Fans of Tamsyn Muir’s The Locked Tomb series have been waiting a long time for Alecto the Ninth. Originally envisioned as part of a trilogy, the series eventually expanded when Nona the Ninth became its own novel, leaving Alecto the Ninth as the fourth book and planned conclusion to one of the strangest and most beloved science-fantasy series of the past several years.
The big question is obvious: When is Alecto the Ninth coming out?
Unfortunately, fans hoping for a confirmed release date are going to have to keep waiting.
As of August 2026, there is no officially announced release date for Alecto the Ninth. Tamsyn Muir’s official website still describes the novel as “forthcoming” and confirms that it will conclude The Locked Tomb series.
That may be disappointing considering how long readers have been waiting, but there is still plenty we know about the upcoming novel. Muir has previously offered intriguing hints about the story, its opening, its themes, and the huge questions surrounding Gideon, Harrow, Alecto, and John that the finale will need to answer.
Here is everything we currently know about Alecto the Ninth and what fans can expect when the book finally arrives.
When Is Alecto the Ninth Coming Out?
There is currently no confirmed release date for Alecto the Ninth.
This is the most important thing for fans to know because several dates have circulated online over the years.
At one point, the book was officially expected much sooner. When Tordotcom Publishing announced in 2021 that Nona the Ninth had grown into a separate novel, the publisher said that Nona would arrive in fall 2022 and that Alecto the Ninthwould follow in fall 2023.
That obviously did not happen.
The current official information is much less specific. Muir’s website lists Gideon the Ninth, Harrow the Ninth, and Nona the Ninth as the first three books and says the series “concludes with Alecto the Ninth (forthcoming).” No publication date is provided.
Macmillan’s official Locked Tomb page likewise continues to promote Alecto, including a link to a sneak peek read by Muir, but does not list a release date.
For now, readers should be skeptical of dates appearing on retailer pages, Goodreads listings, or other book databases unless the date is also confirmed by Tor, Macmillan, or Muir.
Is Alecto the Ninth Coming Out in 2026?
At the time of writing, there is no official announcement confirming a 2026 release for Alecto the Ninth.
That distinction matters.
With such a highly anticipated novel, an exact release date would normally be accompanied by a formal publisher announcement, preorder information, and other promotional material. The absence of an official date means readers should not assume that a particular year is guaranteed.
The best answer right now is simply that Alecto the Ninth remains forthcoming.
Why Has Alecto the Ninth Taken So Long?
Part of the unusual publication history of Alecto the Ninth goes back to the creation of Nona the Ninth.
The Locked Tomb was initially conceived as a trilogy. Alecto was therefore expected to be the third novel following Gideon the Ninth and Harrow the Ninth.
But something interesting happened while Muir was writing it.
The beginning of Alecto became so large that it essentially turned into an entire novel of its own.
That novel became Nona the Ninth.
Muir explained in a 2022 Reactor interview that everything she originally planned for Act One of Alecto became Nona. Rather than compressing a novel-sized opening into another book, the story expanded and The Locked Tomb became a four-book series.
Nona the Ninth was ultimately published in September 2022.
That means readers waiting for Alecto technically received part of the story earlier than expected, just in a considerably larger and stranger form than originally planned.
Considering the complexity of The Locked Tomb, it is also not difficult to understand why its conclusion might require considerable time. Muir is dealing with thousands of years of history, multiple identities and souls, competing political factions, resurrection, necromancy, religion, planetary destruction, and several intentionally unresolved mysteries.
This is not exactly a series where the final book can simply send everyone into one last battle and call it a day.
Will Alecto the Ninth Be the Final Locked Tomb Book?
Yes, that remains the plan.
Tamsyn Muir’s official website explicitly says The Locked Tomb series “concludes with Alecto the Ninth.”
That gives the fourth novel an enormous amount of work to do.
The series began with Gideon the Ninth, which introduced readers to Gideon Nav, Harrowhark Nonagesimus, the Nine Houses, cavaliers, necromancers, and the Emperor.
Harrow the Ninth dramatically expanded the universe while deliberately making readers question nearly everything they thought they understood.
Then Nona the Ninth somehow made the story even stranger while revealing enormously important information about John, the Resurrection, Earth, and Alecto.
All of those threads now lead into the finale.
And that is why Alecto the Ninth has the potential to completely change how fans interpret the previous three books.
What Will Alecto the Ninth Be About?
Readers should expect spoilers for Gideon the Ninth, Harrow the Ninth, and Nona the Ninth from this point forward.
Muir has not released a conventional full plot synopsis for the book, but she has provided several fascinating clues.
Perhaps the biggest is the way Alecto begins.
In her Reactor interview, Muir revealed that the novel begins with “the descent of Christ into Hades.” She explained that Alecto continues the biblical and religious ideas explored throughout Nona the Ninth.
