#mercy zhao

[poetic-gays]

Alex: We all have our demons.

Alex, grabbing Darlington: This one’s mine.

#ninth house #hell bent #hell bent spoilers #alex stern #galaxy stern #daniel arlington #darlington #darlingstern #leighbardugo #pamela dawes #mercy zhao #tripp helmuth

[wingedshadowfan]

i need to reread ninth house and hell bent fully focusing on darlington because he's so hard to grasp and he's obviously a central part of both books despite barely being there

i am obsessed with how he's old money, a snob, a different breed but he's been so broke and alone he had no heating for the winter, he's a know-it-all, too well-read, intelligent but his demon self didn't hold his knowledge over others, he's incredibly self-righteous, courteous and kind but he murdered his grandpa too

#ninth house #hell bent #leigh bardugo #mercy zhao #alex stern #galaxy stern #darlington #danny #daniel arlington #daniel tabor arlington v #gentleman demon

[lilsciencequeen]

My favourite part of Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo is how Mercy was just prepared to commit a Crime to go to Hell. Like she instantly went from 0 to 100 and I think we aren't discussing this enough

#hell bent #hell bent spoilers #ninth house #leigh bardugo #alex stern #galaxy stern #daniel arlington #darlington #pamela dawes #mercy zhao

[msbrightsides]

So we all agree that Alex’s mom definitely knows shit she’s not supposed to right? Mira said “there is a reason I named you Galaxy” As Alex has consistent imagery of herself covered in stars in dreams and in hell. So did she dream about Alex with midnight eyes and stars on her skin when she was pregnant, naive to the premonition? Or did she know what Alex’s father was, whom I’m personally suspecting was a demon, and named her that in his honor? Leigh Bardugo hasn’t told us how Wheelwalkers have come to be and there’s no way it’s an accident. It would explain why her dad hightailed it out of Estrea’s sight: she always knew the truth and she could see through the bullshit.

#ninth house #hell bent #leigh bardugo #alex stern #darlington #alex x darlington #darlingstern #pamela dawes #mercy zhao #abel turner #tripp helmuth #Mira stern #estrea stern

[bookloverturnedfangirl]

Leigh Bardugo really went it’s not enough that they’re Dante and Virgil, they’re Orpheus and Eurydice as well?!??

#like?!?! #I am already in enough pain I don’t need this as well #darlington #alex stern #galaxy stern #darlingstern #alexdarlington #ninth house #hell bent #hell bent spoilers #leigh bardugo #pamela dawes #tripp helmuth #mercy zhao #abel turner

[scrapsofinspiration]

i love alex's and darlington's near opposite experiences with magic, how alex never asked for this and how her 'gift' brought her pain and trauma and how darlington yearned for it so badly he risked his life for the mere chance it might bring him magic. and i love how alex in hell bent is learning not only to live with it but accept and wield her power, and now it's darlington who's in danger because of magic and he's getting to know its darkest sides (would pull quotes from the books but it's past 2am so)

and it makes me really interested in how mercy's relationship with magic will develop because she seems to have accepted it so easily and with open arms? she saw the good and the bad (though mostly the bad, let's be honest) and said "sure, yeah, bring it on". i wonder what the 3rd book has in store for her

#ninth house #hell bent #alex stern #darlington #mercy zhao #leigh bardugo #my post

[magnificent-lorenzo]

we call this the Best Friends With Alex Stern Effect ™

#alex stern #mercy zhao #pamela dawes #ninth house #hell bent #hell bent spoilers #inspire your besties to become more murderous

[i-can-stab-you-in-the-eye]

H E L L B E N T

by Leigh Bardugo

People shouldn’t have to march through the world fighting all the time.

#leigh bardugo #ninth house #ninth house leigh bardugo #alex stern #galaxy stern #daniel arlington #darlington #alex × darlington #pamela dawes #abel turner #mercy zhao #tripp helmuth #hell bent #lethe

[lesbianamalvada]

I'm sorry girlies but I just DO NOT get Darlington's appeal. He's a fine character, maybe it's just the lesbian in me, but him and Alex seem SO FORCED. Plus it's a "slow burn" but we know what the fuck you're gonna do Bardugo!! Idk it's just so forced, ntm they've barely spent anytime together because Dumbass Darlington walked into monster month (and his last thoughts were blaming Alex for it, lmfaoo). And the interaction they do have together is dull, sorry! Alex is such a cool character and she has more chemistry with literally EVERYONE ELSE in the cast.

