Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo This much-anticipated sequel to Ninth House was a great book on which to round off my reading journey for 2023. Readers follow Alex Stern's journey into hell (quite literally), through the history and mystery of Yale. And similarly to Ninth House we also follow Alex's step to solve another murder steeped in the shadowy practices of the Ancient Houses of the Veil. Throughout this, Bardugo introduces readers to a whole host of characters both old and new. The development of Alex and Dawes's friendship was a delight to read, as was a further insight into Mercy's character. We were also reintroduced to Tripp, an ex-Bonesman with a surprising amount of skeletons in his closet. I really liked the glimpses of Tripp's character that we got in Ninth House, and it was great fun to read more about him (and Alex's interactions with him) in Hell Bent. And readers also get to learn more about the dedicated detective Turner, who even steps out of his...