Harrowhark Nonagesimus, Reverend Daughter of the Ninth House and bone witch extraordinaire, has been summoned into action. The Emperor has invited the heirs to each of his loyal Houses to a deadly trial of wits and skill. If Harrowhark succeeds she will be become an immortal, all-powerful servant of the Resurrection, but no necromancer can ascend without their cavalier. Without Gideon’s sword, Harrow will fail, and the Ninth House will die.
Of course, some things are better left dead.
Gideon Nav, bonded servant, and Harrowhark Nonagesimus, Daughter of the House, are the only members of their generation in the Ninth House, and have hated each other since birth. Which is a pity, as the Emperor has summoned representatives from each House, and they must go as Necromancer and Cavalier, and work together, or die.
This is difficult to classify. After a few grim chapters in the fantastical Ninth House, the pair travel off-world to a 10,000 year old decaying palace, where they meet the representatives of the other Houses, and are set a task. The old palace is extraordinarily atmospheric, and the tale changes to exploration of a decayed technological civilisation, then becomes a murder mystery, then a monster fight, then… Well, there’s a lot going on.
I was bored to start, then swept up in the old palace, then confused, then struggling to follow the mystery, then excited by the monsters, then… Well, it twists and turns a lot.
When I finished it, I thought “that was interesting, I think I enjoyed that, and I never want to read anything in that universe ever again”, and then went and bought the sequel immediately. Yes, it’s confusing.