A review by enbyglitch
Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
5.0
*8.5 stars out of 5*
I love this book (and series) so goddamn much. It merges so many of my favorite aspects in sf&f while refusing to get pinned down by the expectations of either genre. I love the incredible gay characters, the asinine humor, the clinical descriptions, and the sharp, fever dream storytelling. I love the petty, proud characters and the utter depth of the universe that Muir has yet to explore.
Even more than the first book, this story is extremely confusing in its telling. I guessed pretty early what was going on, and even then 25% of events made no sense until the final act of the book. That's just to say, enjoy the batshit wild ride while you can!
Minor spoilers for Gideon the Ninth and this book: I agree with some critics, that the origins and nature of G/H's relationship is pretty shitty. I don't think this book solves that problem, but I also don't think it tries to sweep it under the rug. It remains something I'll be keeping an eye on in the future novels, but personally I think Muir mostly understands what she is doing therein.
I love this book (and series) so goddamn much. It merges so many of my favorite aspects in sf&f while refusing to get pinned down by the expectations of either genre. I love the incredible gay characters, the asinine humor, the clinical descriptions, and the sharp, fever dream storytelling. I love the petty, proud characters and the utter depth of the universe that Muir has yet to explore.
Even more than the first book, this story is extremely confusing in its telling. I guessed pretty early what was going on, and even then 25% of events made no sense until the final act of the book. That's just to say, enjoy the batshit wild ride while you can!
Minor spoilers for Gideon the Ninth and this book: I agree with some critics, that the origins and nature of G/H's relationship is pretty shitty. I don't think this book solves that problem, but I also don't think it tries to sweep it under the rug. It remains something I'll be keeping an eye on in the future novels, but personally I think Muir mostly understands what she is doing therein.