Of the many book series that I have read over the past several years, few have captured my attention the way “The Locked Tomb” series has. Written by New Zealand Author Tamsyn Muir, the series takes place in a sci-fi fantasy world populated by necromancers and their sword-wielding cavaliers. It’s wacky and absurd, yet tragic and thought-provoking. There are currently three books in the series, with a fourth upcoming novel. Starting off with “Gideon the Ninth” and followed by “Harrow the Ninth” and “Nona the Ninth,” each book follows its titular character as they try to navigate their life and circumstances in the Nine Houses Empire. With each book, the universe grows and so do its mysteries. There are many interesting aspects to the story and that makes me all the more excited for whatever will come in the final book, “Alecto the Ninth.” The so-called Alectopause can’t end soon enough.
“The Locked Tomb” is unabashedly queer, with the dramatic, homoerotic situationship between Gideon and Harrowhark at the heart of everything. The popular tagline for the series, credited to Charles Stross, is “lesbian necromancers” and while that aspect may be true, there is so much more to how “The Locked Tomb” series employs LGBTQ themes. From sexuality and gender to the various kinds of relationships that exist, the books challenge the way we think about love and what it does to us. Love is a great, horrible thing that motivates characters to do wild, awful things, and the ways it goes badly for them is incredibly compelling to see play out.
Muir’s witty and irreverent tone, paired with lush, elegant prose is very engaging and fun to read. The plot can be a bit dense and difficult to parse at times, especially with “Harrow the Ninth” being deliberately confusing for most of it, but that shouldn’t put you off from continuing to explore this world. There is amazing depth and so much consideration put into every aspect of the world that creates room for analysis from any angle. In a time of many recent popular books having flat and poorly thought– out worldbuilding, “The Locked Tomb” series’ is so enjoyable to read and think about.
Something important to note is the Christian vibes of the world, which are completely intentional. Several aspects of the series heavily reflect and parallel events from the Bible and specifically the Catholic doctrine. The Emperor of this world is literally called God and worshipped as such. While it may be a bit confusing to initially see, Muir uses this theming to offer a deconstruction of religion and create an even more interesting world. While it is so far removed from our own, it retains a familiarity that can help the reader to understand the story and theorize more about what the books are doing and where things will be heading next.
I would recommend reading a physical copy or an e-book of the series, but you definitely shouldn’t overlook the audiobooks. The narrator, Moira Quirk, does an extremely good job at making the characters feel emotional and real, giving them distinct voices and extra personality that makes the series even more endearing and gut-wrenching.
“The Locked Tomb” is a standout series with a thriving fanbase of people all in the same boat of agonizing love. This series does hurt to read, but it’s a good kind of hurt. I’ve only had a few books hold me in such a chokehold and make me crave for more. It’s a delight to read and absolutely worth checking out.
