The Sounds of Drearburh

My partner and I are big fans of Tamsyn Muir’s The Locked Tomb series. As I listened to the newest book Nona the Ninth (narrated by the spectacular Moira Quirk) I was also looking for inspiration for a new sound design project. One of the things I love about Tamsyn Muir’s writing style is how descriptive she is about audio! I get such clear idea of what the environments in all three books sound like and have often said that if this series was ever turned in to a TV show or film that I would die to do the music and sound design for it (pun intended).

So that became the concept of this project. I pulled out my copy of Gideon and read the description of Castle Drearburh and the Locked Tomb to put together an audio journey from the grounds, through the castle and chapel, to the terrifying old lift, deep below the castle and to the tomb where water “moves with a tide that shouldn’t exist” where a frozen girl, apparently a corpse, but chained in place.

Then, of course, I couldn’t help but write a score for the soundscape. After some brainstorming with my partner we decided that the most fitting thing would be a large orchestral sound accompanied by an organ and dirty industrial guitars.

For those of you who have not yet read The Locked Tomb series (Gideon the Ninth, Harrow the Ninth, Nona the Ninth, with one more book to come), I cannot sing its praises enough. I have not fallen in love with a book series this hard since Harry Potter. One of the reasons I love it so much is that there are queer characters ALL OVER THE PLACE and there is no need to come out because various sexualities are so normalized that it doesn’t matter. Seeing queer characters in science fiction and fantasy represented this way is something I (and many other queer readers) are so hungry for. I saw in Gideon a character my younger, pre-transition self would have strongly identified with. When I was growing up and discovering my sexuality and gender identity books and media that depicted queer characters in this way were difficult to find. Books with trans characters depicted in this way were, to my knowledge, nonexistent in the US. This is gradually changing and anybody who is craving a queer, complex, action-packed, sci-fi/fantasy read will fall in love with this series.

One note before you do though. I am definitely one of those people who struggles with audiobooks. As someone with ADD I struggle to keep my focus on what I’m listening to because my brain has a tendency to go off on its own tangents about what I’m listening. It has always been easier for me to read a physical copy of a book. But Moira Quirk recorded the most engaging audiobook I have ever listened to. The way she voices each character and her delivery of Muir’s witty writing adds so much to the experience. There are even times that she will read something in a way that gives provides foreshadowing you may not pick up in the book. Muir is great and leaving the reader asking questions. Quirk is great at piling more questions on top of those. I do still have physical copies of the books because after I listen to them I immediately go read the physical copies with pens and highlighters because my most well loved books are the ones covered in my own questions and commentary.

If you are already a fan I hope you enjoy my audio fan art. If you have not I truly hope you will also enjoy this and then go experience the book!