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A review by crocus_and_clematis
Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Hell Bent doesn’t just meet expectations but more than delivers on the promises of the first book. The narrative struck all the right chords for me – secret corrupt societies, clandestine rituals entwined with ancient traditions, characters so deeply flawed they feel real, and an overarching ambiance of dark academia that resonated with my nostalgia for college days. It's a genre-blending masterpiece, seamlessly weaving elements of fantasy and horror into a tapestry that spoke to me on a visceral level. This was one of those books that when I finished, I just had to sit and think for a while.
I also can’t get enough of the sense of place Bardugo provides. Darlington’s love for his home, the deep respect and integration of Yale and New Haven lore… this is a book which knows where it belongs. I also can’t get enough of Bardugo’s characters. They are so real it’s easy to let yourself slide into the story, to want to sit with them and make them soup, promise them that it will all be okay. They’re also frustrating in the best ways, that you want to whack them upside the head.
It’s a love story, without being a love story. It’s a horror, without being horror. It’s fantasy without being fantasy. It’s graphic and real while at the same time full of mysticism and wonder. It is for every child who dreamed of magic, who wanted more than anything to open a book and be transported to a new world, a better world, only to have to grow up and face the ugly reality of life. I think that’s why this book spoke to me so deeply— because I was one of those children. I am Darlington, wanting nothing more for magic to be real, but also Alex, terrified that the reality is more horrible than I can imagine or handle. I will never get over Babbit Rabbit, and I will never stop rooting for Alex and Darlington. This has quickly become one of my favorite series, and I highly recommend it.
It’s a love story, without being a love story. It’s a horror, without being horror. It’s fantasy without being fantasy. It’s graphic and real while at the same time full of mysticism and wonder. It is for every child who dreamed of magic, who wanted more than anything to open a book and be transported to a new world, a better world, only to have to grow up and face the ugly reality of life. I think that’s why this book spoke to me so deeply— because I was one of those children. I am Darlington, wanting nothing more for magic to be real, but also Alex, terrified that the reality is more horrible than I can imagine or handle. I will never get over Babbit Rabbit, and I will never stop rooting for Alex and Darlington. This has quickly become one of my favorite series, and I highly recommend it.