This was a fascinating read. I really enjoyed how the magical was intertwined with the mundane. Alex had to adjust to college on the opposite side of the country while also learning how to protect the secret society idiots during their rituals? Awesome.

Leigh Bardugo’s first adult novel and it is just as exciting and creative as her other works. Drawing from her own time spent at Yale and New Haven, Bardugo dives into the world of secret societies, ghosts, magic, and the occult. This is an interesting first book in a new series, but still a creative world that Bardugo creates.

I couldn't get into this book. I had very high expectations and it didn't met them. I didn't even finish the book.

Not sure why I failed to review this title. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and plan to read more in this series. The library did purchase the title and I have recommended it to fellow readers.

I'm glad there is a chance for Darlington to come back. I think he and Alex will be good together. :) :)

I am a member of the American Library Association Reading List Award Committee. This title was on the 2020 shortlist. The complete list of winners and shortlisted titles is at <a href="https://rusaupdate.org/2020/01/2020-reading-list-years-best-in-genre-fiction-for-adult-readers/">

Galaxy “Alex” Stern has always been able to see ghosts, or “the quiet ones” as she calls them. They surround Alex relentlessly in faded polaroid color with gory clues about their death. Her new classmates at Yale refer to them as “the Grays” because they can see a grayish visage of the dead, but only with the temporary help of a potion or a spell. The Grays aren’t supposed to be able to touch the living, so long as the guardians of Lethe House keep them from interfering with the magic rituals of Yale’s Ancient Eight secret societies. Yet when Alex starts to unravel the motives behind the murder of a local New Haven woman, she finds that ghosts are not the scariest thing in town.

In author Leigh Bardugo’s previous works for young adults — the "Shadow and Bone" trilogy and "Six of Crows" duology — she constructs fantastical kingdoms with otherworldly magic, imagined histories, and hairpin tight plots. "Ninth House" is her first novel for adults, but it still incorporates all of the above (minus the kingdoms). However, it’s coated in a layer of grit that comes with the messiness of the real world. Alex is haunted by the metaphorical demons of her past just as much as she’s haunted by Grays. "Ninth House" unpacks the ugly effects of trauma and the gall of people in power. Magic aside, the realistic setting forces the reader to confront these truths head on rather than through a layer of allegory.

The richness of the magical world Bardugo builds in "Ninth House" is structured around the real secret societies at Yale, where Bardugo herself attended. Skull & Bones is the most famous of these societies (whose alumni include three former presidents), but Bardugo also includes the lesser-known but no less powerful Scroll & Key, Berzelius, St. Elmo’s, Book & Snake, Wolf’s Head, Aurelian and Manuscript. In this world, the Ancient Eight harness magical power to facilitate their social and political influence and the wealth that they’ve accumulated in the real word with predatory capitalism.

When you look at the windowless clubhouses for these societies at Yale (which they affectionately call “tombs”), it’s no wonder they have long been accused of the occult. "Ninth House" reflects on the myriad positions of power that many members ascend to in the real world — "They’ve run everything from the United Nations to Congress to The New York Times to the World Bank. They’ve fixed nearly every World Series, six Super Bowls, the Academy Awards, and at least one presidential election,” as her mentor Darlington says, “They welcome all of the conspiracy theories and tinfoil-hat-wearing loons... Because what they’re really doing is so much worse.”

Only in fiction would someone appoint an impartial party to overlook the proceedings of groups amassing such power. When Alex becomes the newest member of Lethe, the ninth house that was created to oversee the Ancient Eight, she and the reader both know that the members of these societies aren’t used to anyone curtailing their dangerous ambition.

As the novel progresses, Bardugo builds a mounting sense of dread that something traumatic happened in Alex’s past. Characters are referred to in past tense, snippets of bloody crime scene memories are squashed to the side, and Alex sidesteps rude classmates with nonchalance yet flinches at butterflies. The reader doesn’t know if there’s truth to the assumptions that she’s a recovering alcoholic, drug addict, or both. Bardugo obfuscates the past while dropping allusions that settle like acid in the stomach.

The alternating perspectives between Alex and Daniel “Darlington” Arlington (the senior Virgil to her freshman Dante) help achieve this narrative distance until the opportune moment when the reader can piece the backstory together for themselves. Early on, Alex spits, “All you wise men of Lethe with your spells and your chalk and your books? Where were you when the dead were following me home?” These Yalies had been tracking Alex ever since Child Protective Services marked her record for paranoid “delusions” about ghosts, but they certainly weren’t stepping in to tell her there were simple incantations that she could say for the ghosts to leave her alone. Alex is acutely aware that Yale never took interest in the ramifications of her abilities until she could be useful to them. She suffers irreparable consequences.

