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cbrigs99's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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
This was an outstanding sequel to Ninth House, and I cannot wait for the next book in the series. Bardugo has done an amazing job of weaving together small details between books and gradually revealing the plot and reader questions throughout the story. There are so many twists and turns, and the story gets crazier with every page and makes these books just so addicting. I adored the character development from all of the main cast - Alex, Darlington, Dawes, Turner, Tripp and Mercy. There were parts that made me openly chuckle and gasp, and I enjoyed all of the complex narratives that were revealed in this book. I also adored the similar final lines between Ninth House and Hell Bent, and it sets the next book up quite well. I love these characters and these wild tales of dark academia, so glad I picked these up in BOTM!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, and Drug use
svblvna's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
hell is empty and all the devils are here
listen, as a Darlington girlie from day one, this book has given me so much and i am so very grateful.
all in all, the Yale lore, the academia, the magic, the gentleman demon, the yearning, the found family... all of the ingredients to make my heart full and to leave me satisfied! this book really took me by surprise with how much more 'fantasy' it felt than Ninth House and although i would've liked a deeper dive into the secret societies and the academic side of things, i was so engrossed in the twists and turns of the story that i don't even mind. i was already deeply attached to Alex, Dawes and Darlington so i was also just very happy to see more of them and that probably influenced my enjoyment of this book but i still think this is completely on par with the first one! it's different for sure and the vibe is spookier and somehow darker despite some moments of levity but it's such a good sequel.
here's to hoping we get news on the third book soon and that it will be as good as the first two were! (i'd also love some news about the adaptation once the strikes are over, pretty please) i trust you Leigh, do your worst.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Gore, and Death
Moderate: Sexual violence and Drug use
Minor: Suicide attempt
victoriamark's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Drug use, Murder, Animal cruelty, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, and Drug abuse
alliemikennareads's review against another edition
4.0
Like Ninth House, I can’t tell if I liked this or not…but I was sucked into the story world and felt the writing was great. And I’d read a third book in the series to know what happens next. But I equally feel like it was… just fine? So unlike anything else I read that it’s hard for me to decide? Idk. Idk.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Stalking, Gore, War, Murder, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Death, Self harm, Sexual violence, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Animal death, and Blood
wardenred's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
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? No
4.0
He’s gone, Alex. It’s time to accept that. Even if you were right, whatever survived in hell wouldn’t be the Darlington you know.
Well, this was a trip! I confess I didn't fall in love with this installment as much as I did with the first book, but this was still incredibly engrossing and entertaining. I loved getting to know the familiar characters more and seeing their relationships redefined. All the storylines held a lot of tension. The dark academia vibe was thick as ever. So much lore about the societies and the dark, death-soaked magic. And so many demonic puzzles to solve and dangerous libraries to survive! In other words, all the thrills.
I think the storyline I particularly enjoyed was the one where Alex had to work through that one big part of her past—I really don't want to start talking about it in more detail, because I will just start spewing spoilers. But then there was all the magic, too, and assembling the crew to go into actual hell, and lots of characters from the first book getting to be more front and center. I loved Alex's friendships with Dawes and Mercy, and getting to know Turner better.
What I didn't fully love was how all of this was pulled together. The "making plans and assembling the party to go into hell" part dragged on for entirely too long, and then things started moving a bit too fast and, more importantly, unevenly. It was like the intermediary resolutions and plot points were coming at entirely the wrong places. The juggling of multiple timelines and gradual reveals didn't work nearly as effectively as it did in The Ninth House. I was also not a fan of certain aspects of Darlington's storyline, but that's something I can chalk up to taste. The book's weird composition, though, objectively detracted from my enjoyment, even though it's SO full of things I enjoy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Death
Moderate: Police brutality, Panic attacks/disorders, Drug use, Cursing, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Drug abuse, Rape, and Vomit
littlekingleo's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Animal cruelty, Death, Drug abuse, Violence, Racism, Drug use, Suicide, and Animal death
Minor: Rape, Torture, Sexual assault, and Slavery
fionamatilda's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Animal death, Gore, and Violence
Moderate: Drug use and Drug abuse
wayside's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug use, Drug abuse, Cursing, Addiction, Death, and Animal death
Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Slavery, Rape, Classism, Murder, Racism, Police brutality, Grief, Alcohol, Blood, Violence, and Stalking
laelolou's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.5
So there's going to be another book, that's why like most trilogies the second book just felt like a filler. The pacing was so bad, at times it was okay and other times it was a struggle to get through. Also there was really no strong motive for Mercy, Turner or Tripp to join them??? Like they were all just ready to die for some reason
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Death
Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, and Animal death
mollyelyn's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Sexual content, Violence, Murder, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Blood, Death, Drug use, Gore, Mental illness, and Vomit