The first section of Hell Bent feels a bit raggedy and frantic, with murders, drug deals and a vampiric encounter, among other things, though the details that accrue will be relevant later. But once the ritual commences, the book seizes you by the shoulders and won’t let you go ... Fantasy is not for everyone, and to love this book, which I did, you have to let yourself be carried along by the joy and playfulness mixed with the darkness.
Hell Bent is just as outrageously good as Ninth House, if not better. Ninth House, like most fantasy novels kicking off a new series, bore a heavy load of exposition; Hell Bent benefits from the foundation its predecessor already laid ... There’s much to love here and very little to dislike. Occasionally, there’s a detail that feels like the work of a writer celebrating her freedom from the restrictions of writing for a young adult audience; if there was a reason for a particular supernatural character to sport a glowing erection, I must have missed it. But analytical fantasy readers, breathless fangirls, and those of us who fit both categories... will happily follow Alex into Hell.
Hell Bent is a great “hell heist”, as one of the characters puts it, but it doesn’t have anything meaningful to say about anything. Alex and the others touch on grief and fighting back against one’s abusers, but these are personal demons not systemic oppressions. Where Ninth House had a thesis statement, Hell Bent comes off more like a popcorn movie ... Even though it didn’t scratch the same itch the first book did, Hell Bent is an entertaining novel that I generally enjoyed. As a dark fantasy, it’s fun and frightening in equal measure. The worldbuilding is spectacular and the characters are all kinds of intriguing ... [Bardugo] is both heavy handed and too superficial ... Without even knowing who the author was, it would be immediately apparent that a white person wrote this book. The characters of color lack an awareness, a sense of lived experience, an understanding of how they sit inside and outside of their community. What is it like being a biracial Latina at an ivy league? This series not only doesn’t have an answer but hasn’t even asked the question.
Once again, Bardugo shows she’s one of the best world builders in the business. Her version of Yale and its people is so richly rendered, it’s difficult to tell what’s real and what’s imagined. Not a page goes by without a line from Yeats or a fact about the architectural history of New Haven or a bit of biblical allusion. And yet, the book whizzes along, marvelously balancing these details with The Da Vinci Code-esque clue-hunting, demonic rituals and lectures from a particularly uptight school administrator. Gut-wrenching and deeply human, this book will tug at your heartstrings even as it chills you to the bone ... Standing head and shoulders above the already impressive Ninth House, Hell Bent is one of the best fantasy novels of the year.
Hell Bent proffers a profusion of riches. As is true in every Bardugo book, the world building is meticulous, dense, and brilliant ... The gripping plot is full of clever twists, and the writing is vivid and intelligent, with moments of wit and humor. However, the standout aspect of the book are the well-developed characters, particularly the four murderers, who each have a rich backstory that allows the reader to understand and empathize with them as they navigate the challenges of their journey through hell.
... thrilling, complex ... Bardugo shifts from the dark world-building mode of the first novel to an action-heavy plot filled with horror elements. An ensemble cast of familiar and fresh characters brings new depth and much-needed levity to balance the world-in-peril spine tingles.
Hell Bent is everything fans of Bardugo’s Alex Stern series could have asked for: It’s thematically richer, its characters are more complexly rendered, the darkness lurking at the edges of its New England-set world of privilege is more frightening, and its wit more biting ... Hell Bent never flinches from the darker sides of both magic and human nature—everything in this world or the next has a price, and nothing good can be done without sacrifice.
The plot is relentless and clever, and the writing is vivid, intelligent, and funny at just the right moments, but best of all are the complex characters, such as the four murderers, each with a backstory that makes it possible for the reader to trust them to enter hell and have the strength to leave again. Like the first book, this one ends with a cliffhanger. Well-drawn characters introduce the criminal underworld to the occult kind in a breathless and compelling plot.
Bardugo surrounds Alex with fascinating supporting players, among them a damaged New Haven cop and a naive roommate excited by the lure of the supernatural, while keeping the story’s drive firmly in Alex’s grip for another scrappy underdog tale. The taut plot, often grisly magic, lavish scene-setting, and wry humor combine to make this just as un-put-downable as the first installment. Readers will be wowed.
Bardugo doesn’t flinch from the dark sides of magic and human nature: everything requires sacrifice and everything has a price. Readers will be swept along as the group unravels an intricate puzzle to discover the location of the mysterious Gauntlet, which will open a doorway to hell ... This portrait of a survivor’s dogged determination to accomplish her goal will appeal to readers of dark academia, urban fantasy, and horror.
