About the Book
Harrow the Ninth: Act One is a preview excerpt, the opening section of Tamsyn Muir's second Locked Tomb novel, released ahead of the full book's August 2020 publication. It is not a complete audiobook. If you're coming in cold, this is not the place to start: the story picks up directly from the events of Gideon the Ninth, and assumes familiarity with the characters, the world's necromantic systems, and the specific ending of that first book.
Harrowhark Nonagesimus, the last necromancer of the Ninth House, has been inducted into the Emperor's Lyctoral inner circle. But the world she arrives in is not what she expected, and the structure of Harrow the Ninth quickly signals that something is deeply wrong with her perception of events. The book is known for its unusual second-person narration and its willingness to disorient the reader deliberately, a structural choice that carries into this excerpt.
As a standalone audio release, this is essentially a sampler. Its value is limited to listeners who have already finished Gideon the Ninth and are deciding whether to continue with the full audiobook of Harrow the Ninth.
Narration & Audio Performance
Moira Quirk narrates the full Locked Tomb series, and her performance here is consistent with her work on Gideon the Ninth. She handles the series' unusual register, part gothic horror, part irreverent sci-fantasy, with the dry, controlled delivery the material needs. The second-person sections, which directly address Harrowhark as 'you,' require a narrator who can make that unconventional choice feel purposeful rather than awkward, and Quirk manages it without making the prose feel more alienating than it already is by design.
Pacing is measured, which suits the dense and occasionally disorienting prose. Quirk doesn't push for dramatic effect where the text is already doing heavy lifting. Character voice differentiation is present but not extreme, the cast of necromancers and cavaliers each have a distinct register, though Quirk's performance stays in a relatively narrow emotional band that fits the gothic tone. Listeners who found her narration of Gideon the Ninth acceptable will find this excerpt consistent.
The Audible Verdict
This is a partial release, an Act One preview, not a complete audiobook. Spending a full paid credit on a fragment of a larger work is hard to justify. If you have a free trial credit or access through an Audible subscription, it makes sense as a way to preview the narration and the book's tone before committing to the full audiobook of Harrow the Ninth. For most listeners, the smarter move is to go directly to the complete edition.
Listen on AudibleIs This Book a Good Fit for Audio?
The Locked Tomb series presents a real audio challenge. Harrow the Ninth in particular is structurally unconventional, it uses second-person narration for its present-tense sequences, and the prose is dense with invented terminology, proper nouns, and layers of unreliable narration. These elements don't become easier in audio; if anything, the inability to re-read a confusing passage makes the experience harder to track.
That said, the audio format does work for readers who find Muir's prose style more accessible when read aloud rather than parsed on the page. The gothic atmosphere translates reasonably well to a single-narrator performance. Listeners who struggled to parse the prose of Gideon the Ninth visually may actually find the audio format flattens some of that difficulty, not by making it simpler, but by imposing a single pace and a single interpretive voice.
As a preview excerpt, the audio fit question is somewhat moot, this is a trial run as much as it is a listening experience. Use it to decide whether Quirk's narration and the book's opening movement work for you before purchasing the full audiobook.
Popular Listener Questions
Is this the complete Harrow the Ninth audiobook?
No. This is Act One only, a preview excerpt released ahead of the full book. You will need to purchase the complete Harrow the Ninth audiobook separately to hear the rest of the story.
Do I need to have read Gideon the Ninth first?
Yes. Harrow the Ninth continues directly from the events of Gideon the Ninth and does not recap the first book. Starting here without reading or listening to Gideon first will leave major context gaps.
Who narrates Harrow the Ninth: Act One?
Moira Quirk, who also narrates the full Locked Tomb series on Audible.
Is the narration consistent with the full Harrow the Ninth audiobook?
Yes, Moira Quirk narrates both this excerpt and the complete edition, so this preview is an accurate representation of what you'll hear in the full audiobook.
Is Harrow the Ninth difficult to follow as an audiobook?
It can be. The novel uses second-person narration and an intentionally disorienting structure. Listeners who find dense, non-linear prose harder to track without the ability to re-read may want to consider the print version for the complete book.
Similar Audiobooks
The first Locked Tomb novel, required reading before this excerpt. Moira Quirk narrates both.
The third book in the Locked Tomb series, continuing the story that begins in Gideon and Harrow.
Alecto the Ninth
The fourth and final Locked Tomb novel, the conclusion of the arc that this excerpt introduces.
The Ruin of Kings
A fantasy novel with dense world-building and an unconventional narrative structure, aimed at readers who enjoy puzzle-box storytelling.
A short, strange novel that uses an unreliable first-person narrator navigating a deeply wrong version of reality, a comparable experience to Harrow's disoriented protagonist.
Audiobook Details
| Title | Harrow the Ninth: Act One |
|---|---|
| Author | Tamsyn Muir |
| Narrator | Moira Quirk |
| Genre | Gothic Science Fantasy |
| Year | 2020 |
| Publisher | Tordotcom |
| Abridged | Unabridged |
| Cast | Single narrator |
| Author-narrated | No |
Ready to listen?
This excerpt is available on Audible and works as a low-commitment way to test the narration before purchasing the full Harrow the Ninth audiobook, a reasonable use of a free trial credit.
Open on Audible