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A review by mariaoverbooked
Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo
5.0
The way this series is so unlike anything else, utterly captivating, and enthralling.
If you like morally grey characters, this is a masterclass (I expect nothing less from the author who brought us Kaz Brekker). These novels take everything I love in a book: morally grey badass characters, mystery, magic, dark academia, a bit of romantic tension, thoughtful commentary on history, literature, religion, demons, class structure, and murder - mixes and shakes it all up until a masterpiece emerges.
I absolutely loved Ninth House, raved about it to anyone who would listen, so naturally I pre-ordered this sequel as soon as I could. I'll admit I didn't do a reread of Ninth House before starting but with a helpful summary of the first book I was able to dive right in and most things came back to me or were explained. I fell back in love with Alex (and Darlington) fairly quickly as we dove back into the story.
These characters are so well written they practically jump off the page. Alex and Darlington might be two of my favorite characters ever, much less within the series. I loved that we got a better look at the found family aspect in this one (once again I expected nothing less from the woman who gave us the crows). Each character felt thoughtful and well explored. We got to see and feel their individual struggles and it didn't seem to take away from the plot at all, if anything it added to the overall depth of storytelling.
My one issue with this one was a lot of the adventuring plot line felt a bit pointless, like a red herring through the middle. However, once we get to the end it all comes together in such a brilliant way that it all seemed somewhat worth the meandering. I absolutely speed through the ending, I couldn't get enough and I want more. It's rare that I love a second book the way I loved this one.
I think what Bardugo does well is that this truly feels like a sequel and leaves the third book open to have much bigger stakes and answer the big picture questions and tie off the larger threads. Hell Bent didn't feel like filler between two books, it was its own adventure that simultaneously solved the cliffhanger from the first book and opened the door to something a lot bigger to be explored in the final book and I for one, can't wait.
If you like morally grey characters, this is a masterclass (I expect nothing less from the author who brought us Kaz Brekker). These novels take everything I love in a book: morally grey badass characters, mystery, magic, dark academia, a bit of romantic tension, thoughtful commentary on history, literature, religion, demons, class structure, and murder - mixes and shakes it all up until a masterpiece emerges.
I absolutely loved Ninth House, raved about it to anyone who would listen, so naturally I pre-ordered this sequel as soon as I could. I'll admit I didn't do a reread of Ninth House before starting but with a helpful summary of the first book I was able to dive right in and most things came back to me or were explained. I fell back in love with Alex (and Darlington) fairly quickly as we dove back into the story.
These characters are so well written they practically jump off the page. Alex and Darlington might be two of my favorite characters ever, much less within the series. I loved that we got a better look at the found family aspect in this one (once again I expected nothing less from the woman who gave us the crows). Each character felt thoughtful and well explored. We got to see and feel their individual struggles and it didn't seem to take away from the plot at all, if anything it added to the overall depth of storytelling.
My one issue with this one was a lot of the adventuring plot line felt a bit pointless, like a red herring through the middle. However, once we get to the end it all comes together in such a brilliant way that it all seemed somewhat worth the meandering. I absolutely speed through the ending, I couldn't get enough and I want more. It's rare that I love a second book the way I loved this one.
I think what Bardugo does well is that this truly feels like a sequel and leaves the third book open to have much bigger stakes and answer the big picture questions and tie off the larger threads. Hell Bent didn't feel like filler between two books, it was its own adventure that simultaneously solved the cliffhanger from the first book and opened the door to something a lot bigger to be explored in the final book and I for one, can't wait.