Reviews with content warning for Racism - Ninth House

I would put money down that Leigh Bardugo and Holly Black wrote their occult-adjacent adult debut novels together on some secret writers' retreat. They're eerily similar on tone and theme. Additionally, the main characters in both books, Alex and Charlie, would be fast friends.

My feelings on this book are extremely similar to my feelings on Holly Black's debut adult novel: the critiques hold up. It IS slow. It IS boring.

I called the first half of the twist shockingly early along; I don't think that's due to me being clever so much as it being obvious. That being said, the second half of the twist wasn't so much of a twist as it was a lore dump. Books with mysteries that don't give the reader everything they need to solve them aren't mysteries so much as messy. And the plot threads that are left after the initial murder is solved are tied up by some piece of lore neither you or the main character had an idea about. It's supposed to be this mic drop "oh shit" moment that puts you onto the sequels, but I was left feeling annoyed that I had wasted energy trying to solve something that I couldn't have solved. It's not clever; it's not a trick question- it's annoying and poor writing.

Alex is extremely dry as a character. I couldn't tell you a thing about her that isn't her aesthetic or her trauma. Same goes for every other character in this book, unfortunately.

Check the trigger warnings; I don't think having to read/listen to the graphic scenes were worth what I got out of this book in ANY stretch of the imagination. I won't be reading the sequel.

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isaiahh's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional inspiring mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

“They tried to kill me,” […] That means I get to try to kill them.

Alex Stern is a high school dropout, ex-drug user, and the only survivor of an unsolved crime. She's also a freshman at Yale. Having been recruited to monitor the university's secret society, she goes far beyond the tasks appointed to her when a girl dies on campus and Alex is the only one really trying to investigate. She discovers the societies are far darker than anyone thought: despite already raising the dead, they're not above preying on the living.

If anything is Leigh Bardugo's forte, it's creating characters you fall madly in love with, and Alex Stern is no exception. The main character of Ninth House is a badass girl with enough trauma to make you sob, who powers on and only answers to herself. But she's also kind and funny, and a very good friend (when she can). The rest of the cast is as entertaining and endearing as she is, but especially gentleman scholar Darlington (Alex's mentor) and introverted Dawes (my personal favorite character).

If you're used to short books, Ninth House, sitting at around 450 pages, might seem a bit lengthy, but its fast paced story with twists and turns you can't expect will keep you turning pages, and you'll probably finish it wishing for 200 more pages.

The plot is pulled in every direction, with the crime investigation at its center, and it is so entertaining. You get to dive in both Alex and Darlington's pasts, to see glimpses of students struggles (very relatable if you're one yourself), and to discover such an interesting magic system, one Bardugo has obviously woven with care. It keeps you on your toes, makes you wish magic was real, and pushes the boundaries of every expectations that come with 'raising the dead'.

Ninth House is a masterpiece of dark fantasy, and sets a high bar for its sequel, Hell Bent (coming April 2023). If you're looking for a book to gift your fantasy and/or dark academia obsessed friend, look no further, this is it!

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lisa_m's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I read and loved Six of Crows and I also read and liked Shadow and Bone. I really like Leighs writing, worldbuilding and especially her way to bring characters alive. I was excited for this book but also have been wanting to read it for ages. Since finally the second book is going to be published soon I thought this is a great time for me to read 'Ninth House'.

It was not at all what I expected. I wanted to go in knowing as little as possible. I knew that this book is adult but I didn't expect it to as graphic as it was. I really liked the premise and the characters and also the mystery of it all. Just because of her writing I automatically like the book.

I do have a few issues with it though:
1. Alex's motives didn't always make sense to me. Why was she so adamant on solving Taras murder? She didn't know her, everyone told her that it was the boyfriend, even after she broke into the morgue it was clear it was the boyfriend. I just didn't understand why she would go further and further. At a certain point it was clear that there is more behind it than we thought but I do not understand why and how Alex knew that?
2. Also I felt like all side characters were just there for convenience. Especially Alex's roommates. They are so unconditionally loyal to her for seemingly no reason? I mean that is not how it usually is at uni right? Like it would make sense for them to ask her why she's never at home but not to a degree where she constantly has to come up with fake reasons & apologies, right? I wanted a bit more interaction and reason there so it actually makes sense for them to call her mum. (The thing with Brady 100% made sense though. He's a shit and deserves only the worst)
3. That might be on me, but I didn't understand the worldbuilding fully. I think it was on purpose that the big questions like 'why is there magic?' and 'where does it come from?' are unanswered. But I didn't understand the limits of the magic. It's clear that it best works in the tombs and not really anywhere else, but also things like the coin of compulsion work everywhere? And spells can be cast that influence the wider world as well? Idk I'm just a bit confused about that. Also I want to know how noone actually found out outside of the societies. How do they keep the secret?

