I spent probably the first 60% of this book going “?????.” Granted, it had been a year and a half since I read Gideon the Ninth, and I was listening to the audiobook so the names and details came off a little differently, but part of me wondered if I somehow picked up the wrong book or somehow suppressed some key details from the previous book (lol). After some brief searching, it seems this is the common experience with this book. What also is a common sentiment is that the confusion pays off, and I agree. I found myself becoming increasingly invested - unsurprised by some of the reveals and completely caught off guard by others. The book at times does seem to miss the trees for the forest, but I can see the way the story is progressing and Harrow the Ninth has reinvested me in ways I did not foresee.