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5 Stars • Fantasy, Mystery, Dark Academia • "Hell Bent" by Leigh Bardugo is the second book in the Alex Stern series (also known as Ninth House). The story continues with Galaxy "Alex" Stern, who is now more deeply entangled in the occult underworld of Yale University. After the events of the first book, "Ninth House," Alex and her mentor Darlington must navigate dangerous magical societies to save Darlington's soul from Hell.

My review of this book can be found on my YouTube Vlog at:

https://youtu.be/Q5r3nYrPldU

Enjoy!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I find this series to be dark, mature and intelligent. The slow burn of Ninth House is worth the satisfying story told in Hell Bent. I actually thought this was duo but I see there is a #3 planned. Idk I thought it kinda finished more open-ended as opposed to cliff hanger, probably due to my mindset. But happy surprise, I‘ll read it.

This is was a fantastic sequel. And since I live in CT I love all of the local references.

Every time this guy's name pops up in the story, I read it as Professor Wishy-Washy. 😏

The book is freaking fantastic, by the way. Even better than Ninth House.

“I will serve you 'til the end of days“

Rainy, lazy day on the couch with a cup of tea in hand
finishing off this one.

I LOVED Ninth House and I was very eager to read this book. Did it live up to my expectations? No, but it was an alright book. It did it's job and kept me entertained. I'll be interested to see what happens in the 3rd book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Well if I didn‘t know how to talk about book 1, I certainly don‘t know how to talk about this one.
It is truly shocking that this & the Shadow and Bone books were written by the same person. The range!
Absolutely excellent - completely unique - a bit slower moving than book 1, but I was absorbed the whole time.
It is very dark, but I cannot recommend it highly enough.

“Alex approached Black Elm as if she were sidling up to a wild animal, cautious in her walk up the long, curving driveway, careful not to show her fear.”

#FirstLineFridays
@ShyBookOwl

It‘s funny, my book this month is tagged and I‘ll definitely read it or listen to it again when the next book in the series comes out, but my January book, Homegoing, will probably stick with me longer and would recommend to more people.
#readingbracket2024

March #bookspin list!
@TheAromaofBooks

I wanted to finish this book I am 61 % in and I just can‘t do it anymore,so disappointed because I did like Ninth House

I love this series!!!! You don‘t have to read the first one to enjoy this one, but it helps. There is a lot going on and all of it is exciting. It does a fantastic job of getting you pumped for the next one too! For an almost 500 page book, it‘s really hard to put down!

Bardugo is easily one of my favorite authors! Good follow up to Ninth House. Narrators were very good. 🎧

I loved this book. Hell Bent is the next book in the Alex Stern series/trilogy. I don't want to spoil anything, so I will just say that it is nuts and fantastic. Hellish fun 🖤
#NoShameReadathon24 #SeriesYouAreContinuing @Nessavamusic

Why did no one tell me this wasn't a duology but instead is a quartet and I will have to wait who knows how long for the next ones? 😭
That being said. I loved it. I love her writing style, I love that the 2 were written a little differently than each other. And I love the story. But if there is not darlex next book I'll scream. Iykyk.

New books? Yes please! Exclusive Edition? Even better!
#bookhaul #exclusiveedition #barnesandnoble

Another fantastic ride with Alex and her crew. I was nervous about how this was going to play out and wondered if it would all get old, but it didn‘t. I read this behemoth of a book in 2 days because I couldn‘t put it down. I do wish there was more characterization, but I still felt connected to all of the characters as they worked together. Book #2 in 2024

In the home stretch for the 2023 B&N Book Challenge - this long-awaited page-turner fulfills my penultimate prompt, and I‘m taking full advantage of not having anything to do today to hang out with it, some Christmas music, and a cookie or two. #hellbent #leighbardugo #alexstern #ninthhouse

Hell Bent was one of my most anticipated books of the year but unfortunately I didn‘t love it as much as I hoped I would. There was just too long of a gap from when Ninth House first released (Oct 2019) to now. My reading taste has changed a lot so I just didn‘t love this as much as I once would have. However, it‘s still very atmospheric so if you‘re looking for an occult dark academic book for the fall you might want to check this series out

Happy Saturday! I‘m going to need a lot of tea to finish up Hell Bent today. Thankfully I have my trusty peach tea from @marktwendelltea I thought about doing something a little more spicy for fall but it still feels like summer here right now. 🥵

Anyhow what are you finishing up today? Or have you already moved on to your October reads?

https://wildwoodreads.com/2023/09/30/september-2023-wrap-up/

On the edge of my seat the entire time

Reading 📖 with the sleepy 😴 pumis - I was reading 📖 this until 2am 🕑 😳scaring myself half to death 😆 love ❤️ Alex Stern and want Darlington back , can‘t wait for the series to come to tv 📺 Amazon have bought the rights and Leigh bardugo is doing the screen play so it‘ll be pretty close/true to the novels. Apparently she was going to do 13 in the series then 5 but sadly now 3 😪because theme takes soooo long to research 🧐 boo 😒

The sequel to Ninth House is a good, spooky, atmospheric read that is perfect for Halloween. It meanders, and the pacing is slow, but for all of that, the characterization is excellent, and there are some fun surprises. I have two other comments that could be construed as mild spoilers, so I will put them in the comments.

