Hello, dear readers! We knew this time of great confusion was coming, but how could it ever be otherwise when one consciously returns to the world created by Tamsyn Muir in the Locked Tomb series? Thanks to Macmillan and NetGalley, I had the great honor of receiving an e-ARC copy of "Nona the Ninth". And here is my honest review!
What happens in “Nona the Ninth”? But above all, who is Nona? Before reading the third book, I recommend that you read “As Yet Unsent”, a bonus chapter that Tor has put online. In the chapter there are the reports written by Judith Deuteros, the necromancer of the Second House, of the time when she, Coronabeth Tridentarius and Camilla Hect were captured by Blood of Eden. While Judith remains faithful to the Emperor, she realizes that the group has managed to convince Corona of their cause and is making Camilla surrender too. "As Yet Unsent" is what she considers her last act of loyalty to God, how she tried to convince the princess and Camilla not to betray the Cohort. It is useful for understanding the relations between Camilla and Corona with Blood of Eden from this moment on, but I recommend particularly for the final piece of information that is so important and gives so much hope!

In the third novel, we are on a new planet, not one of the Nine Houses, but a planet inhabited by ordinary people, to which necromancers, called zombies, are the enemies. This is where we meet Nona, a young woman with very long black hair who is organizing a birthday party to celebrate her six months of life! In fact, six months earlier Nona woke up remembering absolutely nothing, a newborn in an already formed body, albeit skeletal and weak. Together with Camilla, Palamedes and Pyrrha, Nona learns to talk, to control her anger attacks, she finds a job as Teacher Aide, at school she meets Hot Sauce and her gang, that Nona adores. Nona is happy with her life, if it were up to her, she would live like this forever, with Camilla, Palamedes and Pyrrha, with her work at the school, her friends, the teachers and Noodle, a dog with six legs (Nona loves dogs and many of them are invited to her birthday). Unfortunately, several problems don’t allow this type of life to go on: every night Nona dreams of being in salt water with the skull-painted face of a girl on her. According to Palamedes, Nona could be two people, at the same time or in different moments, they are not sure, but they think that her dreams may contain the answer. In the meantime, they train her with both necromancy and with swords… even though she does not excel in either field. Another problem is the fact that Blood of Eden think that Nona’s body is the key to defeating the Emperor. And so, we meet the sweet Nona, who will allow us to live in her life for five days, at least until ...
Although it is not a spoiler, since each "part" of the novel is introduced with a lapidary report of the most important events in the section and a countdown to the final event, I will still leave that "until" open, to keep a little suspense!

I firmly believe that you are wondering: why does Nona exist and why did she get in the way between us and Alecto? I will try to answer this question according to the idea I formed while reading. For me, "Nona the Ninth" was an expedient to show us another face of the empire that through the Nine Houses Muir could not let us experience. In fact, we end up in a city on the brink of a civil war, where necromancers (or presumed ones) and their supporters are burned at the stake. A city where Blood of Eden is active, showing how God matters absolutely nothing to people who do not belong to the houses: there is no admiration, no love, but anger, fear, hatred, and the desire to free themselves once and for all of the madmen who control death and their lives.
This is what we get from the subtext. Nona, in her naivety, simply tells us about her day, her dreams, what Pyrhha and Camilla or Palamedes talk about when she overhears, how dangerous it is to walk the streets of the city (especially since the "blue madness" has spread), about her contribution as a Teacher Aide, the sweetness of the teachers, especially the mysterious Angel, about the time she spends with Noodle and with her friends, Hot Sauce and her gang, who, despite being smaller than Nona, have the hardest skin. The things that Nona considers details are, for the readers, the pieces to understand what is really happening on the planet.
The story is told in third person, nonetheless the narrator knows as much as Nona, it tells the story and reports dialogues with the same innocence as Nona. A great part of the novel is a light interlude before the plot twists and the much-awaited final event. In addition, the novel was a means to tell us about the Resurrection from God's point of view. Using Nona's dreams as an expedient, the Emperor tells us the "Gospel of John", a collection of the events that made him God. Unexpectedly, we find ourselves on a dying Earth where a group of friends and colleagues, after discovering necromancy, try to save the world.

