Nona the Ninth
Ratings266
Average rating4.3
Contains spoilers
Well, I wasn't expecting this book to be a Cam/Pal love story, but wow is it beautiful. I absolutely sobbed during the Birth of Paul and most of the rest of their scenes towards the end. They're the picture of what Lyctorhood should have been from the start.
Nona was a bit trickier to follow, given Nona's general lack of understanding of...anything, but her narrative voice is delightful and full of childlike wonder. The way she describes certain things made me appreciate the little things in new ways. There are some Big Events happening behind the scenes, but Nona is blissfully unaware of most of them, even when she's witnessing them with her own eyes, and so the reader has to really read between the lines to follow the overarching conflict as it builds to the end. It's interesting from our perspective to see certain characters that we think we know portrayed in a completely new light. It's not clear how much time has passed since the end of Harrow the Ninth, but things have progressed in unexpected and yet completely expected ways. I'm really looking forward to the final (hopefully) installment in this series and finally getting some John-damned answers.
Amazing! This was such a good addition to the first book and had me on edge the whole time of what is going to happen next and needing to get through it so I know how it ends.
Of the whole series I probably like the second book the most then the first and then this one. Mostly because I really like Harrow and Gideon, when we meet Gideon in this one though I was dying.
This whole series was amazing and I cannot wait for the next book ><
Nona was a fantastic book in the series of the locked tomb, I really thought that wouldn't enjoy Nona especially with how EXCELENT Harrow was but I was mistaken. Nona was an incredible protagonist extremely lovable and a stark difference to the world around her. However my favorite piece of this book was (as always) Cam and Sex-Pal. Name a better duo, oh wait you can't because they're perfect and I can't wait to learn more about their new situation!
Also the parts with John were fantastic and actually super interesting, I love Jod's character and learning about their background was incredible. All in all I really enjoyed Nona but im even more excited for Alecto whenever it comes out.
This book continues the vibrant and twisted saga of the Locked Tomb series with dark humor, and intricate world-building. We meet Nona, a caracther that has a somewhat innusent.
Plot and Pacing:The book balances suspense and mystery, slowly revealing Nona's significance within the grander narrative of the series. Something the author is a expert of doing. The plot is with layers that peel back to expose surprising connections and revelations. Muir writes in a way that leaves us being abel to follow the suspense. But also do not reveal more than we need. So we are surpised by plottwists still. I mean the ending. With Alecto and Harrow finnaly returning to their correct bodies was not done how I were to expect
Character Development: Her naivety and childlike wonder are juxtaposed with the grim reality of her world, making her a complex character. The supporting cast has the same level of depth and personality. The interaction between characters is sharp and often tinged with dark humor which I am all here for.
World-Building: Muir's world-building in “Nona the Ninth” is as immersive as ever. The blend of necromancy, sci-fi elements, and gothic aesthetics creates a setting that is both haunting and fascinating. The book goes more in depth of the Nine Houses, making the already complex (and confusing) universe.
Writing Style: She has a knack for blending the macabre with the mundane, crafting sentences that are both beautiful and unsettling. The dialogue is punchy and often laced with dark humor.
Now, this book is honestly still great. I love their writing styles and just how intrested I am in this book. Yes, I am confused often. But I have learned ever since Gidion to actually really enjoy this confusion. I would say tho. I dont think I would wana ever start in the middel of this series (some series yu can do that with).
I really enjoyed the ending and still cant wait for the next book. So pls let it come now soon.
I need to know what will happen now that their souls are returned.
See, I don't know what I thought would happen after I read The Locked Tomb books back to back, but nothing prepared me for the absolute reading draught that would hit me, because nothing measures to the fascination, confusion, thinking-I've-got-everything-figured-out, then absolutely getting my s#!@ rocked mentally, that this book served me. Idk man, just read it!
I suppose it's odd to say I really enjoyed a book while only minimally understanding the plot, but here we are! Nona is a gem, the plot became marginally more comprehensible by the end, and I really hope John/God gets his comeuppance at the close of the series.
This book is the third in the Locked Tomb series. These books are set in a universe run on the powers of necromancy. While there is some inter-galactic battle, the primary driver of the plot is the relationships and intrigue between the characters. The characters are so well written, often dark and also often hilariously sarcastic. In fact, the “twist” of this book is introducing a character who is sweet and naive (and really, really, delightfully weird). Like other books in this series, it took me a bit to get into this book, but once it got going I was hooked - and now that I'm finished I'll be thinking about it for the next few days.
