Ninth House ~ Leigh Bardugo

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It was cold and gloomy. The nights were getting longer, the days getting darker, and halloween was on its way. I needed something to read that would fit that mood. I had recently purchased a couple books secondhand on vinted to build my collection of dark academia books, one of those being Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo. I'd heard a lot of hype about it, and being eager to dive into more dark academia, I was intruiged. I'll be honest, I wasn't entirely clued up on the premise of the books, instead I was riding the hype train and going off vibes alone. However, when I did look into what this book was about, beyond the gothic architecture and social commentary on academia (the staples of any good dark academia which we have come to know and love) I was pleasantly surprised.

Allow me to set the scene for you, and I'll make it brief because I'm sure by now most people who are interested in this book have some idea what it is about.

The reader follows Alex (Galaxy) Stern who has recently begun studying at Yale. She was recruited by one of the university deans, given the opportunity to attend a prestigious, Ivy league university in exchange for her services to one of Yale's secret societies, Lethe House. Lethe House is the titular ninth house, tasked with overseeing the occult activities of the other eight secret societies as they all dabble in various forms of magic.

I don't want to give too much away but I will say theres mystery, tension, mayhem, and ghosts. Lots of ghosts. There are also a lot of adult themes so I would highly suggest checking content warnings before cracking the book open.

I love the vibes of this book. It feels to me like a dark, adult Harry Potter, which is something I'm always looking for more of. I like reading novels with academic settings, I think because I am a student and so I can relate to it. The gothic atmosphere was also amazing, with several different major locations which felt distinct enough from one another that I didn't feel confused. There were also some charm and whimsy of the magical setting, which added a touch of softness and warmth to the stony darkness of the mature themes.

Surprisingly, one major element of this book is a really great exploration of female friendships. So many stories seem to go with one extreme or another when it comes to female relationships. Either they are described as the idealised girl group who almost entirely dependent on one another, or they aren't really friends at all and, instead, only exist to tear one another down. Ninth house takes a different approach, exploring a combination of past, present, and developing relationships. All of which felt organic and fitting for where in her character development Alex was at the time.

Speaking of which, Alex really grew on me as she came into her own throughout the book. Without giving too much away, she is pretty bad ass, but not until later on in the book. As the story goes on she becomes more of a morally ambiguous character. I wouldn't go as far as to say morally grey, but she is certainly not a shiny bright hero. Truth be told, I like her even more for that. It's not often we see a morally grey female lead, and even less often we see it done well, so honestly I found it refreshing. I think it also made her feel like a more well-rounded character.

There are a lot of other things I liked about Ninth House, but my review would end up as long as the book itself. I will add that I am a big fan of Darlington's character and that whole sub-plot.

As for the things I liked less, the key point I have to make is that it did take me a little while to really get invested in the book. At the beginning it was definitely a little slower paced, and there was a lot I didn't fully grasp yet. That being said, I do think it did a good job of explaining the lore to the reader. I also appreciate the importance of a slower start to set the scene and build tension. Moreover it is difficult to be really hooked from the beginning when you barely know the characters or know why you should care. So really, although I did struggle at the beginning of the book, I don't really know what the author could do any differently. After all, this is probably a personal preference situation.

On the subject of personal preference, I am typically not a big fan of mixed media in novels. I appreciate a good map, and when relevant, a glossary, as was the case in this book. I felt both of these elements added to the immersion and helped the reader to really understand the world the author was building. As for the diary entries in between chapters, I could take them or leave them. Admittedly it added a sort of easter egg element, when the pages tied into the plot, or something that was previously said. However, I didn't feel this really added anything new to the experience, for me. Of course, this is entirely personal preference as I know a lot of people adore mixed media, and I'm sure enjoyed these journal entries.

All of that to say that this is a fantastic book which I thoroughly enjoyed. I can't wait to read the sequel, Hell Bent, and will be getting my hands on it as soon as the paperback is released. If you're interested in Ninth House, check out the author's website linked below.

Happy reading!

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