Ninth House (Novel)

**Ninth House** is the first book in the dark fantasy new adult novel by American author Leigh Bardugo published by Flatiron Books in 2019.

## Summary

The Ninth House follows unlikely Yale University Galaxy “Alex” Stern, who is a member of the Lethe House (otherwise known as the Ninth House), at Yale University. It’s an organization that monitors the arcane activities of the other eight ancient secret societies on campus, all of which are dedicated to one branch of the occult. In this first installment of the series, Alex is investigating the death of a local girl that occurred on campus.

## Plot Synopsis

Galaxy “Alex” Stern is the most unlikely member of Yale’s freshman class. Raised in the Los Angeles hinterlands by a hippie mom, Alex dropped out of school early and into a world of shady drug dealer boyfriends, dead-end jobs, and much, much worse. By age twenty, in fact, she is the sole survivor of a horrific, unsolved multiple homicide. Some might say she’s thrown her life away. But at her hospital bed, Alex is offered a second chance: to attend one of the world’s most elite universities on a full ride. What’s the catch, and why her?

Still searching for answers to this herself, Alex arrives in New Haven tasked by her mysterious benefactors with monitoring the activities of Yale’s secret societies. These eight windowless “tombs” are well-known to be haunts of the future rich and powerful, from high-ranking politicos to Wall Street and Hollywood’s biggest players. But their occult activities are revealed to be more sinister and more extraordinary than any paranoid imagination might conceive.

## Background

The novel is Bardugo's first adult novel and beyond the fantasy elements is largely inspired by her time at Yale University. Bardugo became inspired upon discovering the tombs of Yale's secret societies as she walked down New Haven's Grove Street during her freshman year. When her friend sent her pictures from their time at Yale years later, Bardugo was struck with memories, both pleasant and unpleasant, which inspired her to explore trauma for this novel but also companionship through it. *Ninth House's* dedication honors Bardugo's college roommates "for the many rescues." The "ninth house" in the novel is based on the Anderson Mansion, the real-life New Haven headquarters of the Yale secret society Shabtai.

## Characters

* Galaxy 'Alex' Stern
* Daniel Arlington
* Pamela Dawes
* Detective Abel Turner
* Dean Elliot Sandow

## External Links

 Ninth House (Novel) on Wikipedia

 Ninth House (Novel) on Goodreads

## Reviews/Reception

* "Ninth House is the best fantasy novel I’ve read in years, because it’s about real people. Bardugo’s imaginative reach is brilliant, and this story—full of shocks and twists—is impossible to put down." - Stephen King
* "Ninth House is one of the best fantasy novels I’ve read in years. This book is brilliant, funny, raw and utterly magnificent—it's a portal to a world you’ll never want to leave." - Lev Grossman, New York Times bestselling author of The Magicians
* Goodreads Award for Best Fantasy of 2019

## Adaptation

On October 10, 2019, two days after the novel's release, it was announced Amazon Studios would adapt Ninth House for series. Leigh Bardugo herself is set to executive produce the project alongside Pouya Shahbazian (producer and manager, known for American Honey (2016), Divergent (2014) and Allegiant).

## Behind the Scenes

* On Halloween, Alex mentions wanting to meet Lauren and Mercy at Pierson Inferno. Pierson Inferno is the annual Halloween party typically hosted at Pierson College.

## References

1. ↑ Bustle Bardugo Interview Oct. 9, 2019 Romanoff, Zan
2. ↑ https://www.bustle.com/p/leigh-bardugo-wants-ninth-house-to-fck-you-up-a-little-18841924
3. ↑ Wikipedia: Shabtai Society
4. ↑ Praise for Ninth House - MacMillan Publishers
5. ↑ Goodreads Award for Best Fantasy of 2019
6. ↑ Novel As TV Series By Amazon Studios - Deadline Hollywood
7. ↑ [1]
8. ↑ https://yaledailynews.com/blog/2008/10/31/a-cooler-inferno-returns/