Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo

Hell Bent

by Leigh Bardugo

Wealth. Power. Murder. Magic. Alex Stern is back and the Ivy League is going straight to hell.

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.
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Leigh Bardugo's book 'Ninth House' was a No. 7 Sunday Times bestseller w/c 14-10-2019.
Leigh Bardugo's book 'Hell Bent' was a No. 2 Sunday Times bestseller w/c 09-01-2023.

Reviewed by Quirky Cat on

4.5 of 5 stars

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Book Summary:

Galaxy Stern, better known as Alex, has always been able to see ghosts. They've haunted her in a very real sense. However, her time at Yale has given her power over these ghosts. It's also thrown her into a whole new world of danger.

Unlike most members of Lethe, Alex and her friends are not content to leave Darlington for dead (or, rather, much worse). So they will find a way to break into hell and rescue his soul. No matter the cost.

My Review:

Wow. No, seriously – wow! It's been a hot minute since I read a book that made me gasp during momentous revelations. Hell Bent did that – and then some. This book is the sequel I had been hoping for, and it is worth the wait.

The thing I love the most about Hell Bent isn't the worldbuilding (though I adore it), the characters, or even the magical societies (dark and fantastical) – it's the way Leigh Bardugo sets up information for us to run with. Yes, she could hand it all to us on a pretty little platter. But she doesn't. She lets the truth, and thus the horror, sink in all on its own.

Hell Bent was a thrilling read. It is the culmination of several plots from the first novel, delving further into this magical world. There are a few mysteries and layers to work through, making it a delightful and complex read. I'm already looking forward to any news about the third book in this series. I can already tell it'll be brilliant.

Highlights:
Magical Society
Hell Heist
Bad-ass Heroine
Dark Academia Vibes

Trigger Warnings:
Animal Death
Blackmail
Mentions of: rape, suicide, drug abuse
Familial Abuse
Extreme Guilt

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 27 January, 2023: Finished reading
  • 27 January, 2023: Reviewed