This continues on from the first book. Darlington is in Hell, and Alex and friends try to get him out. Obviously, it isn't so easy and they have their work cut out for themselves. It's a good read.

Hooooooo boy these books are AWESOME. This was creepy as. I loved it. I love the crew: Alex, Dawes, Mercy, Turner. Scary. Crazy time shifting at the start which had me a little confused but it didn‘t take long for me to figure out what was going on. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I loved Ninth House, and wasn‘t sure that the next could be as good. I needn‘t have worried, Bardugo has given us a great sequel that hits all the bases! Darlington man/demon is in hell. Lethe continues it‘s role checking and balancing Yale‘s secret/magical societies with Alex and Dawes in leadership roles and committed to freeing Darlington. We‘re taken on not one, but two trips to hell through a gauntlet in Sterling Library. Great read!

#2023readingbracket

The fourth Murderbot book took the crown for June, but it wasn‘t enough to beat Hell Bent, which has dominated the first half of my reading year. I‘m eager to see if anything can knock it from the top spot!

Book 118🎧 2.5⭐️

It was by no means a bad book, it just didn‘t grip me. I know TONS of people enjoyed it but it just came off like a lot of world/relationship building vs a lot of action. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Also a bit late in updating this but to no one‘s surprise, Hell Bent pulls out the win. #2023readingbracket

Absolutely loved this sequel to Ninth House, in which Alex and friends try to open a portal to hell in order to save Darlington. The sequence in which they each live through each other‘s worst moment was truly brilliant writing. I can‘t wait for the final book in the trilogy.

I had so much fun with this one! Primarily focusing on Alex and co‘s quest to get Darlington out of hell, this is action packed and fast paced. There‘s less focus on societies and the dark academia vibe of the first book, and more about Alex being the reckless cannonball she truly is while trying to save her friend. Eagerly awaiting the next book! 5/5⭐️

Everything changes, nothing perishes

I‘m so excited to start this one! It took me two days just to start it because I thought I wanted something “light-hearted”. Who am I kidding? I thrive in the chaos.

Finally!!! Here‘s hoping is a good one since I love the first one so much.

I haven‘t posted a review in 2 months! Going to catch up with some short but sweet reviews throughout the weekend.

I actually listened to this one on Libby. I reread Ninth House before digging into the second. I still am kind of meh on this series (very much a #borrownotbuy for me). My main problem with the series is I don‘t care much for the main character, so it‘s really the side characters (Dawes!) that keep me wanting to continue.

I think I read this book faster than I've read anything in my whole life. Couldn't put it down. I love these characters so much.

Next up - the world's most ridiculously large paperback 🤣🤣

Loved this follow up to Ninth House! Alex Stern is an excellent heroine - flawed, complicated and reckless but wildly entertaining to follow. The action started from page one and kept up a breathless pace to the last sentence; I blew through the second half of this in a day. Can‘t wait for the third book. #botm

Galaxy Stern competes with Lizbeth Salander for toughest female MC kicking ass in a male dominated secret society. Freaking loved this story even though there‘s a bit of a cliff hanger… again. Will be eagerly awaiting book 3. May the muse shine upon Leigh Bardugo.

I ordered the paperback of Hell Bent, which was more expensive than the hardback, just so they would match....No!!!!🤦‍♀️😂🤦‍♀️😂

This book is kind of intense! Not that that‘s a bad thing. Thankfully, Bardugo interjects, what I consider, just the right amount of humor. Now I need to go finish this book. It‘s majorly overdue and I can feel the wrath of the librarians bubbling. No joke!😈

I love Leigh Bardugo's writing and was immediately immersed in book 2 of this series. Dark, tense, with themes of found family this one gets a pick! Now to wait for the next installment...
(Finished in the air this morning so here's a picture from above the clouds.)

A gripping sequel to Ninth House, Alex Stern is hellbent on journeying to hell to rescue her mentor from eternal torment. But the magic involved requires great sacrifice, including putting others‘ lives in danger. Will she succeed?

Update! I came back to this after a reread of the first book. It was an absolutely thrilling dark academia suspense thriller with paranormal aspects. I can‘t get into many details without spoiling book 1, but this book was even more entertaining. As Bardugo just took off from where book 1 left off, we didn‘t have to go through the world building and magic system. I really look forward to the confine adventures of Alex and her friends. 5⭐️

This is the second Alex Stern book. It may have been a little slow at the beginning but it really gets rolling and is hard to put down. I really like this author and this series set at Yale is a bit different from her world building that she's known for but I love it.

#BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks

3–17-23: My 29th finished book of 2023! I highly recommend reading the first book in the series right before this one since it picks up where the first leaves off. Unfortunately, I read the first book, Ninth House, in April of 2020 so I didn‘t remember a ton of what happened. Darlington is gone to another realm and Alex, Dawes and Turner must figure out how to breach this realm to retrieve him. Enter demons and vampires set in Yale University.