read this as their introduction to the series, it would likely make sense almost all the way through... and then the ending would be strange and sideways because it relies on several things established in previous books as well as bringing many returning characters who have been more thoroughly introduced elsewhere. Also, the way that the John interludes are explaining how things came to be like this would be a bit strange without the grounding provided in GTN and HTN.
I think this is my favorite book in the whole series, and I'm looking forward to what ALECTO THE NINTH brings.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Violence, Body horror, Blood, Murder, Death, and Eating disorder
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Gun violence, Police brutality, Confinement, Medical content, Chronic illness, Cursing, Kidnapping, Vomit, Genocide, Terminal illness, Animal death, War, Death of parent, Self harm, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Alcohol, Cancer, Excrement, Sexual harassment, Car accident, Infertility, Domestic abuse, Suicide attempt, Torture, Ableism, Panic attacks/disorders, and Drug use
traa's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, Body horror, Gun violence, Animal death, Blood, Gore, Murder, Self harm, War, and Medical content
Moderate: Eating disorder, Dysphoria, Cursing, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual content, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, Terminal illness, and Vomit
Minor: Cannibalism
tnm94's review
dark
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Murder, Gun violence, Body horror, Gore, Blood, Death, War, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Sexual content, Eating disorder, Suicidal thoughts, Incest, and Fire/Fire injury
helfire124's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Violence, Mental illness, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Blood, and Body horror
Minor: Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Child abuse, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Alcohol
meecespieces's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Violence, and Gore
Minor: Fire/Fire injury
beandream's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I Love this one! Huge fan of the locked Tomb series and all of Muir's work, this book is entrancing, emotional, and absolutely mind blowing for the overall plot of the series. The relationships between the characters are complex and beautiful and Muir's display of the different forms of love are written perfectly.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore
Moderate: Body horror, Death, Chronic illness, and Blood
Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Grief, and Violence
alexijai98's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Gore, War, Eating disorder, Colonisation, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
just_one_more_paige's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Ever since Gideon the Ninth was published with the description "sapphic necromancers in space," I have been hardcore sold on this series. It didn't hurt that Gideon was also great. And then Harrow the Ninth, which...I've never in my life been more lost while reading a book, and yet I loved it too? So of course I bought Nona as soon as it came out. I'd heard it was a bit different, vibes-wise, from the first two, but people seemed to be enjoying it and were happy with the set-up it gave for the fourth installation. And I'm here to throw my agreement in with that crowd - very different, still great, and oh my goodness am I ready for the "all hell" set to be unleashed in Alecto the Ninth.
Nona woke up in a body that isn't hers only six months ago. She's still working on the finer points of motor control and learning the world around her. A world that is kind of falling apart. The city she's in is under siege - there's a dangerous blue sphere hanging in the sky, daily violence everywhere, the threat of zombies, and the conflict between Blood of Eden and the Emperor Undying always present. But Nona is pretty happy with the life she has. She loves living with Pyrrha and Camilla and Palamedes (the latter two on and off, as they're sharing a body right now), even if they force her to eat breakfast every morning. She loves being a teacher's assistant and spending time with her friends in school. And she is really looking forward to her upcoming birthday, the guests and the presents and all the things a "normal" kid wants. However, Nona's potential as a weapon means that many forces are coming for her (to use or destroy her, depending) and the past she cannot remember is starting to catch back up. Plus, there's the nightly dreams she has about a red-headed woman with a skull-painted face.
Y'all I started reading this one and for perhaps the first time in this series I thought: I'm following this! I actually wrote "I might have a grasp on what’s happening...we'll see if it holds." Spoiler alert: it did not hold. Haha. But as with the rest of this series, that did not in any way stop me from enjoying the ride. From what I can tell, this story picks up after the events of the first two, as certain characters who had died are currently still dead, or reanimated (that necromancy stuff really puts a wrench in the permanence of dead), or sharing bodies, or in some other state of "not normal life." I've basically decided that the theoretical necromancy aspects of this series are beyond what my brain feel comfortable processing and I'm going to stick "I just trust that necromancy is complicated and I don’t get it but people keep…being rebirthed?…and that’s just what it is." It's allowing me to enjoy the story without getting mired down in the details.
So in the "present-day" part of the story, we get Nona. And oh my goodness, I really did love her. She is so appealingly genuine, in a sweet naive way but not cloyingly so, which is honestly a super-fine line to walk. Her interactions with her friends at school, as well as Pyrrha and Camilla/Palamedes, are weird enough to fit the series' vibe, but provide some dark levity to the otherwise really intense and, frankly, confusing story.
