19.2k reviews for:

Hell Bent

Leigh Bardugo

4.14 AVERAGE

adventurous dark emotional inspiring 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

Okay but Alex and Darlington are easily my favorite characters ever.

Alex is harsh and distant and reckless. She's morally grey. A bad person, but also not. She'd do anything for the people she loves and proves to be grateful for those that helped her. On the verge of dying, she thanks Dawes for taking care of her. I can't possibly say she isn't selfish, but she sure as hell will move mountains for the people who made her feel like a person (and will find time to thank these people). She loves Dawes, Darlington, Turner and even Tripp. She does questionable things, but she does them to survive and to keep the people around her alive. She's this unique mix of honor and deceit. You can say a lot about this character, but not that she isn't very well written.

As for Darlington. I frigging love Darlington. Mans opens his mouth and I'm swooning. Gentleman demon? Hell yes. I hope to learn more about him (please don't cast him out again, Leigh)
I'd go to hell for you too, Darlington.

And Alex calling him Danny? Please I died a little.

Was this the best plot? Perhaps not. But man I sure love the characters.

3.9
adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad 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
dark 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
dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
adventurous challenging dark mysterious relaxing tense 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: No
adventurous challenging dark emotional 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: Complicated

I knew I should have put this off till there was more word on the third book. Now I am going to be hung up on this till it comes out 🥲

While I do think a good chunk could have been cut out of the first part of the book, the entirety of part 2 made up for it. Some subplots did come across as kind of pointless, but they didn’t take away from the main story enough for me to see them as a huge negative. Overall this was much more focused and action filled than the first and I cannot wait for the next one!