If you are a sci-fi/fantasy reader and have not started this series yet, you really should. (Gideon the Ninth is the first in the series) The series is original and inventive and does a great job of balancing dark with a dose of humor. The richness and depth of this world is amazing... although it can sometimes drift into being too complicated. I definitely had to read this book with the synopsis of the first two books open on a wikipedia page. When the last book comes out (scheduled for later this year!) I will probably do a full re-read so I can keep the thread of who everyone is. That is the only (really minor) thing that keeps this from a full five stars.
Never met a series that perfectly balances never taking itself too seriously with being so very genuine in its telling - like, this book especially rocked my world with the combination of emotional, impactful moments and complete and total tomfoolery.
You are always in for a wild ride with Tamsyn Muir and the third entry into her Locked Tomb series is no exception. Each of the books in this series have been utterly distinct and different in their writing techniques and styles, yet also utterly and unambiguously Tamsin Muir. Gideon gave us a gothic haunted house/murder mystery full of snark, Harrow gave us second person space opera with an unreliable narrator. Nona goes full on post apocalyptic dystopia with a childish sunny disposition. The way that the inherent contradictions somehow enhance the overall story arc is nothing short of glorious. I am left in awe of Muir's writing abilities.
Thats not to say that these are easy reads. These are dense, complex and confusing books, layered with hints and clever cross references, obscured behind their different narrators personalities and flaws. Even placing them next to each other in the overall series timeline is challenging at times.
In Nona we do get some nice world building, linking back to the early rise of John Gaius. We return to some familiar characters in Camilla and Palamedes, even if they are presented in a new way. We get Corona from a different perspective. We get to see Gideon as others see her. And we are confronted with the mystery of who is Nona. All this against the strangely gentle background of a school teaching in a city undergoing lockdown in some dystopian post-apocalyptic planet.
The Locked Tomb is probably the most clever, dense and insane current speculative fiction series out there. I cannot wait for the conclusion in Alecto!
Nona the Ninth manages to completely shift the tone of the series, while still maintaining the gripping atmosphere and exciting story of the Locked Tomb, expanding the universe in ways that I hadn't expected it to. Despite being the weakest in the series so far, it was a fantastic read, and I was gutted to have to put it down.
Nona originally started as the opening act to the upcoming Alecto the Ninth, the final book in the series, but Tamsyn was unable to make it work in a satisfying manner, so she decided that it needed to be it's own book. This was definitely the right call, as I can't see this book not being it's own thing, especially with the massive tonal shift that it is from the rest of the series. If you showed someone unfamiliar with the Locked Tomb a sequence from this book alongside a sequence from either of the prior ones, they'd likely not realize that they shared a universe, but despite this, the book doesn't feel out of place, quite the opposite actually. However, I think having two major tonal shifts in one book might have made for an unpleasant read, so I definitely feel like it was the right call.
Nona is an almost saccharine sweet protagonist, but it works fantastically against the bleak backdrop of the planet she and her friends are hiding out on. Her voice is incredibly unique, unlike any that I've encountered in my time reading, likely due to the fact that she's only 6 months old (long story). I found myself genuinely very upset that she wouldn't be a PoV anymore, which makes Tamsyn 3 for 3 in making me sad to say goodbye to a PoV. Nona was an absolute treat, and the way that she viewed the world with such hope was genuinely infectious, making the themes of the story hit all the harder as the book went on, since I was fully immersed in her hope for the world. However, I can see Nona the Ninth being frustrating for some people, since it's the third book in the series where a character is completely in the dark, and has to start actively fighting for their agency in the book.
I really enjoyed the mystery of who Nona really was, trying to spot the various different ticks that Harrow and Gideon had. This added a really fun little mystery backdrop to the story, and the conclusion is in my opinion, absolutely perfect.
The other characters surrounding Nona are equally well realized, most being the result of very careful setup in the last two books. The best of the bunch are absolutely Camilla and Palamedes, though John is a close second to them, thanks in large part to the flashback sequences that we get throughout the book.
