Hell Bent

by Leigh Bardugo

Hardcover, 2023

Status

Available

Call number

813.6

Publication

Gollancz (2023), 496 pages

Description

Fantasy. Fiction. Literature. Thriller. HTML: "Readers will be wowed." �??Publishers Weekly (starred review) Wealth. Power. Murder. Magic. The Ivy League is going straight to hell in the sequel to the smash New York Times bestseller Ninth House from #1 bestselling author Leigh Bardugo. "Bardugo's imaginative reach is brilliant." �??Stephen King 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 full of magic, violence, and all too real monsters. A Macmillan Audio production from Flatiron Books.… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member N.W.Moors

I have savored this book, enjoying every minute of it. Ninth House was a good read, introducing the cast of characters, but in the second book of the series, Ms. Bardugo has fleshed them out. Alex is growing into her powers more than she ever realized she could. Dawes is braver and still brilliant,

while Turner has revealed nuances to his upright character. And Darlington, well, I can't wait to see where the prince of Lethe is going in the next book because his character has grown and changed so much.
For me, the setting is almost another character. I grew up in Connecticut and worked in New Haven for years. I have family among the original settlers. Ms. Bardugo's research into the city and its history is brilliant, and I love how she has incorporated it into the story so well.
This book is just amazing. I read slowly so I could enjoy every word. It's written with excellent pacing that kept me on the edge of my chair. A lot is going on, yet every beat was incorporated seamlessly. There's a lot of darkness here, not just because the story is about retrieving someone from Hell, sort of like Orpheus and Eurydice, but with a hopefully better outcome. There are loose ends to tie up though, so I'll have to wait impatiently for the next book in the series.

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LibraryThing member Hccpsk

Worth the three-year wait, Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo picks up with a vengeance exactly where Ninth House left off. Galaxy “Alex” Stern still yearns for normal, but her paranormal gifts keep her enmeshed in the magical house of Yale as she and Dawes seek to bring Darlington back from hell.

Bardugo knows how to bring the action while still developing three-dimensional characters and realistic situations. If you liked Ninth House don’t miss this fantastic sequel and then join me in the painful wait for the final(?) book of the trilogy.

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LibraryThing member rivkat

Alex Stern has a mission: Get Darlington out of Hell. Unfortunately, he’s already partway out, and the adults in charge of magic at Yale don’t want to help her or even listen to her. Plus, the Israeli gangster whose brother she killed wants her to pay him back by becoming one of his collectors,

since he knows she’s got powers of some sort. Bardugo adds demons to the mix, plus more Yale architecture. It’s a lot of fun, but it definitely ends with more story to tell.

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LibraryThing member foggidawn

Alex Stern is ready to go to hell and back for Darlington, her missing friend and mentor -- but it's not an easy trip. Not only could it cost her her position at Lethe (and therefore Yale), but she can't do it alone. Is she willing to involve her friends in the effort, when there's no assurance

that any of them will make it out alive? Also, there are some murders to solve.

I thought this was a strong second entry in the series -- it avoided that middle-book lag by having a high-stakes quest that is undertaken in the book, rather than saved for the sequel. There's definitely setup for another book, and I look forward to seeing where it goes, but readers can be reassured to know that this one is not a cliffhanger. I thought the writing was strong, and enjoyed getting to know more about Dawes, Turner, and Mercy. I still don't know what all the rabbit symbolism and stuff was about, but all in all, I enjoyed this very much, and would recommend the series to readers who enjoy dark magic with manageable amounts of gore.

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LibraryThing member jillrhudy

Alex Stern and company go to Hell in this outing in the series that bears Alex's name. I'm ready to declare Bardugo the queen of dark academia at this point. The second book in the series is as good as the first, and since the publisher wants to keep the plot on the down-low I'll just say that it

this paranormal series positively simmers with Ivy League forbidden magic, sexiness, surprises, intrigue, and danger. Can Darlington be saved? More please!

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LibraryThing member dcoward

Every bit as good as the first - which I am off to read again!

