Genre: Dark Academia, Adult Fantasy, Supernatural Mystery
Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5 Stars
Mystery Factor: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5 Stars
Darkness & Trigger Level: 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤 5/5 Stars
Would I Read It Again? Absolutely!
SPOILER WARNING: This is my cover-to-cover review, which means we're discussing major plot twists, character deaths, and the ending of Ninth House. Content warnings include childhood sexual assault, sexual violence, drug use, exploitation, murder, and trauma.
Galaxy "Alex" Stern — A Life Filled With Trauma
Galaxy "Alex" Stern is a traumatized young woman who has had an extremely complicated and tragic life, all because she was born with the ability to see ghosts, known as Grays.
Imagine being a child and seeing things that nobody else can see. You're already the odd kid out, and no matter how hard you try to fit in, there's something separating you from everyone else. But what really broke my heart was learning about the sexual assault Alex experienced as a young girl at the hands of a Gray.
That had to be one of the most horrific and traumatic experiences imaginable. Nobody else could see what was happening, and Alex had no way to explain it to people who couldn't see what she was experiencing. She had no real outlet and no way of getting the help she desperately needed.
I could understand why she eventually turned to drugs to escape what she was experiencing. It wasn't a healthy solution, but she was a traumatized young girl trying to find some relief. And unfortunately, that made her vulnerable to people who were willing to take advantage of her.
Len, Hellie, and the Ground Zero Massacre
I couldn't help feeling that Len, Alex's boyfriend, groomed and exploited her. Yes, he was there for her after she escaped the Scared Straight program, but I have a hard time believing his intentions were ever entirely good. I felt like he saw a vulnerable young girl he could use however he wanted.
Then we meet Hellie, another young woman Len brings into their lives. At first, I wondered whether Hellie was supposed to replace Alex. But instead, the two girls developed a friendship. Hellie was the sun to Alex's moon. They understood each other, and they also seemed to understand the unspoken rules of surviving in Len's world.
That made what happened to Hellie even more heartbreaking.
As the story unfolded, I started wondering whether Alex had somehow unleashed the Grays on everyone involved in the Ground Zero massacre. I wasn't completely sure how it happened, but I suspected her ability had something to do with it. When we finally learned that Alex allowed Hellie's ghost inside her body, everything started coming together. But I genuinely felt bad for Alex.
I don't believe she understood what was going to happen when she allowed Hellie inside her. She had already experienced so much trauma and had just lost someone who meant so much to her.
That doesn't erase the violence or the lives lost, but it changes how I look at Alex's involvement. She wasn't deliberately setting out to cause everything that followed, and I don't believe she understood the full extent of what Hellie would do.
Yale, Lethe House, and the Houses of the Veil
What made me angry was that Yale only seemed interested in helping Alex when her ability became useful to them.
After everything she'd been through, she suddenly gets an opportunity to attend one of the most prestigious universities in the country. But that opportunity comes with responsibilities. Alex is recruited into Lethe House, also known as the Ninth House, which oversees the magical activities of Yale's eight ancient secret societies.
These societies are known collectively as the Houses of the Veil, or the Ancient Eight.
They include Skull and Bones, Scroll and Key, Book and Snake, Wolf's Head, Manuscript, Aurelian, St. Elmo's, and Berzelius.
Each society practices different forms of magic, including divination, necromancy, and other rituals used to gain influence, wealth, or knowledge. Lethe's responsibility is to monitor their activities and prevent them from becoming too dangerous.
I enjoyed learning about the societies and seeing how complicated things became when wealthy, influential people were using magic for their own benefit. But I was frustrated that people were practically explaining ghosts to someone who had spent her entire life dealing with them!
Alex knows firsthand how dangerous Grays can be. She doesn't have the luxury of viewing magic as something fascinating or exciting. For her, it's been a nightmare.
Darlington — The Golden Boy Who Wanted Magic
Then we have Daniel Arlington, better known as Darlington. Darlington comes from an old family with connections to Yale, although his childhood wasn't as comfortable as his reputation might suggest. He was raised by his grandfather and became fascinated with the supernatural after experiencing glimpses of the other side.
Unlike Alex, he wanted to experience more of it, even going to dangerous lengths to find ways to see what was hidden from ordinary people.
I thought Darlington was a bit of an ass at first. He was clearly frustrated with Alex, and I felt there was some jealousy because she naturally possessed an ability he'd spent years trying to understand.
