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.
Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo was released January 10th, 2023 by Flatiron Books. This is the second book in the Alex Stern series.
My thoughts:
Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo is an excellent read. I give it 5 stars out of 5 possible.
Among other things, this book is well paced right up to the ending. The end leaves off in such a way that a sequel is definitely called for. I can't wait for it!
The characters are interesting. I liked Alex, Turner, and Dawes the best. They were the most well-rounded characters. We did learn a little about Tripp and Alex's roommate Mercy, but not as much as we do about Stern, Turner, and Dawes. I especially liked the commitment that the characters showed to getting Darlington out of Hell.
I liked the definition of what vampires are supposed to be and what affects them. It was different. At first I was surprised at that inclusion of a vampire character. As the book goes on though, it makes sense to have the character type introduced when it was.
So, overall this was a really great read. I would recommend it to people who enjoy dark academia novels, horror, or dark urban fantasy. The ending is a little bit of a cliffhanger, but it makes sense and has me looking forward to the next book in the series.