Despite Alex’s self-preservation modus operandi, she becomes determined to solve the murder mystery of Tara Hutchins, a young drug dealer who got in way over her head. Alex reflects that she would have met a similar fate as Tara, given enough time without the opportunity of Yale. The purported murderer is Tara’s boyfriend, but Alex finds too many ties to the Ancient Eight to be coincidental. Even before this incident, Alex suspects the Ancient Eight are not any more refined than the drug abusing company she used to keep.

The book opens with a gruesome ritual that involves cutting open an unsuspecting paranoid schizophrenic to predict the outcomes of the fiscal quarter, something they have done four times a year since the societies’ founding. “Too many powerful people rely on what the societies can do,” Darlington says when Alex questions why they can’t stop this morally corrupt practice. This first glimpse of their operations opens up a sinister line of logic that’s followed throughout the novel. Even though it’s Alex’s job as a member of Lethe to make sure the societies aren’t abusing their power, whenever Alex catches them doing something morally dubious, they try to get on her good side with bribes of money, power and future favors.

If body horror is one form of perfunctory magic for the societies, it’s not surprising that the societies use magic to manipulate the people surrounding them. At a debaucherous Halloween party at Manuscript’s tomb, Manuscript members drug everything from the drinks to the food to the fog machines so the partygoers will leave their senses. (That chaotic energy will power their magic for the year to come.) This party and its consequences are eerily reminiscent of another Yale society, Brett Kavanaugh’s Truth and Courage.

Badugo postulates that even a world of magic can’t shield its most vulnerable populations. Like our world, white men would hoard that particular wealth for themselves. After narrowly escaping a fate like Tara’s, Alex would have every excuse to take the easy route. She could ignore the malicious malpractices of her classmates in favor of a simpler, more comfortable life. But she knows that, “Peace was like any high. It couldn’t last. It was an illusion… Only two things kept you safe: money and power.” Now all she has to do is wield the power she was born with against all the money in the world.

This is an incredibly slow building tale crafted with beautiful writing and a creeping, eerie ambiance. The depictions of violence and occult rituals are visceral and not for the faint of heart. While the beginning falters - enough that in the first third I thought I might be 2 or (generously) 3 starring this - it builds into a thrilling and emotionally gripping tale that I couldn’t put down.

I’m not going to lie - at times this read like the most beautifully written snorefest I’d ever read. The writing is gorgeous and sumptuous; the novel is atmospheric and haunting. But there are large stretches where absolutely nothing happens. The strength of Leigh Bardugo’s most famous work - Six of Crows - lies in her masterful characterizations and ability to write six distinct voices for her POV characters. I can’t lie - knowing what Bardugo is capable of, I spent the first chunk of the novel sorely disappointed by how lackluster Alex was and how removed the reader is from knowing her as a character. In the first half of the book, I often felt like I was reading about the character equivalent of an emo paper doll. I was just... bored. I didn’t care about the plot. I didn’t care about the characters. Absolutely nothing was happening.

So why on earth am I giving this 4 stars? I truly think a lot of what I found boring, or my feeling that we were being kept at arms reach from our main characters ended up being integral to some stunning reveals, deep character development (I promise Alex sheds her mask and the reader gets to really know her!), and an excellent ending. The writing choices that made no sense to me suddenly made the twists and turns at the end that much better. The last third of this book was a wild ride. I found myself completely sucked into this bizarre, occult world, wondering when I stopped being bored and instead couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. I binged the last 150 pages with an anxious pit in my stomach. This is a world I’m already looking forward to returning to in future installments - something I truly did not think I’d be saying based on how I felt about the first 150 pages.

After a series of desperate life choices results in her near death, Galaxy Stern gets more than a second chance- she gets an introduction to a new world when she is offered a full scholarship to Yale if she agrees to work for Ninth House, an establishment that oversees the occult activities of the eight secret houses on campus. Keeping undergraduates with magical abilities in line and investigating life beyond the veil is more dangerous than Alex counted on, however, and Yale's Ivy League status hides so many deadly sins...

With a flawed, complex, and ultimately admirable protagonist; a world that is well developed and very intriguing; and room in the plotting for a lot more adventure; this novel- the first adult work by YA superstar Bardugo- is a winner.

