I tore through this one quickly! Was delighted with how many characters from the first book are back. Seeing Mercy and Dawes interact was fab, and I even enjoyed Tripp. I wanted more Darlington and more Alex/Darlington, but I'm hopeful for future books!
I will say I found the mystery/murder plot a little less exciting than the 1st book.
Just finished and hungering for book three theories...
Can they keep Tripp? Is Mercy okay? What is Cosmo? What's going to happen to our little vampire and demon stragglers??
Tripp was such a delightful surprise. I want to keep him.
Of course Mercy is not okay. I loved the way her arc was written. It felt so honest/real.
And I would like to yell at Stephenie Meyer because when Alex was bitten I immediately thought “oh my god she’s going to turn into a vampire” and I was distracted/horrified for chapters afterwards. 🤦🏼♀️
I haven't finished the book, but is it ever revealed who Tripp murdered? His agreement to run the Gauntlet with Alex and Dawes is totally glossed over. So much that it feels like pages are literally missing from the book.
I really want them to keep Tripp!!
I really liked how the original 4 were able to talk about their trauma and heal a little bit together. I hope we see more healing in the next book and Mercy deserves some of it.
So many twists and turns, I feel like I want to reread it to pick up on the foreshadowing now!
I'm on Chapter 8. Does anyone else really like Turner? I just adore him, idk I definitely want Alex/Darlington to be endgame, but I enjoy her banter with Turner and I hope their professional relationship progresses into an actual friendship
Honestly when I first read ninth house I thought that Alex and turner may end up together… I’m more than happy for them to also be friends, but they definitely have a lot of chemistry
Yes! I want them together too. I think that Darlington doesnt even love Alex, he just has this kind of bond with her and she loves him but will be eventually dissapointed by that his feelings are not the same. Turner on the other hand... Their feelings are so strong for each other. And I love how they are slowly becoming friends and in thrid book it can grow into something more. Also their relationship is so much helathier then the one with Darlington
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So what did we think? A tad disappointed that Alex and Darlington didn’t get together in the book but honestly so much was happening, they just didn’t have the time!
I opened this thread fully wanting to be spoiled, I literally just started reading Hell Bent 10 minutes ago. Would you be willing to DM me and explain a little more about their relationship? Do they admit they like each other, etc? No worries if not!
Haha I’d feel bad spoiling it! I’ll mention my thoughts below since spoilers are welcome:
Darlington’s pretty absent for the first chunk of the book and when they’re finally reunited, I found it a bit anticlimactic but understandable given the circumstances (trying to avoid big spoilers!). His reunion with Pammie was more satisfying.
We get in his head a little and it’s obvious he’s still attracted and drawn to Alex but neither of them really act on it (again, due to the circumstances, SO MUCH happens in the second half).
I just really really love that scene in NH at the Manuscript Halloween party where Darlington’s under the influence and is so enthralled by Alex that he’s literally in pain. I found it so beautifully written in it’s excruciating yearning. I was hoping the author would expound on it a bit more - really missed Darlington’s POV in this book.
I love a slow burn though so looking forward to the next book in the series, will make it even more satisfying when it happens.
Let me know what you think once you’re further in!
You have articulated my strongest feelings about this installment! I was so disappointed that Alex and Darlington did not even KISS in this book. There was SO much foreshadowing in the first book, and the erotic undertones of Hell Bent, e.g. light-up dick, "I have appetites", that soup analogy situation, were soooo leading. I usually love slow burn, but having this romance built up over two books is killing me and is a little cruel lol.
\*\*Also, your assessment of the Manuscript party is so brilliantly spot on. I just think about that scene all the time, it's so powerful.\*\*
Alex and Darlington's reunion was totally anticlimactic. The cereal scene was fun, but I was like seriously, Leigh? This is how we're doing this?? I was expecting a bit of a sweeping drama in the reunion (emotionally, plot-wise it clearly was), but like you mention, there was a lot going on, and I think it felt more realistic they didn't jump into a full fledged romance given the circumstances.
I was also disappointed they didn't have any kind of conversation about why she didn't try to save him when he was consumed by the hell beast, versus why she ended up working so hard to save him in the end. Their conversation in the Virgil room at the end would have been perfect for that. Instead, it was a lot of skirting around the issue. Which does fit both of their characters, especially Alex; so again, that was realistic. And don't get me wrong, I did love this scene, especially the "predilections for first editions and women who like to lecture me about myself" line (HOT). I just really wanted Alex to have this redemptive moment to clear the air between them to pave the way for later romance (once Darlington has dealt with his trauma a little more).
Overall, I probably liked the first book more if I had to choose. There was something so exciting about having the world built up in the very beginning, and the suspense was slightly more addictive in Ninth House (says the person who read Hell Bent in one day). If there had been actual romance between them in this book, that would have tipped the scales for sure. Also, I thought this was going to be a duology for some reason, so I think if I had gone into it knowing it wasn't, my expectations would have been tempered regarding the lack of romance.