That description immediately creates some interesting possibilities after the ending of Nona.
Harrow’s location and condition will clearly be crucial.
When Muir was directly asked where Harrow stands at the end of Nona and beginning of Alecto, her wonderfully concise response was that Harrowhark is in Hell.
Exactly how literally readers should interpret that statement is another question entirely.
This is The Locked Tomb, after all.
But Harrow is clearly going to be central to whatever happens next.
Alecto Will Finally Take Center Stage
Then there is Alecto herself.
Few characters have cast such a large shadow over a series while remaining so mysterious for so long.
The mythology surrounding Alecto, John, the Resurrection, and Earth’s destruction has gradually moved from the background toward the center of the story. By the end of Nona the Ninth, readers understand far more about their relationship than they did at the beginning of the series.
Yet there are still enormous gaps.
Muir has also discussed the significance of Alecto’s name. Alecto is one of the Furies of Greek mythology, and Muir noted possible meanings associated with the name including ideas such as being unspoken, unspeakable, unnamable, ceaseless, or implacable. She also pointed out that John does not like naming Alecto, something that gives the name itself additional significance within the novels.
Expect the final book to explore exactly who—or what—Alecto is, her relationship with John, and what she ultimately wants.
What Happens to Gideon and Harrow?
This might be the biggest emotional question hanging over the entire series.
The relationship between Gideon Nav and Harrowhark Nonagesimus has powered The Locked Tomb from the beginning even when one or both characters have been absent, dead, mentally fragmented, physically separated, spiritually complicated, or some uniquely Locked Tomb combination of all five.
Alecto the Ninth should finally address what has happened to both of them.
Muir specifically said that the state of Gideon’s soul and Harrow’s soul are questions for Nona and Alecto. She jokingly compared Gideon’s soul to a Happy Meal and suggested that Harrow had consumed only part of it, leaving the remainder unresolved.
Behind the joke is one of the series’ most important mysteries.
Where exactly is Gideon?
What happened to every part of her soul?
What does that mean for Harrow?
And after everything they have endured, can either character ever become whole again?
Alecto the Ninth will presumably have to provide some kind of answer.
Whether it will be a happy answer is another matter.
Readers of Tamsyn Muir probably know better than to make optimistic assumptions.
Expect More About John and the Resurrection
If Gideon the Ninth made John Gaius seem mysterious and Harrow the Ninth made him increasingly suspicious, Nona the Ninth fundamentally changed readers’ understanding of him.
The John chapters in Nona finally provided substantial context about what happened before the Resurrection and how the world of The Locked Tomb came into existence.
But knowing more about John does not necessarily make everything clearer.
In some ways, it creates even more questions.
Alecto should be the novel where Muir finally brings together the ancient history of the universe with the present-day conflict.
John’s relationship with Alecto is especially important. So are his choices before and after the Resurrection.
For thousands of years, John has controlled the dominant narrative of the Nine Houses. The final book gives Muir the opportunity to interrogate that history from perspectives that John could never completely control.
That could make Alecto as much a reckoning with the past as a battle for the future.
Religion Should Play a Major Role
One thing fans can confidently expect is even more religious imagery.
That has existed throughout The Locked Tomb, but it became particularly explicit in Nona the Ninth.
Muir confirmed that Alecto continues that line of questioning and said the biblical interludes throughout the series are not necessarily chronological. She has also described the books’ religious parallels as deliberately complicated, with multiple characters potentially occupying Christ-like roles.
Combined with her description of Alecto beginning with a descent into Hades, the final novel appears likely to engage heavily with death, resurrection, sacrifice, rebirth, forgiveness, and judgment.
Those ideas have always existed beneath the necromantic sword fights and jokes.
In Alecto, they may finally become impossible to ignore.
Don’t Expect Alecto the Ninth to Suddenly Become Simple
Anyone hoping the final installment will become an easy, straightforward fantasy adventure probably hasn’t been paying attention.
Every Locked Tomb book has changed its storytelling style.
Gideon the Ninth begins somewhat like a gothic murder mystery.
Harrow the Ninth breaks chronology, perspective, memory, and the reader’s confidence in what is actually happening.
Nona the Ninth once again transforms the structure and emotional tone of the series.
There is little reason to believe Muir will suddenly become conventional for the finale.
If anything, Alecto the Ninth seems positioned to be the most ambitious entry of them all.
The novel has to reconcile ancient events with the present, explain important aspects of necromancy and Lyctorhood, resolve the political conflict surrounding the Nine Houses and Blood of Eden, deal with Alecto’s awakening, confront John’s actions, and provide meaningful endings for characters readers have followed through three increasingly complicated novels.
Expect confusion.
Expect revelations.
Expect jokes at extremely inappropriate moments.
And expect to reconsider scenes from the earlier books once the full story becomes clear.
