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A review by savvyrosereads
Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo
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
5.0
Rating: 5/5 stars
The sequel to Ninth House, Hell Bent continues the story of Alex Stern and Lethe, the Ninth House of Yale.
Hell Bent has been one of my most anticipated books for YEARS now, and I am so excited to report the wait was WORTH IT. The sheer brilliance of Leigh Bardugo’s mind astounds me—this book is impeccably researched and flawlessly believable even while describing an actual journey to hell. The story has multiple disparate threads, but they all weave back together seamlessly in the end (even picking up on things left over from the first book). And the action and excitement is pretty much nonstop, leaving you on the edge of your seat for the majority of a nearly-500 book (not an easy feat).
There isn’t a ton more I can say without spoilers—there remains one plot thread I really want to finally see expanded in book three (“I have appetites…” …IYKYK) but the deliciously slow unraveling of the story is part of the charm of this series, and of Bardugo’s writing, so I can’t be too upset.
Recommended to anyone, but especially if you like: dark academia; fantasy series; found family vibes
CW: Death/murder/violence/blood; animal death/cruelty; mention of a suicide attempt (off-page)
The sequel to Ninth House, Hell Bent continues the story of Alex Stern and Lethe, the Ninth House of Yale.
Hell Bent has been one of my most anticipated books for YEARS now, and I am so excited to report the wait was WORTH IT. The sheer brilliance of Leigh Bardugo’s mind astounds me—this book is impeccably researched and flawlessly believable even while describing an actual journey to hell. The story has multiple disparate threads, but they all weave back together seamlessly in the end (even picking up on things left over from the first book). And the action and excitement is pretty much nonstop, leaving you on the edge of your seat for the majority of a nearly-500 book (not an easy feat).
There isn’t a ton more I can say without spoilers—there remains one plot thread I really want to finally see expanded in book three (“I have appetites…” …IYKYK) but the deliciously slow unraveling of the story is part of the charm of this series, and of Bardugo’s writing, so I can’t be too upset.
Recommended to anyone, but especially if you like: dark academia; fantasy series; found family vibes
CW: Death/murder/violence/blood; animal death/cruelty; mention of a suicide attempt (off-page)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual violence, Torture, Vomit, Police brutality, and Suicide attempt