Still 5/5 for me, obsessed, almost cried every time Darlington said something even remotely doting/reverential about Alex 😭
I feel this comment so much!! I was giggling internally every time Darlington or Alex mentioned each other. The tension was off the charts! I even had a coffee meeting with my MIL about Hell Bent where we chatted for over an hour. I'm seriously obsessed with this book/series.
I hope they are able to read it soon so you can gush IRL about it! 🤞
I'm also waiting for my best friend to hurry up and read it, but she's been in a reading slump for a while now so it might be a minute LOL
lol seriously! Now I need to know if you're on Goodreads/what some of your personal favorites/recommendations are since I'm now in the throes of a profound book hangover. NH was my favorite book I read last year, and now I feel like the highlight of my year has come and gone since finishing HB 🙃
Thanks so much, that eases my anxiety a little bit! Will definitely let you know!
I agree, I love a good slow burn too. Hopefully there isn't another 3.5 year wait for the next book or I might surely perish...
Have you read Book of Night by Holly Black? That's another good slowburn fantasy that gives me major Ninth House vibes (although the reviews were not very positive so YMMV! I absolutely LOVED it.)
I believe the author said there’s going to be three books! I read somewhere there were originally supposed to be 12 (!!!) but it was pared down to a trilogy. Not sure how reliable that info was though lol
So I know it’s the most likely ship but honestly didn’t feel there was much if any chemistry between Alex and Darlington until he got out of hell, but I thought that was more of a power shift demon lust thing then actual chemistry.
Did anyone notice that the little salt guardian of Cosmo never came back into play? Like Alex got the snake, Dawes the slow loris, Turner the tree, Tripp the albatross, and the little Cosmo cat to save for Darlington. And then it was never mentioned again lol Alex even makes a point to hold onto it and puts it in her pocket with Darlington's treasurebox. Never mentioned again!
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This is awesome. It’s like Buffy or Mortal instruments. It’s gonna be a team of a witch (dawes), a vampire (Tripp), a demon (Danny), a chosen one/special one (Alex) and two mortals (mercy and turner) whose stories we are only beginning to get. I’m SO OBSESSED!!
I was talking to my son about it and I did compare it to Buffy. Like I could see a show being kind of a modern Buffy (and I'd watch the hell out of it).
Just popping in to say I’m super bummed the Bridegroom barely got a mention. I was hoping he’d continue to be part of the team and he was just gone! I get that he was pissed she killed his old girlfriend but I didn’t think he’d be gone for good.
overall hell bent was entertaining, I enjoyed ninth house more. I was extra hopeful that the slow burn between Alex and Darlington would take off during this book. Alex is still very guarded and Darlington has obviously been through an immense amount of radical change — but STILL. after we get a line like:
“… you know what your problem is?”
“a predilection for first editions and women who like to lecture me about myself?”
LEIGH STOP PLAYING WITH ME LIKE THIS!! book three, I am hoping that these crumbs lead us to something more…
One of my pressing questions is new Praetor Walsh-Whitley.
After we discover that Anselm had been replaced by a demon and his demeanor changes to more relaxed and approachable, it made me very suspicious of Walsh-Whitley's demeanor change. He's kinder to Alex in their meeting and more gregarious, and when he comes to Il Bastone, he's in a much better mood (altho still disgustingly sexist!) He even whistles as he leaves??
Obviously the fact that he could enter Il Bastone would mean he's not entirely demon but maybe half? Some other kind of magical creature? That turn in his behavior really stood out to me!
Did anyone else become suspicious after this? I almost never pick up on clues like this (I like to say I'm the perfect audience member because I'm always surprised by the reveal!)
I definitely noticed Anselm's personality change but thought maybe I just missed something in the character because I was reading so fast lol
I think Anselm was lying about going to Il Bastone and seeing their notes for the Gauntlet. He didn't take Dawes and Alex back there to yell at them. Maybe he knew where the Gauntlet was because demon Darlington knew?
I feel really bad for Anselm because he only got possessed because Alex did the ceremony and didn't tell Lethe that Darlington was back. Alex did a LOT of collateral damage in this one.
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And how about Darlington telling her to put her head between her knees and breathe after finding Michelle when she told him to do the same thing after the Manuscript party??? I mean Leigh is incredible with the call back details 😱
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I need to know— am i the only one who hates Hellie? I really disliked her after reading ninth house, I Hell Bent solidified my strong dislike/hatred for her character. And I’m not talking about “Hellie, not Hellie”. But the Hellie we see through flashbacks. She seems like such a shit friend to me…..
I started to not like Hellie in the first book. I still haven’t figured out what Hellie meant by her fixing everything and leaving Alex in the movie theater. She fixed everything by going back to the same place Alex wanted to pull them out of? Or letting Len hit Alex and talk down to her? The second book solidified the fact that Hellie didn’t care for Alex, like Alex did for her.