I must say that the last 20% - the part where we go back to the origin - disappointed me a little bit. It was nothing different from Muir's usual narrative, full of plot twists, chaotic and confusing. Although this time it was much, much more chaotic than usual and it also lacked the pathos the finales of the previous books have. At this point, we know that Muir's style is complex and, if you are not really passionate about the series, it could also feel heavy: she uses very long sentences full of digressions; direct speech is not clearly marked; moreover, she keeps her very sarcastic tone – especially in the dialogues – and sometimes it makes the reader lose the train of thought.

In this novel, I had the confirmation of the Camilla Hect and Palamedes Sextus’ supremacy: the best characters, the best people, just the best. And their relationship... how many tears, how much emotions, how much sweetness! Furthermore, it is impossible not to love the character of Nona, so pure, sincere, trusting, loving, dedicated to everything and to all the ones she loves - and when she loves, she loves with everything she has. She is a breath of fresh air, a concentration of unexpected innocence in a universe where death, darkness and violence reign. Despite the presence of well-known characters, do not think that following the story is easy - i think that for this series rereading is fundamental.

This is “Nona the Ninth” for me. Aware of everything I've told you, I give you one last warning: read Nona only if you really, really love Muir's series and her writing style, if you can't live without these characters and without knowing what will happen at the end of it all. If you haven't enjoyed "Harrow the Ninth", I don't think Nona will change your mind, however sweet and innocent she may be. If, on the other hand, you are like me, anxiously awaiting the reunion of Harrow and Gideon (because I am waiting for this after all: Harrow and Gideon will see each other again, hug... and then start fighting. This is my dream!), read "Nona the Ninth" as soon as you can. The fact that I love this series so much sometimes amazes me enormously. I have found a combination I cannot live without: characters to love in their every weird aspect, a strange and poetic writing style, a unique narrative, and that spark of "I'm not getting it, but something epic will happen" that creates suspense.

I've already read this twice. I'll probably read it again before my hard copy arrives. Then I'll read the hard copy. If you're not already familiar with the gothic, hilarious. tragic universe of Muir's Locked Tomb series, Nona the Ninth is a not terrible place to start--there are, of course, massive spoilers for the first two books, however the first half of the book or so takes the reader out of the (delightfully) claustrophobic settings from Gideon and Harrow and gives us a wide world to explore and cherish with Nona, who loves you.

Leaving behind the pure meditation on grief that characterized the first two books, Nona delivers a gripping story about choosing one's own way of being in the world, and grappling with responsibility in a world where the average person has little control over their own choices. Absolutely delightful, and I can't wait for Alecto!

I was lucky enough to get an eARC of Nona the Ninth from the publisher. This book didn’t disappoint for a sudden edition to the locked tomb series. You realize just how vital it was when you get to the end. I honestly can’t imagine us going straight into the last book, Alecto the Ninth, without this book to set it all up with everything that happened.
I won’t give too much away due to the fact the publisher asked us not spoil the mystery for anyone, but I will speak on vague notes and plot to this book, so I don’t recommend reading any further. Just know, this book was a rollercoaster and that Tamsyn Muir did it again, making you think you know exactly who everyone is only for her to completely leave you surprised.
We follow Nona as her fast approaching 6 month birthday is looming. She works at the local school as a teachers aide, where she hangs out with an unlikely group of older kids. Hot Sauce, the leader of the little gang, Honesty, Born in the Morning, Beautiful Ruby, and Kevin. But things aren’t as simple as this. Her city is under siege, everything is in lockdown most of the time, she is a neutral party between the fighting of the zombies and Blood of Eden. She is tested every morning by either Camilla or Palamedes on her dreams that night, if she can fight or use necromancy. She’s also living with Pyrrha who for the most part tries to give her a normal existence or as normal of one as a girl who woke up in a new body can.
The plot is basically the progress of Nona and the countdown to something. We realize Nona can’t die at one point, we realize that Palamedes is living with Cam and that Pyrrha is all that’s left of Gideon. They’re all working to their own ends, but also loving Nona so completely. There are other characters you don’t realize because Nona comes up with new names for them, but they’re familiar faces that will send a shock through you. This book was so good at making you love Nona and want to understand everything about her. There’s not much happening besides Nona’s normal life for a while, but it leaves hints as to who she might be only for the book to gaslight you into realizing who she actually is after. And I loved it. It wasn’t as trippy as Harrow the Ninth, but it still had moments and left me laughing and in shock just like the two before it. I need more so desperately. I need to know what happens next and what we missed while following Nona. Because there’s so much.
I highly recommend this book and this series. It has to be one of my all time favorites and this book lived up to that hype, though I wasn’t prepared for part of the storyline, the dream like place where we learn the what led up to the Nine Houses. Because it was far too familiar to everything happening now that it left you feeling like you were punched in the gut. But that’s also part of why it’s such a good series. You don’t see these things coming only to have it happen and it fit everything so perfectly. And of course, all the love for the very good boy Noodle. Who deserves all the pets.

