Her city is under siege.

The zombies are coming back.

And all Nona wants is a birthday party.

In many ways, Nona is like other people. She lives with her family, has a job at her local school, and loves walks on the beach and meeting new dogs. But Nona’s not like other people. Six months ago she woke up in a stranger’s body, and she’s afraid she might have to give it back.

The whole city is falling to pieces. A monstrous blue sphere hangs on the horizon, ready to tear the planet apart. Blood of Eden forces have surrounded the last Cohort facility and wait for the Emperor Undying to come calling. Their leaders want Nona to be the weapon that will save them from the Nine Houses. Nona would prefer to live an ordinary life with the people she loves, with Pyrrha and Camilla and Palamedes, but she also knows that nothing lasts forever.

And each night, Nona dreams of a woman with a skull-painted face…

Amazon Link: Nona the Ninth (The Locked Tomb #3)

Author: Tamsyn Muir

Genre: Grimdark science fantasy

Rating: 5/5 stars

This was another new format for the series and another great character. This one was almost heartwarming to read about Nona’s joy in the simple pleasures of life, but you know from this series, that can’t last. And there are hints of something darker going on underneath.

I love Nona and her optimism in the face of everything bad. I love her friendship with the characters from earlier books and the chance to see yet another new side of them. Her devotion to children and dogs is also so sweet. I could have been happy with just reading about Nona and her little adventures.

But the ending was so sad because of that even though I understood why things had to change. Without giving things away, it was hard to let go.

I love all the wild world-building and characters. It’s so weird and complex, but it still fits together in a way that makes sense. And now I can’t wait for the last book of the series.

Brace yourself and read this book!