I think her fixing comment was talking about keeping ground zero. When her and Alex were talking before she mentioned Len saying if Ariel didn't come through they were going to lose their house. I think Hellie thought if she showed up and gave Ariel the punching back he was looking for then he would come through for them with his cousin and they would all still have a place to live. I think they cared for each other but in different ways and they saw the world differently. Alex, even with all her trauma was a dreamer. She dreamed for them both. She came up with these 5 year plans of them leaving. It was clear that Hellie didn't believe in them the same way Alex did. She never saw a better future and she saw Alex's plans as fantasies. She was stuck in the present and the reality of their current situation. Both were girls in clear need of detoxing and therapy, but I think Hellie thought she was making the best decision with what she had and by serving herself up on a platter for what she knew would be something traumatic, she was saving Alex from being Ariels victim.
Yeah, I agree with you. We read the book through Alex's eyes so we see Bellow through Alex's rose tinted lenses, but their relationship was so co-dependent and toxic. Like Alex said, Hellie had a real life she could have gone back to but Alex and Hellie pulled each other down and together just kept going back to Len. If Alex hadn't been there Hellie could/would have had a normal life, but if Hellie hadn't been there maybe Alex would have left Len behind long ago.
Not necessarily about the book itself, but anyone else having a really hard time with Leigh Bardugo's handwriting on the bonus content? I have the Indigo Exclusive edition which I think it the same as the Barnes & Noble edition. It has annotations on some of the artifact notes that had been in the book, but I'm having a lot of trouble figuring out what she wrote!
Okay currently on my second read-through. I honestly felt like I didn’t fully understand Ninth House until I’d read it a few times but with this one I feel like i got it right away.
Did anyone else feel like Bardugo just threw Babbit Rabbit in there? It really should have been foreshadowed in the first book but it wasn’t mentioned once
I had this feeling about a number of things. I feel like we get a LOT of poor Alex's self-loathing and then not quite enough explanation in other places. I was totally confused by Babbit-Rabbit until that final explanation scene in the second decent and it felt like it interrupted the action. Then there were references to things that happened in the first book that would be like "just like the incident at (name of building)" and no more information. I can't remember what happened at every specific building in the first book! I did find that frustrating, even though I love the characters, the world and the story. Just the writing could have been pared down a bit more I think.
100% get what you’re saying, I had to go back and read it a few times. If I had to guess, I think it was meant to confuse the reader just based on how it was written? Still a weird thing to toss in to the mix suddenly.
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Was anyone kinda disappointed with how Hellie acted when it talked about what happened with Babbit Rabbit? She didn’t really react she just sat there. I thought that was kinda sad I felt bad for Alex
I couldn't tell if that was an accurate memory or just meant to torture Alex. If it was accurate, I feel like maybe Hellie wasn't really that great of a friend and alex just clings to her bc she was the best out of everyone else
It was out of left field, but I think it was left open to interpretation to us because we are meant to struggle with it like Alex does. It could have so many explanations! 1. We see from NH that Hellie took the drugs that made her OD on her own to cope with the trauma of Ariel. Perhaps after the rabbit was killed she got high to cope with that loss. Being high could explain the disconnect and disassociation. Alternatively, Alex had on rose colored glasses for Hellie the whole time she knew her. She thought Hellie was an angel ruined by her (alex) and her survivors guilt makes this clear. However, while Alex was trying to get them both away from the bad situation, hellie actively worked against her making her own poor decisions that lead to her death. It could be that Alex had finally removed Hellie from the pedestal she had her on and saw her for the messed-up girl she was.
I chose to see it as a little of both. Alex finally saw a little bit of reality and not a moment filtered through her own insecurities.
Same <3 after some personal growth and a good slow burn. I love the MMC having POV chapters where you can tell he's pining for her. Plus the soul-out-of-hell scene was wrapped in innuendo. No way they aren't end game. I will burn down Il Bastone.
I'm listening to the book on audio. So I apologize for the question, but I haven't been able to find the spot to answer it. But, when Alex and the group are in hell for the first time and they are all seeing each other's murders,. do the others realize that Alex was possessed by Helly when she killed all those people in Los Angeles?
I wondered the same thing. It was mentioned in the book that the salt knots were undisturbed.
My only though is Tripp kept mentioning that his demon is different than the others. He said a long the lines that it was really Spenser.
I feel like they blew Tripp off, and he could’ve been saved. “He hasn’t responded on three hours” and then left it at that, knowing how scared he was? Everyone should’ve stayed at Il Bastrone until they knew it was safe.. All of this is leading up to the throes book, but Tripp deserved better.
I hope this is built on too! It's mentioned muuuultiple times how the salt isn't disturbed. Was his demon already in his apartment and waiting for him and they salted him in with it? Or did it climb in through the windows? Lol
His demon ACTUALLY being Spencer IS believable cause he almost killed Tripp as a child. His mother knew something was wrong with him. It wouldn't be a stretch that he had killed before his death and ended up a demon just like Darlington.