And then there are Nona's dreams. In these dreams, that she mostly doesn't remember, the reader gets their first glimpses into "the world before the Locked Tomb and the Nine Houses." These are sort of like flashbacks, where John Gaius (the person who became the first necromancer and Emperor Undying) basically narrates how he got to where he is currently (where the reader was introduced to the story with Gideon and Harrow). I was very excited to finally get some world-building backstory, whic did help me solidify (a bit) my understanding of the saga overall. I also definitely enjoyed reading John's voice, self-centered and condescending though it may be, for its sarcastic and satirical commentary on the (for us readers, actual current-day) social/political/environmental climate of the world. A note here: whoa, this aspect of the novel took a turn that I know is some kind of commentary on or blasphemy against or sacrilege of the Catholic Church, and I recognize it, but I just can’t pinpoint exactly how. It was so clear, and yet so opaque, simultaneously and all I can say is that the feeling that that's what Nuir was doing was strong, but exactly how she was accomplishing it was beyond me.
As the flashback narrative unfolds to where it meets Nona's story in the "present," we are brought back to the physical Ninth House, cold and dreary and death-and-bone-filled, and the literal locked tomb...which (not really a spoiler because the countdown to this happening is in every chapter title throughout the rest of the novel), said tomb is unlocked!! And now that I have a *smidge* of understanding on who is in that tomb and how it got to that state, I am super excited for the next book, Alecto the Ninth, to find out more about how they're (clearly, deeply) tied into the origin story of this series, as well as to experience to promised "all hell" that they're be bringing now that they're awakened. Plus, of course, I am hoping for the Nona/Harrow and Gideon/"redacted body sharing persona" relationship to rekindle with all the snarky, gothic, sapphic vibes they started with. That's just for personal enjoyment honestly, and not at all related to the unraveling plot-based drama.
So, while I thought for a second I was finally getting my head around this series, I have finished in the same "this story is amazing, but metaphorical/ephemeral beyond my grasp" place that I started. I honestly do not understand how something feels so just-out-of-reach, (which should be frustrating) and yet I love it so much! What a fantastic otherworldly continuation of this super dark, super mystifying, series. Very hype for Alecto!
“I could never stop you from loving anything. I don't have the right. Nobody has the right to tell you who to love or who not to love, and equally nobody's obliged to love you. If you were forced into loving them, it wouldn’t be love…”
“It felt so easy to be good when you were happy.”
“…I still can’t believe they wouldn’t give me the time of day and they were scared of me. It's not fair. Either you're the evil wizard and everyone wants to know what you think, or you're the good wizard and nobody cares. It wasn't fair. That wasn't how it was meant to work.”
“Nona fell with hers and suffered the incredibly disagreeable experience of two big, dead people landing very hard on top of her, and in no way becoming less heavy or less dead.” (I mean that is quality writing - and a great example of the overall tone.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, Death, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
Minor: Confinement
kers_tin's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, War, Eating disorder, Gore, Body horror, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Torture, Addiction, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Terminal illness
Minor: Drug use
sofipitch's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
"You can't take loved back" 😭😭😭😭
Reread review: I can't believe some ppl don't like this one bc it barely has Harrow and Gideon but if anything it just shows that Muir is a talented writer, she can write a compelling story without hanging on you being attached to the characters already. Same with the genre, Nona is still space opera but more domestic and coming of age story wrapped in. Or at least Nona is trying SO hard to have a coming of age story and not the horror space opera. I also loved the John sections, I'm obsessed with what a mundane antagonist God is. He doesn't mean to be an antagonist he just makes a lot of shit and selfish decisions, he is so real. Also the way the world ends is a bit terrifying in it's realism
Reread review: I can't believe some ppl don't like this one bc it barely has Harrow and Gideon but if anything it just shows that Muir is a talented writer, she can write a compelling story without hanging on you being attached to the characters already. Same with the genre, Nona is still space opera but more domestic and coming of age story wrapped in. Or at least Nona is trying SO hard to have a coming of age story and not the horror space opera. I also loved the John sections, I'm obsessed with what a mundane antagonist God is. He doesn't mean to be an antagonist he just makes a lot of shit and selfish decisions, he is so real. Also the way the world ends is a bit terrifying in it's realism
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore
Moderate: Animal death, Body horror, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Suicidal thoughts