Hell Bent – Leigh Bardugo
Disclaimer: This is the second (so far?) of two books, so there is one pretty big spoiler that will recur in this review; however, I did my best to keep it general.
Summary: Galaxy “Alex” Stern is not your typical LA girl trying to make it at Yale—but that is mostly because she can see ghosts and her friend is in hell, but worse still, her past is catching up with her and the semester is just getting started.
“Bad news first, please.”
“We have to go back to hell.”
“I see,” he said. “And the good news?”
“Dawes is making avgolemono.”
“Well,” he said as they reached the stone columns that marked the end of Arlington property. “That’s a relief.”
p. 392
My memory isn’t what it used to be, and these past few years have tested that even more, but I did remember the sort-of cliffhanger that ended the previous book in this series, Ninth House, well enough that when I learned that there would be a sequel, I knew I would be reading it as soon as it came out.
Despite some details being vague from the first book, it was easy enough to fall back into the world of Alex Stern and the actually magical houses that occupy much of elite Yale. It was even better to dive back into the many worlds that the complicated young woman finds herself in and find myself at home.
To avoid too many more spoilers than the hints given, I will just say that beyond the magic and the complications, there’s a nice story of friendships and the different ways they unfold—the ones you might leave behind from your pre-college years, the ones who get one aspect of you and those who get another, and the adults in your life who make you feel like you’re *almost* one of them as well.
While this world does more or less revolve around Alex, Hell Bent does show different sides of this young woman, how she is in some ways perceived differently by different people and talks to them as such, but it’s still the same person underneath. And that will definitely keep me coming back again for more (assuming another in the series is on the way).
Again, without further spoilers, there are so many moments in this book that revolve around the curative properties of homemade soup. As we find ourselves in the depths of winter now, I am reminded this is true regardless of whether magic exists in this world.
While the avgolemono soup in the book is not further described, I have made this soup more than once, including trying to give it a little more heft than a starter. As it’s cold out, the added character makes for a nice, restorative meal.
Here’s what I did, using my old recipe:
Ingredients
- 4 c. broth, chicken or vegetable will work
- ¼ c. uncooked orzo
- 3 eggs
- 3 T. lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped (or buy rotisserie and use about 2 c. of meat)
- 14 oz. can quartered artichoke hearts, drained
- Capers, for garnish, if desired
Directions
- Step 1: In a large saucepan, bring the broth to a boil. Add the orzo, cover and simmer for about 7 minutes.
- Step 2: Mix together the lemon juice and eggs in a medium bowl.
- Step 3: Once the 7 minutes are up, ladle about 1 c. of the broth into the egg-lemon mixture, and stir well. Slowly add the mixture back into the saucepan, and stir until the soup thickens and becomes opaque as the eggs cook, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Step 4: Add chicken and artichoke hearts and cook for another 3–5 minutes or so until the artichoke hearts are heated through. Ladle into bowls, top with capers (if using) and enjoy!