She is trapped on the Emperor's space station, the Mithraeum, with the scheming Ianthe Tridentarius and ancient, dysfunctional Lyctors who are hiding millennia of secrets. Narrative Structure & Style
You love puzzle-box narratives, grief as a theme, and books that demand rereading. Skip it if: You need a straightforward sequel or find experimental narration frustrating rather than fun. Harrow the Ninth
The answer is heartbreaking. Harrow is writing letters to herself. In a desperate act of love and penance, she has made herself forget Gideon so that Gideon’s soul (which is still alive, hiding in Harrow’s body) doesn't get absorbed and destroyed. The "You" in the narrative is actually Gideon’s perspective looking out through Harrow’s eyes. You aren't reading about Harrow; you are reading as Gideon, watching the woman you love destroy herself to save you. She is trapped on the Emperor's space station,
Harrow has undergone a self-inflicted lobotomy to erase all memories of Gideon Nav, replacing her in her own mind with the unqualified cavalier Ortus Nigenad. The answer is heartbreaking
The story alternates between a present-day narrative on the Emperor’s space station (the Mithraeum) and a series of "flashbacks" to the events of Gideon the Ninth that have been fundamentally altered. Perspective Shifts: Much of the "present" is told in a jarring second-person POV