But I also think he never really got the chance to know her.If he'd understood the full extent of Alex's trauma, I believe he might have approached her training differently. And as Yale's golden boy, he could have helped her find her footing at the university.
Darlington eventually grew on me, and I was frustrated that their time working together was cut short.
Tara Hutchins and the Murder Investigation
Then we learn that Darlington has disappeared, and Alex is trying to manage her responsibilities without him.
And now there's a murder.
Tara Hutchins is a local young woman whose death doesn't seem to concern the university nearly as much as it should. But Alex suspects something is wrong.
She remembers the strange behavior of the Grays during her first solo watch and starts questioning whether Tara's death could be connected to the magical societies.
I liked that Alex didn't simply accept what she was being told. Even when she started wondering whether she was looking for connections that weren't there, she kept investigating. And when she was attacked, I was furious!
One of the most frustrating things about Alex's situation is that she can be fighting for her life against something nobody else can see. To everyone watching, she might look like she's losing her mind. But she's actually in danger, and she doesn't have the support she needs.
Detective Turner and Pamela Dawes
Detective Abel Turner, Lethe's police contact and Centurion, reminded me a little of the police characters in Dexter. He's focused on doing his job and following the evidence, but I was frustrated by how reluctant he seemed to take Alex's suspicions seriously.
I did appreciate how his perspective began changing as he witnessed things that couldn't be explained away. And then there's Pamela Dawes.
Dawes is Lethe's Oculus, helping Alex and Darlington with research and magical preparations.
I appreciated how Dawes continued supporting Alex, especially when things became more dangerous and other people were questioning her involvement. She didn't have to agree with every decision Alex made to recognize that Alex was genuinely trying to do her job.
Alex's Friendships and the Darker Side of Campus
One thing I really appreciated was seeing Alex try to make friends and build a normal college life. She wanted to be a good friend to her roommates, Mercy Zhao and Lauren, and I liked seeing her look out for them.
But the more we learn about what happens behind closed doors at Yale, the darker everything becomes. The drug use, sexual assault, and abuse of power were disturbing.
And when Alex started uncovering what was happening and using her own methods to get answers, I was on her side. She didn't always follow the rules, but let's be serious. How are you supposed to deal with spoiled, powerful people who believe they can do whatever they want without consequences? Sometimes you have to learn how to play their game. And Alex certainly did.
The Bridegroom — Bertram Boyce North
I really enjoyed the storyline involving Bertram Boyce North, also known as the Bridegroom.
At first, he's another ghost with a disturbing history.
He's believed to have murdered his fiancée, Daisy, before taking his own life. But as Alex learns more about him, we begin questioning whether that's what actually happened. I liked that Alex didn't simply dismiss him.
She listened, investigated, and gradually uncovered information that changed how we understood his story, but we also see Darlington was onto another secret.
I was curious about what really happened to Daisy and why North was still searching for answers after all these years. I didn't realize just how important his story would become.
Darlington's Disappearance and the Failed Ritual
Throughout the book, I kept hoping they would find a way to bring Darlington back.
I didn't want to believe he was dead. When we finally learned more about his disappearance, it was terrifying. What Darlington thought was a portal turned out to be something far more dangerous.
And when Alex, Dawes, Dean Sandow, and the others attempted the ritual to bring him back, things went horribly wrong.
That was also when I really started questioning Dean Elliot Sandow. He seemed too confident about certain things, and something about his behavior wasn't sitting right with me.
When the creature appeared and Darlington's voice accused someone of murder, I wondered whether the accusation was directed at Sandow rather than Alex. I already had doubts about the dean, but I hadn't figured out how deeply involved he might be.
Blake Keely and Professor Belbalm
Then we have Blake Keely.
After everything involving the drugs, sexual assault, and his behavior toward Alex, I wouldn't have been surprised if he was responsible for more than we knew.
But when he attacked Alex, something still didn't feel right. It seemed too convenient. Too planned.
Even after everything that happened, I wasn't completely convinced he was acting alone. I also started wondering about Professor Marguerite Belbalm. She seemed unusually interested in Alex and kept trying to bring her under her wing.
At first, I thought she might be involved with the magical societies or using some kind of magic herself. There was something about her office, her classroom, and the way she interacted with Alex that made me suspicious. I just couldn't figure out exactly what she wanted.
