Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo REVIEW

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Started: 08/10/19

Finished: 28/10/19

Spoilers: No.

Okay, so that was bloody fantastic. I pre-ordered this book because I was hyped and I so wanted to enjoy it. This book didn’t disappoint. And even though it was over 450 pages, when I got to the end I had a sad feeling of ‘oh, already?’ because I could’ve quite happily read another couple hundred pages of this.

But all that being said, I do have one tiny problem that doesn’t at all affect my opinion of this book. The reason I’m docking a star is that, despite my enjoyment and genuine feelings for these characters and this place, there was something almost distant about it, something just a little bit cold. Like I was a Gray lingering just beyond the Veil, thriving on the activities of the living, but unable to truly connect. Unable to fully assuage my hunger for dark magic and brooding atmospheres. But regardless, I still greatly enjoyed this novel, so allow me to me explain why.

Characters I really enjoyed so many of these characters. I found Alex genuine and honest in her dishonesty. She’s an emotionally damaged girl who’s seen some shit, done some shit, and had a hell of a lot of shit done to her. But she’s a survivor. She does what she has to to get by. She’s very self-aware of who she is and even though she tries to disguise her old life from her new, she never lets herself forget where she came from and the horrific events that brought her to where she is now.

I adored Darlington, even though we didn’t get to see too much of him. But despite his lack of physical appearance, he never feels overlooked or forgotten as he’s mentioned often. Pretty much every chapter gives us some small reminder of Darlington’s presence (or lack of). He was definitely one of my favourite characters, despite his absence, and because of that, I’m very excited to see what the sequel holds for him.

Dawes was another favourite, quiet, shy, intellectual. Dawes is the voice of reason Alex should pay more attention to. In a sense, I think Dawes is the bravest character. She’s timid, not a fighter and scared of everything. Being brave isn’t being without fear. Being brave is being scared but facing your fears anyway. Dawes does this plenty and I honestly just want her to thrive.

And shout out to Detective Turner for honestly being such a decent, reasonable guy. He could very easily dismissed all the crazy evidence being thrown at him but instead he takes a leap of faith and has Alex’s back. Turner is honestly the MVP of Ninth House.

Plot The best way I can describe this storytelling style is raw and unapologetic. Leigh Bardugo pulled out all the stops with this one, making a veritable checklist of trigger warnings. She’s no afraid to go there, so be sure to look into it before starting.

As the sole survivor of a traumatic night in LA that left four people dead, Alex is offered a fresh start in New Haven, studying at Yale University. The reason? Alex can see ghosts, which makes her the perfect candidate to be Lethe House’s new Dante, an overseer of the other eight secret houses of Yale. It’s Lethe’s job to keep the other societies in line and make sure they aren’t abusing their magical privileges, but when a town girl turns up dead on campus, Alex suspects one of the societies is involved, but which one? Who’s trying to cover it up, and how deep does the conspiracy go?

From the outset this plot is mysterious and engaging. Nothing is made too obvious and I never guessed the ending. When it seemed ready to wrap up I was almost disappointed by an anticlimactic ending, but then it did a sudden 180 at full speed that left my head spinning. The ending scene itself sets up very nicely for a sequel without the heart-crushing feeling of being a cliffhanger. It’s just enough to leave the reader ready and wanting more.

Setting Oh my god, this setting, this world. I’d heard of Yale of course, but knew nothing about New Haven until this book. I was aware top universities have secret societies, but I had no idea Yale had such a fascinating and colourful history. Obviously Leigh Bardugo took a lot of creative licences as far as the magical aspect of Yale is concerned, but as she personally went to Yale and was in fact a member of the society Wolf’s Head, I have complete trust in her ability to tell this story with as much truth and credibility as a fantasy book warrants. In other words, even though there are many fantastical elements that obviously aren’t true, I trust and believe everything else to be accurate, both historically or geographically.

New Haven genuinely felt like a town alive. Things happened despite Alex, not because of her. Even when she wasn’t around, things were still happening. The town was alive and the people who lived within it were too.

I barely had to use the map in the front of the book because everywhere was so well described I could just see it all in my head. I felt a genuine connection to this place; like I could feel the magic and mystery seeping through the pages.

There’s a slight ominous touch to the way New Haven is described and brought to life. When I picture it, I see overcast skies, skeletal trees, gothic architecture and mist in the early morning. It was a joy to visualise.

Writing Style After being disappointed with King of Scars this year, reading this book reaffirms to me how fantastic Leigh’s writing is. In terms of the calibre of the writing, this is without a doubt her greatest work so far. It’s unbelievably descriptive. There’s such depth behind every word written that these characters stand completely on their own. I’ve always been enthralled by the idea of secret societies, so with the dark, intense atmosphere, and the added element of magic, this book was just my cup of tea.

I was cautious at first as I’d seen some reviews saying the book was too long and slow, but honestly, I found the pacing perfect. I wasn’t bored. Everything seemed to connect, despite how it felt like there would be so many loose ends, Leigh somehow managed to pull everything together within the last fifty pages or so. Not going to lie, I’m impressed.

Final Impression Very excited for the sequel. It honestly can’t come soon enough. I already know it’s going to be my most anticipated release of whatever year it comes out in. Likewise, I’m very excited about the Amazon Prime series of this. I’m here. I‘m ready. Bring it on.