History Literature / NinthHouse

[[redirect:Literatur/AlexStern]]

[[redirect:AlexStern]]

->''"All you children playing with fire, looking surprised when the house burns down."''
-->-- '''Detective Turner'''

''Ninth House'' is a adult dark fantasy novel by Creator/LeighBardugo, and the first in the ''Alex Stern'' series.

The book follows [[IvyLeagueForEveryone unlikely]] [[UsefulNotes/{{IvyLeague}} Yale University]] freshman, Galaxy "Alex" Stern, a homicide survivor and high school dropout who can see ghosts, known as [[NotUsingTheZWord greys]]. At the university, she is introduced to the eight Houses of the Veil, secret societies that leverage dark occult magic and rituals for the gain of students and alumni.

Alex's full-ride is contingent on her joining Lethe, the [[TitleDrop ninth house]], responsible for monitoring the other houses and containing their power. The story weaves between timeframes: the fall, where Alex arrives at Yale and learns her duties as a member of Lethe, and the winter, as she investigates a murder and its possible connection to the Houses.

The book is Bardugo's first adult novel and the content is considerably darker than Bardugo’s previous works. The use of trigger warnings is advised.

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!!This series provides examples of:
* AccidentalMisnaming: Thought the book, Belbalm call's Alex "Alexandra." Alex herself never bothers to correct her until the end. It's actually a subtle hint that Belbalm doesn't have Alex's best interest in mind, since she could have easily found that her name is Galaxy in her records.
* BlessedWithSuck: While it does have its uses, a large reason why Alex’s life has been so difficult is because she can see ghosts.
* CharacterTitle: The series title, named after its protagonist Alex Stern.
* CrapsackWorld: Magic is controlled by the elite members of Yale for the gain of students and alumni. Magic wielders are entitled college students who primarily use it for showing off, getting high, and [[spoiler: attempted (and successful) rape]]. Alumni use magic to predict the stock market (by torturing an innocent mental patient), find creative inspiration, and create binding legal agreements. In addition, ghosts are sad and sometimes violent hangers-on who follow the living around, wishing they were alive.
* DarkerAndEdgier: Creator/LeighBardugo's previous works could be pretty dark to begin with. But Ninth House makes what were simply strong implications in the ''Grishaverse'' explicit and makes the setting far bleaker.
** Also, darker takes on the myths or history it pulls from. For example, the story starts with Skull and Bones performing haruspicy on an unsuspecting mental patient. In reality, haruspicy was performed by Etruscans and then Romans. Despite the stereotype Romans were bloodthirsty, Romans only preformed haruspicy on sacrifices sheep, not human beings.
* DarkSecret: [[spoiler:Hellie possessed Alex and they murdered their abusers, including Alex’s boyfriend Len. Also, Darlington killed his grandfather at his grandfather’s behest, and that’s why he was able to turn into a demon.]]
* DeadPersonConversation: With Betram Boyce North.
* [[spoiler: DeanBitterman: Dean Sandow and Professor Belbalm]].
* DysfunctionJunction: Despite the Lethe requirement that all members have no prior history of mental illness, everyone in the main cast is pretty messed up.
** Alex probably takes the cake. At Yale, she has a major chip on her shoulder, for feeling like she doesn’t belong at Yale and isn’t qualified. Her past before Yale includes [[spoiler:an absent, neglectful mother, sexual assault, grooming, abuse, and drug addiction.]] On top of that, it is ambiguous how much control she had over Hellie when [[spoiler:they murdered their abusers.]]
** Darlington, despite his perfectionism (or maybe symptomatically), is quite dysfunctional. He’s well-liked because he’s always putting on a persona, and finds people very exhausting. He holds everyone at arm's length. He grew up very alone, unwanted by his parents, spending his time with his cold grandfather and wandering a decaying mansion. His obsession with magic is likely searching for meaning after his empty childhood, but he’s willing to risk death just to feel special. He’s an adrenaline junkie, carelessly putting his life at risk to pursue magic, to give some sort of meaning in his life. And on top of that, it’s implied that he helped [[spoiler:kill his grandfather.]]
** Pamela is so awkward she can barely hold conversations with others. While actually kind and well-intentioned, it makes functioning in the college environment very difficult for her.
** On the minor end of the spectrum, Turner is resentful of Yale and the secret societies, and initially quite hostile to the institution in general.
** [[spoiler:Dean Sandow is bitter and angry that his wife left him after going through her breast cancer with her. His divorce left him with nothing, and he hasn’t published in a while, so he’s desperate and ruthless. He murders his mentee, Darlington, and Tara, his drug dealer, for money]]
* FaceOfAnAngelMindOfADemon: Blake Keeley. A particularly heinous example. Blake Keeley is an Abercrombie model. He’s also a star lacrosse player, who got away with violence on the field because Yale wanted him on the team. [[spoiler:He uses a magical drug, Merity, to rape and humiliate Mercy.]]
