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The Ancient Nine: A Novel
"Pulls you into the depths of a secret world from the first page. Ian Smith's novel is unmissable." --Harlan Coben, author of Missing You
Cambridge, Massachusetts, Fall 1988
Spenser Collins
An unlikely Harvard prospect, smart and athletic, strapped for cash, determined to succeed. Calls his mother--who raised him on her own in Chicago--every week.
Dalton Winthrop
A white-shoe legacy at Harvard, he's just the most recent in a string of moneyed, priveleged Winthrop men in Cambridge. He's got the ease--and the deep knowledge--that come from belonging.
These two find enough commong ground to become friends, cementing their bond when Spenser is "punched" to join the Delphic Club, one of the most exclusive of Harvard's famous all-male final clubs. Founded in the nineteenth century, the Delphic has had titans of industry, Hollywood legends, heads of state, and power brokers among its members.
Dalton Winthrop knows firsthand that the Delphic doesn't offer memberships to just anyone. His great-uncle is one of their oldest living members, and Dalton grew up on stories of the club's rituals. But why is his uncle so cryptic about the Ancient Nine, a shadowy group of alums whose identities are unknown and whose power is absolute? They protect the Delphic's darkest and oldest secrets--including what happened to a student who sneaked into the club's stately brick mansion in 1927 and was never seen again.
Dalton steers Spenser into deeper and deeper recesses of teh club, and beyond it, to try to make sense of what they think they may be seeing. But with each scrap of information they get from an octogenarian Crimson graduate, a crumbling newspaper in the library's archives, or one of Harvard's most famous and heavily guarded historial books, a fresh complication trips them up. The more the friends investigate, the more questions they unearth, tangling the story of the club, the disappearance, and the Ancient Nine, until they realize their own lives are in danger.
Cambridge, Massachusetts, Fall 1988
Spenser Collins
An unlikely Harvard prospect, smart and athletic, strapped for cash, determined to succeed. Calls his mother--who raised him on her own in Chicago--every week.
Dalton Winthrop
A white-shoe legacy at Harvard, he's just the most recent in a string of moneyed, priveleged Winthrop men in Cambridge. He's got the ease--and the deep knowledge--that come from belonging.
These two find enough commong ground to become friends, cementing their bond when Spenser is "punched" to join the Delphic Club, one of the most exclusive of Harvard's famous all-male final clubs. Founded in the nineteenth century, the Delphic has had titans of industry, Hollywood legends, heads of state, and power brokers among its members.
Dalton Winthrop knows firsthand that the Delphic doesn't offer memberships to just anyone. His great-uncle is one of their oldest living members, and Dalton grew up on stories of the club's rituals. But why is his uncle so cryptic about the Ancient Nine, a shadowy group of alums whose identities are unknown and whose power is absolute? They protect the Delphic's darkest and oldest secrets--including what happened to a student who sneaked into the club's stately brick mansion in 1927 and was never seen again.
Dalton steers Spenser into deeper and deeper recesses of teh club, and beyond it, to try to make sense of what they think they may be seeing. But with each scrap of information they get from an octogenarian Crimson graduate, a crumbling newspaper in the library's archives, or one of Harvard's most famous and heavily guarded historial books, a fresh complication trips them up. The more the friends investigate, the more questions they unearth, tangling the story of the club, the disappearance, and the Ancient Nine, until they realize their own lives are in danger.
592 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 18, 2018
304 people are currently reading
4683 people want to read
About the author
Ian K. Smith
48 books369 followersIan K. Smith, M.D.,Ian K. Smith, M.D. is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of SUPER SHRED, SHRED, THE 4 DAY DIET, THE FAT SMASH DIET and EXTREME FAT SMASH DIET among 7 other books including, SHRED Diet Cookbook , EAT, Happy , and The Blackbird Papers. His newest book, THE SHRED POWER CLEANSE, is available 12/29/15.
He is a former co-host of Emmy-winning “The Doctors” TV show, and a medical contributor to “The Rachael Ray Show."
He is the former medical correspondent for NBC News network and for NewsChannel 4 where he filed reports for NBC’s “Nightly News” and the “Today” show as well as WNBC’s various news broadcasts. He has appeared extensively on various broadcasts including “The Oprah Show,” “Good Morning America” “CBS This Morning” “The View,” “The Talk,” “Dr. Oz,” ‘Dr. Phil,” “Anderson Cooper 360″ and “Showbiz Tonight.”
He has written for various publications including Time, Newsweek, Men’s Health, and the New York Daily News, and has been featured in several other publications including, Publisher’s Weekly, Red Book, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, People, Essence, Ebony, University of Chicago Medicine on the Midway, Cosmopolitan, Women’s World, and Black Enterprise.
Dr. Smith is the founder of two major national health initiatives—the 50 Million Pound Challenge and the Makeover Mile—that have helped millions of people lose weight and improve their health.
A graduate of Harvard, Columbia, and the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, Dr. Smith was appointed to the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition in 2010 and is serving a second term.
http://shredlife.com/about-shred/abou...
http://us.macmillan.com/author/ianksmith
He is a former co-host of Emmy-winning “The Doctors” TV show, and a medical contributor to “The Rachael Ray Show."
He is the former medical correspondent for NBC News network and for NewsChannel 4 where he filed reports for NBC’s “Nightly News” and the “Today” show as well as WNBC’s various news broadcasts. He has appeared extensively on various broadcasts including “The Oprah Show,” “Good Morning America” “CBS This Morning” “The View,” “The Talk,” “Dr. Oz,” ‘Dr. Phil,” “Anderson Cooper 360″ and “Showbiz Tonight.”
