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A review by karolinak
Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
adventurous
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? N/A
4.5
Well, this had me hooked real quick, and I could not put it down. I've not read a lot of dark academia, and what I have read was not great, but this had the exact vibe I had been looking for. The setting, the mysteries, the magic, the horror, the characters-all great.
I've read Bardugo's YA books before, and with each series, you can see her growing as a writer. I always felt like Six of Crows would have been better as new adult/adult fantasy (in my head canon, all the characters are in their late 20s at least, based on their characterisation) and this book just proves she and her character fit it much better than YA.
The timeline jumps in this book could be frustrating. You get invested in a story only to be yanked to the past or the present. Both were interesting, but it would always take me some time to get reinvested. I understand the need for it as information is given in bits and pieces through both, and it keeps the suspense, but it can be frustrating. It is a nitpicky complaint though.
Humour landed great and there was a surprising amount in a book that was generally dark. Dialogue was well written, and relationships between characters developed well with the exception of the roommates, who were just sort of there, used to further the story some, but their characters and Alex's relationship with them was underdeveloped. It rubbed me the wrong way, Mercy just being written to be a victim of rape and nothing else really. Also, the Sandow twist wasn't at all disguised I thought. He just acted so obviously suspiciously, such blatant diversion tactics. And the Belbalm reveal was just so abrupt. I dont know how I feel about it. It came out a bit too out of nowhere and ended in a flash.
Other than those spoilery and non-spoilery complaints it was a very entertaining read with a great main character.
Keep an eye on trigger warnings, depictions are quite brutal and difficult to read through.
I've read Bardugo's YA books before, and with each series, you can see her growing as a writer. I always felt like Six of Crows would have been better as new adult/adult fantasy (in my head canon, all the characters are in their late 20s at least, based on their characterisation) and this book just proves she and her character fit it much better than YA.
The timeline jumps in this book could be frustrating. You get invested in a story only to be yanked to the past or the present. Both were interesting, but it would always take me some time to get reinvested. I understand the need for it as information is given in bits and pieces through both, and it keeps the suspense, but it can be frustrating. It is a nitpicky complaint though.
Humour landed great and there was a surprising amount in a book that was generally dark. Dialogue was well written, and relationships between characters developed well with the exception of the roommates, who were just sort of there, used to further the story some, but their characters and Alex's relationship with them was underdeveloped.
Other than those spoilery and non-spoilery complaints it was a very entertaining read with a great main character.
Keep an eye on trigger warnings, depictions are quite brutal and difficult to read through.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Rape, and Sexual assault