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Okay, unpopular opinion here, but I did not love this third installment. That doesn't mean I don't think the author is brilliant, because they are, but if the first two books were written more like Nona, I never would have made it through book 1. I couldn't connect with the characters, even though Nona is very charming. I was mildly confused the entire time about who was who and what was happening. The Kirk's reviewer called the ending "explosive". I really had to work hard to finish the last 20%. I wish it had been a lot more like the first two books. If there's a fourth I will definitely skip it.

i love you Nona i love you Hot Sauce i love you birthday parties i love you Noodle i love you weird existential dreams i love you Palamedes i love you evil cougars i love you Pyrrha Dve i love you Angel i love you cheeseburger shirt i love you Camilla i love you organized schoolyard crime rings i love you unhinged raging lesbians i love you Science Hour i love you necromantic royalty i love you author-wrote-fanfic-of-her-own-work narrative structure i love you body sharing i love you Tamsyn Muir

Thanks NetGalley and Tor for the ARC. I am, as always with Muir, delightfully confused until the very end, when I’m left with some answers and many questions. I’m excited for Alecto.

Thank you to Macmillan-Tor/Forge and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This book was an absolutely wild ride (but why would I expect anything less from this series). This book was my most anticipated release of this year, I'm so obsessed with this series that it isn't even funny. It's such a hard one to review, because I'm honestly still in shock after finishing it.

This was SO different from the first two books in the series, but it definitely did deliver. It took me a while to figure out what exactly was happening; the book is from Nona's POV and honestly Nona doesn't really know what's happening either, bless her. All she wants is a birthday party, and to hang out with 'the gang' and her dog friend, Noodle. But that was part of the fun of it, trying to piece together all the little tidbits of information you're given; it was a fun kind of confusion. Even trying to piece it together, this book managed to surprise me at every turn. I absolutely flew through the last 25% of it, in one go, because I NEEDED to know what happened before I left for work.

I really appreciated that I was able to see that answers were coming even through all the confusion, and what was covered in this book was really fascinating and expands on the world that was covered in the first two books.

I'm really excited for y'all to meet Nona, and see what happens in this book. :)

Sorry if this review was a little scatterbrained, I tried to sum up my thoughts in a non-spoiler-y way that wasn't just *incoherent screeching*, I'm still trying to intellectually and emotionally process everything that happened in this book.

Man, Tamsyn Muir has gone 3 for 3 in cracking Sci-Fi stories. I was a little worried the drastic shift in location and tone would spoil this one for me; IN comparison to the previous two it has more of a generic plot. The first third of the novel is a post-apocalyptic school novel in many senses of the word. It's a unique blend, and I really enjoyed Nona's adventures.

But the second two thirds just start and don't give up: I devoured the last 200 pages in one go. It was fantastic.

Cannot wait for the conclusion of this series, it's going to be SOMETHING BIG

I don't know what to say about this that hasn't already been said about Gideon the Ninth and Harrow the Ninth. Tamsyn Muir is a genius of a writer. There are not a lot of books that I have genuinely stopped reading to say out loud "I cannot believe that just happened. I can't believe they just did that." And Nona is one of them.

More straightforward than Harrow, but much more grim than Gideon. And significantly lacking in memes (which was intentional on Muir's part!). Nona is so loveable and so full of optimism and heart in a world that is anxious and under attack. She is a genuinely touching character. I laughed out loud, I freaking cried my eyes out, and I am only 70% sure I actually understood what happened at the end of the book. But would it be a Locked Tomb book if that wasn't the case? Anyway, I'll just have to wait until more people have read this one to check my theories against theirs'.