He has written for various publications including Time, Newsweek, Men’s Health, and the New York Daily News, and has been featured in several other publications including, Publisher’s Weekly, Red Book, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, People, Essence, Ebony, University of Chicago Medicine on the Midway, Cosmopolitan, Women’s World, and Black Enterprise.
Dr. Smith is the founder of two major national health initiatives—the 50 Million Pound Challenge and the Makeover Mile—that have helped millions of people lose weight and improve their health.
A graduate of Harvard, Columbia, and the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, Dr. Smith was appointed to the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition in 2010 and is serving a second term.
http://shredlife.com/about-shred/abou...
http://us.macmillan.com/author/ianksmith
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 338 reviews
July 24, 2023
A twisty mysterious ride through the depths of the Harvard libraries and to the best local spots in Cambridge—I absolutely had a blast reading The Ancient Nine! If you’re a fan of mysteries and secret societies, like the Da Vinci Code and the Skulls, you will not want to miss picking this book up. This read flew by for me! I was completely engrossed in the story, and it had a good mix of history and details about the campus (Harvard) and town (Cambridge) to make it feel completely authentic. It even had a little romance! You will be completely hooked by chapter two!
About the Book
In the fall of 1988 Spenser Collins is a sophomore at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Spenser is an unlikely prospect for Harvard—a black male from the south side of Chicago raised by a single mother, and he’s one heck of a basketball player.
Spenser is best friends with Dalton Winthrop, a legacy at Harvard coming from a long lineage of Winthrops to grace those hallowed grounds. Dalton has the looks, the money, and the name to show his belonging at Harvard.
When Spenser is punched to join one of Harvard’s most exclusive clubs, the Delphic Club, both Spenser and Dalton are stunned. Sure, Spenser is smart, athletic, and a good person, but he’s also black, poor, and doesn’t have the “pedigree” that a club like the Delphic would usually look for.
As Spenser begins his journey with the Delphic, Dalton tells him of another secret—a club within the club called the Ancient Nine. No one outside of the Ancient Nine are sure of its existence, but Dalton may know more than most. His great-uncle was in the Delphic Club, and something Dalton has seen at his house makes him sure he is one of the Ancient Nine.
Desperate to know what the Ancient Nine was formed to protect—the club’s greatest secrets—Dalton and Spenser seek answers. Combing through the rarest books at Harvard, centuries-old newspapers in the library archives, and clandestine meetings with former members, Spenser and Dalton begin to discover that the secrets of the Delphic may be darker than they ever imagined. Now, they must discover the truth before they become the Delphic’s next secret…
Reflection
Most people can guess by the name of my blog (It’s PhDiva.blog!) that I’m a life-long student and learner. So much of my identity is wrapped up in being a student and a member of academic tradition. A book like The Ancient Nine was an absolute delight for me to read. I have found myself on some seemingly doomed hunts through microfilm archives and crumbling books to find that needle in a haystack article (though the articles I seek rarely refer to a mysterious death).
Smith’s writing is so detailed that it was easy to picture all of the settings in this novel. I felt like I took a trip to Harvard myself. I loved the amount of historical information about the campus and the town that was sprinkled throughout. It made me feel like a part of the story, envisioning those late night greasy diners with the best cheesesteak in Cambridge, or the underground tunnel with study rooms where Dalton and Spenser meet to speak in private about their quest.
And then there is a bit of romance! Enter Ashley, a girl working at the University to get herself through community college. Spenser is instantly smitten, but Ashley keeps him at arms length. He’s a Harvard boy, and she can’t imagine he’d ever fall for a girl from the wrong side of town. I won’t spoil it, but let’s just say that Ashley may be underestimating our friend, Spenser! I think Spenser may surprise her with his persistence and authenticity. I loved these moments with Ashley and at basketball practice when we see Spenser being a regular college student. They grounded the story in a way that was needed for it to feel believable.
I hope that you get a chance to read this one if it strikes your interest! Expect a LOT of great libraries, some pretty ancient books, and a fun mystery!
About the Book
In the fall of 1988 Spenser Collins is a sophomore at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Spenser is an unlikely prospect for Harvard—a black male from the south side of Chicago raised by a single mother, and he’s one heck of a basketball player.
Spenser is best friends with Dalton Winthrop, a legacy at Harvard coming from a long lineage of Winthrops to grace those hallowed grounds. Dalton has the looks, the money, and the name to show his belonging at Harvard.
When Spenser is punched to join one of Harvard’s most exclusive clubs, the Delphic Club, both Spenser and Dalton are stunned. Sure, Spenser is smart, athletic, and a good person, but he’s also black, poor, and doesn’t have the “pedigree” that a club like the Delphic would usually look for.
As Spenser begins his journey with the Delphic, Dalton tells him of another secret—a club within the club called the Ancient Nine. No one outside of the Ancient Nine are sure of its existence, but Dalton may know more than most. His great-uncle was in the Delphic Club, and something Dalton has seen at his house makes him sure he is one of the Ancient Nine.
Desperate to know what the Ancient Nine was formed to protect—the club’s greatest secrets—Dalton and Spenser seek answers. Combing through the rarest books at Harvard, centuries-old newspapers in the library archives, and clandestine meetings with former members, Spenser and Dalton begin to discover that the secrets of the Delphic may be darker than they ever imagined. Now, they must discover the truth before they become the Delphic’s next secret…
Reflection
Most people can guess by the name of my blog (It’s PhDiva.blog!) that I’m a life-long student and learner. So much of my identity is wrapped up in being a student and a member of academic tradition. A book like The Ancient Nine was an absolute delight for me to read. I have found myself on some seemingly doomed hunts through microfilm archives and crumbling books to find that needle in a haystack article (though the articles I seek rarely refer to a mysterious death).
