Leigh Bardugo is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Ninth House and the creator of the Grishaverse (now a Netflix original series), which spans the Shadow and Bone trilogy, the Six of Crows duology, the King of Scars duology—and much more. Her short fiction has appeared in multiple anthologies, including the Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy. She lives in Los Angeles and is an associate fellow of Pauli Murray College at Yale University. You can find her online at LeighBardugo.com. You can find more of my reviews of her work here.
Find a gateway to the underworld. Steal a soul out of hell. A simple plan, except people who make this particular journey rarely come back. But Galaxy "Alex" Stern is determined to break Darlington out of purgatory—even if it costs her a future at Lethe and at Yale. Forbidden from attempting a rescue, Alex and Dawes can't call on the Ninth House for help, so they assemble a team of dubious allies to save the gentleman of Lethe. Together, they will have to navigate a maze of arcane texts and bizarre artifacts to uncover the societies' most closely guarded secrets, and break every rule doing it. But when faculty members begin to die off, Alex knows these aren't just accidents. Something deadly is at work in New Haven, and if she is going to survive, she'll have to reckon with the monsters of her past and a darkness built into the university's very walls. Thick with history and packed with Bardugo's signature twists, Hell Bent brings to life an intricate world of magic, violence, and all too real monsters.
I reread Ninth House before Hell Bent, so I had so many things I was looking forward to. Namely, how Alex's and Dawes's relationship would evolve. Leigh Bardugo 100% delivers on the found family trope in Hell Bent. Not only do Alex and Dawes grow to become sisters of sorts, but Bardugo spends a lot of time developing Alex's relationship to Turner, and to Mercy, who is someone we didn't see a lot of in Ninth House. I loved how we got to learn more about these characters' pasts as they embark on this crazy journey. I adored how the found family worked in this book, and I just wish there was more!
Of course, the biggest question this book poses is the question of Darlington, and Bardugo answers in true Bardugo fashion. I didn't want things to be easy for Alex and crew, and it certainly wasn't, in the most painful way. All the hoops they have to jump through makes the reunion that much sweeter. I was so gratified by the journey of Darlington's escape—the plot was well paced, the rituals felt really dark, and the ending is well-earned without being perfect. Essentially, Bardugo brings her trademark plotting skills to this book, and it was well worth the wait.
The entire book is steeped in New Haven history and lore. When I first read Ninth House, I didn't fully appreciate all of the language in it related to literature and New Haven, because I was just so hungry for Leigh's writing and the characters. Once I reread it, though, I had a deep appreciation for how the literature and lore added to the story. I have a feeling that when I reread Hell Bent (which is a book that demands to be reread, honestly), I'm going to have a similar experience. Because I was so focused on Darlington's return, there was a lot that went on around me that didn't quite make sense. I hope on a reread, I'll have a greater appreciation for this element, but that's not to say that I didn't note how impressive and rich it made the book on a first read.
Based on that ending, I am extremely (and maybe unduly) hopeful for another book in this universe. I have fallen in love with Alex, Dawes, Turner, and Darlington, and want to know more, and see how they can reach a happier ending (if one even exists). Either way, I can't wait for more from Leigh Bardugo, and you can be sure that if she writes anything in the future, I will read it!
*This review can also be found on my Goodreads page*
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