Ninth House
Ratings678
Average rating4
Nope! I didn't make it through the first chapter. It doesn't seem like fantasy; it's much more like horror. Very creepy ghosts with mouths opening too wide etc. while watching a man being pinned open and operated on. This should be filed under horror. (I do want to add that it is very well written)
This one was not grabbing me. As far as I got, it was very much character driven. Perhaps as time goes on, I would find the characters engaging. Trouble was, I listened to the first two chapters, the second chapter twice, and I realized I didn't know what was going on. I didn't think about the story in between listens. Truthfully, I'm not sure I would have picked this up if I read the synopsis as I'm not terribly interested in a serious ghost story.
Contains spoilers
Uff this book.
The pacing of this book is all over the place. Most of the time the action was interrupted by some flashback narration that imo didn't add much to the plot or a history lesson or a description of the architechture and the design of Yale. I'm all for description and making the surroundings pop out but, in this case, I felt it just hinder the narration a lot, making this book really boring and quite hard to get through. I couldn't care less about the magic or the main mystery since everything was so muddled up with extra information, random flashbacks and changes in the timeline.
If only that was the only problem with it...My biggest issue has to be the drug abuse and the sexual assualts along with their graphic depictions, which seemed to be added for shock value and because this is AN ADULT NOVEL!1!
I didn't find any of them necessary or that really impacted the plot or the characters in a deeper level. Alex has been an addict probably since she was 12, yet we don't see her struggling at all with her addition once she's at Yale.
Additionally, there was no need to have Alex being raped as a child by a ghost to portray how traumatic her life must be like having all those ghosts around.
Then, framing Darlington being drugged against his will and him forcing himself on Alex as a lighthearted moment and then having Alex use it as levarage didn't sit well with me. Specially since it is used as one of the founding moments of their possible romanance. Finally, Mercy's gang rape was just a way to find a clue to solve the mystery and the consequence it must have on her get brushed off quite quickly.
Really disappointed, tbh, so much so that it's making me doubt my enjoyment of her other books.
Really enjoyed this book, and already finished the second in the series as well!
If you have any interest in the “secret societies” you might enjoy this, while it likely has some artistic license on the facts of the societies, there also seems to be quite a bit of historical accuracy included as well.
I was surprised by how much I actually enjoyed reading this. I do not like urban fantasy and tend to slog my way through them, but not this one. The mystery. The setting. The characters. I ate up every second of this!!
Autumn is definitely the right time of year for Ninth House to be read with the ghosts and the eeriness of New Haven, it was the perfect setting to enjoy this read.
Personally, I'm quite unsure if I will continue or not with the series. I think if I find a used copy of Hell Bent then I'd read it but I'm not desperate to continue. The set up was nicely done and I can see the pull to continue. In the end, this was enjoyable and well crafted, definitely read this in October/November for the best vibes. I would recommend reading Ninth House but please check trigger warnings because oh boy were there some surprises
3.5 probably.
I had a hard time focusing on the audiobook for whatever reason. I enjoyed the book when I could focus, but it took me a long time to get through it. The cast of characters, geographic details, and info about magic and houses felt like it was spewed out endlessly.
The biggest reason I'm knocking the rating down is commits one of my least favorite storytelling sins. Loooong exposition by the villain laying out everything in detail while the protagonist records it all.
Edit to add: the overly descriptive nature of the writing didn't feel like world building or setting the scene. It felt like a Wikipedia article and I think it diluted the world because I felt like I had to hold onto to some much information about the characters, the campus, the societies, and ultimately not very much of that mattered. Maybe she was just trying to throw so many things at you to make the “mystery” harder to solve.
Contains spoilers
CAWPILE SCORE
C- 9
A-6
W-9
P-8.5
I-8
L-9
E-9
TOTAL-8.36/10
<spoiler>
CAWPILE
Characters
Galaxy
Darlington
Dawes/Pammie
Dean Sandow
Bridgegroom
Houses
Belbaum
Hellie
Tara Hutchins
Atmosphere
Interesting, I never go the school feeling I was hoping for. But the spookiness and the vibes were perfectly what was needed for this book.
Writing
Adult book, I was expecting a little less, because of other books by Leigh Bardugo, but this was not the same.
Very good writing, perhaps a little long, but I’m not complaining. Epigraphs didn’t grip me or bore me.
The movement between past and present was a good way to bring Darlington into the story.
Plot
Girl is murdered and the house that watches the other houses investigates. Bad things happen
Alex investigates what has the spirits up and working
Investment
My investment waxed and waned, but mostly waxed? It was good, just took a bit more to get started when reading it.
Left with wanting more, but being perfectly satisfied
Logic
Very logical and consistent. It was a little out of nowhere for the end of the book, but not so much that it was a dues ex. I knew belbaum had something to do with everything and I was suspicious of the Dean
Enjoyment
Misc
So many powerful scenes
The ending scene, in the deans office
The 1st working we see
Her first incident with the Grays what happened to allow that?
