Ninth House is a dark fantasy horror 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 capable of seeing ghosts, who 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.
The first in a series, Ninth House was followed by a sequel titled Hell Bent, which was published in January 2023. The final book in the series, Dead Beat, was released on September 15, 2026.
Background
The novel is Bardugo's first adult novel and, beyond the fantasy elements, is largely inspired by her time at Yale University. 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. The "ninth house" in the novel is based on the Anderson Mansion, the real-life New Haven headquarters of the Yale secret society Shabtai.
Synopsis
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.
Accolades + Year-end lists Year PublicationCategory Result Ref 2019 Amazon Amazon's Best Books of 2019 List 18 Book Riot The best books of 2019 NPR NPR's Favorite Books of 2019 Parade The 25 Best Books of 2019 Paste The 19 Best Novels of 2019 9 The Top 19 Best Audiobooks of 2019 Time The 100 Must Read Books of 2019 Tor The Best Books of 2019 USA Today Best books of 2019 Vox Best of 2019: the 15 best books we read this year
Awards and nominations Year Award Category Result Ref 2019 Shirley Jackson Award Novel 2020 Audie Award Fantasy Dragon Awards Fantasy Novel Goodreads Choice Awards Fantasy Locus Award Fantasy Novel
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.
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