Reviews with content warning for Suicidal thoughts - Hell Bent

while slow to get started, hugely enjoyed this, especially after half way

pros:
- the ingenuity and originality of the magical system is fab, I love the dark rituals and magic that the societies come up with.
- the plot is intricate and intriguing, with plot twists, but theres always hints that the reader can spot afterwards

like with Michelle wearing turtlenecks to show shes in league with the vampire, and Anselm suddenly changing personality because hes possessed. they were both clear but subtle and I didnt see it till after the reveal

- I do really like the characters, they're all so different and their own people, Alex, Darlington, Turner, Dawes and Mercy, but also all the side characters have their own motivations
- the writing is very good, with some rly vivid imagery and turns of phrase that I wish I'd marked
- I love the extremely grey morality in how we have a lot of compassion for Alex, but she is a dark soldier of a character and so is Darlington. that's never minimalised and actually takes front stage in the book.
- the setting is basically a character itself and while I didnt really fall in love with it, I still appreciated the research and beauty of it all
- I also liked how it didnt shy away from linking magical exploitation to real life, like with the runaway slaves map, and how it was never brushed aside. it showed the dark side of the magical and wealthy.

cons:
- it's a dense book, with a lot of time switches near the start, which threw me. keeping track of characters can be tricky and I definitely needed the summary of the 1st bk to remember a lot of things. the complexity if the book all comes together near the end but it takes some getting your head round and was partly why it took me a longer time to read.
- I do kind of wish the series had started at a different point. leigh mentioned it might have been a much longer series and I kind of wish we'd seen the events with hellie and Alex's introduction to lethe by Darlington first hand, rather than in erratic flashbacks. it was hard to feel very invested in Darlington's return for a lot of it because we dont get to view himself ourselves, only through glimpses through Alex.
- sometimes things happened in the plot that felt a bit random, too much out of nowhere.

like when they got the tattoos of the salt animals that would repeatedly save their lives, it was just snuck in there as a little ritual they did like on a whim. why didnt they do some more protection earlier on? while some plot points came together nicely, sometimes it did feel kind of episodic and thrown from one plot point to the next, rather than a tightly woven web. but that also sort of fits the chaos of Alex's character so idk

but overall I did really like it, especially the badass last scene and I very much want to read the next one. (it was also amazing to meet and see leigh talk, would do that again also)

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christina95'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? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I enjoyed this book soooo much more than the first! There was less ‘shock horror’ moments that didn’t add to the story thankfully and it made reading it more enjoyable. I loved the whole hell heist story line and thought it was really well laid out, but the side plot of the murders was underwhelming and felt unfinished but maybe it will get tied up in the next book and leave it in a better position. I also enjoyed the Tripp storyline and I have such a soft spot for him - he’s like a doopy golden retriever and I’m looking forward to seeing what happens next there. What I also need to see is Alex and Darlington finally addressing their love for each other!!! There was so many points in this books that it could have happened so it better in the next! Overall a very enjoyable read and I’m looking forward to seeing where they go next!

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takarakei's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

5.0

My notes while reading:
-Literally the prologue I am already "WTF"ing
-Leigh Bardugo is a goddamn genius. That is all.
-Cat scream gif forever.
-I AM READY TO GO TO HELL!
-IT HURTS (& theories)
-THE GASP I GUSP
-I AM ON FIRE

Anyway I really wish we didn't have to wait years for the next book :')
It's also somehow technically 0/5 🌶️ but still I'm 🥵

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aileron's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional 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

4.0

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trips's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny mysterious tense 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

4.5

I guess the simplest thing to say is: I really enjoyed it!
I was so excited to be brought back into the spooky world Ninth House let me explore and I wanted to explore it more. I almost wish there was a book written by Darlington or something to talk to me about the secret societies of Yale to give me extra context, lol.
Alex and Dawes are determined to get Darlington back from hell, and despite their setbacks are more determined than ever. Its easy to get caught up in Bardugo's writing, she writes in a way that incites staying up till 2AM trying to read just one more chapter.
There are certain plot points surrounding Eitan that I didn't really feel like were necessary for most of the book till the end, where things came full circle. There were also some gruesome moments my Lagomorph loving self didn't enjoy but!! I think the found-family and the character growth you could see in not just Alex, but in Dawes and many others as well made the book for me.

(Darlington fans be warned though,

you're probably gonna have to wait for something substantial in book 3 lol)

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