The Truth About Tara, Sandow, and Belbalm
This is where everything started coming together! Alex discovers that the deaths of young women are connected to the magical nexuses powering the societies.
A magical nexus is a source of power, and the societies have built their tombs around these locations to take advantage of that energy. Suddenly, Tara's murder becomes part of a much larger pattern.
Then we learn that Dean Sandow murdered Tara because he was being paid to help create a new nexus for St. Elmo's. All for money!
He was also responsible for what happened to Darlington because Darlington had been getting too close to the truth.
I knew something was wrong with that man! But Professor Belbalm was another level entirely. We discover that she is actually Daisy Fanning Whitlock, the woman North was believed to have murdered.
She's a Wheelwalker, someone who can cross between the living world and the world of the dead, like Alex.
Daisy survived her original death by taking over another woman's body. Over the years, she continued consuming the souls of other women to sustain herself.
And she'd been targeting Alex!
I knew something about that professor wasn't right, but I didn't expect her story to connect all the way back to the Bridegroom. That revelation was one of my favorite parts of the mystery.
The Final Confrontation
By the time Alex confronted Sandow and Belbalm, I was completely invested.
Belbalm kills Sandow and attempts to consume Alex's soul, just as she's done to other women for generations.
But Alex fights back. When she called upon the spirits of the women Belbalm had consumed, it was such a powerful moment.
These women had been murdered, forgotten, and used to create power for other people. And now their spirits were helping bring down the person responsible.
I thought that was an excellent way to connect the supernatural elements with the book's larger themes of power, exploitation, and the people society chooses to ignore.
The Ending — And What About Darlington?
I was relieved that Alex survived and finally uncovered the truth.
But I was also frustrated by how much Yale was still willing to cover up. After everything that happened, the institution was still more interested in protecting itself than openly acknowledging what had been done.
I appreciated seeing Alex's roommates care for her after everything she'd been through. Her mother coming to visit also meant a lot to me. And seriously, these characters need some kind of healing spell after a battle because everybody was getting messed up!
But Darlington!
I was so upset thinking his life had been cut short. Then we learn that Alex believes he may still be alive, only now he's become a demon in Hell.
I have no idea how they're going to bring him back, but I'm hoping Alex, Dawes, and Michelle Alameddine, Darlington's former mentor, can figure something out.
I really want to see more of Alex and Darlington together, especially now that she's learned so much about her abilities.
Writing Style and Story Structure
One thing I absolutely loved about Ninth House was the way Leigh Bardugo handled the changing perspectives and timelines.
We move between Alex and Darlington, the past and the present, and different pieces of the mystery.
And instead of overwhelming us with information all at once, the author gradually reveals what we need to know.
I was sitting in bed reading every detail, trying to figure out who was involved and what everyone had to gain.
I think the way the story was structured made the reveals even more satisfying because we had enough information to develop our own theories without knowing exactly where everything was heading.
Mystery Factor — 5/5 Stars
Between Tara's murder, Darlington's disappearance, the Bridegroom's history, and the secret societies, there was so much to investigate.
Every time I thought I had something figured out, another clue made me question my theory.
I especially enjoyed that some of my suspicions were right, but the reasons behind everything still surprised me.
Mystery Factor: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5 Stars
Darkness & Trigger Level — 5/5 Dark Stars
And I mean DARK!
Some of the most disturbing moments in this book weren't even supernatural.
What made the story especially dark for me was seeing how people with money, influence, and power could exploit others and get away with it. The book doesn't shy away from showing the lasting effects of that abuse, either.
I would definitely recommend checking the content warnings before reading.
Darkness & Trigger Level: 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤 5/5 Stars
Final Thoughts
Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5 Stars!
I loved this book!
This was a dark, emotional, complicated story with characters I genuinely cared about, even when I didn't agree with their decisions. I appreciated that Alex wasn't written as someone who could simply overcome years of trauma because she'd been given a second chance.
She was still struggling, still making mistakes, and still trying to find somewhere she belonged. The mystery kept me guessing, the characters kept me invested, and the ending left me wanting more.
I'm seriously considering reading it again, a little slower this time, before moving on to the second book. I'm sure there are clues I missed the first time around.
And now I need to know what happens next!
Would I Read It Again? Absolutely!
Until the next chapter,
Happy Reading,
S. J. Robinson
Check the book out here at my bookshop link https://bookshop.org/lists/sjr-writes-and-reads
