3.5 stars. I didn’t particularly like Ninth House, but I thought I would give the author another chance as I loved all the Grishaverse books. I did enjoy this one better. I didn’t get bombarded by all the information about the societies or Alex’s background and this plot was much more concise. I think we got more information about the characters which helped deepen the connection. I still think this could go quite a bit further though, I just don’t care what happens to these characters in the future. I did connect with the descriptions of Dawes’ soups though and would really love to see a recipe book! ( )

The "memory refresh" required for a sequel was very weak here. There were so many details from Ninth House that I didn't recall and which were glossed over early on. Still, a fun read for all that. ( )

Dark and twisty, creative and demonic. I loved this book. I love Alex, Dawes, the Demon gentleman, and the himbo. I love the blurred line of fiction and history, (as is true with history anyway) and reality and magic. ( )

Series Info/Source: This is the 2nd book in the Alex Stern series. I bought a copy of this on ebook to read on my Kindle.

Thoughts: I really loved the first book in this series, so I actually went and bought the 2nd book on ebook. I usually wait to borrow books from the library but I was so excited to continue the series! I was not disappointed; this story was just as crazy and visceral as the first book was. I absolutely love the characters in here and am so attached to them.

This book starts shortly after the last one left off. Alex and Dawes are trying to figure out a way to get into Hell to steal back Darlington. Unfortunately, both Alex's past and a series of murders on campus complicate things for them both.

I continue to love the odd magic and secret societies that are so prevalent throughout this series. However, I think was really draws me to this series are the characters. Alex, Dawes, and many of the side characters are so real and so fun to read about. All of these characters have issues, but I found myself rooting for them and absolutely heartbroken at some of the things they had to endure.

The story here is intriguing as well. There are more mysteries, secrets, and betrayals. I am super curious to see where the storyline ends up going since there are now demons wandering around campus.

The writing was excellent as well. This was incredibly engaging and I struggled to put the book down each night. Bardugo doesn't hold back in her gory descriptions and visceral scenes: I might have flinched at a few of them but she certainly didn't. Just a warning if you don't like gross or gory description.

My Summary (5/5): Overall I loved this book just as much as the first one. I love this world and these characters and the dark seedy rituals of the secret societies of Yale. The characters really make the story here, although I did enjoy the twisty plot, dark magic, and mysteries as well. I can't wait to see where the next book in the series takes us. This series is definitely a stand out for me, I am really enjoying it. ( )

Too many characters decended into outright caricature, the ultimate shallowness of their entire personality consisting of a single trope.
The writing is pretty amazing, no question, but the actual story being told, despite happening in quite a complex environment, is ultimately very shallow. Its width over depth, dressed up with elaborate language. ( )