Smith’s writing is so detailed that it was easy to picture all of the settings in this novel. I felt like I took a trip to Harvard myself. I loved the amount of historical information about the campus and the town that was sprinkled throughout. It made me feel like a part of the story, envisioning those late night greasy diners with the best cheesesteak in Cambridge, or the underground tunnel with study rooms where Dalton and Spenser meet to speak in private about their quest.
And then there is a bit of romance! Enter Ashley, a girl working at the University to get herself through community college. Spenser is instantly smitten, but Ashley keeps him at arms length. He’s a Harvard boy, and she can’t imagine he’d ever fall for a girl from the wrong side of town. I won’t spoil it, but let’s just say that Ashley may be underestimating our friend, Spenser! I think Spenser may surprise her with his persistence and authenticity. I loved these moments with Ashley and at basketball practice when we see Spenser being a regular college student. They grounded the story in a way that was needed for it to feel believable.
I hope that you get a chance to read this one if it strikes your interest! Expect a LOT of great libraries, some pretty ancient books, and a fun mystery!
January 17, 2025
IT IS DONE!
This book was long. Entirely too long, in my opinion.
The Ancient Nine follows Spenser Collins, a boy from the Southside of Chicago, through the hallowed halls of Harvard, as he gets punched for the Delphic, one of the most exclusive of Harvard's famous final clubs.
Along with his friend, Dalton Winthrop, a Harvard legacy, they set out to unravel the Delphic's secrets and some long-standing mysteries surrounding the club, including the disappearance of a wealthy young man.
That sounds interesting, doesn't it?
Who doesn't love prestigious clubs, long-buried secrets and cold case mysteries?
I was excited to receive this as an ARC many moons ago, but then never got around to reading it. When I picked it up last month, I had no idea it would be such an undertaking.
What could have been a fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat mystery, was instead a tedious and detail-ladened account of the most droll nature, with pages and pages of things such as: a boring romance, that had no consequence for the overall storyline, detailed accounts of basketball practices, including the drills that they went through each day, and unimportant geographical details of every scene.
At one point, I threatened to DNF this, but was simply astounded by it all. I had to continue.
The author had a strong idea here, the makings of a solid story but who let him go to print with so many inconsequential details dragging the entire book straight into Bore Town!?
It's really a shame and that's all I am going to say about that.
Thank you to the publisher, St. Martin's Press, for providing me with a copy of this to read an review. I appreciate it, as always.
I am sorry I did not enjoy this more, but honestly, the story and the author would have both been better served if it had undergone another serious round of editing.
This book was long. Entirely too long, in my opinion.
The Ancient Nine follows Spenser Collins, a boy from the Southside of Chicago, through the hallowed halls of Harvard, as he gets punched for the Delphic, one of the most exclusive of Harvard's famous final clubs.
Along with his friend, Dalton Winthrop, a Harvard legacy, they set out to unravel the Delphic's secrets and some long-standing mysteries surrounding the club, including the disappearance of a wealthy young man.
That sounds interesting, doesn't it?
Who doesn't love prestigious clubs, long-buried secrets and cold case mysteries?
I was excited to receive this as an ARC many moons ago, but then never got around to reading it. When I picked it up last month, I had no idea it would be such an undertaking.
What could have been a fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat mystery, was instead a tedious and detail-ladened account of the most droll nature, with pages and pages of things such as: a boring romance, that had no consequence for the overall storyline, detailed accounts of basketball practices, including the drills that they went through each day, and unimportant geographical details of every scene.
At one point, I threatened to DNF this, but was simply astounded by it all. I had to continue.
The author had a strong idea here, the makings of a solid story but who let him go to print with so many inconsequential details dragging the entire book straight into Bore Town!?
It's really a shame and that's all I am going to say about that.
Thank you to the publisher, St. Martin's Press, for providing me with a copy of this to read an review. I appreciate it, as always.
I am sorry I did not enjoy this more, but honestly, the story and the author would have both been better served if it had undergone another serious round of editing.
September 26, 2018
Cambridge, Massachusetts, Fall 1988
Spenser Collins is a sophomore at Harvard University when he is "punched" to join the Delphic Club, an exclusive all male final club that can boast some of world's most successful businessmen, politicians, Hollywood legends and Wall Street titans to name a few. Spenser, a basketball player at Harvard, is from Chicago and is the son of a single Mother. He does not quite fit Delphic Club's membership criteria and yet they are interested in him. Spenser's friend, Dalton Winthrop, has lived a life of luxury and knows a lot about the exclusive clubs at Harvard. He encourages Spenser to attend the social. Dalton's great-uncle is the Delphic's oldest living member. During their talks, Dalton mentions the "Ancient Nine" the infamous secret club within the club. The Ancient Nine is shrouded in mystery and Dalton shares several theories and Harvard Legends about how and why the club within the club exists. Dalton encourages Spenser to check out the club and find out any information he can find about the Ancient Nine. When Spenser meets an interesting man at the first social, Dalton and Spenser have their interest piqued even more than it already was, and they decide to do whatever they can to find out more about the club and the top secret exclusive Ancient Nine. Fueled by a meeting with Dalton's great-uncle and the request to retrieve a secret book, the two young men must be clever, smart, and cunning to learn the truth.
Through the course of this novel, the reader learns more about the Ancient Nine but also about Harvard, Harvard's history and secret societies in general. Spenser and Dalton discover there had been a missing person/murder in the 1920's and as they research, the reader is also shown the library and research system at Harvard.
This book has a little bit of everything: secret societies, mystery, suspense, romance, and has a cat and mouse feel. There is also the objectification of women which may be uncomfortable to some, but I feel is indicative of the time the book is set in and the fact that the book is about frat/secret societies. There are stories within stories and those who want to keep the secrets of the club - just that secrets. Plus, there is the component about religion, the mention of King James and the King James Bible. How is all this related? You'll have to read this to find out! There is a lot going on in this book - almost too much at times for me.
