As you may have noticed, I don’t read fantasy books that often, but when I do, I generally end up loving them. And Ninth House was no exception. What I enjoyed most about this book was the setting. It involves Yale University, secret societies, magic, ghosts, among other things which I rather not spoil. It contains all the evocations of dark academia.
Like most fantasy books, at first it’s confusing getting used to the world-building. There are so many new concepts an characters being introduced that it feels hard to keep up with everything. But once you get into it, you want to keep digging further. Just one more page, one more chapter. That’s how I finished this book within a week.
I haven’t read Shadow & Bone, but I did read the Six Of Crows duology (and watched the show too — though it’s not the same it still counts as something) so I knew already what Bardugo was capable of. She’s definitely a great writer.
Ninth House felt darker and somber, but more realistic in the midst of all the magic because unlike her previous books set in a fantasy world, this one is mostly set in New Haven, and Los Angeles is also mentioned. Hence, everything was more palpable. This book made me laugh, curse, and worry. It’s worth the hype and I cannot wait to read Hell Bent and see what troubles Alex Stern gets into this time.
Olivine Books 