Book #18 of 2023:
Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo (Alex Stern #2)
Overall a three-star read for me, and a marked step down from its predecessor. I actually do like the middle of this book — the slowest part of many novels — when, as promised by the title, the protagonist and her companions invoke a ritual to descend into hell and rescue the soul of their friend who’s trapped there. The demonic horrors they encounter are genuinely creepy, and represent just about the only time in which this sequel carries the visceral impact of the first volume.
Mostly, though, this all feels like somewhat generic urban fantasy, and the beginning especially struggles to regain any particular plot momentum. The ending fizzles a bit too in my opinion, and the nine squabbling societies whose internal politics were so important before are largely absent throughout. Also, while the Yale setting continues to benefit from author Leigh Bardugo’s personal history at the school, conveying a detailed and lived-in impression of campus, the idea that certain public architectural choices (presumably real) are hiding the riddles to arcane secrets (presumably fictional) is a bit too silly and Da Vinci Code-esque for me.
I’m invested enough in the character arcs that I’ll probably check out any further installments, but I’ll admit I had hoped for more from this series after its startling debut.
[Content warning for rape, gore, racism, gun violence, drowning, and violence against animals.]
★★★☆☆
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