Name: JR's review of Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo
Item: Hell Bent
Rating: 3.5
Author: JR

Leigh Bardugo

Wealth. Power. Murder. Magic. The Ivy League is going straight to hell in the sequel to the smash New York Times bestseller “Ninth House” from #1 bestselling author Leigh Bardugo. 

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, magic, violence, and all too real monsters.

Alex Stern #2

Hell Bent

Galaxy 'Alex' Stern is determined to break Darlington out of hell-even if it costs her a future at Lethe and at Yale. But Alex is playing with forces far beyond her control, and when faculty members begin to die off, she knows these aren't just accidents. Something deadly is at work in New Haven, and if Alex 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.

Paige Leitner

You had to decide who you were willing to go to war for and who you trusted to jump into the fray for you. That was all there was in this world. No heroes or villians, just the people you'd brave the waves for, and the ones you'd let drown.

John Kiol

Isabelle

"Darlington would go to hell for me, for you, for anyone who needed saving." 

"Alex, he'd go to hell just to take notes on the climate."

If I must be a prisoner I would desire to have no other prison than that library. 

Would that I might make thee love books more than thy mother

Nicky 

Galaxy Stern, Darlington said, his eyes flashing gold, I have been crying out to yon from the start.

Lauren

“But you're going to have to change," Alex said.

“Of course. I know I haven't been the most responsible member of the team, but I believe in transformative growth-“

“Clothes, Tripp. You're going to have to change your clothes."

If only the evil did terrible things, what a simple world it would be. 

To pay your debts, you had to know who you owed. You had to decide who you were willing to go to war for and who you trusted to jump into the fray for you. That was all there was in this world. No heroes or villains, just the people you'd brave the waves for, and the ones you'd let drown.

"How do you know all of this?” Alex aaked.

“I was a really lonely kid. The advantage to being unpopular is you get a lot more reading done."

Because magic never did the kind thing. There would be no prize at the end of all your suffering. There was no reward but survival, And dead was dead.

She wasnt made like Alex or Darlington. She was a scholar. She was a rabbit, timid and defenseless, no claws or teeth. Her only choice was to run. But where would she run with Darlington gone, the dean, Alex? Who would she be if she did nothing?

bri 🍂

She wanted to tell him every last terrible thing and see if he flinched.

Why raise children on the promise of magic? Why create a want in them that can never be satisfied — for revelation, for transformation — and then set them adrift in a bleak, pragmatic world? 

Alex traced her fingers over the letters. “Darlington was. He’d go to hell for me, for you, for anyone who needed saving." 

Alex," Michelle said, dusting off her skirt, "he’d go to hell just to take notes on the climate."

She read paperbacks too, one after the next like she was chain-smoking— romance, science fiction, old pulp fantasy. All she wanted to do was sit, unbothered in a circle of lamplight, and live someone else's life. 

Comfort was the drug she hadn't understood until it was too late and she was hooked on cups of tea and book-lined shelves.

Bethany Jenkins

Dawes had left a note on the coffee table: 

Going to Beinecke. Breakfast on the counter. Call me when you're up. Bad news.

When wasn't it bad news? When was Dawes going to leave her a note that said, 

All good. Go work on that paper so you dont fall further behind. Left you fresh scones and a couple of puppies?

Jennifer

"I have appetites, Stern. They are not entirely wholesome.”

That’s all hell and the afterlife are. Theories. Because the people who get to see the other side don’t come back to tell about it.

All her life, she’d been able to see Grays; now she could hear them too. They were that much closer, that much harder to ignore.

But maybe she hadn’t really understood what salvation would cost her at all.

Emily McMeans

“Our bodies are food for worms. Why should our souls not be made meals too?”

Only Darlington’s ghost chased her here.

Thequeen

Absolutely incredible. So unique and creative. The ending leaves me wanting another book, but part of me thinks the ending was perfect. Definitely one of my fav reads of 2024.

rachel

Such a good sequel and had me hooked! I think once I got to 30% I finished the rest in maybe 3 days and it definitely would have been sooner had I not been working. Can't wait to read the next one and have already reccomended the series loads!

Soph

I’d use his horns as handle bars to ride him 

Chelsea

matti horckmans

millena

4.75 ⭐️ I read 500 pages in 24 hours so that probably proves how much I’m obsessed with this universe and this characters 🧎🏻‍♀️even though I liked Ninth House more, this one isn't far behind

The only flaw in this 500 pages was Darlington taking 80% to get out of hell and I need more of him (muuuuuch more) but the things this man said when he came back were INSANE so ladies and gentlemen here are some quotes:


  “I’m bound to you, Stern. To the woman who brought me out of hell. I will serve you ’til the end of days.”



  “You know your problem?”
“A predilection for first editions and women who like to lecture me about myself?”



  “But now he wanted in a way he never had. He had been tempted to bury his face in his soup bowl and lap at it like a greedy animal. He wanted to place himself between Alex’s legs now and do the same to her.”


HELLO???? 🙂‍↔️🙂‍↔️🙂‍↔️

I need book 3 right now and I need them together MISS BARDUGO PLEASE GIVE US SOMETHING 😭🫵🏻

Okay now continuing, the found family was even stronger in this one and I loved it so much! Knowing more about their past on their first trip to hell definitely changed the way I see everyone (even you Tripp 🫂)

I wasn't expecting 95% of the things that happened in this book but I need to say, Tripp becoming a vampire is something I didn't know I needed so much until it happened


  “You’re all right, Alex.” He put up his hand for a fist bump. “I just really want to eat you.”
Alex nudged her knuckles against his. “I know, buddy.”


