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A review by bethan_clifford
Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
dark
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
There’s lots to like here. Interesting concept and magic system, atypical protagonist, and it is dark, moody, and atmospheric.
The pacing is a bit muddled, the book drags unnecessarily at times but doesn’t bring as much character development in those periods as you might hope. Frequently I would find myself losing interest, but there would usually be a short infusion of action every now and then that kept me going. The last few chapters were jam-packed.
I enjoy Alex and Darlington as characters, however the use of flashbacks to flesh them out didn’t always work. I spent a lot of time with more questions about each of them and their relationship to one another than the book could answer. Darlington’s disappearance felt skimmed over to say that the nature of it is such a revelation later in the book. I think a little less time could have been devoted to Alex’s flashbacks and spent fleshing out the current timelines characters and events.
All in all I would recommend, it is an enjoyable book and I will pick up the next in the series. FYI this book has a myriad of dark topics so definitely look up the trigger warnings before you dive in.
The pacing is a bit muddled, the book drags unnecessarily at times but doesn’t bring as much character development in those periods as you might hope. Frequently I would find myself losing interest, but there would usually be a short infusion of action every now and then that kept me going. The last few chapters were jam-packed.
I enjoy Alex and Darlington as characters, however the use of flashbacks to flesh them out didn’t always work. I spent a lot of time with more questions about each of them and their relationship to one another than the book could answer. Darlington’s disappearance felt skimmed over to say that the nature of it is such a revelation later in the book. I think a little less time could have been devoted to Alex’s flashbacks and spent fleshing out the current timelines characters and events.
All in all I would recommend, it is an enjoyable book and I will pick up the next in the series. FYI this book has a myriad of dark topics so definitely look up the trigger warnings before you dive in.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Gore and Violence