** What makes Blake Keeley so disturbing is he’s very realistic. Remove the magic from it and it unfortunately sounds like a news story. An MVP who avoids consequences because it’s better for the team uses his power to hurt women. On top of that, Blake Keeley has magic that [[NightmareFuel can give him total control over someone.]]
* FantasticDrug: Several examples:
** Basso Belladonna, which is like magical Adderall.
** Merity, which makes the user completely subservient (and is used as a magical roofie).
** [[spoiler:The fog]] at the Manuscript party, which serves as a powerful hallucinogen.
* {{Glamour}}: House Manuscript’s magic of choice.
* ISeeDeadPeople: Alex’s skill. [[spoiler:Later revealed to be shared by Professor Belbalm and the women whose souls she devoured]].
* IvyLeagueForEveryone: [[JustifiedTrope Justified]] as Alex's powers are highly sought-after, which is what leads to her invitation to come to Yale. It doesn't work as seamless as expected when she does have trouble keeping up with the academic rigor and ends up on academic probation.
* MagneticMedium: Ghosts threatening [[spoiler:and assaulting]] Alex caused of most of her trauma.
* MasterApprenticeChain: How Lethe trains its new members, with the senior Virgil training the freshman Dante.
* OldDarkHouse: Black Elm, Darlington's beloved family estate.
* PreAssKickingOneLiner: Alex gives one to [[spoiler:Professor Belbalm]] just before the latter’s death. Bonus points for Alex finally correcting her AccidentalMisnaming.
---> '''Alex''': My name is Galaxy, you fucking glutton!
* RoaringRampageOfRevenge:
** [[spoiler:Alex invites Hellie's ghost into her and with their combined strength she brutally murders their abuser and the other junkies they were living with]].
** [[spoiler:Professor Belbalm]]'s victims get this in the book's climax.
* SchoolClubsAreSeriousBusiness: Could be the alternate title of this book.
* SmartPeopleKnowLatin:
** PlayedWith. Skull & Bones uses Dutch during their rituals, as it is the language of commerce (and because too many students are fluent in Greek and Latin).
** Darlington speaks multiple languages, including Latin, and remarks on Alex not knowing it (she later does translate something, with an internal TakeThat to Darlington in her head).
* SplitTimelinesPlot: The story has three: fall, when Darlington was present, winter, and spring.
* StreetSmart: Alex is sharp, quick-thinking, and has clear street smarts as a result of her past. However, despite her wit and attempt to pick all easy classes, "being intelligent" is not the same as "having the skills needed to succeed in college" (writing essays, for example, needs to be taught; Alex doesn't know how). She also happens to be at ''Yale''. As expected, she very quickly ends up on academic probation.
* TattooedCrook: Likely, this trope was the reason Alex covered her tattoos, fearful that this was the image she’d present.
* TeethClenchedTeamwork: Alex and everyone she works with, initially. Alex begins with a bit of a chip in her shoulder, anxious because she feels like she doesn’t belong, and thinks others are doubting whether she’s worthy of being Dante.
** Alex and Darlington initially hit it off poorly. Alex starts at Yale angry and wary. Darlington is annoyed she prevented him from choosing his own Dante, which he was greatly looking forward to, and he’s a little jealous of her ability, when he’s longed for magic his whole life.
** Alex and Pamela are initially not very comfortable working together. Pamela is a very awkward person, and Alex felt like Pamela preferred Darlington.
** Alex and Turner probably exhibit this trope the most. Turner resents what he sees as Yale students able to interfere with police work because they’re part of the elite. He also resents that they mess around with dangerous magic and get themselves hurt. Alex represents this to Turner initially, and her initial defensiveness doesn’t help.
* TragicMonster: [[spoiler:The demon is actually Darlington, who was forced to turn into one when Sandow tried to kill him.]]
* TraumaCongaLine: Alex’s backstory. [[spoiler:As a child, she lived with with a strange and absent mother, experienced food insecurity, all while seeing quite frankly terrifying ghosts no one else could see. CPS is called on her. She was sexually assaulted, then bullied because of it. She escapes the bullying and ghosts by using drugs and joining up with a drug dealer, who grooms and abuses her. She finally finds a friend and confidante, Hellie, only for Hellie to overdose]].
* UnfinishedBusiness: The reason the Bridegroom wants to work with Alex.
* WizardingSchool: Yale, to some extent. But only for the wealthiest, best-connected students.
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* CrapsackWorld: Magic is controlled by the elite members of Yale for the gain of students and alumni. Magic wielders are entitled college students who primarily use it for showing off, getting high, and [[spoiler: attempted (and successful) rape]] or alumni who use it to predict the stock market, find creative inspiration, and create binding legal agreements. In addition, ghosts are sad and sometimes violent hangers-on who follow the living around, wishing they were alive.