I mean just look at the descent in Hell Bent where we get a backstory of all the characters. Pamela Dawes isn't loud and out-of-this-world like most Bardugo characters. She feels so realistic, but is still so interesting. We see how she has crippling anxiety from developing too fast, how she hides behind her academia, how she's torn up about killing Blake. She's so understated but so real and relatable for it.

We see how Turner struggles with being a cop and trying to be a bastard, how he literally killed his mentee for what he believes in, how he tries to be a fighter for good and his people in a world that rewards him for doing the opposite. Even his spirituality is handled respectfully and he's just a really well done character.

Then we have Tripp, we've all met a Tripp, all the privilege in the world but you can't even hate him for it cause he's been too sheltered to ever develop a mean bone in his body. Except we see how he dealt with abuse from his cousin all his life. We see how Spenser just gets away with it, and I empathized with Tripp when he let Spenser die. (Which btw he's not technically a murderer for that but WHATEVER LEIGH) After the descent I did a full 180 on his character!

And Mercy is so fun. She's not familiar with the world of magic and looks at it with hopeful-Harry-Potter-fan eyes, she's like a conduit for the reader in a way the jaded Alex can't be. But also if you think about her backstory is VERY dark. She was violated in the most horrible way by this magic before she even knew it existed. And now she wants to harness that same magic so she's never put in that position again. She kills a man because Alex tells her to, because she thinks this is some sort of Hogwarts adventure. And then at the end of the book you see grasp what Lethe is, and her tension with Alex is *chef's kiss* so good!

Ughh and thenn we have Darlington...what's Darlington's big murderer moment? The thing that made him eligible for a scholarship at Demon University? He *checks notes* pulled the life support on his dying geriatric grandpa at the man's own request....okayy. Surely there's something else? Well you see Darlington's always wanted to believe in magic! Just like all of us! It's like he's trying to hard to represent us fantasy readers, but by the second book Mercy already accomplishes this and does it better. And I guess you can say he had neglectful parents but it's just handled so unrealistically I couldn't believe it. 1. Once the grandpa was dead and Darlington was a minor his parents could have easily torn down that shitty house. 2. Darlington would legally belong to them, they wouldn't have to turn off the electricity to freeze him out of the house, they could call CPS who would bust down the doors and give him to his parents. 3. His whole backstory relies on a crusty house?? Really?? 4. I'm tired of the poor little rich boy trope. I'd rather have characters like Tripp, yes they've had their own struggles but wealth has shielded them, instead of unrealistic characters like Darlington. It's even worse because Leigh tries to frame Alex's and Darlington's childhood as "two sides of the same coin' when it's not that at all!

And you'd think Demon Danny would have a little spice but, no? I guess he enjoyed punishing people and making them suffer (told, not show) and he has urges to do it again? But more importantly we need to know that he REALLY REALLY wants to fuck Alex. Also he will serve Alex TiL tHe EnD oF dAyS! He's also her personal slave now and she can make him do whatever. Demon Danny is starting to feel like a fetish, okay? IT'S. SO. FORCED. They barely had any chemistry before the dumbass walked straight into Hell, but I see why Alex's destructive nature would put her on a suicide mission for his rescue. But now he's dreaming about her in his perfect future? They're cosmically connected to each other? It's so funny because they are both way closer to Pamela Dawes but just fuck her I guess.

Anyway I think Darlington lacks substance and he's not good enough for Alex BUT i'm hoping I'll like him more in book 3. Can any Darlington fans give me your interpretation of the character and why you like him? I really don't like feeling this way since he's such a big part of the story and sometimes a different analysis is all you need. As of right now he's the embodiment "Go girl! Give us nothing!" for me.

