Review of Ninth House

Blurb: Galaxy “Alex” Stern is the most unlikely member of Yale’s freshman class. Raised in the Los Angeles hinterlands by a hippie mom, Alex dropped out of school early and into a world of shady drug dealer boyfriends, dead-end jobs, and much, much worse. By age twenty, in fact, she is the sole survivor of a horrific, unsolved multiple homicide. Some might say she’s thrown her life away. But at her hospital bed, Alex is offered a second chance: to attend one of the world’s most elite universities on a full ride. What’s the catch, and why her?

Still searching for answers to this herself, Alex arrives in New Haven tasked by her mysterious benefactors with monitoring the activities of Yale’s secret societies. These eight windowless “tombs” are well-known to be haunts of the future rich and powerful, from high-ranking politicos to Wall Street and Hollywood’s biggest players. But their occult activities are revealed to be more sinister and more extraordinary than any paranoid imagination might conceive.

Review: Galaxy "Alex" Stern has been drenched in the horrors of bad boyfriends, drugs, and the loss of her best friend. The dean of Yale extends a hand to her, offering a full ride, because she can see ghosts which they call Grays. Alex doesn't know what awaits her in New Haven, but she's brought into the realm of secret societies and all their strange magic. Yet giving powerful magic to college kids was never a good idea, and that's why the Ninth House, Lethe was created, to keep everyone in line. There's more than college shenanigans going on, and when a dead girl with links to the secret houses is found, Alex isn't going to let them get away with murder no matter how much is at stake.

This is the first incredibly well-written book in the dark paranormal fantasy series, Alex Stern. I confess I haven't read any other books by Bardugo, because she's most famous for YA books and they're not my thing. I shouldn't judge books based on their genre. This one is New Adult (NA) as Alex is college aged, and wow. There is a little immatureness to the characters, but they're college kids. They have little life experience. Most characters have little life experience in this book compared to Alex, but she's lived fifty lives in her twenty years.

It's wonderfully written with lush details, chilling horror, tangled lore thick with mystery, and fantastic characterization. It took me a few chapters to really get into it. Sometimes the descriptions are long and take you away from the plot, but it becomes the charm of it. It was also a bit hard to start off. Too much was happening and we were flipping back and forth between the past and present, but once I was hooked, I couldn't stop reading. I see other readers had the same trouble, and some did not finish the book because they couldn't get past that. It's worth pushing forward though.

There is the familiarity of dark academia with all the warring houses and magic. New Haven is a fascinating town full of power. I loved all the lore behind the town and the houses. I'd eat up a giant series of books about each of the Ancient Eight Houses, or just Lethe House alone. They're in a difficult situation making sure other houses stay secret and keep to the rules. Yet, with Alex, the familiar tropes end. Yes, she's a survivor, an underdog, and not quite likable at first. She fights everything, but that's how she's survived. It's hard to trust. As she learns about what she can do, and oh, she grows into something unique and enthralling, it's amazing. I loved and loved to hate the cast. I did really adore Daniel Arlington (Darlington) who is Alex's mentor. I want more of him. Plus the ghost ally, North.

There's no romance, and lots of triggers. It's dark and gruesome in parts. There is a message about privilege and power, but it's not too heavy handed. One of my favorite quotes from it is: "People don't need magic to be terrible to each other."

You can find Leigh Bardugo on her site and buy the book here.