Hell Bent

A Novel

By: Leigh Bardugo

Narrated by: Lauren Fortgang, Michael David Axtell

Long-listed, Barnes and Noble Best New Books of the Year, 2023

"The magic and violence of 'Hell Bent' comes to life in audiobook form."–USA Today

"This fervently delivered audiobook engrosses the listener through every twist and turn, making this sequel nearly impossible to pause."–AudioFile Magazine (Earphones Award)

Wealth. Power. Murder. Magic. The Ivy League is going straight to hell in the sequel to the smash New York Times bestseller Ninth House from #1 bestselling author Leigh Bardugo.

"Bardugo’s imaginative reach is brilliant."–Stephen King

Find a gateway to the underworld. Steal a soul out of hell. A simple plan, except people who make this particular journey rarely come back. But Galaxy “Alex” Stern is determined to break Darlington out of purgatory—even if it costs her a future at Lethe and at Yale.

Forbidden from attempting a rescue, Alex and Dawes can’t call on the Ninth House for help, so they assemble a team of dubious allies to save the gentleman of Lethe. Together, they will have to navigate a maze of arcane texts and bizarre artifacts to uncover the societies’ most closely guarded secrets, and break every rule doing it. But when faculty members begin to die off, Alex knows these aren’t just accidents. Something deadly is at work in New Haven, and if she is going to survive, she’ll have to reckon with the monsters of her past and a darkness built into the university’s very walls.

Thick with history and packed with Bardugo’s signature twists, Hell Bent brings to life an intricate world full of magic, violence, and all too real monsters.

A Macmillan Audio production from Flatiron Books.

©2023 Leigh Bardugo (P)2023 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

"Thrilling ... fascinating supporting players ... 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."–Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Bardugo doesn’t flinch from the dark sides of magic and human nature….This portrait of a survivor’s dogged determination to accomplish her goal will appeal to readers of dark academia, urban fantasy, and horror.”—Booklist (starred review)

“Vivid, intelligent, and funny at just the right moments, but best of all are the complex characters.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Amazing book 2!

Amazing sequel! Action packed right from the very beginning! A lot less back story and build up needed this time. I can’t get enough of this series and the narrators do an excellent job. I highly recommend although I wouldn’t suggest starting with the second book here of course. Start with the first one and you will love this. I can’t wait for book 3!

Absolutely loved it

This series is as amazing as I had hoped for. It captured everything I love. Supernatural, magic, suspense and mystery. What a talented storyteller.

Fave Author

The first book was ok but this one was exceptional.
Also, Bardugo can write a romance that makes me want more.

LOVE

I loved this more than the first!! Hoping another is coming because I can’t get enough.

I can’t wait for the next book!

Yet another outstanding book from Leah! She perfectly combines research and imagination into the most captivating books. Alex and Darlington are my new favorite characters!

Demons, Vampires, murders, oh my!

An unexpected and delightful sequel. Bardugo is a modern fantasy writer with the perfect mix of darkness, magic and mystery. Fingers crossed for a trilogy!

All the Stars

Another wonderfully crafted story that kept me engaged from the beginning to the end. I am really looking forward to the next installment.

Another great book in the trilogy

Captivating, surprising and complex story that kept me guessing each step of the way.

They say sequels are never as good as the first, but…

…in this case, “they” would be wrong. After I finished The Ninth House, I was eager for more of this intriguing world Leigh Bardugo created. Oh how happy I was to learn the next book was soon to be released!

I’ve often pondered what made the Harry Potter series so popular, and where I landed is that it provided a wondrous escape from reality that existed just on the fringes of the world we know. It was grounded with enough truth to make the whole thing seem plausible, as if we could tap a few bricks on the wall at the end of an alley and gain access to more than we ever imagined. I think Leigh has achieved that same “magic” balance here, but she’s elevated it into a grimmer and (sadly) more familiar place for those of us who’ve seen enough of life to know better.

Hell Bent expands beautifully on the world of the secret houses of Yale she gave us a glimpse into in the first book. Here, we get to see just how deep the rabbit hole goes. We learn more about the characters we’ve come to know, meet some new ones, and then take the elevator down one more level at then end, doors opening wide to an even broader story. I might be concerned that Leigh wouldn’t be able to deliver on the scope she’s set in the next installment, but based on everything else she’s written, I believe she’s still at the top of her game and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.

Loved every minute of it!

This book keeps you on your toes and leaves you guessing until all is revealed I hope there is a 3rd book!