Reviews

I’ve been waiting years for this sequel to finally come out! The series first novel, ‘Ninth House’ by Leigh Bardugo was a fun take on fantasy meets dark academia and a great start to a series, whereas I felt like ‘Hell Bent’ was 99 percent plot with very little character development. Despite it being so plot driven, the conclusion didn’t really propel the series a long much. We did follow the characters I grew to love as they further their journey to save their friend from hell. I did enjoy the book overall with the twists and turns, but the more I think about it the less I like it. However, still would give this 4 stars and will read the next book in the series. I may have liked it more if I hadn’t had such high hopes following ‘Ninth House.’

cherese's review against another edition

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dark slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

roslinozerca's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

thistleandhare's review against another edition

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2.0

I don’t know how Bardugo managed to make a heist in hell boring, but she did. Every time she writes a sequel, she seems to get in above her head, the plot and lore overflowing the rim of the well crafted cup of the first book. I had the same issues here that I had with Crooked Kingdom.

The most engaging parts of Ninth House were the Bridegroom and Darlington, both of which are criminally absent from this book. In their place, we get a drug dealing vampire, a naked demon with a glowing erection, and like 5 failed attempts to get into hell. The plot is all over the place, the characters feel flat and unlike themselves, and the delicious dark academia vibe is lost entirely. Overall, I’m highly disappointed. I’m not sure how willing I am to keep up with Bardugo at this point—I’m afraid Six of Crows will remain her magnum opus.

I will be returning for the third installment of this, only because the Soul-Eater-esque demon weapon relationship forming between Alex and Darlington. I’m a sucker for a simp who says things like “I will serve you until the end of days.”

redcerise's review against another edition

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adventurous dark tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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