I'm so excited for everyone else to get their hands on this.

I don't know how Tamsyn Muir keeps getting better and better with each book even though GIDEON was my all-time favorite out of the gate and HARROW somehow surpassed it through sheer genius. NONA is quieter, more straightforward (if you had trouble following the storyline of HARROW, you won't here), and yet it still hit me with Muir's trademark sucker punch to the gut/soul, As usual, I laughed out loud, I cried, and I fell in love with characters that are so unique and yet so real that you feel like you could reach out and touch them. I love Nona and her strange found family(ies) with all my heart. I want to clutch this book to my chest and never let it go.

If you love The Locked Tomb, you'll love Nona. If you don't love The Locked tomb, you probably never past it past chapter two of Harrow, so I don't know why you would be reading Nona. Conclusion: everyone should love Nona.

As expected, Tamsyn Muir blew me away with this book. I don't want to say too much, for fear of spoilers, but I am so impressed with how well she handles yet another narrator change and spools out the mystery little by little, to keep the reader hooked. Every time I thought I had a handle on what was going on, Muir pulls the rug out from under my feet. I especially loved the flashback-esque interludes, as a way to take a breath from what was going on in the main narrative and also find out more about what happened ten thousand years before the main story.

I am continually impressed by Tamsyn Muir's ability to rotate this series, change the narrator and the genre feel with each book, to put the reader in the viewpoint of the character who knows the least and is utterly vital. To lay out pieces so carefully and keep shifting what I think I know. Nona woke up six months ago in someone else's body and has had to learn how to people. She loves her family and friends deeply and wants them to be safe and happy, and she knows she's going to die soon. She just hopes she'll get to have her birthday party first. And all around her is rebellion, conspiracy, and impending doom. GAH!!!

Ahhhh! I am still confused so much of the time reading these books but I love them anyway! Tamsyn Muir does an amazing job balancing what you can understand and compelling in the moment with the greater plot in a way that is just *chef's kiss*. I cannot wait for Alecto and loved everything about this one - I read the vast majority of it in one sitting and then kept carving out time to read the rest despite being incredibly busy.

I...I think I'm actually broken. Tamsyn Muir has broken me. Please send help. Long live Nona. Long live Alecto. (I think.)

Don't even try to guess what's going to happen in this bonkers 3rd book in this series! Just sit back and enjoy the ride right up to that ending that makes you mad you have to wait for book 4!

Nona, my beloved. To say I was hyped for this book was an understatement, and Nona pole vaulted over those high hopes and stuck the landing. Everything is starting to come together so deliciously at this point in the series, and just when I’m patting myself on the back for guessing something right, something shows up I never could have predicted and makes me literally squeal with joy. I raced through this book and probably only breathed five or six breaths like … the WHOLE time. Infinite stars and a WELL DONE IN CLASS sticker for Nona.

This is a worthy installment in a fantastic series, and i think it'll reward rereads as much as Gideon the Ninth and Harrow the Ninth do. I'm excited for it to reach its devoted audience!

Nona is a sweet girl skipping blithely through the apocalypse. Since she woke up six months ago, she has acquired lots of friends at school and met several delightful dogs. She adores her three guardians, two of whom are dead and in the wrong bodies (that's necromancy for you). Apart from the weird dreams, Nona's life is swell. Unfortunately for her, the revolution would much rather have her body's original inhabitant back intact: Harrowhark Nonagesimus, a Lyctor of terrifying power. Muir doles out a few more pieces of the puzzle in this book, which is utterly unlike its predecessors apart from the brutal cliffhanger. Doesn't much advance the plot, though.

Nona is a strong addition to the Locked Tomb series. The cliff hanger ending makes me excited to pick up the next book, and John’s chapters with their unique pseudo-biblical style did a good job of adding to the world building and filling in the characters of the Lyctors. At some points, Nona feels like it suffers from “middle book syndrome” in that Nona’s school life and new friends are a bit of a diversion from the main arc of the series, and the lack of explicit Gideon and Harrow mentions is frustrating at times. This is somewhat alleviated by Nona and her school friends (particularly Hot-Sauce and Honesty) being extremely likeable characters, and the inclusion of familiar characters like Camilla and Palamedes. However, the lack of the two leads and the lengthy John chapters means that most of the real action is delayed till the third act.