#ninth house #hell bent #alex stern #leigh bardugo #pamela dawes #darlington #captain turner #abel turner #tripp helmuth #mercy zhao #alex stern series #hell bent spoilers #ninth house spoilers

[an-architect-of-words]

Thinking about the characters from The Secret History and Ninth House/Hell Bent meeting. Here are my guesses.

- Immediately, Mercy would wholeheartedly hate Bunny.

- Tripp would like Bunny and protect him from Mercy’s attempts at maiming him. Tripp and Bunny would bond over jokes and sports. Because Tripp is honest about his parents cutting him off, Bunny wouldn’t usually try to extort him but would like talking to him about his wealthy childhood.

- Tripp is the ONLY member of the Lethe crew who would like Bunny. Darlington would find him slovenly (also Bunny would make fun of him for attending Knights of Columbus picnics as a kid). And Bunny would make racist and/or sexist comments to the others, so they don’t fraternize with him. Dawes could perhaps tolerate him because she’s into caring for people and cooking for them and appreciates when people need her for things. However, her tolerance all hinges on if Bunny says nice things about her food. If he praises it, she would excuse him here and there. If he’s a douche canoe about it, she will loathe him.

- Alex and Richard understand each other on the grounds of both being California kids who moved to out east to the university life to escape their garbage situations. Alex, here and there, gets annoyed at Richard for being too dramatic.

- Francis and Mercy would get along, just based on a major vibe I have. Their fashion is different but they appreciate the other’s eye for style and like each other’s attitude. However, due to her having been drugged and taken advantage of before, Mercy would be severely perturbed if she learned how Francis seduces inebriated people. She’d also correct him for classicist comments and he’d actually apologize because he likes her too much to ruin their friendship.

- Francis would be amiable with Dawes and Darlington. He’d not like Tripp very much. Turner and Alex wouldn’t like Francis. They’d both find him just so spoiled.

- Turner would take one look at the Greek kids and be like “Oh HELL no.” He’d immediately sense they did something screwed up, and he would be the one to try to get to the bottom of it. Let’s be real, Turner would have solved the case in TSH. Had he interrogated them, he would have seen past Henry and Charles’s bullshittery.

- Dawes would ADORE Charles. Just full on love him. They’d have a brief spat over him trying to help her cook, but then he understands that that’s just her thing, and he always says please and thank you and smiles at her— and she’s an absolute sucker for that. She’d fall for everything.

- Similarly, Dawes would get drawn in by Henry’s gentlemanliness and like cooking for him. But she’d also be intimidated by him. She doesn’t really talk to him because he makes her anxious.

- Dawes and Camilla would not really vibe, but stay fairly cordial especially around the rest of the group.

- I think Alex would shift opinions on Henry a few times before firmly disliking him. She’d find him snooty then kind of level with him (since he’s actually kind or nice and good with lower classes supposedly?) but then she’d pick up on the truth of his insanity and be SO no-patience with it. In fact, she’d rage at Richard for excusing the Greek class so much.

- Tripp would hit on Camilla then get beaten within an inch of his life.

- Henry, Richard, Francis, and the twins would be annoyed by Tripp but also handle him well and be able to joke a lot about him. They call him “Diet Bunny” behind his back.

- Darlington and Henry would be close at first. They both value proper etiquette and academics. They practice talking to each other in all their languages, and Henry is impressed by how many Darlington knows. They are delighted when they can quote things and have the other immediately know the reference. They’d have a late night heart-to-heart about their ideals, fascination with magic, and desires to find the greater things in this life. But, at some point or another, Darlington would start to question Henry and realize there’s so much evil in him. This creates a distance that Henry is disappointed by.

- Richard looks up SO MUCH to Darlington, and Darlington proceeds to be somewhat of an actually good influence on him.

- Camilla, Alex, Mercy, and Dawes would all go out for a girls’ night because they feel like they have to. It gets off to an awkward start, but then they find they have a lot to talk about and enjoy the outing. But Camilla remains a little too aloof for them to get really close.

- Tripp would somewhat respect Richard for making it so well without the support of his parents or their money. He asks for tips.