The book is Bardugo's first adult novel and the content is considerably darker than Bardugo’s previous works. The use of trigger warnings including [[spoiler:sexual assault of a minor, grooming, violence and gore]] is advised.

* WizardingSchool: Yale, to some extent. But only for the wealthiest, best-connected students.

* DeadPersonConversation: With Betram

** [[spoiler:Professor Belbalm]]’s victims get this in the book's climax.

* RealityEnsues: Alex is sharp, quick-thinking, and has clear street smarts as a result of her past. However, despite her wit and attempt to pick all easy classes, "being intelligent" is not the same as "having the skills needed to succeed in college" (writing essays, for example, needs to be taught; Alex doesn't know how). She also happens to be at ''Yale''. As expected, she very quickly ends up on academic probation.

* IvyLeagueForEveryone: [[JustifiedTrope Justified]] as Alex's powers are highly sought-after, which is what leads to her invitation to come to Yale. [[RealityEnsues Reality Ensues]] when she does have trouble keeping up with the academic rigor and ends up on academic probation.

* DarkerAndEdgier: Creator/LeighBardugo's previous works could be pretty dark to begin with. But Ninth House makes what were simply strong implications in the ''Grishaverse'' explicit and makes the setting far more bleaker.

The book is Bardugo's first adult novel and the content is considerably darker than Bardugo’s previous works. The use of trigger warnings [[spoiler:including sexual assault of a minor, grooming, violence and gore]] is advised.

* DarkerAndEdgier: Creator/LeighBardugo's previous works could be pretty dark to begin with. But Ninth House makes, what were simply strong implications in the ''Grishaverse'', explicit and makes the setting far more bleaker.
* [[spoiler: DeanBitterman: Dean Sandow and Professor Belbalm]]

** Darlington, despite his perfectionism (or maybe symptomatically), is quite dysfunctional. He’s well-liked because he’s always putting on a persona, and finds people very exhausting. He holds everyone at arms distance. He grew up very alone, unwanted by his parents, spending his time with his cold grandfather and wandering a decaying mansion. His obsession with magic is likely searching for meaning after his empty childhood, but he’s willing to risk death just to feel special. He’s an adrenaline junkie, carelessly putting his life at risk to pursue magic, to give some sort of meaning in his life. And on top of that, it’s implied that he helped [[spoiler:kill his grandfather.]]