LibraryThing member Gena678

I loved the first book and couldn't wait for the second one-- which ended up being well worth the wait. The New Haven history, the occult details, the vivid writing about imperfect characters-- Leigh Bardugo is a great author and I hope the next book comes much more quickly because I can't wait to

read what happens next.

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LibraryThing member TheYodamom

4.5 Would love to re-read this on audio.
Great characters, twisted plot, magical beasties, a good questioning of good/evil, never a dull moment, equals WINNER.
Urban fantasy with an intelligent thought provoking story. Ended with a cliffhanger, a good decent one you will not be pulling your hair

out,
I really enjoy this author's writing. She writes intelligent characters, they actually think about consequences before doing something possibly stupid. Yes, it's true ! Wait it gets more shocking, they talk to each other about their ideas, and concerns. I didn't have to internally scream "Say Something Damn IT !" Some of her characters lines were fabulous, I saved many for future use.

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LibraryThing member deslivres5

Alex Stern is still at Yale and fighting to put things right after what happened to Darlington in #1.
She has her old allies, some new ones join the fold and some serious baddies to keep things hopping!

I love this world built by Leigh Bardugo introduced in Ninth House, thoroughly enjoyed the way

things played out in Hell Bent (that cover is frightening) and now the long wait (hopefully not too long) for #3!

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LibraryThing member ecataldi

This took a minute for me to get back into - but only because it had been two years since I had read the first book and there were a lot of moving parts I had to remember. Once I got all that sorted, I was IN. I love this series - I can't wait for the next one. It's an urban fantasy set on Yale's

campus and all the characters are antiheroes that you secretly love even though they are chockfull of issues. In Hell Bent - Alex and Dawes are looking for a portal to hell so they can rescue Darlington who was taken by a demon in the last book. Each attempt into hell is riddled with complications and new horrors - Is saving Darlington worth it? Witty banter, amazing characters, and a fast paced storyline. I need the next book now!

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LibraryThing member BethYacoub

This book is not your average Leigh Bardugo read... there are a slew of trigger worthy moments/topics. This is for ADULT READERS... you've been warned!

This is a follow-up book to Leigh Bardugo's dark occult hit, Ninth House, and it is a solid addition to the series. Hell Bent had a lot more

suspense... maybe because it didn't revolve around a quatrenary character's murder.... true, Ninth House didn't completely revolve around the murder but it was a significant portion of the plot.

This read returns us to the mystical/magical/oft times gruesome world of the Elite secret societies and the actual Magic they immersed themselves in. Thankfully, it explains how the magic came to be and even who was supposed to pay the debt for the pleasures the societies have enjoyed while dabbling. Those were burning questions I had while reading book #1. This book's title didn't mislead. It had a LOT more Hell and new arcane "beings" (which you might find to be a bit much, BUT personally... I liked them). These new creatures created a tense sense of urgency... urgency to get them before they got you. This added (palpable) terror was missing in the first book. Then there was (of course) Alex, who served up some serious Girl Power in yo FACE!! She was such a blatantly/humanly flawed/morally grey character that I couldn't help but root for her. She was a viper... a Fool Around and Find Out kind of FMC, and I, for one, think there should be many many more such female characters in modern literature! There was an impressive amount of character growth and I, for one, am a sucker for a great character driven tale. If you're more action based, then fear not because this story is RIFE with the action/drama/creepy Voodoo rituals.

Anywho, there were also other great characters.... characters like Demon Darlington... who was yummy as just plain old Darlington, but now??!?... Now he is sinfully delicious! I never thought I'd be into demons with glowing horns BUT hey... here we are...

Alex actually manages to surround herself with a handful of great characters, characters that have truly become one magical/dysfunctional Found Family... one of my favorite tropes.

I really loved how close the characters got... all of them... they each brought such a necessary brittle/brutal/unwavering element to the story, and I believe that the story NEEDS their dynamic contributions.

