Ninth House: The global sensation from the creator of Shadow and Bone (Alex Stern, 1)

3 Reviews For This Product

1. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   03

   by Heather K. September 20, 2023

   TW: Violence, murder, death, drug abuse, human experimentation and multilation, emotional manipulation, ghosts, dark magic

   Holy ****.

   Leigh Bardugo’s debut adult novel, Ninth House, is beyond anything I expected. It’s a magical and intellectual tour de force; a powerhouse of plot and prose, suspense and suspicion, murder, magic, and madness. I came to it thinking it was a standalone, but it’s actually the first in a series, and I’m so relieved at that because I am hungry for more. I believe the sequel is slated for 2021, and honestly that can’t get here soon enough.

   2019 will, for me, be the year of amazing books. I’ve read some fantastic novels this year, and I thought I had my Book of the Year already picked out. Now, I’m not so sure. Ninth House is mind-blowing and I’m still wrapping my head around it.

   I first came to Leigh Bardugo through her YA series, the GrishaVerse, in which she’s written multiple novels and short stories. Ninth House is her first adult novel, and her writing here is an immense cut above her YA fare, honestly. It’s bold and brutal and striking, yet lyrical and magical. She’s really stretching her writing chops with this book, and it shows: her imagination and ability to plot and characterise is amazing.

   Ninth House follows Galaxy (Alex) Stern, a former drug user and high school dropout, in her freshman year at Yale. How did she get into Yale? Through the sponsorship of a mysterious society called Lethe — the titular Ninth Nouse — which is tasked with monitoring the magical workings of Yale’s secret societies and their members. Alex is recruited from her hospital bed, the sole survivor of a gruesome multiple murder scene, by Dean Sandow, who offers her a chance at a different life. Different, of course, can mean many things…

   One night, a murder on campus gets Alex’s attention. The victim isn’t a student from Yale, but her horrific demise isn’t something Alex can ignore. Her instincts say there’s more to the case than what the cops claim — an abusive boyfriend gone too far — but finding the evidence isn’t as smooth or easy as it initially appears. Woven into this storyline is the mysterious disappearance of Alex’s Lethe House mentor, Darlington, some months before; a disappearance that has sent shockwaves through the House and its surviving members, including Alex who is very much left thinking on her feet when it comes to dealing with the various societies’ extra-curricular activities.

   The societies are powered by tombs, which are nexus of occult power built up over the years of students dealing in magic and the occult. These are the high-powered and elite, both past and future: Wall Street bankers, Hollywood stars, politicians, and other members of high society are students or alumni, and many of these still fund their societies, both financially and otherwise. The occult magic that is wielded by these societies can do more than change GPAs or ensure exam success; some are prognostications which provide glimpses of the future, some change a person’s appearance, whilst others guarantee social standings and wealth. This is the place power is born, cultivated, and unleashed upon the world.

   Such magics are dangerous though, and can have drastic consequences, including blackouts and unexplained deaths. They all come at a cost — something which Alex is just discovering.

   Alex, of course, has her own history — what brought her to drugs in the first place, her family life, her friendships, and why she alone survived a murder spree. Most of all, why would she, of anyone, be of value to Lethe? For Alex harbours both a secret and a dangerous gift — which will help to identify the victim, the conspiracies, and the magics underpinning what looks like a love crime gone bad.

   Ninth House is complex and absorbing, and reading it is like drinking incredibly fine, incredibly potent, incredibly dark, alcohol. The story and prose are intoxicating. The setting is so vivid that I actually felt like I was attending Yale. There is a map in the hardback edition which was helpful at times, but on the whole I could sense the buildings and locations, observe the brickwork and streets.

   Alex is an extremely complex character; deeply flawed yet noble, wiry yet strong. She goes through a lot in this book, physically and mentally, and in terms of character growth. The other characters — Darlington, Dawes, the Bridegroom, Mercy, Lauren, and others — are all well-drawn and really do get under your skin, for good and bad reasons (Blake, I’mma looking at you). They’re well-balanced, with positive and negative traits, and you can discern so much about their various personas by way of a throwaway line or comment, or one of Alex’s shrewd observations. I particularly liked Darlington and his wit.