Harvard, Secret Societies, Murder, Mayhem, Research and Mystery rolled into one.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookpost.com
Spenser Collins is a sophomore at Harvard University when he is "punched" to join the Delphic Club, an exclusive all male final club that can boast some of world's most successful businessmen, politicians, Hollywood legends and Wall Street titans to name a few. Spenser, a basketball player at Harvard, is from Chicago and is the son of a single Mother. He does not quite fit Delphic Club's membership criteria and yet they are interested in him. Spenser's friend, Dalton Winthrop, has lived a life of luxury and knows a lot about the exclusive clubs at Harvard. He encourages Spenser to attend the social. Dalton's great-uncle is the Delphic's oldest living member. During their talks, Dalton mentions the "Ancient Nine" the infamous secret club within the club. The Ancient Nine is shrouded in mystery and Dalton shares several theories and Harvard Legends about how and why the club within the club exists. Dalton encourages Spenser to check out the club and find out any information he can find about the Ancient Nine. When Spenser meets an interesting man at the first social, Dalton and Spenser have their interest piqued even more than it already was, and they decide to do whatever they can to find out more about the club and the top secret exclusive Ancient Nine. Fueled by a meeting with Dalton's great-uncle and the request to retrieve a secret book, the two young men must be clever, smart, and cunning to learn the truth.
Through the course of this novel, the reader learns more about the Ancient Nine but also about Harvard, Harvard's history and secret societies in general. Spenser and Dalton discover there had been a missing person/murder in the 1920's and as they research, the reader is also shown the library and research system at Harvard.
This book has a little bit of everything: secret societies, mystery, suspense, romance, and has a cat and mouse feel. There is also the objectification of women which may be uncomfortable to some, but I feel is indicative of the time the book is set in and the fact that the book is about frat/secret societies. There are stories within stories and those who want to keep the secrets of the club - just that secrets. Plus, there is the component about religion, the mention of King James and the King James Bible. How is all this related? You'll have to read this to find out! There is a lot going on in this book - almost too much at times for me.
Harvard, Secret Societies, Murder, Mayhem, Research and Mystery rolled into one.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookpost.com
May 6, 2018
An unlikely student is punched (nominated) for membership into the Delphic club, one of the nine most exclusive clubs at Harvard. Things unravel from there as Spenser and another student in 1988 become obsessed with discovering the dark secrets of the Ancient Nine, a clandestine group within the Gas. There is a murder but it happens during the 1920’s so this is more of a puzzle requiring academic research and digging (some of it physical) rather than a traditional murder mystery. Be prepared for the objectification of women which I took with a grain of salt given the time period and that most of the characters are basically testosterone driven frat boys and sons of the 1%. After all, women have only recently found their voice within the #metoo movement. There’s also some nifty Harvard history, legend and lore along the way. Read this if you’re in the mood for a campus novel that pulls back the curtain on some very snarled ivy.
March 25, 2025
Book Blog | Bookstagram
Have you ever read a novel and can immediately tell it’s written by a first-time author because they don’t know how to chill the fuck out with descriptive passages and scenes that don’t further a plot?
Yeah. This book suffers from that in abundance.
From the synopsis, I was thinking of the movie The Skulls. You know, Joshua Jackson and Paul Walker getting into some deadly adventure after joining a secret society? But sadly for me, this book hits a decidedly different tone, while maintaining that “boys club” feel and presenting the objectification of women as a good thing.
The MC, Spenser, sets off to solve the erudite mystery at hand with the help of his rich friend, Dalton. They travel to different parts of the country to ask questions and steal things, rummage through library archives and ancient texts, and even dig up human remains.
I can totally get on board with a mystery that is more brainy and less about dead bodies, instead of something that is a little bit more fast-paced and dangerous. Readers who are into a more intellectually driven mystery, who like steady streams of research information, will really enjoy this aspect of the book.
But that's not me. And the issues I had with this novel are so overt, I just didn't have a good time with this at all. This book suffers from first-time writer syndrome: a need to make sure the reader sees everything as the writer sees it. This results in things like how evenly spaced dishes are on the table, how a garden is situated and the style of leather on a chair and what metal the studs are around the edging. The author goes so far as to add in a map of the area like we’re going to fucking Middle Earth. It’s a university campus, dude!
It sacrifices pacing for the sake of description.
Perhaps I could forgive this heavy-handed writing style if it weren’t for the fact that it didn’t seem like this novel knew what it wanted to be. A romance? A drama? A mystery? Academic research? A contemporary about male brotherhood? Contrary to some opinions, books that try to be too many things usually suffer because of it.
The author is coming at this novel from a personal perspective. He based the main character on himself, on his experience at Harvard, on his experience in a secret society. In the end, the main character even becomes a doctor, as the author is outside of writing fiction.
But, instead of taking all of that knowledge and reimagining it into something fantastical, something thrilling and full of deep mystery that propels the story forward – what we get is kind of a self-masturbatory story that feels like it wants to be an autobiography but tweaked so the author can imagine himself as a hero. He’s joining a secret society, but is also falling in love, but is also solving this mystery, but also trying to be a basketball star, but also trying to be a doctor, but also getting into the boys club.
There were too many things happening. In one chapter it was a full-on romance novel. Then it was a full-on contemporary about brotherhood. Then it was a drama. Next, an intellectual mystery. And a religious research paper. It was too much.
Ugh, omg. So. Many. Unnecessary. Words.