I think I had way more questions but these are the most important ones. I am definitely going to read 'Hellbent' but if I'm being honest I'm in no hurry. Maybe I'll even wait until all (5?) books are out. The story was intruiging but it wasn't exactly my cup of tea. (Even though I love mystery, magic, university settings, academia and secret societies in books.. ?)

What I loved about the book was all the intruige and mystery. The connections weren't always completely clear to me but that didn't take away from it being fun. I wish we got to see a bit more magic and a bit less trauma but that is only my opinion. I bet for some people this was perfect.

Generally I would anyone to please read the trigger warnings for this book. There are a lot and they are really graphic as well.

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bookaneer808's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

I read this when it was first published last year, and given that book 2 Hell Bent is due out shortly, it was time to remind myself of book 1, this time in audiobook format.
Both times/formats I found the first half a bit of a slog; I know the worldbuilding needs to happen but it still feels a bit turgid. BUT from that point on, events gallop forward with breakneck speed and kept me completely gripped.
Dark academia / dark magic / death and vengeful ghosts...perfect autumnal read.
Brilliantly performed by Lauren Fortgang with parts by Michael David Axtell.

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literarylocd's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

literally trigger warning everything

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renley's review against another edition

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dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

i was very interested thru the entire book, tho it was a lot of going back and trying to remember house names/characters in the beginning because theres a lot of info dump early on but overall it was very engaging and I enjoyed the characters and the plot and the magic. i really liked darlington so sad he wasnt in it as much but very intrigued n excited for the next book

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takarakei's review against another edition

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dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Reread January 2023:
I'm so glad I decided to reread this prior to the sequel coming out. I enjoyed it even more than the first time. I remembered the basic plotline, but forgot a lot of the details, which allowed me to just awe at the way Bardugo weaves the story together. So many crumbs throughout this book that are left for not only the main mystery of this book, but more for the future of the series. Also listened to the audiobook at the same time which was very well done. Bardugo also does an interview with the narrator at the end (audiobook)!

Original Review Sept 2022:
If you like dark academia and murder mysteries this book is for you!

This book is wild! One of my reading notes was literally "wtf am I reading"? A murder mystery unlike any I've ever read. Will keep you guessing til the end. So many twists and turns. The MC Alex is badass but flawed and realistic. She is constantly underestimated and totally not given enough credit for how badass she is.

This is a very dark book. A lot of bad things happen, please check CW/TW!!

The ending is a great metaphor for non-intersectional feminism (Belbalm) and the overall book has great metaphors for power imbalances and elitism. Also side note, to me Alex reads as bi

I'm curious to see where the sequel will go, it sounds like potentially in a different direction based on the ending.

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saucy_bookdragon's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

“The chance to show someone else wonder; to watch them realize they had not been lied to, that the world they’d been promised as children was not something that had to be abandoned, that there really was something lurking in the woods, beneath the stairs, between that stars, that everything was full of mystery.”

Ninth House is messy and very flawed, yet I was captivated by it the entire time.

I initially DNF’d it in 2019 due to the darker and triggering elements giving me anxiety. Since then, I’ve gotten significantly better at handling those elements, so I had zero problems with anxiety reading it again in 2024, which is a testament to my own improved mental health. That said, definitely pay attention to the trigger warnings before going into this because a lot of heavy stuff is included, rape in particular is a big one.

I buddy read this with a friend who’s Jewish, which was great because he was able to catch a lot of references to Judaism that would have gone over my head, in particular with how Leigh Bardugo built this world. It’s very detailed and interesting thematically with how it combines elements of Judaism, Catholicism, Greco-Roman mythology, while also being its own, unique world. These elements also have an impact on the plot through parallels, so much so that by analyzing them me and my buddy read partner actually predicted a few plot points in the ending. It’s also done in a respectful, delicate way given how easily a story about the occult and secret societies could be antisemitic.