   It took me a moment to realise that, within each society, members have codenames to cover their identities. For instance, Alex is Dante. Darlington is Virgil, and so on. I liked how these were themed according to the leanings of each house — Wolf’s Head being a particular favourite — but it took me a while to put each codename to each character, where I had both available to me. Not all of them were disclosed, which I also appreciated — secrets are secrets, after all.

   The pace never lets up in this novel, and it feels like a rush of blood to the head. There’s always something happening, or a sinister sense of something about to happen. The story alternates between the present events revolving around the murder and two past timelines — one of Alex’s former life, and one centred around Darlington and what happens (or doesn’t, depending on how you view it). This changing between timelines is handled beautifully and doesn’t ever feel disjointed or problematic; in fact, it’s so absorbing that, by the time the novel returns to the events of the prologue, it took me a moment to pick that back up, and that’s good.

   If you have a background in witchery or the occult, there’s lots of symbolism throughout the novel — specific herbs, plants, rituals, which will cause you to sit up and take notice. If you don’t have such a background, that’s okay, because knowing about these elements won’t detract from the story at all. They’re just an added layer for anyone who does have such a background. Regardless, if you like fantasy, crime, the supernatural, and/or just love a damn good story, this is it. Ninth House is brilliant and will leave you thinking about it for days afterwards. It’s also perfect for Halloween…

   I bought Ninth House and didn’t receive an advanced copy from the publisher. All thoughts and comments are my own and in no way reflect the opinion of the publisher or author. I received no reimbursement (financial or otherwise) for this review.

2. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   03

   by Melanie D October 12, 2023

   I happened across Ninth House as I was searching for some good fantasy reading. I’ve read a lot, didn’t want to reread anything, and just wanted something that would captivate me and take me off into a credible new world. This delivered well beyond my expectations.

   I don’t want to say too much for fear of spoilers, but Alex’s adventures pulled me in from the first page and only let me off for occasional forays to the kitchen and the bathroom, and one night to bed so I could sleep. For the rest, I just devoured the book, happy to explore Bardugo’s magical New Haven.

   I’d write more, but it seems I have a sequel to read.

3. 

   Rated 4 out of 5

   03

   by Colin Murtagh November 12, 2023

   You’re a junky, you wake up in bed, with memories of your newly murdered friends, and sitting by your bedside is the Dean of Yale offering you a place there because you can see ghosts. Not quite “you’re a wizard, Harry” but not that far away.
   Alex, or Galaxy to give her, her real name, is the junky in question, and yeah, she can see ghosts. This important to Yale, as they are one of the centres of magic in the US. Each of the 8 major houses has their own tombs, their own powers. They supply the politicians, the musicians, the masters of industry and the writers. But magic attracts ghosts. Normally, the Ninth major house, Lethe, is responsible for keeping ceremonies free from interference. Eye drops and potions let them see what is going on, so to have someone who can see with no help, is such a boon.
   Alex enters the world of Yale, with the academic side during the day, and the supranatural at night. While never completely fitting in, she does start to feel as if she’s found a place where she belongs. But stumbling across a murdered girl, and losing her mentor Darlington, brings her a whole new set of problems.
   This is one of those novels that walks the path between Urban Fantasy and Horror, with not quite enough to keep both sides happy. There’s a lot going on, but it is trying so hard, that it doesn’t seem to know what it wants. It’s not quite a detective story, it’s not quite a horror book, it’s not quite a character study. This is the ultimate fish out of water. The girl with no money, no real academic record, in the most prestigious and expensive of universities. None of this is really examined. It’s not really helped by the fact Alex is not as fleshed out as she could be.
   Saying all that, it’s a lot of fun. It’s packed full of ideas, and even if they don’t get all as examined as they could be, it still gives a feeling of the world Alex is entering. It does start a little slow, but picks up in the final third.
   just as a warning, it does end on a bit of a cliffhanger, which is one of my pet hates. Will be picking up the next book though