Booklog 66/2019: Leigh Bardugo: Ninth House – Alex Stern #1

[jacey]

This is Ms Bardugo's first adult novel – though to be honest I don't know that it reads any older than her Grisha novels, because they are very complex (and dark, especially the ones with Kaz Brekker). There's a lot of violence, trauma, and sex (not all of it consensual), but that's not necessarily what marks a book as adult for me. Set in New Haven, this is Yale University with magic. There are eight 'Houses of the Veil' (secret societies), each performing rituals with a different kind of magic. The ninth house, Lethe, is the one which oversees the other eight to prevent misuse of power. Alex, after a dropout start and surviving a horrific multiple-murder, is given a 'free-ride' at Yale, because she has a special talent. She can see ghosts. She's recruited to Lethe, and is still learning when her mentor, Darlington, goes missing, and there's an unconnected murder which seems to be clear-cut, but is it? Are the magical houses involved? Alex is determined to find out. I love Leigh Bardugo's Grisha novels, in particular her Six of Crows duo. I wasn't as taken with this. I think part of it is the American University system always seems a bit weird to a Brit (I felt the same way about Pamela Dean's Tam Lin). The setting didn't resonate with me, and though I found Alex interesting I wasn't as invested in her at the beginning as I felt I should have been. Your mileage may vary as I've seen nothing but great reviews so far. I admit she grew on me as I progressed through the book. The magical systems are well thought out and Ms Bardugo's characters are deeply layered. There's a satisfying double twist at the end, and it finished with an opening to the next book in the series.