* ISeeDeadPeople: Alex’s skill. [[spoiler: Later revealed to be shared by Professor Belbalm and the women whose souls she devoured.]]

* MagneticMedium: Ghosts threatening [[spoiler: and assaulting]] Alex caused of most of her trauma.
* MasterApprenticeChain: How Lethe trains its new members, with the senior Virgil training the freshman Dante.

** [[spoiler:Alex invites Hellie's ghost into her and with their combined strength she brutally murders their abuser and the other junkies they were living with.]]
** [[spoiler: Professor Belbalm]]’s victims get this in the book's climax.

** PlayedWith, Skull & Bones uses Dutch during their rituals, as it is the language of commerce (and because too many students are fluent in Greek and Latin).

* TraumaCongaLine: Alex’s backstory. [[spoiler:As a child, she lived with with a strange and absent mother, experienced food insecurity, all while she could see quite frankly terrifying ghosts no one else could see. CPS is called on her. She was sexually assaulted, then bullied because of it. She escapes the bullying and ghosts by using drugs and joining up with a drug dealer, who grooms and abuses her. She finally finds a friend and confidante, Hellie, only for to Hellie overdose.]]

* WizardingSchool: Yale, to some extent. But only for the wealthiest, best connected students.

* CharacterTitle: The series name.

* TheAce: The Gentleman of Lethe, Darlington, speaks multiple languages and is well-loved and respected, both by Lethe and by Yale at-large. He's an expert at magic and occult, so much so that [[spoiler:he brewed elixirs before even joining Lethe.]]
* BetrayalByInaction: [[spoiler: How Alex views her reaction to Darlington being sucked into the portal. Darlington also notes this in his final thoughts before he disappears.]]

* DemonOfHumanOrigin: [[spoiler:The demon is actually Darlington, who was turned into a demon to survive.]]

* FairWeatherMentor: [[spoiler:Dean Sandow takes this trope next level. He tries to murder his mentee for money just because his divorce ate up his savings.]]

* FishOutOfWater: Alex at Yale.

* HauntedHeroine: Alex.

* IvyLeagueForEveryone: [[JustifiedTrope Justified]] as Alex's powers are highly sought-after, which is what leads to her invitation to come to Yale. [[RealityEnsues Reality Ensues]] when she does have trouble keeping up with the academic rigor and her roommates question her studiousness.
* TheLancer: In the flashbacks to the fall, Alex and Darlington served as this to the other.
* TheLostLenore: Hellie, to Alex.

* NoSocialSkills: Pamela is extremely uncomfortable with strangers, and struggles to hold conversations.

* RaisedByGrandparents: Darlington’s parents are incredibly immature, so they dumped him on his grandfather.

* RenaissanceMan: Darlington, an expert in magic, academia, and etiquette, speaks an absurd amount of languages, and plays five instruments.

* StrangerInAStrangeSchool: Alex initially in the magical secret societies of Yale. She eventually proves she belongs.

* IvyLeagueForEveryone: [[JustifiedTrope Justified]] as Alex's powers are highly sought-after, which is what leads to her invitation to come to Yale. [[RealityEnsues Reality Ensues]] when she does have trouble keeping up with the academic rigor.

Alex's full-ride is contingent on her joining Lethe, the ninth house, responsible for monitoring the other houses and containing their power. The story weaves between timeframes: the fall, where Alex arrives at Yale and learns her duties as a member of Lethe, and the winter, as she investigates a murder and its possible connection to the Houses.

The book follows unlikely [[UsefulNotes/{{IvyLeague}} Yale]] freshman, Galaxy "Alex" Stern, a homicide survivor and high school drop out who can see ghosts, called [[NotUsingTheZWord greys]]. At the university, she is introduced to the eight Houses of the Veil, secret societies that leverage dark occult magic and rituals for the gain of students and alumni.

* AmbiguouslyBi: While never confirmed, Alex definitely appears to be attracted to women. It is never clear what Hellie was to Alex, but Alex’s internal monologue makes it clear Hellie was more than a friend to her.