Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo (2023)
A twisted sequel to a story of supernatural forces on a college campus.
Laura’s Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
Plot: Without any spoilers for the first book, Hell Bent follows Alex and company on a dangerous journey to find a gateway to Hell.
Analysis: I think this book loses focus a bit. The first book set up a whole world and established the societies, but the second installment doesn’t really build on it. The dark academia focus is replaced by more mysticism and lore that is only tangentially related to the societies. The focus is solely on Alex and friends and their mission. There is also a lot of Alex feeling sorry for herself and blaming herself for everything bad, which gets old.
Hell Bent does focus a lot more on character development, which I appreciated. Although much of it is background rather than true development. The first book ends on a bit of a cliffhanger and while this book has some resolution at the end, it still ends with future action promised. It’s not necessarily bad to leave the door open for a sequel, but I like a book that stands on its own.
There is a quote I liked that sums up the tone of the book: “But this was what real magic looked like—”indecent, decadent, perverse.” In the universe of Ninth House and Hell Bent, magic is not fun and silly, it’s deadly serious and dangerous. I’ve been looking for a book about witchcraft or the occult for a long time that isn’t super light and fluffy or historical and dry. This series definitely hits the mark for anyone looking for an intense but entertaining book with magic.
Despite a less focused plot than the first book, Hell Bent still kept my attention and I’m looking forward to the next installment.
Comments