Come on this man was born to be a vampire 😭

Anyway, these books are my new personality and I’d commit crimes to read book 3 now

I liked Hell Bent more than Ninth House. I think I enjoyed the second book in the series more because the first dumped a lot of info on you at once, which made it a little confusing for me. 

The plot was very well written with enjoyable pace and lovely characters. 

Should part 3 come out, I look forward to reading it. 

I liked Hell Bent more than Ninth House. I think I enjoyed the second book in the series more because the first dumped a lot of info on you at once, which made it a little confusing for me. 

The plot was very well written with enjoyable pace and lovely characters. 

Should part 3 come out, I look forward to reading it. 

Eva Ströberg

.
My bio says I don’t like fantasy but I made exception to these kind of books. I’m serious, what did I just read? It was so captivating that it was hard to put down. Bardugo charmed me once more with the story about secret societies at Yale University (some of them are true, btw)
.
Galaxy Stern (or known as Alex), who had the role of Dante in Lethe (the ninth house of the secret societies) had to find her way to get her Virgil - Darlington - back from hell in order to keep Yale (and the town of New Haven) as it has always been, relatively safe and demon free 👀
.
Harry Potter meets Constantine, this series is one of my faves at the moment

Jennifer Gosnell

Okay wow. Ninth House was really good (4 stars), but Hell Bent was AMAZING. This is exactly the kind of f-ked up cozy that I was looking for in a dark academia book and my goodness did the plot deliver. I completely love all of the characters (special shoutout to Mercy, Tripp, Dawes, and of course, Darlington). 

Just wow. I cannot WAIT for the third one!

Heather Margaret

Ugh. I didn’t want to finish this book. I love this storyline so much.

Yall were not lying about the glowstick dick huh!!! 

But fr this one outdid the first one. I think the first had a bit of a timing issue, like everything got resolved, muddled and resolved again within the last few pages. But this one kept a continuos stream of nail biting moments, concluding in a very satisfying end. Cant wait for the third

Isabella

Yall were not lying about the glowstick dick huh!!! 

But fr this one outdid the first one. I think the first had a bit of a timing issue, like everything got resolved, muddled and resolved again within the last few pages. But this one kept a continuos stream of nail biting moments, concluding in a very satisfying end. Cant wait for the third

4.5!!!!! ⭐

Okay. I really did enjoy this sequel. I think my one qualm™ about it is how drawn out it is...

I absolutely adore Leigh's ability to make such fleshed out characters. If you told me Alex Stern and Pamela Dawes and Daniel Arlington and Abel Turner existed out there in New Haven, I would fully believe you. Not to get cheesy but in the span of two books I've come to care so deeply about these character's lives and stories, I don't believe anything was added for shock value or that it was misery on top of misery. 

To me, it shows Alex's (my personal favorite character) and the rest of the characters' resilience. Her strength and bravery and just how real she is made this and the first book so so enjoyable. 

I do wish this plot would've wrapped up sooner and I kind of believe there isn't a huge need for a third book which is why I've given it 4.5 and not 5 stars BUT am I incredibly excited and will still read? Well, YES.

This last book of the duology is not as good as the first imo (I probably had a high level of expectations) and it could have been shorten. Anyway Alex Stern is a well developed character. 

Barbara

Emily Wisnesky

“Come on, Darlington,” she said. “Let’s give them hell.” 

I didn’t think I would LOVE hell bent as much I do right now. I dare say it might be one of my favorite books of all time 😭 I’m so ready for book 3 (miss leigh PLEASE give us more darlingstern I BEG) 🫶🏻 Alex Stern, Wheelwalker, you have become one of my favorite characters of all time, I loved her development and how you could see her transform into somewhat of a leader to our newly found family 🫶🏻

It took me a little bit to get into this one but I think that was because I was busy. But over all a really good read once I got back into it.

Lauren Dale

akynn 

Dani

Fun, intense, witty. Exceeded my expectations! Darlington is everything.

She's gotta stop writing these because I will keep reading them.

Regan Martin

Tatiana

5/5 give me time to recover. Holy shit this book was insane & such a wild ride. I could NEVER guess what was coming next. Incredible.

nina 

chloé

A little magic. A talent for taking a beating. A demon at her side. That was all she had, but maybe it was all she needed.
“Come on, Darlington,” she said. “Let’s give them hell.”

fuck. that was so good.

shellybn

Another adventure in which things are not always as they seem. I hope Galaxy Stern is able to overcome her setbacks and live her life exploring her new powers. I really like the supporting characters as well, especially Turner.

I am still bothered by the characterization of the Israeli gangster, but I suppose that I would find that a Russian gangster would negatively stereotype Russians, and a French gangster would negatively stereotype the French. 

I hope there is a 3rd book.

Cass Paul

It is still early into 2023, but I think I am already in a severe book hangover after this one. There is something about secert societies, magic, and the supernatural that just hit all the right buttons for me. And Leigh Bardugo definitely didn't disappoint in that department. Hell Bent had me hooked right from the very beginning, and made it almost impossible for me to put down. I cannot wait to explore more of this world, and hopefully more of Darlington and Alex's relationship as they navagiate what this new 'binding' means for them and just everything else!

Thequeen &
Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo

Reviews

Highlights

Join the club

Thequeen &Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo

Reviews

Highlights

Join the club

Thequeen &
Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo