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Ninth House: TikTok made me buy it! The global bestselling sensation by [Leigh Bardugo]

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Ninth House: TikTok made me buy it! The global bestselling sensation Kindle Edition

by Leigh Bardugo (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

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*The adult debut from the author of SHADOW AND BONE - now a Netflix Original series!*

The instant SUNDAY TIMES and NEW YORK TIMES bestseller that Stephen King calls 'Impossible to put down'.

Galaxy 'Alex' Stern is the most unlikely member of Yale's freshman class. A dropout and the sole survivor of a horrific, unsolved crime, Alex was hoping for a fresh start. But a free ride to one of the world's most prestigious universities was bound to come with a catch.

Alex has been tasked with monitoring the mysterious activities of Yale's secret societies - well-known haunts of the rich and powerful. Now there's a dead girl on campus and Alex seems to be the only person who won't accept the neat answer the police and campus administration have come up with for her murder.

Because Alex knows the secret societies are far more sinister and extraordinary than anyone ever imagined. They tamper with forbidden magic. They raise the dead. And sometimes they prey on the living . . .

'One of the best fantasy novels I've read in years' Lev Grossman, bestselling author

'[A] mesmerising novel' Charlaine Harris, bestselling author

'Ninth House rocked my world' Joe Hill, bestselling author

Print length

476 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Gollancz
Publication date

8 October 2019
File size

2876 KB
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Review

Ninth House is the best fantasy novel I've read in years, because it's about real people. Bardugo's imaginative reach is brilliant, and this story--full of shocks and twists--is impossible to put down. - Stephen King

Ninth House is one of the best fantasy novels I've read in years. This book is brilliant, funny, raw and utterly magnificent -- it's a portal to a world you'll never want to leave. - Lev Grossman, New York Times bestselling author of The Magicians

Ninth House is the best thing I've read in a long time. There's so much magic here that you'll begin to feel it seeping into the room around you as you read, and characters so real you 'll practically hear their voices in your ear. Leigh Bardugo has written a book so delicious, so twisty, and so immersive I wouldn't blame you for taking the day off to finish it. - Kelly Link, author of Magic for Beginners and Get in Trouble.

Leigh Bardugo's Ninth House rocked my world. I could not get enough of sinewy, ghost-haunted Alex Stern, a heroine for the ages. With a bruised heart and bleeding knuckles, she risks death and damnation -- again and again -- for the people she cares about. I was cheering her on the whole way: from the first brilliant sentence of this book to the last. More, please, Ms. Bardugo. - Joe Hill, New York Times bestselling author of NOS4A2

In this mesmerizing novel, Leigh Bardugo introduces us to Alex, a high-school dropout who gets a free ride to Yale because of a unique talent. Bardugo's New Haven is plausible and frightening, and I was one rapt reader. - Charlaine Harris, bestselling author of the True Blood series

With an aura of both enchantment and authenticity, Bardugo's compulsively readable novel leaves a portal ajar for equally dazzling sequels. - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Atmospheric...Part mystery, part story of a young woman finding purpose in a dark world. - Booklist (starred review)

Genuinely terrific...The worldbuilding is rock solid, the plot is propulsive, and readers will be clamoring for a sequel as soon as they read the last page. - Library Journal (starred review)

Excellent...Bardugo gives [her protagonist] a thoroughly engaging mix of rough edge, courage and cynicism. - Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Instantly gripping...Creepy and thrilling...The world of this book is so consistent and enveloping that pages seem to rush by. - BookPage (starred review)

"Simultaneously elegant and grotesque, eerie and earthbound...Wry, uncanny, original and, above all, an engrossing, unnerving thriller." - The Washington Post

--This text refers to the paperback edition.

About the Author

Leigh Bardugo is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and the creator of the Grishaverse (now a Netflix original series) which spans the Shadow and Bonetrilogy, the Six of Crows duology, The Language of Thorns, and King of Scars--with more to come. Her other works include Wonder Woman: Warbringer and Ninth House (Goodreads Choice Winner for Best Fantasy 2019), which is being developed for television by Amazon Studios. She lives in Los Angeles. --This text refers to the paperback edition.

Review

Ninth House is the best fantasy novel I've read in years, because it's about real people. Bardugo's imaginative reach is brilliant, and this story--full of shocks and twists--is impossible to put down. - Stephen King

Ninth House is one of the best fantasy novels I've read in years. This book is brilliant, funny, raw and utterly magnificent -- it's a portal to a world you'll never want to leave. - Lev Grossman, New York Times bestselling author of The Magicians

Ninth House is the best thing I've read in a long time. There's so much magic here that you'll begin to feel it seeping into the room around you as you read, and characters so real you 'll practically hear their voices in your ear. Leigh Bardugo has written a book so delicious, so twisty, and so immersive I wouldn't blame you for taking the day off to finish it. - Kelly Link, author of Magic for Beginners and Get in Trouble.

Leigh Bardugo's Ninth House rocked my world. I could not get enough of sinewy, ghost-haunted Alex Stern, a heroine for the ages. With a bruised heart and bleeding knuckles, she risks death and damnation -- again and again -- for the people she cares about. I was cheering her on the whole way: from the first brilliant sentence of this book to the last. More, please, Ms. Bardugo. - Joe Hill, New York Times bestselling author of NOS4A2

In this mesmerizing novel, Leigh Bardugo introduces us to Alex, a high-school dropout who gets a free ride to Yale because of a unique talent. Bardugo's New Haven is plausible and frightening, and I was one rapt reader. - Charlaine Harris, bestselling author of the True Blood series

With an aura of both enchantment and authenticity, Bardugo's compulsively readable novel leaves a portal ajar for equally dazzling sequels. - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Atmospheric...Part mystery, part story of a young woman finding purpose in a dark world. - Booklist (starred review)

Genuinely terrific...The worldbuilding is rock solid, the plot is propulsive, and readers will be clamoring for a sequel as soon as they read the last page. - Library Journal (starred review)

Excellent...Bardugo gives [her protagonist] a thoroughly engaging mix of rough edge, courage and cynicism. - Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Instantly gripping...Creepy and thrilling...The world of this book is so consistent and enveloping that pages seem to rush by. - BookPage (starred review)

"Simultaneously elegant and grotesque, eerie and earthbound...Wry, uncanny, original and, above all, an engrossing, unnerving thriller." - The Washington Post

--This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

Review

Ninth House is the best fantasy novel I've read in years, because it's about real people. Bardugo's imaginative reach is brilliant, and this story, full of shocks and twists, is impossible to put down - Stephen King

Ninth House is one of the best fantasy novels I've read in years. This book is brilliant, funny, raw and utterly magnificent -- it's a portal to a world you'll never want to leave - Lev Grossman, New York Times bestselling author of The Magicians

Leigh Bardugo's Ninth House rocked my world. I could not get enough of Alex Stern, a heroine for the ages. With a bruised heart and bleeding knuckles, she risks death and damnation - again and again - for the people she cares about. I was cheering her on the whole way: from the first brilliant sentence of this book to the last. More, please, Ms Bardugo. - Joe Hill

In this mesmerising novel, Leigh Bardugo introduces us to Alex, a high-school dropout who gets a free ride to Yale because of a unique talent. Bardugo's New Haven is plausible and frightening, and I was one rapt reader - Charlaine Harris

Ninth House is the best thing I've read in a long time. There's so much magic here that you'll begin to feel it seeping into the room around you as you read, and characters so real you 'll practically hear their voices in your ear. Leigh Bardugo has written a book so delicious, so twisty, and so immersive I wouldn't blame you for taking the day off to finish it. - Kelly Link --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

From the Publisher

Leigh Bardugo is a No. 1 New York Times bestselling author of fantasy novels and the creator of the Grishaverse. With over two million copies sold, her Grishaverse spans the Shadow and Bone Trilogy, the Six of Crows Duology, and The Language of Thorns - with more to come. Leigh was born in Jerusalem, grew up in Southern California, graduated from Yale University (where she was a member of one of the campus's oldest secret societies which she declines to name!), and has worked in advertising, journalism, and even makeup and special effects. These days, she lives and writes in Los Angeles, where she can occasionally be heard singing with her band. --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

Book Description

Instant SUNDAY TIMES and NEW YORK TIMES bestseller NINTH HOUSE is the long-awaited adult debut by the bestselling author of THE GRISHAVERSE books, soon to be a NETFLIX series --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07NVPTTSZ
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Gollancz; 1st edition (8 October 2019)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 2876 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 476 pages

Best Sellers Rank: 7,874 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- 59 in Contemporary Fantasy (Kindle Store)
- 91 in Contemporary Fantasy (Books)
- 230 in Contemporary Literature & Fiction

Customer Reviews:
7,641 ratings

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Leigh Bardugo

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Leigh Bardugo is a #1 New York Times bestselling author of fantasy novels and the creator of the Grishaverse (now a Netflix original series) which spans the Shadow and Bone Trilogy, the Six of Crows Duology, The Language of Thorns, and King of Scars—with more to come. Her short stories can be found in multiple anthologies, including the Best American Science Fiction & Fantasy. Her other works include Wonder Woman: Warbringer and Ninth House (Goodreads Choice Winner for Best Fantasy 2019) which is being developed for television by Amazon Studios.

Leigh grew up in Southern California and graduated from Yale University. These days she lives and writes in Los Angeles. For information on new releases and appearances, sign up for Leigh's newsletter: http://bit.ly/bardugonews.

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2 star		2%
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Top reviews from Australia

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Allegorical story about power and corruption

Reviewed in Australia on 28 July 2020

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This is a ripper tale about money, power, corruption, wrapped up in a fantasy of secret societies and magic. I didn't find it slow going, as other reviewers have mentioned. I found the pace allowed for world-building, as this is obviously going to be a series. That this book is not entirely stand-alone, would be my only complaint. It ends on a cliff-hanger that has left me hanging out for the next book to come along.

One person found this helpful

Reviewed in Australia on 30 October 2019

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4.5
I loved this book but not perfect, it was a little slow in the middle but once the pace picked up it was amazing.
Also a reason I docked half a star is because my main priority was to know WHERE DARLINGTON WAS and I really could’ve had more of him but still this book is excellent.

While I loved this book it definitely isn’t for everyone with the slow burn plot and how gritty the plot is I wouldn’t recommend this for everyone.

One person found this helpful

Reviewed in Australia on 10 February 2021

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This is Bardugo’s first foray into the New Adult genre, but she absolutely embraces it and doesn’t hold back. The story and characters are much darker and the themes are very heavy, but she always writes so exquisitely that you’ll be hooked from page one!

One person found this helpful

Morgana MacLeod

Best book I've read this year

Reviewed in Australia on 2 December 2019

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Finely drawn characters, tight-paced plotting, intriguing premise... I can't recommend this book too highly to lovers of urban fantasy. I've been telling everyone who'll listen to read it ASAP. I can only hope there will be a sequel.

2 people found this helpful

An outstanding read

Reviewed in Australia on 18 June 2021

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This book excels in so many levels. The characters, the sense of a world-behind-the-world, the narrative voice, and of course, a thrilling murder mystery. One of my favourite reads this year!

Fantastic book and fast shipping

Reviewed in Australia on 8 November 2021

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Great book and value for money. Fast delivery.

Reviewed in Australia on 12 December 2019

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Much awaited ! Can’t wait for the next one

Intriguing and Engrossing!

Reviewed in Australia on 15 January 2020

I absolutely loved this book! It had everything I wanted in a murder mystery novel and so much more.

Alex Stern is a tough, non-academic girl from California. She has a unique ability to see and interact with greys, or ghosts as we know them. This makes her the perfect candidate for recruitment into the mysterious society Lethe House, who oversee the supernatural exploits of Yale’s secret underground societies. She has a steep learning curve on both the academic and mystical fronts, as she barely manages to survive her first year of college, despite the loss midway of her friend and mentor, Darlington. And that’s the mystery... where is Darlington, and who is responsible for his disappearance?

Ninth House was an incredibly intriguing and engrossing read. The storyline alternates between the present and the past and I particularly enjoyed Darlington and Alex’s POV’s. I absolutely loved the whole historical side the nine societies, and the way Bardugo examines it all through the architecture of the buildings, poetry, literature and American history.

The book will draw you in and hook its claws into your mind and imagination. There are so many twists and turns to the storyline, you never know who the villain is until the end. I highly recommend this book to you and especially the audible version. Lauren Fortang and Micheal Axtell do a fantastic job with the narration of this book. Looking forward to the next instalment of intriguing story.

One person found this helpful

Top reviews from other countries

Darren

Such a disappointment!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 8 November 2019

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This was a hard book to read. The writing style was so awkward that it took until half way through the book to get a true sense of what was going on. I read this with a group and everyone felt the same.
In my opinion, this book was way over-hyped and definitely not fantasy! Paranormal maybe, but not fantasy. Also read more like YA than adult.

36 people found this helpful

Heather K.

Dark, Immersive, Disturbing, Brilliant

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 29 October 2019

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TW: Violence, murder, death, drug abuse, human experimentation and multilation, emotional manipulation, ghosts, dark magic

Holy ****.

Leigh Bardugo’s debut adult novel, Ninth House, is beyond anything I expected. It’s a magical and intellectual tour de force; a powerhouse of plot and prose, suspense and suspicion, murder, magic, and madness. I came to it thinking it was a standalone, but it’s actually the first in a series, and I’m so relieved at that because I am hungry for more. I believe the sequel is slated for 2021, and honestly that can’t get here soon enough.

2019 will, for me, be the year of amazing books. I’ve read some fantastic novels this year, and I thought I had my Book of the Year already picked out. Now, I’m not so sure. Ninth House is mind-blowing and I’m still wrapping my head around it.

I first came to Leigh Bardugo through her YA series, the GrishaVerse, in which she’s written multiple novels and short stories. Ninth House is her first adult novel, and her writing here is an immense cut above her YA fare, honestly. It’s bold and brutal and striking, yet lyrical and magical. She’s really stretching her writing chops with this book, and it shows: her imagination and ability to plot and characterise is amazing.

Ninth House follows Galaxy (Alex) Stern, a former drug user and high school dropout, in her freshman year at Yale. How did she get into Yale? Through the sponsorship of a mysterious society called Lethe — the titular Ninth Nouse — which is tasked with monitoring the magical workings of Yale’s secret societies and their members. Alex is recruited from her hospital bed, the sole survivor of a gruesome multiple murder scene, by Dean Sandow, who offers her a chance at a different life. Different, of course, can mean many things…

One night, a murder on campus gets Alex’s attention. The victim isn’t a student from Yale, but her horrific demise isn’t something Alex can ignore. Her instincts say there’s more to the case than what the cops claim — an abusive boyfriend gone too far — but finding the evidence isn’t as smooth or easy as it initially appears. Woven into this storyline is the mysterious disappearance of Alex’s Lethe House mentor, Darlington, some months before; a disappearance that has sent shockwaves through the House and its surviving members, including Alex who is very much left thinking on her feet when it comes to dealing with the various societies’ extra-curricular activities.

The societies are powered by tombs, which are nexus of occult power built up over the years of students dealing in magic and the occult. These are the high-powered and elite, both past and future: Wall Street bankers, Hollywood stars, politicians, and other members of high society are students or alumni, and many of these still fund their societies, both financially and otherwise. The occult magic that is wielded by these societies can do more than change GPAs or ensure exam success; some are prognostications which provide glimpses of the future, some change a person’s appearance, whilst others guarantee social standings and wealth. This is the place power is born, cultivated, and unleashed upon the world.

Such magics are dangerous though, and can have drastic consequences, including blackouts and unexplained deaths. They all come at a cost — something which Alex is just discovering.

Alex, of course, has her own history — what brought her to drugs in the first place, her family life, her friendships, and why she alone survived a murder spree. Most of all, why would she, of anyone, be of value to Lethe? For Alex harbours both a secret and a dangerous gift — which will help to identify the victim, the conspiracies, and the magics underpinning what looks like a love crime gone bad.

Ninth House is complex and absorbing, and reading it is like drinking incredibly fine, incredibly potent, incredibly dark, alcohol. The story and prose are intoxicating. The setting is so vivid that I actually felt like I was attending Yale. There is a map in the hardback edition which was helpful at times, but on the whole I could sense the buildings and locations, observe the brickwork and streets.

Alex is an extremely complex character; deeply flawed yet noble, wiry yet strong. She goes through a lot in this book, physically and mentally, and in terms of character growth. The other characters — Darlington, Dawes, the Bridegroom, Mercy, Lauren, and others — are all well-drawn and really do get under your skin, for good and bad reasons (Blake, I’mma looking at you). They’re well-balanced, with positive and negative traits, and you can discern so much about their various personas by way of a throwaway line or comment, or one of Alex’s shrewd observations. I particularly liked Darlington and his wit.

It took me a moment to realise that, within each society, members have codenames to cover their identities. For instance, Alex is Dante. Darlington is Virgil, and so on. I liked how these were themed according to the leanings of each house — Wolf’s Head being a particular favourite — but it took me a while to put each codename to each character, where I had both available to me. Not all of them were disclosed, which I also appreciated — secrets are secrets, after all.

The pace never lets up in this novel, and it feels like a rush of blood to the head. There’s always something happening, or a sinister sense of something about to happen. The story alternates between the present events revolving around the murder and two past timelines — one of Alex’s former life, and one centred around Darlington and what happens (or doesn’t, depending on how you view it). This changing between timelines is handled beautifully and doesn’t ever feel disjointed or problematic; in fact, it’s so absorbing that, by the time the novel returns to the events of the prologue, it took me a moment to pick that back up, and that’s good.

If you have a background in witchery or the occult, there’s lots of symbolism throughout the novel — specific herbs, plants, rituals, which will cause you to sit up and take notice. If you don’t have such a background, that’s okay, because knowing about these elements won’t detract from the story at all. They’re just an added layer for anyone who does have such a background. Regardless, if you like fantasy, crime, the supernatural, and/or just love a damn good story, this is it. Ninth House is brilliant and will leave you thinking about it for days afterwards. It’s also perfect for Halloween…

I bought Ninth House and didn’t receive an advanced copy from the publisher. All thoughts and comments are my own and in no way reflect the opinion of the publisher or author. I received no reimbursement (financial or otherwise) for this review.

18 people found this helpful

Megan King

Great read!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 9 November 2019

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This is a dark (like, very dark in some places) adult fantasy.

‘The Nineth House' follows a young Galaxy (Alex) Stern through her first year at Yale. She's been plucked from a dismal life with no prospects, and given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to study at a prestigious university AND be part of a secret magic society (I mean, who wouldn't do that?).

The narrative is set in a few different timelines, and from two perspectives (Alex and Darlington). I particularly enjoyed this because I really thought Darlington was a bit of an arse to start with, but as I read his backstory I really connected with him.

Alex won me over pretty quickly, and her rash, crude personality really shone through!

What I particularly love about this book is the fact that you can really immerse yourself in the magic. However, the darkest part of this story has nothing to do with magic and secret societies; it's the harsh realities that some women are faced with.

This is definitely a book to savour and not devour!

It's a 5/5 for me!

Favourite Quote:

"Mors irrumat omnia."

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15 people found this helpful

Fantasy Geek

Illuminati move over

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 10 October 2019

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The Ninth House is Leigh Bardugos first Adult Novel and the first that’s set in a version of our world rather then a secondary fantasy realm, it’s a urban fantasy slash mystery set in and around Yale unveristy and new haven I can’t speak to the the authenticity of the setting but it feels like new haven is a character in its own right from Darlington’s love to Alex’s mix of wide eyed wonder and cynicism about her new home.

The story uses the Colleges Secret society’s as a backdrop for intrigue with the ancient eight as there are known each specialising in a magical discipline since these are still frats and sororities filled with lots of irresponsible rich kids oversight is needed with the ninth house Lethe being responsible for upholding and investigating breaches of the rules. The enforcers of lethe are known as Dante (junior) and Virgil ( senior) with the Dante then becoming Virgil when the Virgil graduates.
The Current Dante is Alex Stern a former drug addict and survivor of abuse that was given a second chance by Lethe after being the sole survivor of a horrific crime due to her life long ability to see Gray’s or spirits and Darlington is the Virgil a serious and studious young man who is more then what he seems.

The star of the show is the world building Bardugo does a wonderful job of introducing magic into semi familiar surroundings so for the example the bones men perform divination ceremonies involving animals and people in order to predict the stock market, Manuscript specialise in glamour and illusion and seduction and have Hollywood cornered and the societies by and large are what they are in real life a haven for the rich and privileged a chance to network a life long special club they aren’t criminal organisations or the illuminati and a lot of the worst damage they do Is due to entitlement rather then actual malice, in between the mysteries and magical goings on the author has a lot to say about the Classism and sexism that is is inherent in the Greek system especially one in a environment where entitlement and privilege are taken for granted and that’s even before Magic is added into the mix.

The story is told between two different timelines and revolves around 3 basic mysteries a disappearance, a murder and Alex’s past the story is anchored by the characters relationships with Darlington and Alex being the real highlight I liked Alex’s room mates and some of the side characters such as Dawes but it was I felt late in the story before they became more then cardboard cut outs, the one weakness of the story why it wasn’t a five star is a common complaint it’s hard to do a good mystery alongside a fantasy where magic is a viable tool simply because the reader doesn’t know the rules or what’s possible it makes it very hard to get that ha, ha ! Moment. However there’s enough going on and the writing is of a high enough calibre that you would get over that.

I highly recommend the ninth house for those new to the author and those already familiar be warned this is an adult novel that covers some pretty tough subjects such as drug addiction, sexual assault and consent in a surprisingly harrowing way at times Alex has had a horrific teenage years and while nothing too graphic was described there was enough said and more implied that some readers might find disturbing while I called this a urban fantasy crossed with mystery you could make a strong argument that it could be called a horror mystery.

However all topics were treated with respect the writing was superlative, the world building was engrossing the characters, at least the main ones , were 3 dimensional and sympathetic if flawed, this was a superior first book I look forward to the second one.

12 people found this helpful

ShayneyH

Such a disappointment. So dense

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 23 February 2021

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2.5 Stars
This rolled from weird, to strange, to turning my stomach in certain scenes, to being completely devoured by the story in others and off putting in others. This was, simply put, a strange ass read and conflicting when it comes to rating. Overall, I did enjoy this book, especially the second half once it really got going and I started to fully understand this world and got a handle of all the lingo within this fantasy horror world.

It was originally such a dense read that had so much exposition, yet it still took me so long to understand all of what was going on within this world. If it wasn’t for the second half, or last third and for something finally clicking, then I probably would’ve rated this lower. I went through such a sluggish reading period because of this book, whether it was because of the writing or the story I don’t know, but the relief I had when I finally finished it and was finically invested in this book was so satisfying. I am intrigued to read more of Leigh Bardugo books, just to see how her writing in those compare to this one and whether I enjoy those ones and the worlds in those, a lot more than I did when compared with this one.

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