It’s also disappointing that the author felt it was necessary to create characters that were overtly sexist and misogynistic. Sure it’s the 1980s and there’s a “boys club” element to it, but it is possible to write something like that without having naked girls ready to be used by the winning team of guys.
In the end, the payoff of the reveal to all the answers wasn’t interesting enough to make the time it took me to get there worth it. It also felt like a letdown. The perceived threats that float throughout the novel, are just that – nothing more than perceived. This book is all talk, little action.
I would have liked this a million times better if it had focused on being a mystery. If it had found ways to make the threats more substantial and real toward Spenser and Dalton. And if someone had taken an axe to every unnecessary scene that was only included to allow the author to indulge himself.
But, like I’m on the blog tour for this so you should totally buy it or whatever, if you feel like it's definitely you’re kind of story. I am not the right audience for this kind of writing.
⭐⭐½ | 2.5 stars rounded down
Have you ever read a novel and can immediately tell it’s written by a first-time author because they don’t know how to chill the fuck out with descriptive passages and scenes that don’t further a plot?
Yeah. This book suffers from that in abundance.
From the synopsis, I was thinking of the movie The Skulls. You know, Joshua Jackson and Paul Walker getting into some deadly adventure after joining a secret society? But sadly for me, this book hits a decidedly different tone, while maintaining that “boys club” feel and presenting the objectification of women as a good thing.
The MC, Spenser, sets off to solve the erudite mystery at hand with the help of his rich friend, Dalton. They travel to different parts of the country to ask questions and steal things, rummage through library archives and ancient texts, and even dig up human remains.
I can totally get on board with a mystery that is more brainy and less about dead bodies, instead of something that is a little bit more fast-paced and dangerous. Readers who are into a more intellectually driven mystery, who like steady streams of research information, will really enjoy this aspect of the book.
But that's not me. And the issues I had with this novel are so overt, I just didn't have a good time with this at all. This book suffers from first-time writer syndrome: a need to make sure the reader sees everything as the writer sees it. This results in things like how evenly spaced dishes are on the table, how a garden is situated and the style of leather on a chair and what metal the studs are around the edging. The author goes so far as to add in a map of the area like we’re going to fucking Middle Earth. It’s a university campus, dude!
It sacrifices pacing for the sake of description.
Perhaps I could forgive this heavy-handed writing style if it weren’t for the fact that it didn’t seem like this novel knew what it wanted to be. A romance? A drama? A mystery? Academic research? A contemporary about male brotherhood? Contrary to some opinions, books that try to be too many things usually suffer because of it.
The author is coming at this novel from a personal perspective. He based the main character on himself, on his experience at Harvard, on his experience in a secret society. In the end, the main character even becomes a doctor, as the author is outside of writing fiction.
But, instead of taking all of that knowledge and reimagining it into something fantastical, something thrilling and full of deep mystery that propels the story forward – what we get is kind of a self-masturbatory story that feels like it wants to be an autobiography but tweaked so the author can imagine himself as a hero. He’s joining a secret society, but is also falling in love, but is also solving this mystery, but also trying to be a basketball star, but also trying to be a doctor, but also getting into the boys club.
There were too many things happening. In one chapter it was a full-on romance novel. Then it was a full-on contemporary about brotherhood. Then it was a drama. Next, an intellectual mystery. And a religious research paper. It was too much.
Ugh, omg. So. Many. Unnecessary. Words.
It’s also disappointing that the author felt it was necessary to create characters that were overtly sexist and misogynistic. Sure it’s the 1980s and there’s a “boys club” element to it, but it is possible to write something like that without having naked girls ready to be used by the winning team of guys.
In the end, the payoff of the reveal to all the answers wasn’t interesting enough to make the time it took me to get there worth it. It also felt like a letdown. The perceived threats that float throughout the novel, are just that – nothing more than perceived. This book is all talk, little action.
I would have liked this a million times better if it had focused on being a mystery. If it had found ways to make the threats more substantial and real toward Spenser and Dalton. And if someone had taken an axe to every unnecessary scene that was only included to allow the author to indulge himself.
But, like I’m on the blog tour for this so you should totally buy it or whatever, if you feel like it's definitely you’re kind of story. I am not the right audience for this kind of writing.
⭐⭐½ | 2.5 stars rounded down
September 17, 2018
Favorite Quotes:
I rarely felt self-conscious about what I did or didn’t have, but it wasn’t lost on me that my competitors for a coveted membership were arriving in expensive foreign cars while I arrived in a pair of sturdy five-year-old Florsheims that had been resoled four times and polished so much, the white stitching had turned black.
The racial politics at Harvard were complicated. Black students were in a tough position. If we spent too much time with white students, other blacks figured we had sold out. If we spent too much time with other black students, our white classmates figured we were angry separatists. The dining hall was one big murky fishbowl of social complexities. Everyone looked to see who was sitting with whom and how much time they spent interacting on the “other” side. I was lucky because playing a sport gave me a pass that the non-athletes didn’t have. By dint of my team and training obligations, I automatically spent time with both blacks and whites, which gave me immunity.
He had heavy bags under his eyes, as if miniature pillows had been slipped under his skin. He was military stocky and wore a pair of jeans that looked tight enough to constipate him.
Her T-shirt had j-u-i-c-y spread across it in small crystals, and the fabric was under so much tension, I thought the I was going to pop off and hit me in the face.
There were two things about Professor Charles Davenport that you’d never forget. He probably had the biggest ears of any man that’s walked the face of the earth, long doughy flaps that fell beneath his jawline with a forest of hair growing out of them. Then there were those glasses, big and black and rectangular, made all the more prominent by his hairless dome.
She had an uncanny ability to quickly put things into perspective and make molehills out of mountains.