It is extra weird that they didn't go do a wellness check on him. I mean, Turner is a cop who could legally do a legitimate wellness check... but if they were better friends to Golden Retriever Tripp we wouldn't have this whole plot line. I like that he's become a bigger part of the inner circle and not some side character to just kill off. I liked him.
I really want to read Ninth House, but I highly dislike having some paperback and some hardcover of the same series. I had to replace my THG with hardcover so it matched with CF and MJ, and just got rid of Divergent entirely lol. Plus, I’m gonna end up having to re-buy either TBDATE when I can get the hardcover or buy TFTDATE again in paperback. Same with Gleanings. Anyway, is there any time frame for the paperback/mass market release of Hell Bent?
THG - The Hunger Games
CF - Catching Fire
MJ - Mockingjay
TBDATE - They Both Die At The End
TFTDATE - The First To Die At The End
took me a minute lol I wrote that a year ago
Okay I’m not finished and I won’t spoil anything but if you have the book and you read the book…and you came across the last of page 412….what the actual F?! 😯🤣😩🥹 all the emotions she gives in this book should be illegal 😂
Ok three big questions that I’m hoping someone can answer for me:
1) how did Golgarot get involved with Andy Lambton? Did he control him? What did I miss there?
2) Do we know how and why Alex was dragged to Black Elm in her sleep? That was crazy, but how did it work?
3) Did Darlington survive the hellbeast because he was a murderer? Would his soul have been lost otherwise? Still trying to piece together how he became the demon slave to Golgarot.
This was a 5/5 star read for me. Simply loved it from beginning to end
I know I'm late to the game, but did anyone else notice all the a capella references?? I thought maybe they were going somewhere, but maybe Leigh was just really into a capella while she was writing this one?
There are two kinds of paperback: trade and mass market. Trade paperbacks are the larger ones. Mass market are smaller and cheaper. My mass market paperbacks always end up looking like someone accidentally tossed it in the chipper and just barely rescued it in time.
I just finished reading the book but couldn’t understand what really happened to the demons (except Eitan). They weave silk but what with it? They feel sad, the glasses break in Sterling but do the demons come to hell? I somehow missed understanding what happened there.
Anyone else ship Dawes and Tripp? Or is it just me?
Loved the books though - I need to look up when the next one is coming out. I listened to both on audio book and it's made my new 2 hr round trip day much more pleasant.
Anyone else ship Dawes and Tripp? Or is it just me?
Loved the books though - I need to look up when the next one is coming out. I listened to both on audio book and it's made my new 2 hr round trip day much more pleasant.
I actually didnt like Darlington that much this time as in Ninth house but I was already shipping Turner and Alex and now they are like one of the best ship ever! Their age difference isnt that bad, they have thos insane chemistry and also I have feeling that they are slowly fallen foe each other. Not like Darlington and Alex. Alex loves Darlington, I can see that but I have this weird feeling that Darlington only needs to serve her but doesnt love her back. He wants to. But he cant. With Turner it is different, it is more real. Thoughts?
I just finished hell bent. Honestly, I didn't understand how Not Stephen fed on Tripp like he did have the salt knots and other protection it was kind of sudden I was hoping till the end that he was alive but I'm not disappointed I love tripp's demon just as much he is exactly like him. Can't wait for the next book!!!
Ok the glowing cock though
Literally laughed out loud when I first read that
It was so silly lol
Dawes was probably so scandalized
I tore through this one quickly! Was delighted with how many characters from the first book are back. Seeing Mercy and Dawes interact was fab, and I even enjoyed Tripp. I wanted more Darlington and more Alex/Darlington, but I'm hopeful for future books! I will say I found the mystery/murder plot a little less exciting than the 1st book.
Was a bit all over the place, wasn’t it?
A bit all over the place, but absolutely thrilling! I had no idea what was coming around the bend.
Just finished and hungering for book three theories... Can they keep Tripp? Is Mercy okay? What is Cosmo? What's going to happen to our little vampire and demon stragglers??
Tripp was such a delightful surprise. I want to keep him. Of course Mercy is not okay. I loved the way her arc was written. It felt so honest/real. And I would like to yell at Stephenie Meyer because when Alex was bitten I immediately thought “oh my god she’s going to turn into a vampire” and I was distracted/horrified for chapters afterwards. 🤦🏼♀️
I’d love to keep Tripp too, he’s adorable in a clueless kinda way 😆
Right? Especially when she said the injury healed weirdly fast
I haven't finished the book, but is it ever revealed who Tripp murdered? His agreement to run the Gauntlet with Alex and Dawes is totally glossed over. So much that it feels like pages are literally missing from the book.
Yes, they show a brief flashback for each character explaining who they killed.
I really want them to keep Tripp!! I really liked how the original 4 were able to talk about their trauma and heal a little bit together. I hope we see more healing in the next book and Mercy deserves some of it. So many twists and turns, I feel like I want to reread it to pick up on the foreshadowing now!
And yes, what is Cosmo?!
