The mesmerizing adult debut from #1 New York Times bestselling author Leigh Bardugo
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, 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, Alex arrives in New Haven tasked by her mysterious benefactors with monitoring the activities of Yale's secret societies, well-known to be haunts of the future rich and powerful. But their occult activities are revealed to be more sinister and more extraordinary than she ever imagined . . .
Welcome to a world of secret societies and the occult that's perfect for fans of Deborah Harkness, Neil Gaiman, Susanna Clarke and Ben Aaronovitch.
Praise for Leigh Bardugo:
'Utterly, extremely bewitching' Guardian
'A master of fantasy' The Huffington Post
'The best magic universe since Harry Potter' Bustle
'This is what fantasy is for' The New York Times Book Review
'The darker it gets for the good guys, the better' Entertainment Weekly
'Impossible to put down' USA Today
Amazing
Bardugo's first adult fiction is brilliant as it is dark and deserving of the adult warning.
This novel is all I could ever ask of a book - murder, mystery, compelling and three dimensional characters, a badass heroine, an intriguing system of magic, brilliant climaxes where all is revealed, and a teeny lil smattering of romantic intrigue that leaves me wanting more. I absolutely cannot WAIT for the sequel. My favourite thing about Bardugo is that she always writes such brilliant characters. Each person, no matter how minor their role, is a fully realised individual, and with such careful cultivation, how can you not grow to love them and root for them?
There are definitely some heavy themes that some people just might not be comfortable with - drug use, child sexual assault, rape, and violence (always violence with Leigh). But the moments of love and tenderness and care are as well written as the horrors and hardships, and all together it's worth it. Bardugo tackles such grim themes so damn well, and nothing is ever overdone or feels gratuitous for the shock factor. Her characters have always been through some sh*t and she just wants you to know how bad it was.
Kalanie, 25/05/2020
