Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

Somehow I loved Harrow the Ninth even more than Gideon the Ninth. Harrow is absolutely devastated with grief. She’s achieved everything she ever wanted: Lyctorhood and salvation for the Ninth House. But at what cost? The death of Harrow’s only friend and devoted cavalier: Ortus Nigenad.

Is this how it happened, Harrowhark?

The former Reverend Daughter of the Ninth House, devotee of the Locked Tomb, is not taking well to being a Lyctor. She keeps throwing up, for one. She wrote herself a series of letters (and then forgot about them?) to be opened under a series of inexplicably impossible events. Harrow even made an ally out of the despicable Ianthe Tridentarius, whose butter-yellow hair and constant boredom provide more distraction than anticipated.

Despite these trying circumstances, Harrow has to live and train with God himself (or John as we learn his name is) and her fellow Saints, as an ungodly, lovecraftian monster hunts them down.

I love the many mysteries tantalizing the readers: what the fuck did Harrow do to her brain?! Obviously she removed Gideon: but why? Who is this mysterious ghost lady that Harrow is incredibly in love with (Gideon was 100% right when she told Ianthe that Harrow is only into bones). Why did God let the Lyctors kill their Cavaliers when they didn’t need to? What are Coronabeth & Cam & Deuteros doing? Why did Ianthe save God? Why was Gideon, the OG, trying to kill Harrow (spoiler, God sucks)?

I also loved that we got to further understand Ortus, Abigail, the real Dulcinea, Protesilaus, and even motherfucking Nonius. That reveal was incredibly epic and powerful: silly Ortus, cowardly Ortus, loved the Noniad so much that his passion summoned the deceased, fabled Cavalier of the Ninth House. And yeah, Harrowhark, he DID fight a Lyctor. But back to the other necromancers and their cavaliers: they violently and tragically died too soon in Gideon the Ninth, so I was very pleased to learn more about them. Abigail and Magnus are couple goals: an inquisitive researcher & busybody (just like me forreal) and her absolutely devoted, unflinchingly kind husband. I loved finding out more about Dulcie - she is more than just a sick young women, she’s a rule breaker and romantic.

I’m also in love with the accents - the narrator does crazy work distinguishing each character. I’m obsessed!