Dead Beat

Alex Stern #3

by Leigh Bardugo

From Leigh Bardugo: This novel will be headed your way in 2026—still waiting to hear from my publisher on date. I had hoped for spring, but we may be doomed to fall.

Genres: Fantasy, Dark Academia, Fiction, Adult, Horror, Urban Fantasy, Mystery

Unknown Binding

Expected publication September 1, 2026

About the author

Leigh Bardugo is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Ninth House and the creator of the Grishaverse (now a Netflix original series) which spans the Shadow and Bone trilogy, the Six of Crows duology, the King of Scars duology—and much more. Her short fiction has appeared in multiple anthologies including The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy. She lives in Los Angeles and is an associate fellow of Pauli Murray College at Yale University. For information on new releases and appearances, sign up for her newsletter.

She would be delighted if you visited her at LeighBardugo.com and fairly giddy if you liked her selfies on Instagram.

Reviews

[emma]

this is the book equivalent of when you think you've eaten the last cookie and you go to throw away the box and then you see, hiding in the corner, that there's actually been one more bonus magic cookie waiting for you all along.

and now we have a title!

[Megan ❀]

Actual footage of me camped out in hell while waiting however many years it's going to take for this book to come out:

[chai ♡]

I’m just going to go ahead and say what everyone else is thinking:

📢 ALEX AND DARLINGTON NEED TO BANG AND GET OVER IT 📢

[Bea]

*slides leigh bardugo 20$* let alex and darlington fuck

[Vanessa]

An on-page darlingstern sex scene isn't a want its a need

[myo ⋆｡˚ ❀ *]

why did she title this book after my dad smh

[Megan]

i need alex and darlington to have wild demon sex in this one thanks

[Mirabel]

*chanting*
darling-ton-stern darling-ton-stern

[Vathna]

Please, not another 3+ years 😢

[h i n d]

I have a strong feeling that by the time this book comes out I will have forgotten everything that happened in the previous 2 books

[✭ emilee ✭]

demon f*ckers unite!

[Ana (Hiatus)]

Alex and Darlington need to get together in this book. It's been way too long. Their tension is too much.

OMG IT'S REAL. WE HAVE A NAME NOW. SEPTEMBER CAN NOT COME SOON ENOUGH

[bushra · Rating 5 out of 5]

the public needs them to use that goddamn glowing dick already

[vaishnave]

please please please ms. bardugo please just give me alternating darlington/alex chapters like you did for ninth house and darlington/alex action scenes against demons and darlington/alex banter and darlington/alex sarcasm and darlington/alex romance and just anything darlington/alex PLEASE

[Poppyflowerjj]

This is going to take three years isn't it!! ugh 😢

Dark Romance / Horror / Fantasy?!?!

I needs some damn DARLINGSTERN action damnit.

Let them become LOVERS.

[ingrid ₊]

BEFORE U CAME INTO MY LIFE I MISSED U SO BAD

[Sydney | sydneys.books]

So what are we getting first, the last Stranger Things season or Book 3? Or maybe student loan debt relief? Start the timers.

[Ricarda]

Never could have guessed that title in a million years. Iconic.

[hali]

[HEAVY BREATHING] 👁️👄👁️

[❀ iro ❀]

THIS BETTER HAS DARLINGSTERN SMUT IN IT OR ELSE

[леви]

We got the title reveal and the date !??????!!??! Ongggggggg
_________
I need this book rn😭😭

[vi.isreading]

I NEED to read more feral Darlington, he better be frothing at the mouth in this book.

[Akshu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Someone lock Darlington and Alex in one room with one bed, just saying 🤝

[manas (NEW YEAR)]

THE TITLE????

MY MANS DARLINGTON IS BACK!!!!

[Melanie (meltotheany)]

➽ Ninth House ★★★
➽ Hell Bent ★★★


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[Lyss Wedge]

THERE'S GOING TO BE MORE?!?!?!!???!?!?!?! thank u leigh, thank u so much

[Mare]

I don't even know when this will be getting into my greedy little hands but I will be eagerly awaiting its presence in my life.

[Rosa]

Darlington said he “wanted to fuck”. Can you please grant the man his wish (w/Alex). 🤗

[vyn targaryen ‎♡‧₊˚]

if alex and darlington don't fuck im suing

[Niharika]

I'm so excited for this ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh