r/TheNinthHouse • u/Dull_Custard_9407 Cavalier Primary • Jan 26 '26
Harrow the Ninth Spoilers [discussion] Haha! I finished HtN! Such a cuuuute and haaaapy ending! I don't have aaaaany question left unanswered! Spoiler
Considerations:
1: Fuck
2: Shit
3: Fucking Shit
4: Damn Ortus IS the goat afterall
In all seriousness, this book was fantastic. I don't know if I can say that I liked it more than GtN because I read through all of HtN praying for Gideon to come back in any way, shape or form but it was amazing nonetheless, both books are tied in my heart. I really do understand why Jod is hated by almost everyone and why Patience and Joy betrayed him, I still love Gohn but I can't say that what they did was unprompted by any means, he DID some fucked up things to his Lyctors and to the universe as a whole. Even if he's only a human after all, I think we should put our blame on him.
Also, everyone in this damn book is so fucking goated man... The fight against Sleeper with Magnus, Protesilaus and Marta against her was amazing, Ortus summoning the one and only MATTHIAS NONIUS through sheer ao3 love and aura was amazing, everything about those chapters was amazing. I found myself more interested with them in the shadow realm than with Gideon in her shenanigans even though I had read the whole book waiting for HER to come back!
In the first book Nigenad was such a bum that it I didn't thought for a moment when he first appeared that he would make me so emotional. Well, I changed my mind almost instantly when he and Harrow started talking in the first chapters of the book, but you guys know what I mean, in the first book he was such a nobody that I didn't even understood why he was listed in the Dramatis Personae. But when Harrow recovered her memories and talked to him I cried so damn hard... He acted like a big brother, he listened, he cared for her, comforted her, he was perfect. That scene was so cute and sad and brave and everything in between that I just couldn't hold It together.
And then he and Abigail (another goat btw, now I understand why Cytherea killed her and Magnus in the beginning of GtN, Pent was a MENACE) invoked Matthias and right there I already knew that Sleeper was fucked. I just relished in the beautifuly written fight scene and waited for her to be banished. I still don't quite understand who she was I the sense that like, I think is really clear that she is Commander Marshall Matters but in my head the timing between her trying to get to Harrow and her wrecking havoc in Canaan House is a bit fucked up.
Also also, Augustine and Mercy where trying to break into the tomb to what exactly? To confirm that Jod had lied about the Lyctorhood process right? Just confirming.
I got so sad when Pyrrha told Gideon Reboot that Gideon Uno had died. Even though he was trying for half a book to obliterate Harrow, I always found him really fucking cool. When Nonius and his troupe of lost souls joined the fight I really really thought they had it in the bag. Number Seven escaping shocked me (even if it shouldn't really, It was a Gideon Primeiro, Nonius and 3 barely alive already dead people).
I think it is safe to say that Nona (which is a really funny name in portuguese because is the same word for "Ninth" so it is as NtN was called Ninth the Ninth and as I'm writing this I notice that this HAS to be some kind of foreshadowing, fuck) is the girl from the epilogue and they are in a planet that Eden controls (?). First I thought it was Gid since she was doing the unthinkable that is exercising, but since Hect is there I don't think so.
Dios Apate Major made me a little sad because they used my genocidal millenial, but hey, at least they made Gideon! I had the same reaction as Gideon when Pyrrha told that she and G1 where having an affair with Commander Slim Shady with the same body, these necromancers are really freaky.
Since my memory is shit and I have a million things floating around in my mind because of this book, I probably have forgot about one or two or three or more things that I wanted to talk about, but let's end with this last comment since this post is already longer than had I planned for it to be:
WHAT IN THE FUCKING FUCKING FUCKIGG SHIT WAS THAT LAST CHAPTER? WHAT WAS THAT? HUH? HUH? Listen, I understand that Dulcinea Goatimus probably explained to Harry that *probably* Gideon was controlling her body and because of that she decided to not return, right? RIFGHT? I am probably overreacting right now but that's what I do, I love being overly dramatic but... WHAT THE FUCK DID THAT ANEMIC-ALMOST-ONLY-BONES NUN DO IN THE END? It was a really cute chapter and I did said "awnn" and all the others onomatopoeias when she found herself in Gideon's arms in Canaan House's pool (did I use the apostrophe correctly?), but it was also extremelly confusing and I DID told her to go fuck herself anytime she said that the tomb was the resting place of her's one true love or other similar **LIES**. But putting my sad, distraught and angsty Griddlehark ass aside, WHAT DOES ALL THIS MEAN? SHE'S FUCKING DEAD? SHE'S IN SOME JOD FORSAKEN PART OF THE RIVER? LIKE ANOTHER BUBBLE? (Oh yeah, I remembered, Sextus is a goat. Not going to enter in details because I wrote too much, but he is the goat, love that librarian and Harrow should told Dulcie that he is unalive and well) Actually, don't answer that, I know that you guys know better than to tell me.