The world building is the highlight of this novel. It's so creepy and atmospheric and detailed. A place where spirits and magic are extremely present if you know where to look. In making this world even more immersive, Bardugo has such a great writing style that nearly disappears, allowing you to get lost in the story.

Darlington as a character was another highlight. Clearly the same breed as the Darkling, down to having similar names and appearances, Darlington is like “what if the Darkling was nice?” He is very charming and complex. I also really enjoyed the slight hints of romance he had with Alex, Bardugo is excellent at making romances that are so slow and yearnful and delicate (to this day Kaz and Inej have a chokehold on me).

Unfortunately, I can’t say the same for the protagonist, Alex. Though her backstory is well fleshed out, I never felt I truly knew or connected to her. It was like I knew facts about her, but not who she was as a person.

Her ethnic representation is also questionable. She’s half Sephardic and half Latina. Now Bardugo herself is Sephardic and you can tell she gave a lot of attention to that side of Alex’s identity. However, Alex falls into negative stereotypes around Latinx people (in particular her past with drugs and crime). Though Latinx people with her traits do exist, the way it is done with Alex leaves those stereotypes unexamined, just throwing them at her with little regard to how harmful these stereotypes are. And I’m not the only one to notice these problems, I’ve also seen a few Latinx BookTokkers point them out.

In the spoilers tag, I will be discussing how the book handles rape. I’ve hidden it so anyone who finds the topic too triggering can skip it over. The section also contains some small spoilers. The rest of my review doesn’t touch on the topic.

I also have mixed feelings on how this book handles rape. I actually liked how Alex’s experience was handled. Slight spoilers, but she was raped by a ghost when she was twelve years old. I thought the scene was relatively tasteful, focused mainly on her emotions and the surroundings without a ton of description around the actual act, the scene is over after about a page. I also liked it thematically, she was violated by a ghost so no one believes her, he faces no consequences, and her trauma is invalidated. It was a sad reflection on how sexual assault victims are treated in real life with little justice or regard for their trauma.

However, later on a side character named Hellie gets raped and murdered. This scene is used as backstory and development for Alex and I found it distasteful. We know little about Hellie as a character, she wasn’t even introduced before this scene. Her existence begins and ends with being assaulted, and it’s all for Alex's character development. There was no reason to include sexual assault in this scene, Alex would have reacted the same had it just been the murder. It also immediately fridges the character. I do believe this scene could have been rewritten in a more respectful way while still fitting the dark tone of the book.

The plot itself is also pretty messy. It’s got uneven pacing, the flashbacks did not have to happen when they did (yet they're more interesting than the main plot), the side characters are uninteresting, and some of the mystery’s answers come out of the blue. Though in my buddy read we predicted some of the answers because of the themes and references, the actual way they’re executed is out of nowhere, especially with the magical elements. The magic system is too soft and too random.

The lack of a clearly defined magic system also impacts the academia elements. Supposedly, these secret societies are studying magic, but most of it feels random and poorly explained. Once again, the world building is super cool and detailed, but it isn’t well defined.

It’s actually strange this is set at Yale given very little academia actually happens, I couldn’t even tell you what Alex and Darlington are majoring in or what their class schedule looks like. The Yale setting is really only there to use the real life secret societies (by the way, Bardugo made the society she was a part of the animal shapeshifters).

So yeah, Ninth House is a pretty mixed bag. The book seems to be something you either love or hate and I get that, I myself am divided over it. I’m not sure who I’d recommend it to, like I know some specific people who might like it but not the overall audience. I am glad I gave it a second chance because the parts I liked I really liked, I overall had a good time with this! I’m also intrigued enough to read the second book. I’m glad that Leigh Bardugo has this series and an upcoming historical fantasy for her to write stories outside the Grishaverse, it’s nice to get some variety from her and shows she is an overall talented writer!

TWs: there are two on page rape scenes, one of which happens to the main character as a child. Drug addiction is another major theme and part of the main character’s backstory. The story’s world building has a heavy emphasis on ghosts and death so there is a lot of corpse imagery and grief. Literally eating shit, murder, lots of gore including dissecting people, and some racist comments about Latinx people. (less)

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