Spoiler-Free Blog
I haven’t been on a horror streak in a while, but this one had me in a chokehold. Ninth House blends paranormal horror and mystery, throws in a few fantastical elements, features a ruthless main character, and takes place in a dark academia setting.
If that sounds like your thing, then this is a book you don’t want to miss. It also has a sequel, which is definitely going on my TBR.
Reader beware: This book contains a fair amount of body horror. For a full list of trigger warnings, click here.
What’s Ninth House about?
Alex Stern, who has lived a hard life of drugs and petty crime, is offered a place in Yale’s secret dark magic societies because of her unique ability to see ghosts. One semester in, a woman turns up dead – and Alex thinks the societies are involved.
This book is wild, intriguing, and dark.
This was a unique story, and so refreshing. If you’re familiar with Shadow & Bone by this same author – buckle in, because Ninth House is nothing like the Grishaverse.
You should know: this book can be dark. And it doesn’t pull its punches. I respect that.
The first half of this book feels like a typical dark academia novel. It’s slow-paced, with a focus on college life, while giving the sense that something sinister is lurking underneath. It didn’t immediately sell me on loving the book, but it piqued my interest enough to keep reading.
But then the second half sealed it as a five-star read for me. Once Alex finally shed this fake persona she’d crafted and leaned into her true self, I couldn’t help but think, “What a badass.” From there, it was action-packed. The stakes rose steadily until it all came together into a fitting climax – and seamlessly paved the way for the sequel.
I enjoyed Alex as a main character. She felt so unlike the people around her at Yale, and yet she offered something none of them had: relentlessness. She did so much with the attitude of “fuck it,” with the confidence to figure it out as she goes, and something about that quality in a main character excites me. I’m tired of righteous main characters who always do the exact right thing all the time, with so much forethought that they end up not doing much at all. I enjoy some chaos from time to time.
This book is also multi-POV, but it’s a little different. The present story focuses on Alex’s perspective. Then we have the flashback chapters (which take us a few months earlier in the semester), and those are from another character’s perspective – Darlington. I adored Darlington, and his role in this story is what makes me excited for book two.
Another thing is the writing. It was atmospheric and beautiful, with so many passages just begging to be highlighted.
There’s a lot to be said about mental health here as well.
You know if I review a horror book, there’s bound to be some analysis. Let’s get deep for a sec.
Alex’s life before the start of the book was filled with drugs and criminals. She fell into a bad group after discovering that drugs could numb her ability to see and interact with ghosts – a source of constant terror and anxiety for her. One can draw parallels to real life. Are “troubled teens” acting out, or fighting demons we simply can’t see?
We can take it a step further, too. The secret societies had been keeping tabs on Alex her whole life, but never once stepped in or offered help. In real life, are we, the outsiders, helping these supposed “troubled teens,” or ignoring them the way the secret societies ignored Alex? Is there a group in power who could be doing something, anything, but is choosing not to?
And, are the things that prevent someone from feeling like they can’t fit into normal society actually strengths somewhere else?
Food for thought.
Should you read Ninth House?
If you’re not squeamish, I recommend this book to fans of horror and fantasy alike. It may not be for you if you struggle with dark academia. To be fair, I’m usually not a dark academia person myself, but I did like this one. I think the mystery “whodunit” aspect strung it together.
If you read Shadow & Bone though, don’t go into this one expecting the same thing. Not in tone, not in characters, not in plot. Not even in worldbuilding. It really is different, and leans more heavily on traditional dark academia tropes: slow pacing, sinister magic, elitism, unchecked privilege. While there is magic, I wouldn’t describe this book as magical. Know that going in.
You will like this one if you enjoy books with vibes (aka vivid atmosphere) in addition to plot.