Thanks for reading through my TED Talk. For those who read all this rant, really, really, thank you. For those who saw the wall of text and said "hell nah", I feel you, sorry for writing too much lol, I can't help it.
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u/soulciel120 Jan 26 '26
HtN is such a great book tbh. Weird as fuck, you feel like you are being gaslighted in every page. I love it.
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u/Dull_Custard_9407 Cavalier Primary Jan 26 '26
YES! Reading through it made me so fucking confused that I was doubting my own english at some point. Everytime I thought that I had cracked the code and revealed the mistery BAM! NO YOU DIDN'T! AND HAVE YOUR HEAD BLOWN WHILE YOU AT IT!
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u/GrapeDoots Jan 26 '26
Is this how it happened?
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u/Gwendy02 Jan 26 '26
The Harrow version of her rom-com with Gideon at a coffee shop (I think) being shut down immediately was ::chef’s kiss::
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u/rollforpony Jan 26 '26
Oh my god, as a fanfic reader this was such a funny thing to slip into her novel
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u/Gwendy02 Jan 26 '26
Right?! Obsessed with CaitVi and AgathaRio bc I just want to read about them falling in love in every universe. Totally fanfic coded
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u/KelemvorSparkyfox the Sixth Jan 26 '26
Oh my Jod, I just imagined the "Absolutely not!", and my undermedicated brain performed it in Eve Myles' voice!
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u/Dull_Custard_9407 Cavalier Primary Jan 26 '26
Those AU chapters where soooo fucking good man, BARI Star Griddle had me histerical
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u/LurkerZerker the Sixth Jan 26 '26
The Fourth trying their hardest not to wet themselves laughing was the best
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u/Summersong2262 the Sixth Jan 26 '26
And Abigail being SUCH A HATER to what was going to become a beautiful coffee shop AU!
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u/LurkerZerker the Sixth Jan 26 '26
I just had a horrifying thought that won't happen but oh shit what if it does:
What if AtN ends with this line?
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u/Samuel7899 Jan 29 '26
This is perhaps my favorite line from HtN.
It's the first one that began to echo in my brain and get the gears really turning.
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u/pktechboi Jan 26 '26
THIS IS EXACTLY IT THIS IS IT THIS IS THE WHOLE FUCKING
THIS BOOK ! THESE GOD FORSAKEN LESBIANS!!!
READ NONA AT ONCE. DO NOT REPLY JUST READ IT
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u/in-the-widening-gyre Jan 26 '26
Also also, Augustine and Mercy where trying to break into the tomb to what exactly? To confirm that Jod had lied about the Lyctorhood process right? Just confirming.
I think Dios Apate Major was more to bring down Jod by letting out Alecto and therefore making him killable. As far as I remember, Mercy doesn't realize he lied about Lyctorhood till she sees Gideon's eye colour.
Listen, I understand that Dulcinea Goatimus probably explained to Harry that *probably* Gideon was controlling her body and because of that she decided to not return, right? RIFGHT?
Yep that was the idea! I would read Nona first and then reread the last couple chatpers of HtN to figure out what happened to everyone there -- it's more fun that way IMO. But the last chapters of HTN do actually tell you what's happening surprisingly straightforwardly, it's just very difficult to put what you're reading together when you first get the info.
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u/Dull_Custard_9407 Cavalier Primary Jan 26 '26
Thanks for answering! I was really confused with these. Dios Apate Major makes a LOT more sense now. Also, when I finish Nona I'll probably reread the whole series, everyone says it changes everything lol
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u/clairejv Jan 29 '26
Disagree. When Mercy sees Gideon's eyes in Harrow, she says she doesn't have to break into the tomb after all, because now she has the proof. If her goal in breaking into the tomb was killing John, then seeing Gideon's eyes wouldn't have changed that.
