Did this method work or not? Well, looking at the incredibly high rating and sales for this book, seems like it did for many readers it goes to show that readers are willing to be confused for hundreds of pages if they’re in love with the story and characters already. It was clear that Muir refused to give any crucial hints or information to make the first 70% more accessible, and the final 30% will quite likely decide whether it’s worth all the struggle. In other words: almost nothing is believable, and almost everything doesn’t make any sense for the majority of the book. The narrative switches timelines constantly, and to make things even worse, almost all the characters behaved differently from the way they were in Gideon the Ninth, and the narrative also juggles second-person and third-person narration non-stop. Harrow the Ninth is purposely designed and structured to confuse the heck out of its readers the narrative wants us to truly witness how things are seen from Harrow’s perspective. If you think Gideon the Ninth was already bizarre or difficult to follow, trust me when I say that it gets so much worse in Harrow the Ninth. Gideon and Harrow are characters loved by many readers, and the level of their investment for these two characters may ultimately determine whether they will be patient enough to read through 70% of deliberate confusing insanity before reaching the big payoff in the final 100 pages of the book.

Harrow the Ninth is the kind of book that will test its reader’s patience to its limit. “You hating me always meant more than anyone else in this hot and stupid universe loving me. However, I have an immensely conflicting experience with this sequel.

And they were right, the second half of Gideon the Ninth did make me love the book, and it made me excited to read the second book in The Locked Tomb trilogy by Tamsyn Muir: Harrow the Ninth. It wasn’t until a few trusted reviewers of mine said that the second half of the book redeemed the first half so much that I decided to push myself through it one more time. I had an odd experience with Gideon the Ninth in my review of it, I mentioned that I DNFed Gideon the Ninth the first time I read through it. Harrow the Ninth was insanely confusing, and I am both annoyed and impressed at the same time. Genre: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Science Fantasy, Space Opera Review copy provided by the publisher-Tor.com-in exchange for an honest review. I have a Booktube channel now! Subscribe here:

Alecto the ninth cover