Many people never even bothered leaving the tailgates, and most of those who did only entered the stadium at halftime, when their champagne had run dry or their canisters of caviar were empty. This crowd even cheered differently. They didn’t yell and clap like most football fans. Rather they spoke complete, grammatically correct sentences, saying things like, “What a magnificent play!” and “Thrash them, Harvard!” Sometimes it was difficult to tell if they were watching a football game or croquet match.
When the Harvard side of the stadium rose in unison, it was not to clap, but to jingle car keys in a massive show of approval. I watched in awe as thousands of Jaguar, Mercedes, and Rolls-Royce keys dangled in the air…
Money has an insidious way of making decent human beings behave in a most indecent way.
My Review:
I wasn’t prepared for the complexity of this intriguing read and held on through a complicated and intricately woven tale with multiple yet equally compelling storylines. I pictured a handsome future President of recent history as the main character and it was a near perfect fit. There were compounded secrets within secrets and an endless and tantalizing quagmire to unravel. The writing was insightfully observant and sumptuously detailed. I reveled in Dr. Smith’s vividly colorful and amusing descriptions and looked forward to the introductions of each new character and locale. His premise pricked my curiosity and his well-crafted storylines kept it well fed while consistently pulling me in deeper and deeper into the group’s knotty and clandestine vortex. Like an iceberg, little was as it appeared to the eye. The characters were oddly unique and quirky, even the sinister ones held my interest and left me thirsting for more. The ending was highly satisfying with Spenser’s achieved results being far better than expected and left a contented smile on my face.
I rarely felt self-conscious about what I did or didn’t have, but it wasn’t lost on me that my competitors for a coveted membership were arriving in expensive foreign cars while I arrived in a pair of sturdy five-year-old Florsheims that had been resoled four times and polished so much, the white stitching had turned black.
The racial politics at Harvard were complicated. Black students were in a tough position. If we spent too much time with white students, other blacks figured we had sold out. If we spent too much time with other black students, our white classmates figured we were angry separatists. The dining hall was one big murky fishbowl of social complexities. Everyone looked to see who was sitting with whom and how much time they spent interacting on the “other” side. I was lucky because playing a sport gave me a pass that the non-athletes didn’t have. By dint of my team and training obligations, I automatically spent time with both blacks and whites, which gave me immunity.
He had heavy bags under his eyes, as if miniature pillows had been slipped under his skin. He was military stocky and wore a pair of jeans that looked tight enough to constipate him.
Her T-shirt had j-u-i-c-y spread across it in small crystals, and the fabric was under so much tension, I thought the I was going to pop off and hit me in the face.
There were two things about Professor Charles Davenport that you’d never forget. He probably had the biggest ears of any man that’s walked the face of the earth, long doughy flaps that fell beneath his jawline with a forest of hair growing out of them. Then there were those glasses, big and black and rectangular, made all the more prominent by his hairless dome.
She had an uncanny ability to quickly put things into perspective and make molehills out of mountains.
Many people never even bothered leaving the tailgates, and most of those who did only entered the stadium at halftime, when their champagne had run dry or their canisters of caviar were empty. This crowd even cheered differently. They didn’t yell and clap like most football fans. Rather they spoke complete, grammatically correct sentences, saying things like, “What a magnificent play!” and “Thrash them, Harvard!” Sometimes it was difficult to tell if they were watching a football game or croquet match.
When the Harvard side of the stadium rose in unison, it was not to clap, but to jingle car keys in a massive show of approval. I watched in awe as thousands of Jaguar, Mercedes, and Rolls-Royce keys dangled in the air…
Money has an insidious way of making decent human beings behave in a most indecent way.
My Review:
I wasn’t prepared for the complexity of this intriguing read and held on through a complicated and intricately woven tale with multiple yet equally compelling storylines. I pictured a handsome future President of recent history as the main character and it was a near perfect fit. There were compounded secrets within secrets and an endless and tantalizing quagmire to unravel. The writing was insightfully observant and sumptuously detailed. I reveled in Dr. Smith’s vividly colorful and amusing descriptions and looked forward to the introductions of each new character and locale. His premise pricked my curiosity and his well-crafted storylines kept it well fed while consistently pulling me in deeper and deeper into the group’s knotty and clandestine vortex. Like an iceberg, little was as it appeared to the eye. The characters were oddly unique and quirky, even the sinister ones held my interest and left me thirsting for more. The ending was highly satisfying with Spenser’s achieved results being far better than expected and left a contented smile on my face.
Read
October 19, 2021DNF @ 29%
I just can’t be bothered. I’m so not into this. I’m not thrilled and I don’t care about the mystery. The premise sounds like my cup of tea but the execution is lacking. I don’t always get easily out off from a book but this one was getting on my nerves, especially with the objectification and treatment of the women. From reading other reviews I know this isn’t going to get much better so I’ll save myself the time. It’s also so obvious that the author went to Harvard and wants you to know. I could probably draw a map of the Harvard campus from the first 122 pages because of how much he over describes it all. Feels very much like how Leigh Bardugo wrote about Yale in Ninth House. Spare me.
I just can’t be bothered. I’m so not into this. I’m not thrilled and I don’t care about the mystery. The premise sounds like my cup of tea but the execution is lacking. I don’t always get easily out off from a book but this one was getting on my nerves, especially with the objectification and treatment of the women. From reading other reviews I know this isn’t going to get much better so I’ll save myself the time. It’s also so obvious that the author went to Harvard and wants you to know. I could probably draw a map of the Harvard campus from the first 122 pages because of how much he over describes it all. Feels very much like how Leigh Bardugo wrote about Yale in Ninth House. Spare me.