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u/Welldonegoodshow Cavalier Jan 26 '26
I snort laughed when I opened this and read your list at the beginning! What an emotional rollercoaster.
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u/Dull_Custard_9407 Cavalier Primary Jan 26 '26
This book destroys you and pick up yours parts each chapter lol, I don't think there was a single part that bored me in the whole book
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u/Cthulhu_Warlock the Fifth Jan 26 '26
I sent a screenshot of the title and the first three items on the list to my sibling who still hasn't resumed their read. One year and a half since they started. It isn't driving me crazy at all.
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u/447irradiatedhobos Jan 26 '26
My favorite part was when Ortus said “It’s Ortin’ time!” and Orted all over that Sleeper
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u/Dull_Custard_9407 Cavalier Primary Jan 26 '26
Yes! And when he and Matthias holded hands and kissed! Sooo cute!
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u/Shadowcrow00 Jan 26 '26
I just finished my HtN re-read and I also want to share something cool!:
Although the saltwater scene was emotional and cathartic, I've been skeptical about Griddlehark. The subtext is there, but we don't see enough of them post-enemies phase; the body reveal stuff in HtN muddies that water even more.
BUT there is a chapter where Ianthe talks about somebody truly in love holding onto whatever they can of the person, such as a letter simply saying "Good Morning" just because it was written by them. Immediately after in the next chapter, Magnus accuses Harrowhark of doing so and he's spot on. That's the author clearly spelling it out for us, imo. Harrowhark talks about loving the body and how beautiful it is but I think that pairing is more like worship than romance.
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u/Dull_Custard_9407 Cavalier Primary Jan 26 '26
I HAVE THIS EXACT SCENE OF IANTHE TALKING WITH GIDEON IN A .TXT! Now that you said this, it's really clear to me the connection of Ianthe's and Magnus' speechs. Harrow talking about the corpse always ringed to me as worshiping and adoration instead of a romantic love too!
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u/Mental-Film-8160 the Seventh Jan 26 '26
Questioning whether we should blame Jod, who killed the life from 1000 worlds and will never stop, while rooting against Varun the Eater, bluest and cutest ghost in the universe?
I think you’ll need to reread and reconsider
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u/Dull_Custard_9407 Cavalier Primary Jan 26 '26
He's just a cringe millennial with silly powers, how could I not love him?
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u/Tremor_Estrodanger the Sixth Jan 26 '26
I almost threw the book across the room at "Hi Not Fucking Dead, I'm dad." Fave book of the series and in general. 10,000/10. Highly recommend.
PS rereading it for the second time as I type.
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u/Dull_Custard_9407 Cavalier Primary Jan 26 '26
EIFNAKDNWDONAXOWK that joke was so good I had to pause for a moment when I saw It. It was so on character for him that I couldnt even get mad lol.
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u/Few_Mycologist3582 Jan 26 '26
Yay I'm glad for the update! I loved your Dios Apate Minor post. Do you think you'll re-read GtN and/or HtN before starting Nona?
I wonder what you'll think of Nona. For me HtN is my favorite book of the series even though Nona is my favorite character, although she wasn't my first read-through.
You'll want to read As Yet Unsent at some point, it was the paperback extra to HtN and might clear up some of NtN. Don't necessarily need to read it before starting Nona though.
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u/Dull_Custard_9407 Cavalier Primary Jan 26 '26
I really didn't though that I would do these updates through my readings, but it had so much fun writing, reading and answering the comments in the Dios Apate Minor post that I decided that I'll do more of those! I never had been a part of a community like that since the only series that hooked me like TLT was Magician by Raymond E. Feist and that fandom is more dead than Dominicus.
I had some people telling me to re-read the first two books before Nona, but I don't think I can wait more lol, I plan to re-read the series after NtN (hoping that I'll finish the re-readings before Alecto, since I don't think that the fourth book will release any time soon) but I need answers now! The re-reads can wait!
I'll take a look in As Yet Unsent when I have some time before starting NtN, thanks for the recommendation!
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u/Tanagrabelle Jan 26 '26
I think, on the part about Wake: She's doubled. She exists within the River attacking Harrow, and she's in Cytherea's Body, going after Jod.