Ninth House could be best described as a dark fantasy, and as I am only newly embracing fantasy reads, I had some doubts about reading this book. Perhaps that Stephen King is singing the praises of Ninth House, should have given me some pause as to the many colors of "dark." However, Stephen King is an excellent storyteller and librarians and booksellers have been extolling Ninth House, so I picked up the book. What I am saying is that this is a very different book for me, and out of my comfort zone with both the magic and some gruesome "ewwww" moments. I was attracted to the Ivy League setting and its behind-the-scenes connection to the power grid of banking, investing and politics. This is a very different kind of fantasy with a storyline that draws the reader in with a real contemporary feel--not your typical once-upon-a-time story.

One of the best books I have read this year- take a pinch of Dan Brown, a dollop of Lev Grossman and a smattering of Deborah Harkness and you begin to get a feel for the genius of Leigh Bardugo. She has created a kick-ass character with a checkered past who is asked to attend Yale on scholarship and all she has to do is use her gifts to help govern the secret societies and of course, everything goes wrong. She is tough, she does not always get along with people and she sees dead people (grays). Expertly written, perfectly paced and chockful of creepy ghosts and secret rituals - this book will appeal to a wide audience and I'm sure Yale will see a surge in applications. I sincerely hope someone has purchased the movie rights and there better be more where this came from Leigh Bardugo. My thanks for the advance copy.

Alex Stern, a young woman with a past, has always seen Grays, the ghosts who live among us. When she lands on the grounds of Yale she is initiated into a world of magic and mayhem, a place where murder seems commonplace. Alex is going to need to use every bit of herself, the new girl she's trying to create at Yale and the Galaxy Stern she was born as to figure out what's happening around her and to somehow survive it. Bardugo's first novel for adults is complex and action-packed, with a mystery at its heart and thankfully, a hint at the end that we haven't seen the last of Galaxy Stern. This will be at the top of the bestseller lists and deservedly so. Review from e-galley.

Unfortunately I am struggling with reading fantasy fiction anymore and this book unfortunately falls into that struggle. It was a DNF for me. I know it will find it's readers and I wish it much success.

I had a couple of minor issues but otherwise, I really enjoyed this story.

The biggest issue-Alex's ability to solve mysteries with little to no assistance. So I get that she's street smart but she should not be able to be a better detective than Detective Turner. I found this incredibly implausible and bothered me too much to give it a higher score.

The ending was a bit anti-climactic for me. I guessed who the murderer was but that wasn't the problem. I think their motive was just-meh. The only other issue I had was keeping up with all the houses. I couldn't keep their names and their specialties straight. I was reading an eARC and I know there will be a glossary in the final copy.

I liked all the characters especially Darlington and he wasn't on the page enough for me. I wanted more Darlington!!!!! Gotta wait until book 2-UGH! I really liked the pacing and considering this is an adult book which means single space and small font, I thought it flowed well. Bardugo released vital info through out the narrative to keep the reader engaged-THANK THE LORD! Because if I had to read another 500 page novel with pacing issues, I was going to throw this book across the room.

One thing that Bardugo does well is female relationships. Even back during her Shadow and Bone days when other female authors were doing a lot of female-on-female hate, Bardugo always had great girl relationships. I really liked Dawes and Alex's and Hellie and Alex's friendship and I'm excited to see more in the next book.

Ninth House was a tough read about a teen girl and her struggles with drugs and men but it was very well done and I'm excited for book 2.

Intoxicating, eerie, and spectacular. This book is something I've NEVER read before (and that says a lot because I've already read hundreds, maybe thousands of books.)

This is so different from Leigh Bardugo's previous works, and yet she freaking nailed it. It's a masterpiece and I was blown away. The plot was very original and utterly engaging, the characters were incredibly complex and unforgettable. The horror and mystery were so beautifully done and the ending left me wanting to read the sequel so bad!

I'll definitely vote for this book to LibraryReads. I LOVED IT! (WARNING: This is not an Adult book and not suitable for younger readers.)

I went into Ninth House with high expectations, but alas... I’ll be honest, I wanted to claw my eyes out most of the time. So let’s start with my complaints about this one:

The first quarter, if not more, was frustrating because I had no idea what was happening. At all. Sometimes that’s endearing in a mystery, but this was just irritating. There were words being thrown around, and I had no idea what they meant. This was extra irritating because most of the text was spent info-dumping what I should be understanding after the fact, but it just wasn’t working for me. Given that, much of this book felt like I was reading a textbook, being taught how the magic system worked — and I’m not referring to the parts that are literally textbook portions.

