Ninth House

I generally do not read fantasy novels but this one may be responsible for changing my mind about them.  I can honestly say I thoroughly enjoyed this novel.  The only reason I didn't give it a 5 star review is because I struggled to get into the story at first.  I put the book aside and kept prioritizing other books but with the library reopening I had to finish it to return it soon.  I am glad I did.

Alex is an engaging character, not necessarily likeable but you definitely find yourself rooting for her to succeed in her mission and to fit in better at Yale.  There are several mysteries underlying the storyline including solving 2 murders and the disappearance of her mentor, Darlington.  

Once I was engaged in the book, I couldn't read it fast enough.  The book jumped between different story lines but they all seemed to tie together at the end.  There is an unresolved portion that leads me to hope there is a sequel to the book.  Either way, I plan to read more by Leigh Bardugo.  

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

While I took a little while to become fully engaged in the story, I ended up thoroughly enjoying this novel. I do not generally read the fantasy genre but I am very intrigued to read more by Leigh Bardugo and I truly hope this book is the first in a series. I found the characters to be complex and to grow to like them as the story went along. I appreciated that they all seemed to have good and not so great sides to them. Alex is someone that it takes a long time to get to know and I am not sure if you ever truly see the real Alex. Her relationships with her room mates and other Lethe members is a fascinating evolution and it is wonderful to watch as she struggles to open herself up to relationships and to find ways to trust others. She may not always be a likeable person but you cannot help but root for her to succeed in her mission. Dawes is also a complex character and I liked how Bardugo slowly reveals her character and evolves her working and personal relationship with Alex.

The story is very complex and at times required me to flip back to truly remember who was who and belonged to which society. The secret societies of Yale make a fascinating backdrop to the story and you can envision how the Yale campus and New Haven look through Ms Bardugo's descriptions.

All in all I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more by the author

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Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are: 

1. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge -  Book  #50
2.  Cloak and  Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal-  Book  #38
3. Around the Year in 52 Books- #10  A book that is between 400-600 pages
4. 52 Books in 52 weeks  #51 A genre you don’t normally care for
5. Book List Queen #2 Goodreads winner in 2019
6. Beat the Backlist #BeatTheBacklist2020 #9 a genre you don't normally read
7. 2020 TBR  #2020TBRReadingChallenge #12 Goodreads winner
8. TBR Book #31  #Backlistreader ; #MountTBR2020; #StartOnYourShelfathon
9. Wizarding World Tour  
• Koldovstoretz: book involving magic
10. Mystery Bingo: 
    • Clues:  Dying message
    • Red Herring : Map