Hell Bent on making a mess

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Hell Bent (Alex Stern Book 2)

Leigh Bardugo

481 pages, Paperback, Published January 10, 2023

I had read Ninth House some time ago, enjoyed it and thought the premise held a lot of promise. I came to Hell Bent looking forward to where Alex Stern and her group of friends are faced with next. 

Hell Bent, still has Alex as a mess, still trying to understand who and what she is and doing this without her mentor Darlington, who has been thrown into hell. Trying to retrieve him is proving difficult as she is hindered by a series of unexplained deaths, a gangster from her past and navigating her way around the politics of the Houses of the Veil. 

The story arc for this book centres on Alex realising just who and what she is. This comes about through a series of trials and tests that Alex overcomes to be able to knowingly tap into the power that has remain hidden within her. These trials and tests are not formal, she is not always a success, but it is Alex running headfirst into each situation and learning what she is capable of. Alex still does not have all the answers at the end, but she certainly knows how to break the rules. 

Bardugo's world building is strong, and the characters are engaging and lift off the page. There is plenty of action, plenty of risk and plenty of intrigue to keep you turning the page. 

I am not sure why, but something just was not clicking for me, not sure what it was. I will certainly read Bardugo's other books, but this series is complete for me. 

Leigh Bardugo is an amazing author, and you should check out her other work. 



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