Hell Bent (Alex Stern #2)
By: Leigh Bardugo
Published Year: 2023
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Pages: 496
Summary (Provided by Goodreads): 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.
First Impressions
I loved the first book in this series, Ninth House, when I read it 3 years ago and have been patiently waiting ever since to read the sequel. Complerely honest, the cover kind of creeps me out and I wouldn’t have picked it up based off of that alone.
What I thought
I did enjoy this book and it sparked a desire to get back into reading fantasy again, but I think I would’ve enjoyed it more had it come out closer to the original. If you haven’t read the first one and want to, I would recommend skipping this review because there will be some spoilers.
Darlington is stuck in Hell and Alex and Dawes are trying to save him. Alex’s past is coming back to make life difficult and she is unsure how far she will be able to go to accomplish her mission.
The hardest part of this book for me was that it had been so long since I had read the original. I should’ve done a re-read, but I didn’t have time. As a result, I was very confused for the first part of the book. I couldn’t remember some of the characters or their back stories, even though I read a review of the book. As much as previous book summaries kind of drive me nuts in series, I would’ve appreciated a little bit of a reminder.
As a result, it took me a little time to get sucked into the book, but eventually I did and I enjoyed the journey. Alex is an interesting character. I don’t think she’s what you would usually call likable, but somehow you still are on her side and cheer for her every step of the way.
Bardugo has created a really good world within Yale and Lethe. It made me realize that I’m a big Urban Fantasy fan, where demons and ghosts and other creatures exist within our world. A lot of what Alex does seems feasible, even though you know it’s fantastical.
I’m a little frustrated because even though there was a lot of resolution in this book, it’s left open to be continued in a series. I’m worried it’s going to be another 3 years before the next part of the story comes out and I will yet again be forgetful and confused.
I didn’t love this one quite as much as the first one. I think part of that was due to my memory, but I also think it moved a little slower than the first. I do appreciate that this series is more centered around mystery and personal growth than love or trying to save the world from ending. I think sometimes fantasy series reach too far and big or get swept up with the heroine falling in love and this one doesn’t. I highly recommend checking it out and still need to read more by Bordugo in the future.