Dead Beat (Ninth House Trilogy, #3) by Leigh Bardugo Also by this author: Six of Crows, Summer Days & Summer Nights: Twelve Love Stories, Crooked Kingdom (Six of Crows, #2), Ninth House (Alex Stern, #1), Hell Bent
Series: Alex Stern #3
Also in this series: Ninth House (Alex Stern, #1), Hell Bent
Published by Flatiron Books on September 15, 2026
Genres: Paranormal
Pages: 483 •Format: E-Book •Source: Purchased
Goodreads
Hell is empty and all the devils are here…
Alex Stern made it to hell and back more than once, but this time she left the door open behind her. Demons are creeping through the streets of New Haven and the Yale campus, feeding on the souls of the living, terrifying the dead. Alex and her allies can hunt them, but it’s only a matter of time before the gates to the underworld open and they face a war they cannot win. To stop it, they’ll have to reach deep into the secrets of Yale and its societies, and discover the truth hidden in Alex’s own blood.
While she struggles to hold onto the dream of a future Yale once offered, Alex must contend with the machinations of a corrupt Lethe Board and a deadly vampire with his own connection to the societies. But for the first time in her life, she won’t have to face the fight alone. Dawes, Turner, Mercy, and even Tripp will have a role to play, none more so than Alex’s mentor Darlington, the golden boy who lived so long in her head, now back in the flesh and cursed with dangerous powers of his own. Hell itself is stalking the delegates of Lethe House, and they’re all about to learn that demons don’t play by human rules.
I cannot for the life of me remember the last time I read a series that was a 5 star run (if ever???) But the Alex Stern trilogy by Leigh Bardugo has permanently rewired my brain chemistry. I binged Ninth House and Hell Bent back to back earlier this year and I think it’s single handedly responsible for how bad of a reading slump I’ve been in during the year of our lord 2026, because once I binged those everything else I tried to pick up what devastatingly mid (I finished them in April and it’s now October and have only had one 5 star read between them!)
This series has not only immaculate vibes if you like all things spooky, but also: religion, the arcane, magic, demonology, academia…I could go on forever! It’s about what’s hidden in plain sight right in front of our faces. I think the concept of “what if the Yale secret societies were actually doing rituals endlessly fascinating, and Alex’s role as part of the “Ninth House” who’s job it is to oversee all the magic is the perfect set up for this series.
It’s hard to review the third book in a series without spoilers, so be warned that spoilers for books 1 & 2 are fair game below.
After escaping hell (twice, and finally with Darlington in tow) Alex and the gang have to deal with the fallout of there now being a door between New Haven and Hell that’s open and letting demons slip through. While there’s of course plenty of demon hunting to keep the group busy, they are also frantically trying to find a way to close the door, which leads them to doing and even deeper dive into the original four pilgrims who walked the gauntlet. I found this exploration of the pilgrims interesting, especially seeing the juxtaposition of how they fared compared to Alex’s crew (you can’t go to hell and not be changed). I’m usually not one to love the “found family” trope (I often find it to be a bit cringey) but it’s done so well here- they are all so so flawed and motivated by different things, but ultimately come together to do what has to be done. I especially loved Dawes’ character growth in this installment (and the recognition that even though she’s the “behind the scenes” role, she’s really the one who keeps the whole operation running!)
We also finally get more answers as to the circumstances around Alex’s conception and why she is the way she is (able to see greys, a wheel walker, etc). Truly I could take a whole book about her badass grandma. I was glad to see her get closure on her lineage and balance that understanding of what may seem like fate with her own decisions, whether they be good or bad. I also must admit I loved slightly demonic Darlington, and finally seeing him and Alex act on their feelings for each other (without it distracting from the main plot points of the book) felt right- it was the perfect hint of romance in a decidedly unromantic situation.
I also loved that Alex is really not a good guy. She does what’s best for herself (and sometimes her friends) but it’s really an inversion of the hero’s journey in some elements (she doesn’t come from an “ordinary world” that’s safe but rather from extreme trauma and the word she’s dumped into with ghosts and demons actually benefits her more in many ways, she doesn’t end her journey reborn in purity but rather keeps playing by her own rules to protect what she deems valuable, etc). Her journey is real and raw and imperfect and oh so satisfying for it.
And of course, who can ignore the fact that at the end of the day, it’s a real toss up between who the real monsters are: the demons in hell or the elite institutions and societies that enable them for their own gain (pls note sarcasm).
Overall: *Insert Lady Gaga gif of talented, brilliant, incredible, amazing, etc*
Series Ratings So Far:
- Ninth House ★★★★★
- Hell Bent ★★★★★
- Dead Beat ★★★★★
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