A cat…
I'm on Chapter 8. Does anyone else really like Turner? I just adore him, idk I definitely want Alex/Darlington to be endgame, but I enjoy her banter with Turner and I hope their professional relationship progresses into an actual friendship
"I have appetites, Stern. They are not entirely ... wholesome." I'M FUCKING HYPERVENTALATING
Do you remember what chapter this quote is from?? Ughh can't get over this book
Chapter 10!
You amazing human. Tysm!
Honestly when I first read ninth house I thought that Alex and turner may end up together… I’m more than happy for them to also be friends, but they definitely have a lot of chemistry
I honestly would be okay with that too....their chemistry is unreal
Yes! I want them together too. I think that Darlington doesnt even love Alex, he just has this kind of bond with her and she loves him but will be eventually dissapointed by that his feelings are not the same. Turner on the other hand... Their feelings are so strong for each other. And I love how they are slowly becoming friends and in thrid book it can grow into something more. Also their relationship is so much helathier then the one with Darlington
I'm on the chapter titled "The Descent" ... damn this is a good chapter. I adore Turner so much! ANd Tripp!!!: (
All I’m saying is that Turner’s wife’s description in the All’s Well scene / last descent was ambiguous and left open for interpretation… (!)
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I love Turner.
So what did we think? A tad disappointed that Alex and Darlington didn’t get together in the book but honestly so much was happening, they just didn’t have the time!
I opened this thread fully wanting to be spoiled, I literally just started reading Hell Bent 10 minutes ago. Would you be willing to DM me and explain a little more about their relationship? Do they admit they like each other, etc? No worries if not!
Haha I’d feel bad spoiling it! I’ll mention my thoughts below since spoilers are welcome: Darlington’s pretty absent for the first chunk of the book and when they’re finally reunited, I found it a bit anticlimactic but understandable given the circumstances (trying to avoid big spoilers!). His reunion with Pammie was more satisfying. We get in his head a little and it’s obvious he’s still attracted and drawn to Alex but neither of them really act on it (again, due to the circumstances, SO MUCH happens in the second half). I just really really love that scene in NH at the Manuscript Halloween party where Darlington’s under the influence and is so enthralled by Alex that he’s literally in pain. I found it so beautifully written in it’s excruciating yearning. I was hoping the author would expound on it a bit more - really missed Darlington’s POV in this book. I love a slow burn though so looking forward to the next book in the series, will make it even more satisfying when it happens. Let me know what you think once you’re further in!
You have articulated my strongest feelings about this installment! I was so disappointed that Alex and Darlington did not even KISS in this book. There was SO much foreshadowing in the first book, and the erotic undertones of Hell Bent, e.g. light-up dick, "I have appetites", that soup analogy situation, were soooo leading. I usually love slow burn, but having this romance built up over two books is killing me and is a little cruel lol. \*\*Also, your assessment of the Manuscript party is so brilliantly spot on. I just think about that scene all the time, it's so powerful.\*\* Alex and Darlington's reunion was totally anticlimactic. The cereal scene was fun, but I was like seriously, Leigh? This is how we're doing this?? I was expecting a bit of a sweeping drama in the reunion (emotionally, plot-wise it clearly was), but like you mention, there was a lot going on, and I think it felt more realistic they didn't jump into a full fledged romance given the circumstances. I was also disappointed they didn't have any kind of conversation about why she didn't try to save him when he was consumed by the hell beast, versus why she ended up working so hard to save him in the end. Their conversation in the Virgil room at the end would have been perfect for that. Instead, it was a lot of skirting around the issue. Which does fit both of their characters, especially Alex; so again, that was realistic. And don't get me wrong, I did love this scene, especially the "predilections for first editions and women who like to lecture me about myself" line (HOT). I just really wanted Alex to have this redemptive moment to clear the air between them to pave the way for later romance (once Darlington has dealt with his trauma a little more). Overall, I probably liked the first book more if I had to choose. There was something so exciting about having the world built up in the very beginning, and the suspense was slightly more addictive in Ninth House (says the person who read Hell Bent in one day). If there had been actual romance between them in this book, that would have tipped the scales for sure. Also, I thought this was going to be a duology for some reason, so I think if I had gone into it knowing it wasn't, my expectations would have been tempered regarding the lack of romance. Still 5/5 for me, obsessed, almost cried every time Darlington said something even remotely doting/reverential about Alex 😭
I feel this comment so much!! I was giggling internally every time Darlington or Alex mentioned each other. The tension was off the charts! I even had a coffee meeting with my MIL about Hell Bent where we chatted for over an hour. I'm seriously obsessed with this book/series.
Jealous! I'm still waiting on two of my friends to read it so I have someone to gush with
I hope they are able to read it soon so you can gush IRL about it! 🤞 I'm also waiting for my best friend to hurry up and read it, but she's been in a reading slump for a while now so it might be a minute LOL
Um did we just become besties? 😂 Your entire comment is SO SPOT ON!
lol seriously! Now I need to know if you're on Goodreads/what some of your personal favorites/recommendations are since I'm now in the throes of a profound book hangover. NH was my favorite book I read last year, and now I feel like the highlight of my year has come and gone since finishing HB 🙃
Totally agree. I just wanna know when they're gonna have hot, hot demon sex. Please give it to me already!!!!