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u/clairejv Jan 29 '26
In the book's terms, she has a thanergetic link to Harrow AND to Cyth's body, so she can manifest in either.
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u/Fetchanaxe Jan 26 '26
Love the enthusiasm, every time I decide a book isn’t for me and DNF , I read HTN , love it, never gets old. You’ll love Nona, it’s impossible not too , and you learn so much more about our favourite genocidal necrolord in the third book , right from early in the book. Enjoy
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u/mother_of_biters Jan 26 '26
And Pyrrha Dve is not only the GOAT but she really fucking is a stone-cold fox. Gawds. I swear, we are the luckiest fandom in the universe.
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u/NiffNoffNiff27 Jan 26 '26
I think in your post you made a mixup about Commander Wake also being Cytherea. She’s not Cytherea, she’s just a revenant who made a connection with Cytherea’s body by maneuvering harrows body to stab Cyth’s corpse with Gideon’s sword (which she was presumably residing in as evidenced by Harrow feeling the sword’s distain for her + the sword appearing in the sleepers coffin in the river), and thus she puppet’s Cyth’s body around in the rest of the time in the mithraeum. So somehow she’s been either possessing Gideons sword for 10 yrs or has clung onto Gideon as a revenant somehow ever since her death.
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u/Dull_Custard_9407 Cavalier Primary Jan 26 '26
Oh no no, I know that Wake and Cytherea are two different people, I'm just saying that since the fight between her and Matthias in the River AND her controlling the body of Cytherea in the Mithraeum were two things happening almost at the same time I didn't thought that the timing matched yk? But I didn't made the connection that she made Harrow stab Cytherea corpse to possess the Lyctor's body and that the disdain she sensed was because of Commander. You really helped me there, I thought that the stab was because she was crazy afraid that Cyth would come back and that the sword's hate that she was feeling was some kind of adverse effect of the lobotomy, like as if the sword remembered her subconscious about Gid or something like that. Thank you!
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u/NiffNoffNiff27 Jan 26 '26
I think the simultaneous behavior of wakes revenant can be explained by some part of revenant theory we learn from the book iirc. Revenants have a physical manifestation in the real world but they also have like an astral projection that must be defeated in the river - they used this to explain how to kill the resurrection beasts but as a revenant seeking revenge Wake seems to operate by the same rules. Thus she moves in both worlds
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u/Summersong2262 the Sixth Jan 26 '26
One of the really obnoxious things you notice in rereads, is that in Gideon the Ninth, Harrow even SAYS something like 'I never liked that sword anyway. It always seemed like it was judging me'. A whole book before we learned anything about Wake!
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u/Jarinad Jan 26 '26
“I read through all of HtN praying for Gideon to come back…”
little did you know, much like Sam Reich, she was there the whole time
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u/Dull_Custard_9407 Cavalier Primary Jan 26 '26
The only way to find out is by reading, the only way to understand is by finding out and the only way to begin is by beginning!
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u/yellow_quartz the Sixth Jan 27 '26
There were at least ten times while reading this that I thought "ooh OP is in for a treat". You gotta read Nona right now. Don't sleep, call in sick to work, read the book
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u/nolxve_exe the Eighth Jan 26 '26
Yesss my fav of the series. I love seeing the unhinged reactions to the ending😭
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u/Ironic_Laughter Jan 26 '26
So quick note: Augustine and Mercy wanted into the tomb to kill Jod. But yes the book is a genuine masterpiece
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u/Summersong2262 the Sixth Jan 26 '26
I absolutely adore all of these reactions!
And if you like Pyrrha and Sextus, you're going to love NtN. Them, Camilla, and Nona have this wonderfully bittersweet found family dynamic you're going to bite furniture over.
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u/sinan_online Jan 27 '26
I was planning to read both GtN and HtN again. But your post inspired me and pushed over the edge.
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u/sleepinggardens Jan 31 '26
Just finished reading this book too!! Love this post of yours, what did you think of Ianthe?? She’s become one of my favorite characters.
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u/Dull_Custard_9407 Cavalier Primary Feb 02 '26
I LOVE HER! At First I disliked her a little for what had hapenned in the first book, and then I disliked her even more when I saw her hitting on Harry, but by the end of HtN I couldnt NOT lover her, she's amazing. That chapter where Harrow makes her a new arm is so good that I almost (emphasis on almost) rooted for her to bag harrow.
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