Besides that, this book was just really slowly paced. And there were three timelines we were following, and most of the time I felt like the transitions between those timelines was jarring. Lastly, there was a fair amount of graphic material in this that felt unnecessary; I’m all for “adult” content, but when you have two (maybe three) rapes in your book, as well as showing someone straight up eat shit — that’s a little too much for me, personally.

Okay, now that the bad is out of the way, onto what I enjoyed: Alex Stern was a really complex, strong character. I didn’t enjoy experiencing all of the HORRIBLE things that happened to her throughout the book, but I liked seeing her overcome them. Darlington also turned out to be a really good character, but he was mostly used as the info dump-ee, so that kind of bogged down his POVs. Turner and Dawes were alright supporting characters, but they didn’t really have enough to make them stand out like some of Bardugo’s past supporting players. I hope they have larger roles in the future.

I think Ninth House is a very well written book. Bardugo is a fantastic writer, and this world is so well thought out! The plot has some serious potential, and some of that potential was grasped here. The rest was held down by the large amount of info dumps and boringness that took up way too much space. And in the end, I was left wanting more from Ninth House. I expected more, I had high expectations — that’s on me. But I ALSO was left wanting more of the characters; as in, I probably will pick up the sequel to see where the frustratingly left open plot threads lead our protagonists. And next time around, I’m hoping there’ll be less boring to suffer through since Bardugo has already introduced this world here. I’d give Ninth House 4/5 stars. Maybe slightly less, technically, but I’ll round it up to four because of the complex protagonists and excellent prose. Recommended for fans of Stephen King and The Magicians.

*I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

Wow, can Leigh Bardugo write a good story. I cannot wait for the second book, especially since there was a mini-cliffhanger at the end.

It did take me a little bit to get used to the character and timeline changes in the different chapters. I am hoping that the transitions are a little smoother in the final copy.

There is one major complaint that I have noticed a lot of people have had about the book, and that is <spoiler> the rape scene. Was it hard to read? Yes. However, it was integral to the story and helped you understand how Alex became the drug addict she was. It was a turning point in her life and I don't know if her character backstory would have been as powerful without it. </spoiler>

I really enjoyed this book! Bardugo is a phenomenal YA authors and Ninth House as an adult title exceeded my expectations.

I only have good things to say about this book. Yes, it's dark and gory, it deals with a lot of hard issues and can be triggering for a lot of people if they go in without knowing, but despite all this it was an amazing experience of a book and I can't wait to see what else will come from with this series. Secret societies, the occult, and a murder mystery all combined into one. Though I often had to take breaks from this book mostly at night when I was trying to go to bed and I simply wanted to read one more chapter, I had to switch to something less exciting, but despite this, I had a hard time putting this down.

Alex is an interesting character that has a dark past, that is for a good reason starting over with a new life when Yale offers her to join Lethe, the police (basically) of the secret societies at the college. Alex is complicated. She tries to put on a face, to try not to be the person she was before, but at times she needs that experience to power through and survive the horrors she faces. She survives nearly being murdered more than once. She blackmails to get answers and threatens when she needs to. And yet, she has a heart. She cares about Darlington and Dawes (who I adore). She lost one of the most important people in her life and she puts up walls, but you can tell under it all, she cares in her own way.

This book will leave you wanting more, completely take over your mind and leave you desperate for more answers than it gives you. It might not be for everyone, but this wonderful dark story was amazing and exactly what I needed. I highly recommend, but I also recommend to have something fluffy at hand because you will needed it.

(I also recommended this book at the ALA Annual 2019 panel, Booklist's Read 'n' Rant)

This book wrecked me in the best way possible. Bardugo gives us another dark world to delve in to, but unlike the Grishaverse it's hard to see the world of alternate New Haven get any better. It's sick with privilege, dark magic, and money, and it's a place Alex never imagined herself being in. Reading her navigating this place that she alien to is compelling, and soon we're diving deep into the mysteries of the Lethe and the secret societies of Yale with her. It's important to note that there are some tough topics tackled that could trigger readers, such as sexual assault, drug use, and addiction, and gaslighting along with the overall supernatural horror permeating the story. If you've been waiting for Bardugo to tackle the adult fiction world, your wait is over.