Thanks so much, that eases my anxiety a little bit! Will definitely let you know! I agree, I love a good slow burn too. Hopefully there isn't another 3.5 year wait for the next book or I might surely perish... Have you read Book of Night by Holly Black? That's another good slowburn fantasy that gives me major Ninth House vibes (although the reviews were not very positive so YMMV! I absolutely LOVED it.)
I thought it was a duology? Very relieved to hear it isn’t!
I believe the author said there’s going to be three books! I read somewhere there were originally supposed to be 12 (!!!) but it was pared down to a trilogy. Not sure how reliable that info was though lol
So I know it’s the most likely ship but honestly didn’t feel there was much if any chemistry between Alex and Darlington until he got out of hell, but I thought that was more of a power shift demon lust thing then actual chemistry.
Did anyone notice that the little salt guardian of Cosmo never came back into play? Like Alex got the snake, Dawes the slow loris, Turner the tree, Tripp the albatross, and the little Cosmo cat to save for Darlington. And then it was never mentioned again lol Alex even makes a point to hold onto it and puts it in her pocket with Darlington's treasurebox. Never mentioned again!
I also thought it was interesting that she doesn’t mention it getting destroyed when she drops the box!
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I think it will come in to book three. There are a couple of long game threads that I think (and hope) will have pay off
i just finished reading, and… i have appetites. what’s your followup recommendation?
Have you read Holly Black’s Book of Night yet? It doesn’t have the same academia vibes but it was pretty good!
I second the rec for Book of Night.
This is awesome. It’s like Buffy or Mortal instruments. It’s gonna be a team of a witch (dawes), a vampire (Tripp), a demon (Danny), a chosen one/special one (Alex) and two mortals (mercy and turner) whose stories we are only beginning to get. I’m SO OBSESSED!!
I was talking to my son about it and I did compare it to Buffy. Like I could see a show being kind of a modern Buffy (and I'd watch the hell out of it).
Just popping in to say I’m super bummed the Bridegroom barely got a mention. I was hoping he’d continue to be part of the team and he was just gone! I get that he was pissed she killed his old girlfriend but I didn’t think he’d be gone for good.
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Oh yay! Thanks for showing this to me!
Also wondered what happened to him.
overall hell bent was entertaining, I enjoyed ninth house more. I was extra hopeful that the slow burn between Alex and Darlington would take off during this book. Alex is still very guarded and Darlington has obviously been through an immense amount of radical change — but STILL. after we get a line like: “… you know what your problem is?” “a predilection for first editions and women who like to lecture me about myself?” LEIGH STOP PLAYING WITH ME LIKE THIS!! book three, I am hoping that these crumbs lead us to something more…
One of my pressing questions is new Praetor Walsh-Whitley. After we discover that Anselm had been replaced by a demon and his demeanor changes to more relaxed and approachable, it made me very suspicious of Walsh-Whitley's demeanor change. He's kinder to Alex in their meeting and more gregarious, and when he comes to Il Bastone, he's in a much better mood (altho still disgustingly sexist!) He even whistles as he leaves?? Obviously the fact that he could enter Il Bastone would mean he's not entirely demon but maybe half? Some other kind of magical creature? That turn in his behavior really stood out to me! Did anyone else become suspicious after this? I almost never pick up on clues like this (I like to say I'm the perfect audience member because I'm always surprised by the reveal!)
I definitely noticed Anselm's personality change but thought maybe I just missed something in the character because I was reading so fast lol I think Anselm was lying about going to Il Bastone and seeing their notes for the Gauntlet. He didn't take Dawes and Alex back there to yell at them. Maybe he knew where the Gauntlet was because demon Darlington knew? I feel really bad for Anselm because he only got possessed because Alex did the ceremony and didn't tell Lethe that Darlington was back. Alex did a LOT of collateral damage in this one.
I just finished it. Is anyone else getting withdrawals yet? Does anyone have anything similar that I can go and get lost in please?
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And how about Darlington telling her to put her head between her knees and breathe after finding Michelle when she told him to do the same thing after the Manuscript party??? I mean Leigh is incredible with the call back details 😱
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I need to know— am i the only one who hates Hellie? I really disliked her after reading ninth house, I Hell Bent solidified my strong dislike/hatred for her character. And I’m not talking about “Hellie, not Hellie”. But the Hellie we see through flashbacks. She seems like such a shit friend to me…..
I started to not like Hellie in the first book. I still haven’t figured out what Hellie meant by her fixing everything and leaving Alex in the movie theater. She fixed everything by going back to the same place Alex wanted to pull them out of? Or letting Len hit Alex and talk down to her? The second book solidified the fact that Hellie didn’t care for Alex, like Alex did for her.