June 10, 2025
Set mostly in 1988, this book takes the reader inside Harvard’s final clubs (social clubs not officially recognized by the school) through a multi-layered mystery related to the disappearance of a student in 1927. The protagonist, Spencer Collins, is a pre-med undergraduate basketball player. He is being recruited by the Delphic, an exclusive all-male club with dark secrets. As a person of color from the south side of Chicago, he is not the typical privileged, wealthy, white recruit. Spencer and a friend attempt to solve the multiple mysteries related to the rumored leadership of the club, the titular “Ancient Nine.” Their search for clues becomes an intellectual puzzle, leading them to explore libraries, archives, and ancient texts. I very much enjoyed the cerebral parts of this story; however, it was difficult for me to overlook the numerous scenes that objectified women (bawdy jokes, descriptions of physical attributes, women as “rewards”). If the book had stuck to the mystery, which was interesting and complex, I would have enjoyed it more and rated it higher. Contains sexism, hazing, and underage drinking. Recommended to those that enjoy erudite mysteries.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, via NetGalley in return for a candid review. The expected publication date is September 18, 2018.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, via NetGalley in return for a candid review. The expected publication date is September 18, 2018.
September 27, 2018
The Ancient Nine is a mysterious story about the intriguing hidden life of the elite final clubs of Harvard Universities. The story is well paced and involves a lot of history about something that I didn’t even know existed until now. Connections are made and details revealed throughout the story in places where the reader wouldn’t expect. There were times where the history and information about Harvard and the final clubs revealed would start to be unnecessarily detailed. These are the places where I would find myself skimming until the story picked back up.
There is a real coming of age feeling to Spenser’s story that I enjoyed. When I researched Ian K Smith MD and found out The Ancient Nine and Spenser’s experience with The Delphic Club was largely based off of Smith’s own experiences, that only made me enjoy it more.
I voluntarily received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
There is a real coming of age feeling to Spenser’s story that I enjoyed. When I researched Ian K Smith MD and found out The Ancient Nine and Spenser’s experience with The Delphic Club was largely based off of Smith’s own experiences, that only made me enjoy it more.
I voluntarily received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
February 19, 2021
Aspiring writers everywhere can take solace in the fact that if this drivel can be published, certainly we all have more than a fighting chance. Homophobic and sexist to the core, what little of this book that was not downright offensive lacked urgency, suspense, and clarity. The romance was uninspiring, the tropes overworked and the composition utterly too long. I read this for the Harvard history, which was comprehensive and perhaps the only credit to this book. I simply cannot fathom how an author who intentionally brings up racial gatekeeping in elite academia would choose to conclude the discussion with assimilation and conditional privilege. Monotonous and honestly a little embarrassing. Do yourself a favor and just skip.
July 4, 2020
Watch me discuss this book: https://youtu.be/-8K7xy440XQ
September 13, 2018
I’m going to call this a DNF at 47%. My level of investment and enjoyment is zero at this point and I have no desire to continue.
Here’s why this book didn’t work for me:
I understand that this is set in 1988 but the level of misogyny is incredible and horrifying. Pretty well the only women in the book are servants, nurses, or prostitutes. They seem to be admired for their amazing bodies and not much else. At a club retreat, a group of naked women are handed out as prizes to the winners of a football game and all the young men run like horny goats to partake in their prize. (I shouldn’t shame goats. They’re animals and don’t know better. These men should know better.) I understand that this may reflect reality as the elite young men at Harvard in this time period likely faced few consequences for their actions and were encouraged in this type of behavior but as a woman it is hard to read and quite nauseating.
Both the main character and his best friend were awful. Neither had any respect for women. Super rich, entitled Dalton gropes a servant at a family dinner and treats women like disposable objects. Spenser isn’t much better with his “won’t take no for an answer” attitude. Dude, when a woman rejects you and is obviously uninterested move on. Don’t keep harassing her until she gives in and goes out with you. It’s not romantic or cute, it’s creepy and controlling. I disliked both of these men so intensely that I didn’t want them to solve the mystery because they didn’t deserve nice things. I’m pretty sure that this was not the author’s intent and I was supposed to be cheering for them but I just couldn’t. I didn’t like them and I wanted them to fail.
This brings me to the mystery. I don’t really understand these clubs and why it is life or death to get into one. It seems like a silly childish thing taken way too far. The old tree-house with the “no girls allowed” sign has evolved into these clubs. I found all of the detail about the clubs and the ceremonies and traditions very dry and boring. I just couldn’t bring myself to be invested. The pace at which anything exciting happened was just too slow for me. My lack of interest in the mystery along with my distaste of the general misogyny made this book unpleasant to read. I think it might be easier for a male reader or someone who can more easily brush off the treatment of women as “just how it used to be.” If you have a thick skin for sexism and are truly interested in the details and workings of these clubs then this may be the read for you. Unfortunately it was not the book for me.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press for providing an Electronic Advance Reader Copy via NetGalley for review.
Here’s why this book didn’t work for me:
I understand that this is set in 1988 but the level of misogyny is incredible and horrifying. Pretty well the only women in the book are servants, nurses, or prostitutes. They seem to be admired for their amazing bodies and not much else. At a club retreat, a group of naked women are handed out as prizes to the winners of a football game and all the young men run like horny goats to partake in their prize. (I shouldn’t shame goats. They’re animals and don’t know better. These men should know better.) I understand that this may reflect reality as the elite young men at Harvard in this time period likely faced few consequences for their actions and were encouraged in this type of behavior but as a woman it is hard to read and quite nauseating.