She’s a Wheelwalker. He’s a demon. Can I make it any more obvious here.
Merity Tara
</spoiler>
I will be talking about it on Libromancy https://libromancy.podbean.com/
This was a good story! I really liked the setting and the world building. I would love to see more of Alex Stern and the Houses.
Unfortunately, it did have some problems. For starters, the writing, specially in the beginning, is filled with references and information that made it hard to read. My mind kept wandering and I had to reread a few passages. But also, towards the end, when we’re supposed to be having this high stakes situation, it didn’t really feel like that and ended up being a bit of a let down. I also didn’t like how it all conveniently just “rich people will keep it down” their problems away.
The story is still pretty good. The dark setting was nice and consistent throughout. And the mystery was pretty decent, as well.
I actually really enjoyed this book, but there were some things in it that bothered me enough to feel the need to dock my rating a bit.
Check all the trigger warning if you have triggers
it is really slow in the beginning but was worth it
I pushed through this because I love Leigh Bardugo. By the end, I was glad I finished it but there were quite a few things that threw me off with this book. First, the endless narration and minimal dialogue. Second, I do not need to know the in-depth history of every house. Who is retaining this information? It made it a chore to read, and I just started skipping those sections toward the end. I couldn't even tell you which house is which at this point, wayyyyy too many unnecessary details. Third, the book was too long (a result of both things I just mentioned). Pros: Alex Stern. More badass Alex Stern, please. I definitely developed a connection to the characters, which is definitely a Leigh Bardugo strength. I'm not sure if I will read Hell Bent yet. TW: Rape, sexual assault - I don't remember if there was a TW but there should be.
Dark Academia, ghosts, magic, murder investigations, and the price of power
Ninth House has a nonlinear timeline circling around a couple fixed points. The pacing starts a bit slow with some dense world building up front, but once you get past that the momentum really finds its stride. There are multiple POVs, but you mostly follow Alex. On the surface Alex is an outsider to the clean cut, high level academic world of Yale, but her traumatic past experiences help her to see through the masks people wear down to their greed, corruption, and arrogance.
I enjoyed this book immensely but it is very bleak. Even the high points are still pretty depressing. Everything sucks, there are no consequences for the rich and powerful, and so Alex must do whatever it takes to survive. Some events are described in detail that were just past my personal line of “too dark” so read the trigger warnings. They felt like they were there just for shock value.
Overall, I loved the mystery and things slowly being revealed. There were twists I didn't see coming, but they had solid, subtle foundations that back them up. I'm definitely continuing the series and would recommend it.
Solid 4.5 stars. Highly suggest listening to Leigh Bardugo's interview on the audiobook or reading her annotated chapter available in B&N version. It's even more stunning to know that a lot of the details are actually true.
I just finished Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo, an audiobook and here are my thoughts.
Alex Stern had a rough start to her life. Quitting school and running away from her hippie mother, Alex ends up in the underbelly of LA with a drug dealer boyfriend and a lifetime of worry under her belt and she's only 20. After she survives a mass murder, she wakes up to an offer... A full ride to Yale. Why do they want her?
She arrives on campus and she has a job to do. She has to help keep an eye on Yale's secret societies. Their tombs are built on powerful nexuses and the occultish activities have to be kept in check so the outside world never finds out. Alex has a hunch that something much more sinister is happening and it's putting people's lives in danger.
I have been waiting to get my hands on this book for ages and it did not disappoint. I loved the writing style. It was hypnotic and whimsical in all the very best ways.
The book comes from Alex's POV and Darlington's. The world building was done brilliantly, I felt like I was walking around the campus. Skull and bones is a real secret society within Yale but adding in an occult backbone was genius. Alex has a gift, and this is why she is brought into Yale. I have book 2 coming but it can't come fast enough. We were left with many many questions at the end of the book.
It's a dark fantasy with some horror and mystery wrapped into one. The book covers some interesting topics and while I wished they had gone into more depth, I was entertained fully with this book.
4 stars.
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After what seemed like a slow start with the world building and a slight information overload, the story was launched into a pretty gripping ride finishing off on a slightly sweet strange taste. Definitely left me needing to pick up the sequel asap.
we have a strange relationship this book and me...
this was unexpectedly amazing, but at the same time idk if I get what this is about
the writing is astonishing she's so talented, the imagination that leigh bardugo have ?!? omg
This was exactly what I wanted from a dark academia fantasy book — the world building in the beginning was a bit slow but once it clicks the plot thickens and next thing you know you've devoured the book and immediately ordered the next one
Also Galaxy Stern is such a badass
p.s. not me having a crush on a demon, a detective, AND a ghost