Ninth House is a dark fantasyhorror novel written by author Leigh Bardugo, published by Flatiron Books in October 2019. The novel follows Galaxy "Alex" Stern, a 20-year-old high school dropout and trauma survivor who can see ghosts, is surprisingly offered a full ride to Yale. Recruited into Lethe, the ninth house, she must monitor the eight secret societies that practice dangerous occult magic.[1][2]
The first in a series, Ninth House was followed by a sequel titled Hell Bent, which was published in January 2023.[3]
Background
The John C. Anderson Mansion, built 1882
The novel is Bardugo's first adult novel and, beyond the fantasy elements, is largely inspired by her time at Yale University.[4] Bardugo first 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.[5] The "ninth house" in the novel is based on the Anderson Mansion, the real-life New Haven headquarters of the Yale secret society Shabtai.
Reception
Award-winning horror author Stephen King called Ninth House "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." It also received endorsements from fellow authors Lev Grossman, Kelly Link, Joe Hill, and Charlaine Harris.[6]
The book has been banned in Escambia County, Florida,[21] and Frisco Independent School District, Texas.[22][23]
Adaptation
On October 10, 2019, two days after the novel's release, it was announced Amazon Studios would adapt Ninth House as a TV series. Leigh Bardugo is set to executive produce the project alongside Pouya Shahbazian.[24]
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
