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A review by morningtide
Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This is the second time I've read Harrow the Ninth and honestly, I loved it more. This book is possibly the closest thing that's captured the experience of being inside one of your own weird-ass dreams. Confusing, hard to follow, weird processing of time; we are introduced to so many things we are expected to already understand while also not knowing what's actually truly happening. And even when I think I know what's not true I still have to question if it really is. I realized how much I forgot or didn't even catch the first time around, and still found myself jumping back to re-read entire paragraphs to make sure I thought I knew what was going on. I loved that about it, but could easily see people hating it. I feel like that might be the only ways to feel about this kind of delivery of story.
In Gideon the Ninth, I really did not care for Harrow at all until the end of the story - I think to the point I was surprised that it felt like their relationship was becoming something deeper. Harrow the Ninth got me to adore Harrow, that girl is so fucked up. I hate to say it explains how shitty she was growing up, because nothing really excuses that, but, I understood her more after this book. I probably found her a little uncomfortably relatable. She's a self-loathing little shit who doesn't know how to handle her feelings, feels like her existence is a crime, feels guilty she's too selfish to not exist, and absolutely will not submit to the mortifying ordeal of being known. There's literally a chapter where she laments never getting to say goodbye, and when she gets to say goodbye to someone a few pages later she has the audacity to say, "I'm poor with thanks and worse at goodbyes. Therefore, I won't bother with them."
Speaking of shitty characters to love - I loved Ianthe. I couldn't help it.
I think I actually have to go back again one more time and read the last few chapters before going into Nona the Ninth, as I'm still not quite sure I remember or understand where our characters are standing (literally, physically, spiritually, etc.)
One of my favorite parts of this as a reread is realizing the reason we spend so much time in second person point of view - I don't think I fully realized until it was told to us that this was meant to be Gideon's narration in my first read. But this time it was so fun to catch all the little Gideon moments - the little bits of sass, her annoyance at Harrow not knowing the word pommel, describing Ianthe in very unflattering terms, and most especially the acknowledgement of sex jokes that weren't made when they were just calling for it.
I think the main thing I should have said was, "You sawed open your skill rather than be beholden to someone. You turned your brain into soup to escape anything less than 100 percent freedom. You put me in a box and buried me rather than give up your own goddamned agenda.
Harrowhark, I gave you my whole life and you didn't even want it.
When I ask for slow burn, this is what I mean. Gideon and Harrow are literally sharing a body, convinced the other hates them, feeling inadequate, literally can't communicate, loving despite "knowing" it won't be returned...the angst. That's my shit. I honestly don't think I care if this relationship is romantic or platonic or perpetually contentious. I just want them to be in it.
Having the story set up as it was - through Harrow's literal brain damage - has me fully still confused on what's "real" and what's not. And through this we get the satisfaction of Harrow realizing the connection between Ortus the Ninth/Ortus the First and her replacement of Gideon in her brain, which is something that would have been obvious from the start otherwise. And then it's still not what we fully expect anyway.
PS - I loved getting to know Abigail Pent more. I loved that Ortus, a character I never expected to make a return, and who I spent most of the book thinking was a figment of Harrow's psyche, got to have a redemption arc. Fearful, Ortus had proved enormously stubborn; it was inevitable that he would be even worse in bravery.
Originally rated 4.75 but now it can have a 5 because this series just has me going feral, sorry.
In Gideon the Ninth, I really did not care for Harrow at all until the end of the story - I think to the point I was surprised that it felt like their relationship was becoming something deeper. Harrow the Ninth got me to adore Harrow, that girl is so fucked up. I hate to say it explains how shitty she was growing up, because nothing really excuses that, but, I understood her more after this book. I probably found her a little uncomfortably relatable. She's a self-loathing little shit who doesn't know how to handle her feelings, feels like her existence is a crime, feels guilty she's too selfish to not exist, and absolutely will not submit to the mortifying ordeal of being known. There's literally a chapter where she laments never getting to say goodbye, and when she gets to say goodbye to someone a few pages later she has the audacity to say, "I'm poor with thanks and worse at goodbyes. Therefore, I won't bother with them."
Speaking of shitty characters to love - I loved Ianthe. I couldn't help it.
I think I actually have to go back again one more time and read the last few chapters before going into Nona the Ninth, as I'm still not quite sure I remember or understand where our characters are standing (literally, physically, spiritually, etc.)
One of my favorite parts of this as a reread is realizing the reason we spend so much time in second person point of view - I don't think I fully realized until it was told to us that this was meant to be Gideon's narration in my first read. But this time it was so fun to catch all the little Gideon moments - the little bits of sass, her annoyance at Harrow not knowing the word pommel, describing Ianthe in very unflattering terms, and most especially the acknowledgement of sex jokes that weren't made when they were just calling for it.
I think the main thing I should have said was, "You sawed open your skill rather than be beholden to someone. You turned your brain into soup to escape anything less than 100 percent freedom. You put me in a box and buried me rather than give up your own goddamned agenda.
Harrowhark, I gave you my whole life and you didn't even want it.
When I ask for slow burn, this is what I mean. Gideon and Harrow are literally sharing a body, convinced the other hates them, feeling inadequate, literally can't communicate, loving despite "knowing" it won't be returned...the angst. That's my shit. I honestly don't think I care if this relationship is romantic or platonic or perpetually contentious. I just want them to be in it.
Having the story set up as it was - through Harrow's literal brain damage - has me fully still confused on what's "real" and what's not. And through this we get the satisfaction of Harrow realizing the connection between Ortus the Ninth/Ortus the First and her replacement of Gideon in her brain, which is something that would have been obvious from the start otherwise. And then it's still not what we fully expect anyway.
PS - I loved getting to know Abigail Pent more. I loved that Ortus, a character I never expected to make a return, and who I spent most of the book thinking was a figment of Harrow's psyche, got to have a redemption arc. Fearful, Ortus had proved enormously stubborn; it was inevitable that he would be even worse in bravery.
Originally rated 4.75 but now it can have a 5 because this series just has me going feral, sorry.