Camilla and Palamedes have a fantastic dynamic that's continued on from GtN, and the evolution of their relationship throughout the novel is in my opinion some of the best character work on offer in the series, and we're unlikely to see it topped in Alecto.
John however, is a bastard. And he's great. We get his backstory and motivations, and it finally begins to paint a picture for us of the man who became god, and shows us that he's really just a broken man who misses his home, and has a grudge against cows having friends.
The structure of the book is also of note in my opinion, as the book continues the 5 part structure of the series, but instead of parts, they're days. The story takes place over the course of 5 days, and this gives the book an almost time bomb element that builds tension just by its own existence in a manner that's really exciting. Because of this, Nona is honestly the best paced book of the three we've gotten so far.
That being said, Nona can at times feel like filler. It definitely reads like a section of a different book that's been expanded into it's own thing, though thanks to the extremely strong character work, I don't think that this is an issue overall, just something to keep in mind as you're jumping in following Harrow. This definitely feels more like setup than it's own full fledged book. I would liken how I felt after it ended to how I felt after watching Infinity War for the first time. I was definitely satisfied by it, but it didn't feel conclusive in its own right.
That being said, this book has some of the most emotionally charged scenes in the entire series, making me cry multiple times. Reading the series shows Tamsyn's growth as an author, who's primarily learning the best ways to emotionally maim the reader.
Nona made me very excited to see how Tamsyn will manage to close out the series, and I couldn't recommend the book enough. It's the one I enjoyed the least in the series, but that's by no means an insult to the book. It's still a 5 star read, which makes The Locked Tomb the only series I've read to get a 5 star rating on each book. I cannot recommend these books enough.
This series is starting to lose me in some ways. It feels like every additional book is yet another twist and yet another “50% through before you understand what is going on†… I loved that about the first book, appreciated it in the second book because of the payoff, but this one tested my willingness to invest the time … again.
It wasn’t bad. Many parts were good. It’s just becoming less and less my cup of tea.
This three star rating is on me. This book is written very well, probably the best of the three so far. There were recurring chapters that gave lore info that was so good! Unfortunately I rushed into this too quickly after Harrow and my brain just refused to puzzle this novel out and the result was I kept zoning out and therefore didn't care about most of the big reveals. I looked at a summary of the novel and there were whole chunks I missed or didn't understand. Ultimately, I should have given myself a break after Harrow. But I will reread these books before Alecto comes out and now that I know what's happening, I think the reread will go much smoother.
Audible edition does an amazing job with the voice acting. The ending is harder to understand without seeing the names. After Alecto comes out will have to go back and read as a book to catch all the foreshadowing and names.
Although I absolutely love Gideon the Ninth, for me, the remaining more serious books have left me wanting. I hoped Nona would turn this around, and, although it has its bright points (Nona and her life, in particular) I'm very much left with the feeling of “can someone please tell me what's going on now, pleeeease” - I might suggest to other readers to either re-read the earlier books closer in time first, or, make use of the wiki. Nevertheless, a book that needs a wiki, is a book that's, um, imperfect. Wow that sounds like I didn't like the book, oh dear, I did; you get more Locked Tomb, crazy magic, wild merging of science fiction and fantasy, and, indeed, through dream flashback, an actual reveal (sort of) of how the universe of Gideon the Ninth originated. Anyway, it's worth the trip, and the ambiguity.
April 11th, 2022 (2nd read)
first half was my favorite! (going through a character's life with all their opinions overlayed is my bread and butter lol)
second half was confusing but very interesting. I keep thinking about the concept of a “perfect Lyctorhood” and it gives me a headache in the best possible way
Several days after gorging on this book and I'm still thinking about it. Partially because I really should've reread or at least done a Wikipedia deep dive on the events of the previous books and lore of the world. I loved the little domestic world, the relationships between characters (especially Camilla and Palamedes.... Whew!), Nona as a character. This book made me deeply fond of and emotional about a character named Hot Sauce. And the experience to read between the lines and know what's going on when the narrator, Nona, doesn't, would've been very delicious had I remembered more about the previous books lol. I loved it and love this series.
I've no idea how to review this. The characters are great, but the plot requires you to work really hard. Even now, having finished, I am not entirely sure what happened. Tamsyn Muir doesn't like to make life easy for her readers. I very much want to read the next one however, if only in the hope that it finally provides some answers.