Nona the Ninth
From the outset, I must emphasize:
1). All opinions are my own, and,
2), I really would advise that you read the first two books in the series -
Gideon the Ninth & Harrow the Ninth – before you even think
of trying this story. You’ll appreciate what I mean if you are daring enough to
try and jump straight into Nona the Ninth
from the outset. . . though I’d be surprised if you made it all the way through
without reverting to plan B, a strong shot of napalm-laced coffee, and coming
back later.
But hey, that’s the way Tamsyn
Muir writes.
I’ll let the blurb speak for
itself, and then highlight my thoughts in the review.
*************
Her city is
under siege.
The zombies are coming back.
And all Nona wants is a birthday party.
In many ways, Nona is like other people. She
lives with her family, has a job at her local school, and loves walks on the
beach and meeting new dogs. But Nona's not like other people. Six months ago
she woke up in a stranger's body, and she's afraid she might have to give it
back.
The whole city is falling to pieces. A monstrous
blue sphere hangs on the horizon, ready to tear the planet apart. Blood of Eden
forces have surrounded the last Cohort facility and wait for the Emperor
Undying to come calling. Their leaders want Nona to be the weapon that will
save them from the Nine Houses. Nona would prefer to live an ordinary life with
the people she loves, with Pyrrha and Camilla and Palamedes, but she also knows
that nothing lasts forever.
And each night, Nona dreams of a woman with a
skull-painted face...
*************
Sounds intriguing doesn’t it?
And if the story arc played out
the way it begins, you’d no doubt agree;
Nona is a young
woman with a close circle of friend and ‘family’ (introduced at the conclusion
of Harrow the Ninth) who live under near-siege
conditions where different factions run riot. Who those factions are, is never
made quite clear enough for you to grasp, unless you have an understanding of
the Nine Houses and their overall place in the greater scheme of things (as
mentioned in Gideon/Harrow the Ninth).
Regardless, Nona
herself has no memories of her life beyond the previous six months. And though
she’s nineteen years of age, she’s more naïve, in many ways, than someone half
her age, suggesting she’s either lost her memory, had it tampered with, or other
metaphysical things are going on.
What that ‘something’
is, slowly unravels as the story progresses.
At first, you’ll
find it easy to follow, as the narrative creates an ‘everyday life connection’
you can relate to, while the background tension is allowed to build with the
skillful addition of little snippets of information, here and there, that
begins to build a rather absorbing.
However, we then
get to the part of the book where – and please forgive me if this comes across
as a little insensitive – it won’t make any sense, UNLESS you’ve read the
previous books. And even then, you’ll have to have been paying attention.
Why?
Because what has
been a rather involved, yet straightforward journey becomes so complex, so
multifaceted and ethereal, that it’s easy to lose track of what’s going on.
Now, don’t get me
wrong. Muir lays the seeds of what’s to come from the outset. You’re introduced
to certain characters/personalities, all of whom share the same living
tissue/dead bodies and are more than what they seem. (A great concept, brought
out fully in the preceding books where you get a deeper flavor of what
necromancers/cavaliers/Lyctors can do).
And yes, you’re led along a path whereby you can work out that the
milieu in which the story is set relates to something far grander. A galaxy
spanning war that seems – in part – to involve Nona, or the body/soul she’s
inhabiting. Therefore, she’s essential to the future, and her protectors must
get her away from the planet for her to fulfill her destiny.
Nonetheless,
when we get to that part, the story arc seems to flip so drastically, that it’s
in danger of losing the reader . . . unless you play close attention.
I mean . . . mystery
and intrigue is one thing. But to make it so obscure that you need a degree in
quantum thalergy just to follow along? Well, I’m not so sure.
Which is a
crying shame, as Muir can write a cracking story. She’s inventive.
Groundbreaking. Sharp as a tooth and brave enough to take risks to establish a
truly unique voice. As I’ve mention before, the Locked Tomb Series has a wonderful
neo-noir, gothic vibe to it, reminiscent of The Chronicles of Riddick (Necromingers) and Dark City. For all that, I can’t help but feel she’ll be losing
readers by making the narrative toward the end of her novels so nebulous, that even
the most ardent fan is in danger of losing their way in an occluding cloud of
multiple personalities/myriad temporal references/and a legion of head-hopping
extras that will scramble your brains.
In conclusion, Nona the Ninth is as subtly appealing
and deceptively powerful as all the books in this series. And while it might be
far too quirky or ‘out there’ for some tastes, I hope that doesn’t put you off
giving it a try. But be warned. This is a story that can’t be rushed. You need
to take your time, to immerse yourself in the river and digest all its nuances
to get the most from it.
I’d love to know
what YOU think?
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