Overall:
Hell Bent was another foray into the dark, gritty, magical, demonic, entitled world of the secret societies that dabble in the occult and the young(ish) adults that are sucked into this crazy world... then intense mayhem ensues. This second book strays a bit from the Academic and focuses more on Magic, the demonic rituals, and even explains where the Magic comes from and the cost of doing said magic WHICH in my opinion, was much more interesting than the previous book! This read is FULL of action... there's so much action that the pacing seems rushed in places. Our characters run from one metaphorical fire to the next, trying to snuff each out but just as one appears to be handled (even just for the moment)... another one blazes across town/state/realm. Although the pacing was brisk, it wasn't enough to lose the reader or cause rereading of chapters to figure out what's what.

My final 2 cents: this sequel was most certainly better than the 1st book, Ninth House! It should definitely be on your radar/TBR especially if you enjoyed Ninth House. If you have been on the fence about jumping into this series, I 100% suggest you head on over to book #1 because if you start here, you'll most likely be lost in the proverbial sauce.

~ Enjoy

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LibraryThing member jo_lafaith

Genuinely unsure how to review this— let’s start with: I gave it 3 stars.

‘Hell Bent’ by Leigh Bardugo is the long-awaited follow up to her first adult fantasy novel, ‘Ninth House’. Honestly, I gave ‘Ninth House’ 2 stars. I liked some aspects, the setting and plot, Darlington and

Turner. BUT the ending felt a little too much like a darker Scooby Doo episode. It seemed too long and the plot overtook the character building I was expecting.

‘Hell Bent’ suffered from, basically, the same issues (for me). However, I did like it significantly more. I still love turner and Darlington and there were moments of wonderful vulnerability reveals in regards to Darlington and Alex that I really appreciated. I still wish, so much, that there had been more of what I loved in this one, as opposed to so much plot. But that’s clearly a personal preference.

I just want to say that… I’m surprised I guess. ‘Six of Crows’ (also by Bardugo) is - arguably - THE heist novel. It’s pretty close to perfect in terms of plot and character balance. The character work is incredible. When I think about Kaz’s backstory now, I still remember the way it touched me. I was so invested… enough to remember pretty much the entirety of the story almost 5 years later! So… why does this pale in comparison?

Now… all that said; I will be picking up the next book when it comes out. So maybe you can disregard this whole review— because she’s clearly got me, lol!

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LibraryThing member krau0098

Series Info/Source: This is the 2nd book in the Alex Stern series. I bought a copy of this on ebook to read on my Kindle.

Thoughts: I really loved the first book in this series, so I actually went and bought the 2nd book on ebook. I usually wait to borrow books from the library but I was so excited

to continue the series! I was not disappointed; this story was just as crazy and visceral as the first book was. I absolutely love the characters in here and am so attached to them.

This book starts shortly after the last one left off. Alex and Dawes are trying to figure out a way to get into Hell to steal back Darlington. Unfortunately, both Alex's past and a series of murders on campus complicate things for them both.

I continue to love the odd magic and secret societies that are so prevalent throughout this series. However, I think was really draws me to this series are the characters. Alex, Dawes, and many of the side characters are so real and so fun to read about. All of these characters have issues, but I found myself rooting for them and absolutely heartbroken at some of the things they had to endure.

The story here is intriguing as well. There are more mysteries, secrets, and betrayals. I am super curious to see where the storyline ends up going since there are now demons wandering around campus.

The writing was excellent as well. This was incredibly engaging and I struggled to put the book down each night. Bardugo doesn't hold back in her gory descriptions and visceral scenes: I might have flinched at a few of them but she certainly didn't. Just a warning if you don't like gross or gory description.

My Summary (5/5): Overall I loved this book just as much as the first one. I love this world and these characters and the dark seedy rituals of the secret societies of Yale. The characters really make the story here, although I did enjoy the twisty plot, dark magic, and mysteries as well. I can't wait to see where the next book in the series takes us. This series is definitely a stand out for me, I am really enjoying it.

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LibraryThing member Treebeard_404

The "memory refresh" required for a sequel was very weak here. There were so many details from Ninth House that I didn't recall and which were glossed over early on. Still, a fun read for all that.

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