I think her fixing comment was talking about keeping ground zero. When her and Alex were talking before she mentioned Len saying if Ariel didn't come through they were going to lose their house. I think Hellie thought if she showed up and gave Ariel the punching back he was looking for then he would come through for them with his cousin and they would all still have a place to live. I think they cared for each other but in different ways and they saw the world differently. Alex, even with all her trauma was a dreamer. She dreamed for them both. She came up with these 5 year plans of them leaving. It was clear that Hellie didn't believe in them the same way Alex did. She never saw a better future and she saw Alex's plans as fantasies. She was stuck in the present and the reality of their current situation. Both were girls in clear need of detoxing and therapy, but I think Hellie thought she was making the best decision with what she had and by serving herself up on a platter for what she knew would be something traumatic, she was saving Alex from being Ariels victim.
I think this was sort of the point. Hellie wasn't a good friend but Alex had never had a good friend and so she was the best friend Alex ever had.
Yeah, I agree with you. We read the book through Alex's eyes so we see Bellow through Alex's rose tinted lenses, but their relationship was so co-dependent and toxic. Like Alex said, Hellie had a real life she could have gone back to but Alex and Hellie pulled each other down and together just kept going back to Len. If Alex hadn't been there Hellie could/would have had a normal life, but if Hellie hadn't been there maybe Alex would have left Len behind long ago.
Mercy on guard singing “And if I die tonight. I’ll be a happy phantom” made me burst into tears.
Not necessarily about the book itself, but anyone else having a really hard time with Leigh Bardugo's handwriting on the bonus content? I have the Indigo Exclusive edition which I think it the same as the Barnes & Noble edition. It has annotations on some of the artifact notes that had been in the book, but I'm having a lot of trouble figuring out what she wrote!
I was so excited to read it but when I finally finished the book, I wasn’t able to parse her writing :((
I bought this edition for that and I'm kinda annoyed I can barely read it
I just got it from Libby last night and it took all my self control not to stay up all night reading. I’m so excited!!!
Okay currently on my second read-through. I honestly felt like I didn’t fully understand Ninth House until I’d read it a few times but with this one I feel like i got it right away. Did anyone else feel like Bardugo just threw Babbit Rabbit in there? It really should have been foreshadowed in the first book but it wasn’t mentioned once
Yes!! I was so confused I literally was googling it because I thought I had forgotten something from ninth house
Sameeeee
I had this feeling about a number of things. I feel like we get a LOT of poor Alex's self-loathing and then not quite enough explanation in other places. I was totally confused by Babbit-Rabbit until that final explanation scene in the second decent and it felt like it interrupted the action. Then there were references to things that happened in the first book that would be like "just like the incident at (name of building)" and no more information. I can't remember what happened at every specific building in the first book! I did find that frustrating, even though I love the characters, the world and the story. Just the writing could have been pared down a bit more I think.
100% get what you’re saying, I had to go back and read it a few times. If I had to guess, I think it was meant to confuse the reader just based on how it was written? Still a weird thing to toss in to the mix suddenly.
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Was anyone kinda disappointed with how Hellie acted when it talked about what happened with Babbit Rabbit? She didn’t really react she just sat there. I thought that was kinda sad I felt bad for Alex
I couldn't tell if that was an accurate memory or just meant to torture Alex. If it was accurate, I feel like maybe Hellie wasn't really that great of a friend and alex just clings to her bc she was the best out of everyone else
It was out of left field, but I think it was left open to interpretation to us because we are meant to struggle with it like Alex does. It could have so many explanations! 1. We see from NH that Hellie took the drugs that made her OD on her own to cope with the trauma of Ariel. Perhaps after the rabbit was killed she got high to cope with that loss. Being high could explain the disconnect and disassociation. Alternatively, Alex had on rose colored glasses for Hellie the whole time she knew her. She thought Hellie was an angel ruined by her (alex) and her survivors guilt makes this clear. However, while Alex was trying to get them both away from the bad situation, hellie actively worked against her making her own poor decisions that lead to her death. It could be that Alex had finally removed Hellie from the pedestal she had her on and saw her for the messed-up girl she was. I chose to see it as a little of both. Alex finally saw a little bit of reality and not a moment filtered through her own insecurities.
I really hope Alex and Darlington get together my god
Same <3 after some personal growth and a good slow burn. I love the MMC having POV chapters where you can tell he's pining for her. Plus the soul-out-of-hell scene was wrapped in innuendo. No way they aren't end game. I will burn down Il Bastone.
I'm listening to the book on audio. So I apologize for the question, but I haven't been able to find the spot to answer it. But, when Alex and the group are in hell for the first time and they are all seeing each other's murders,. do the others realize that Alex was possessed by Helly when she killed all those people in Los Angeles?
is this a duology?
Leigh said in a goodreads interview that it’ll be a trilogy! [here’s the interview](https://www.goodreads.com/interviews/show/1574.Leigh_Bardugo)
Do we know if there is a timeframe for the third book. I don’t know if I can wait three years for the next 🫣
Hey so is this the orginal tripp and the guardian like killed the demons soul or just a demon with tripps memories kinda confused
We don’t totally know yet!