What Will the Alecto the Ninth Cover Look Like?
Even the cover has been the subject of teasing.
When asked about it in 2022, Muir confirmed that artist Tommy Arnold was involved and described the design as both beautiful and frightening before making an intentionally redacted comment about something being extremely open.
That tease naturally generated plenty of speculation among readers.
Until an official cover reveal arrives, however, speculation is all it is.
Fans should look to Tor Publishing, Macmillan, and Muir’s official channels for the eventual artwork rather than unofficial mock-ups circulating online.
Do You Need to Read Nona the Ninth Before Alecto the Ninth?
You absolutely have to.
Nona the Ninth is not an optional side adventure.
The reason it exists is that what became Nona was originally the first act of Alecto. Muir said that the material became so substantial that it needed to become a separate novel.
Anyone skipping Nona and moving directly from Harrow to Alecto would therefore be skipping a major part of the intended story.
The reading order is:
- Gideon the Ninth
- Harrow the Ninth
- Nona the Ninth
- Alecto the Ninth
There are also shorter pieces connected to the series that dedicated readers may want to explore, particularly if they are planning a complete reread before the finale.
Should You Reread The Locked Tomb Before Alecto?
Yes.
This is one series where a reread may be especially worthwhile.
Muir constantly plants information that takes on completely different meanings once later revelations provide context. Details that seemed like jokes can become clues. Casual comments can suddenly carry enormous significance. Characters frequently know information that the reader does not yet understand.
And then there is Harrow the Ninth, a book practically designed to make you question your own reading comprehension until its structure begins revealing itself.
Because we still do not know exactly when Alecto will arrive, there is no need to begin the reread immediately. Once Tor announces an official publication date, however, starting again with Gideon the Ninth would be an excellent way to prepare.
When Could We Get More Alecto the Ninth News?
The next major update fans should watch for is not necessarily the book itself.
It is the official release-date announcement.
That should eventually be followed by some combination of a cover reveal, updated book description, preorder listings, publishing schedule information, interviews, excerpts, or advance copies.
Macmillan’s existing official Locked Tomb page already points readers toward an audio sneak peek of Alecto the Ninth read by Muir, confirming that material from the book has previously been publicly previewed.
But until the publisher provides a firm publication schedule, there is no reason to treat rumored dates as confirmed.
Alecto the Ninth Could Be Worth the Wait
Waiting years for the conclusion to a favorite series is never fun.
It is especially difficult with The Locked Tomb because Nona the Ninth ends with the story poised for one enormous final act.
But this is also a series that has consistently benefited from Tamsyn Muir’s willingness to follow the story in unexpected directions.
Nona the Ninth itself exists because the original opening of Alecto grew into something substantial enough to deserve an entire book.
The result was a stranger, larger series than readers initially expected.
Hopefully, the same patience that allowed The Locked Tomb to evolve will ultimately benefit its finale.
Alecto the Ninth Release Date FAQ
Does Alecto the Ninth have a release date?
No. As of August 2026, an official publication date has not been announced. Tamsyn Muir’s official website currently lists Alecto the Ninth simply as forthcoming.
Is Alecto the Ninth canceled?
There has been no official announcement that Alecto the Ninth has been canceled. Muir’s official website continues to identify it as the forthcoming conclusion to The Locked Tomb.
Is Alecto the Ninth the fourth book?
Yes. It is book four following Gideon the Ninth, Harrow the Ninth, and Nona the Ninth.
Is Alecto the Ninth the final book?
Yes, according to Muir’s official website, Alecto the Ninth is intended to conclude The Locked Tomb series.
Why wasn’t Alecto the Ninth book three?
Material originally intended to form the first act of Alecto expanded into what became Nona the Ninth. That turned the planned trilogy into a four-book series.
What should I read before Alecto the Ninth?
At minimum, read Gideon the Ninth, Harrow the Ninth, and Nona the Ninth in that order.
Final Thoughts
Alecto the Ninth remains one of the most anticipated upcoming science-fiction and fantasy novels for fans of The Locked Tomb.
Unfortunately, the answer to “When does Alecto the Ninth come out?” remains frustratingly simple: we don’t know yet.
As of August 2026, no official release date has been announced, and Tamsyn Muir’s website continues to describe the book only as forthcoming.
What we do know makes the wait even more interesting.
Alecto will conclude The Locked Tomb. It will continue the religious ideas explored in Nona. It begins with imagery Muir has described in terms of a descent into Hades. Harrow and Gideon’s complicated souls remain major unresolved questions. Alecto herself should finally move completely into the center of the story. And John will almost certainly have to face the consequences of a history he has spent ten thousand years shaping.
That is a lot for one final novel to accomplish.
Whenever Alecto the Ninth finally arrives, expect readers to immediately begin arguing about what everything means—and then start Gideon the Ninth all over again.
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