- Darlington would be initially kind of attracted to Camilla but, like with Henry, he starts to sense bad things about her. His experience with Camilla ends up only making him find Alex even more genuine and like her more.

#the secret history #tsh #donna tartt #richard papen #henry winter #bunny corcoran #charles macaulay #francis abernathy #camilla macaulay #ninth house #hell bent #leigh bardugo #alex stern #darlington #mercy zhao #Tripp Helmuth #Abel Turner #pamela dawes

[theres-a-bea]

i'm saying pamela dawes is a bad bitch and mercy zhao needs to be the new dante now or i will drag alex stern into my basement by my teeth and unleash all of hell upon earth miss bardugo

#hell bent #leigh bardugo #alex stern #ninth house #mercy zhao #pamela dawes #darlington #detective turner

[wingedshadowfan]

i swear to god, alex seems to be the only one unaware she's into darlington like that

turner

“Find something I can use. I need you and your demon boyfriend for the work I can’t do.”

mercy

“Is Darlington why you don’t date?”

even mf golgarot??

“Stay,” he said to Alex. “Stay and your demon consort returns to the mortal realm untainted. (...)”

#hell bent spoilers #hellbent #hell bent #alex stern #alex stern series #leigh bardugo books #leigh bardugo #galaxy stern #darlingstern #darlington #daniel arlington #daniel tabor arlington v #gentleman of lethe #gentleman demon #golden boy of lethe #abel turner #detective turner #mercy zhao #golgarot

[home-is-where-the-books-are]

Bit of a shame about Mercy, who missed the spectacle of a naked Darlington

#ninth house #leigh bardugo #hell bent #daniel arlington #darlington #mercy zhao

[msbrightsides]

Hell Bent spoilers:

Does anyone else think about that scene where Alex pretends Darlington just got back from Spain in front of the new Praetor? How she cried and flew into his arms and he was almost too surprised to hug her back? How that was the only time they’ve ever hugged? How Alex felt how warm his hand was on the small of her back? Bc as much as the other scenes are great, that’s the one I keep coming back to

#ninth house #hell bent spoilers #hell bent #alex stern series #alex stern #galaxy stern #alex x darlington #darlington×alex #darlington #darlingstern #pamela dawes #abel turner #mercy zhao #tripp helmuth

[bookloverturnedfangirl]

Hell Bent Spoilers!!

Absolutely fucking sobbing because Cosmo is Darlington’s guardian

#when they pulled his lil cat figurine out of the pot I just sobbed #darlington #Alex stern #galaxy stern #Pamela dawes #Abel turner #tripp helmuth #mercy zhao #darlingstern #alexdarlington #hell bent #hell bent spoilers #ninth house #ninth house spoilers #Cosmo #Leigh bardugo

[a-girl-made-of-stardust]

"I’m bound to you, Stern. To the woman who brought me out of hell. I will serve you ’til the end of days."

- Daniel Arlington V, Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo (I've waited years for this sequel to come out and here it is; also spoilers. I struggled to remember what happened in the first one since it was 4 years ago(?) but all i can say is I. NEED. MORE. DARLINGTON. and he made me fall for him more when he became a half-demon (what's with the wicked that make them irresistible? lol). we finally got some more world-building and there were many plot lines but somehow they came out coherent in the end? all connected together. also got to see a lot more of Alex's ability and mention of hell and demons. the end was kind of ambiguous though; open and i hope there will be a 3rd book because demons finally bled out into the real world. all in all, i was kind of expecting to read like a grand return of the golden boy of lethe but kind of disappointed. but alex and darlington being bound together is something that i am looking forward to in the next book (hopefully). also i demand some intimate scenes with them because everytime they talk they have this tension going on and i'm gonna snap if i am not gonna read how darlington kiss (wtf weird but bear with me here). also MORE COSMO SCENES please with of course, danny. 4/5)

#hell bent #leigh bardugo #ninth house #alex stern #darlington #pamela dawes #abel turner #tripp helmuth #mercy zhao #january 2023 read #i will not stop simping after darlington because i am dying for more