About the Book
This is a free preview excerpt from Nona the Ninth, the third book in Tamsyn Muir's Locked Tomb series. It is not a complete audiobook, it is a promotional sampler released by Tordotcom in 2022 to generate interest ahead of the full release. If you are looking for the complete novel, this is not it.
The excerpt introduces Nona, a character who woke up six months prior inside a body that is not hers. She lives with a makeshift family in a city under siege, works at a local school, and has a deep affection for dogs and the beach. She also knows she may have to give the body back. The city around her is deteriorating, zombie incursions, political collapse, a war pressing in from the outside, while Nona's most pressing concern is whether she will get a birthday party.
If you have not read the earlier books in the series, Gideon the Ninth and Harrow the Ninth, this preview will likely make very little sense. Muir's worldbuilding is dense and cumulative, and Nona the Ninth does not reset the slate for new readers. The excerpt functions best as a tone test for existing fans who want to check whether the shift in narrator and register between Harrow and Nona suits them.
Narration & Audio Performance
Moira Quirk has narrated the entire Locked Tomb series, and her work on these books has been consistently well-regarded by listeners already familiar with the series. Her approach here is measured and dry, which suits Nona's oddly innocent first-person voice, Nona observes the apocalypse around her with a kind of calm detachment that could easily read as flat on the page, but Quirk gives it an understated warmth that works.
The tonal challenge with Nona specifically is that the character is written as guileless and literal, surrounded by characters who are neither. Quirk handles this contrast without overplaying the innocence or making Nona seem slow. The voice differentiation between Nona and the other recurring cast members from earlier books is clear enough that listeners returning from Harrow the Ninth will have no trouble orienting themselves.
Because this is a preview excerpt rather than a full production, it is difficult to assess long-term pacing or how Quirk handles the full range of the novel. The sample itself is short. Listening to it will give you a direct read on whether the audio format works for you here, which is exactly what a sneak peek is designed to do.
The Audible Verdict
This is a free promotional excerpt, not a full audiobook, so questions of credit value are largely moot, download it at no cost if it is available. Its real purpose is to help you decide whether to spend a credit on the full Nona the Ninth audiobook. On that narrower question: if Quirk's narration worked for you on the first two books, it works here too, and the audio format suits this series well. If you are new to the series, start with Gideon the Ninth rather than this preview.
Listen on AudibleIs This Book a Good Fit for Audio?
The Locked Tomb series is a reasonable fit for audio overall. Muir's prose is dense with invented terminology, proper nouns, and nested allusions, but the narrative structure is linear enough that the audio format does not actively work against comprehension. Nona the Ninth in particular is narrated in close third person through Nona's simplified worldview, which actually makes it somewhat more accessible in audio than Harrow the Ninth's more fragmented style.
The main caveat for this series on audio is that Muir's writing rewards rereading, catching callbacks, wordplay, and structural jokes on a second pass. Audio makes that harder. If you are a close-reader who will want to flip back, the print version has real advantages. For casual or commute listening with prior series knowledge, audio is a serviceable choice.
As a sneak peek specifically, the audio format is a perfectly sensible way to sample the material. It gives you the narrator's voice and the book's register without requiring any investment.
Popular Listener Questions
Is this the full Nona the Ninth audiobook?
No. This is a promotional excerpt, a sneak peek released ahead of the full book. It contains only a portion of the novel. The complete audiobook is a separate title.
Do I need to read the earlier Locked Tomb books first?
Yes. This excerpt assumes familiarity with Gideon the Ninth and Harrow the Ninth. The series does not stand alone at any point, and jumping in at book three without context will leave most of the setup unexplained.
Is Moira Quirk the narrator for the entire Locked Tomb series?
Yes. Quirk has narrated all the books in the series, so listeners familiar with her work on the earlier entries will find the same voice here.
Is this excerpt free?
It was released as a free promotional download. Check the current Audible listing to confirm availability and pricing at the time you are looking.
What kind of book is Nona the Ninth?
It is science fantasy, a far-future setting involving necromancy, interstellar politics, body horror, and genre-blending tone that shifts between dark comedy and tragedy. The series is difficult to categorize cleanly.
Similar Audiobooks
The first book in the Locked Tomb series. If you have not listened to this yet, start here rather than with the sneak peek.
The second book and the direct predecessor to Nona the Ninth. Essential context for anything in this excerpt.
The Traitor Baru Cormorant
Another science fantasy novel with dense worldbuilding and a narrator with an unusual relationship to power and identity. Suits readers who like Muir's style.
Far-future science fiction with literary prose, political stakes, and a protagonist navigating an alien culture. Often recommended alongside the Locked Tomb series.
The Ruin of Kings
Dense secondary world fantasy with a non-linear structure. Listeners who handle Muir's complexity well may find this a comparable listen.
Audiobook Details
| Title | Nona the Ninth Sneak Peek |
|---|---|
| Author | Tamsyn Muir |
| Narrator | Moira Quirk |
| Genre | Science Fantasy |
| Year | 2022 |
| Publisher | Tordotcom |
| Abridged | Unabridged |
| Cast | Single narrator |
| Author-narrated | No |
Ready to listen?
The sneak peek is available on Audible and is a low-commitment way to test the narration before spending a credit on the full novel. If you are new to Audible, the free trial credit is better spent on the complete Nona the Ninth or Gideon the Ninth.
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