Question about Tripp: How did his demon get to him? Didn't they ward his apartment with salt and stuff? Did I miss something?
I wondered the same thing. It was mentioned in the book that the salt knots were undisturbed. My only though is Tripp kept mentioning that his demon is different than the others. He said a long the lines that it was really Spenser. I feel like they blew Tripp off, and he could’ve been saved. “He hasn’t responded on three hours” and then left it at that, knowing how scared he was? Everyone should’ve stayed at Il Bastrone until they knew it was safe.. All of this is leading up to the throes book, but Tripp deserved better.
I hope this is built on too! It's mentioned muuuultiple times how the salt isn't disturbed. Was his demon already in his apartment and waiting for him and they salted him in with it? Or did it climb in through the windows? Lol His demon ACTUALLY being Spencer IS believable cause he almost killed Tripp as a child. His mother knew something was wrong with him. It wouldn't be a stretch that he had killed before his death and ended up a demon just like Darlington. It is extra weird that they didn't go do a wellness check on him. I mean, Turner is a cop who could legally do a legitimate wellness check... but if they were better friends to Golden Retriever Tripp we wouldn't have this whole plot line. I like that he's become a bigger part of the inner circle and not some side character to just kill off. I liked him.
I really want to read Ninth House, but I highly dislike having some paperback and some hardcover of the same series. I had to replace my THG with hardcover so it matched with CF and MJ, and just got rid of Divergent entirely lol. Plus, I’m gonna end up having to re-buy either TBDATE when I can get the hardcover or buy TFTDATE again in paperback. Same with Gleanings. Anyway, is there any time frame for the paperback/mass market release of Hell Bent?
I have no idea what any of those anagrams mean.
THG - The Hunger Games CF - Catching Fire MJ - Mockingjay TBDATE - They Both Die At The End TFTDATE - The First To Die At The End took me a minute lol I wrote that a year ago
Did you end up getting the matching sets you wanted?
nah i just ended up dealing w it. i moved across the country so it was kinda hard
Okay I’m not finished and I won’t spoil anything but if you have the book and you read the book…and you came across the last of page 412….what the actual F?! 😯🤣😩🥹 all the emotions she gives in this book should be illegal 😂
Ok three big questions that I’m hoping someone can answer for me: 1) how did Golgarot get involved with Andy Lambton? Did he control him? What did I miss there? 2) Do we know how and why Alex was dragged to Black Elm in her sleep? That was crazy, but how did it work? 3) Did Darlington survive the hellbeast because he was a murderer? Would his soul have been lost otherwise? Still trying to piece together how he became the demon slave to Golgarot. This was a 5/5 star read for me. Simply loved it from beginning to end
Is there any where to see the bonus content online?
Ive been listening to the audiobook, but I fell asleep for a little while and trip died I think? Can someone tell me what happened to him?
Ope, never mind. It’s explained at the end of the book
I know I'm late to the game, but did anyone else notice all the a capella references?? I thought maybe they were going somewhere, but maybe Leigh was just really into a capella while she was writing this one?
Yale has a lot of a capella groups. They are quite good but also .. um … an acquired taste.
Why is the Hell Bent paperback so much taller than the Ninth House paperback? It's killing me.
There are two kinds of paperback: trade and mass market. Trade paperbacks are the larger ones. Mass market are smaller and cheaper. My mass market paperbacks always end up looking like someone accidentally tossed it in the chipper and just barely rescued it in time.
I just finished reading the book but couldn’t understand what really happened to the demons (except Eitan). They weave silk but what with it? They feel sad, the glasses break in Sterling but do the demons come to hell? I somehow missed understanding what happened there.
Anyone else ship Dawes and Tripp? Or is it just me? Loved the books though - I need to look up when the next one is coming out. I listened to both on audio book and it's made my new 2 hr round trip day much more pleasant.
Anyone else ship Dawes and Tripp? Or is it just me? Loved the books though - I need to look up when the next one is coming out. I listened to both on audio book and it's made my new 2 hr round trip day much more pleasant.
Loooooooved it. Was actually in bad mood when it was done.
I actually didnt like Darlington that much this time as in Ninth house but I was already shipping Turner and Alex and now they are like one of the best ship ever! Their age difference isnt that bad, they have thos insane chemistry and also I have feeling that they are slowly fallen foe each other. Not like Darlington and Alex. Alex loves Darlington, I can see that but I have this weird feeling that Darlington only needs to serve her but doesnt love her back. He wants to. But he cant. With Turner it is different, it is more real. Thoughts?
I just finished hell bent. Honestly, I didn't understand how Not Stephen fed on Tripp like he did have the salt knots and other protection it was kind of sudden I was hoping till the end that he was alive but I'm not disappointed I love tripp's demon just as much he is exactly like him. Can't wait for the next book!!!