Both the main character and his best friend were awful. Neither had any respect for women. Super rich, entitled Dalton gropes a servant at a family dinner and treats women like disposable objects. Spenser isn’t much better with his “won’t take no for an answer” attitude. Dude, when a woman rejects you and is obviously uninterested move on. Don’t keep harassing her until she gives in and goes out with you. It’s not romantic or cute, it’s creepy and controlling. I disliked both of these men so intensely that I didn’t want them to solve the mystery because they didn’t deserve nice things. I’m pretty sure that this was not the author’s intent and I was supposed to be cheering for them but I just couldn’t. I didn’t like them and I wanted them to fail.
This brings me to the mystery. I don’t really understand these clubs and why it is life or death to get into one. It seems like a silly childish thing taken way too far. The old tree-house with the “no girls allowed” sign has evolved into these clubs. I found all of the detail about the clubs and the ceremonies and traditions very dry and boring. I just couldn’t bring myself to be invested. The pace at which anything exciting happened was just too slow for me. My lack of interest in the mystery along with my distaste of the general misogyny made this book unpleasant to read. I think it might be easier for a male reader or someone who can more easily brush off the treatment of women as “just how it used to be.” If you have a thick skin for sexism and are truly interested in the details and workings of these clubs then this may be the read for you. Unfortunately it was not the book for me.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press for providing an Electronic Advance Reader Copy via NetGalley for review.
September 24, 2018
This is like a Dan Brown novel meets the Skulls, meets romance, meets bromance, meets thriller. There's a LOT going on with this book! Spencer gets punched to become one of Harvard's elite clubs - where women can't join, but they sure can serve you and be your entertainment! There are several elite clubs that you could be vying for, but The Delphic Club and the powerful men of The Ancient Nine - well that's where you really want to be! Once punched, Spencer decides to go on a journey to figure out the depths behind these men and the full story of a murder that happened decades ago bringing in history, religion and the pursuit of justice. PHEW!
Here's what I enjoyed about this book - I love anything related to secret societies and the journey to getting into one. Although sororities and fraternities these days have all but squashed their "hazing" days (ahem), secret societies have either run their course or have become so secret that they're not very widely know (hence the word secret - ya get me?). I enjoyed Spencer's tenacity in wanted to get the details of the behind the scenes of what he may very well be getting into. Don't you do YOUR research before getting into something that will be a big part of your life? Lots of research, lore, backstories and travels become involved with Spencer and his trusty side kick, Dalton. I also did enjoy the little romance between Spencer and Ashley... that added a bit of levity to the whole story.
Here's what didn't quite work for me. Ashley's continued banter with Spencer about how she won't date stuck up, preppie Harvard boys.... ok, we get it - we don't need this explained or brought back up in EVERY interaction. At times, the book could get over detailed - I've always had issues with this - I'm just going to get bored if the author is describing, in length, where everything is placed or within the vicinity of something else. And also, I'm not the biggest fan of history so I did feel like there were moments where I was being given a history lesson and that didn't quite press my interest button. That's not the author's fault - that's just my own preference.
What I found most interesting is that I had to keep reminding myself that Spencer and Dalton are in COLLEGE, they're young men trying to live their best life and somehow the feel I received from the way the story was written was that they were much older and the time period felt more in the older days and not the 1980s.
Definitely a great read for those who love the thrill of the chase and secret societies.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press for this copy and stop on the Blog Tour.
Here's what I enjoyed about this book - I love anything related to secret societies and the journey to getting into one. Although sororities and fraternities these days have all but squashed their "hazing" days (ahem), secret societies have either run their course or have become so secret that they're not very widely know (hence the word secret - ya get me?). I enjoyed Spencer's tenacity in wanted to get the details of the behind the scenes of what he may very well be getting into. Don't you do YOUR research before getting into something that will be a big part of your life? Lots of research, lore, backstories and travels become involved with Spencer and his trusty side kick, Dalton. I also did enjoy the little romance between Spencer and Ashley... that added a bit of levity to the whole story.
Here's what didn't quite work for me. Ashley's continued banter with Spencer about how she won't date stuck up, preppie Harvard boys.... ok, we get it - we don't need this explained or brought back up in EVERY interaction. At times, the book could get over detailed - I've always had issues with this - I'm just going to get bored if the author is describing, in length, where everything is placed or within the vicinity of something else. And also, I'm not the biggest fan of history so I did feel like there were moments where I was being given a history lesson and that didn't quite press my interest button. That's not the author's fault - that's just my own preference.
What I found most interesting is that I had to keep reminding myself that Spencer and Dalton are in COLLEGE, they're young men trying to live their best life and somehow the feel I received from the way the story was written was that they were much older and the time period felt more in the older days and not the 1980s.
Definitely a great read for those who love the thrill of the chase and secret societies.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press for this copy and stop on the Blog Tour.
September 2, 2018
So I mostly picked up this book because it was set at Harvard. My sister works there and I’ve been back to visit and it makes such a great setting for any number of books. I was intrigued by the title and the mysterious club that this book centers around.
This book had a lot to recommend itself. A mysterious club at America’s most prestigious institute, a very thinking and intellectually driven mystery full of questions. At first glance the summary for this book seems to have a lot of different components….how would the King James Bible fit into Harvard? It sounds unrelated and a little all over the place, but as you read the book, you will find that it’s really not scatter brained in the way that I thought it would be.
Everything weaves together and the mystery itself fits perfectly into the intellectual institute itself. I expected this book to be smart and it is on many levels. So why the three star rating if it had an interesting mystery that was intelligent and unique? For me, the female aspect.
This book is very much meant to be about male privilege and ‘good old boys clubs’ and had a lot of ‘locker room talk’. This book was set in the 1980s and yes male privilege was very much a thing at prestigious institutes such as this. Many of the students at Harvard (and similar institutes) are rich white males who thrive on the boys only mentality and good old boys clubs. In that respect, the author did a great job being true to reality—-but that doesn’t mean that it was any easier to read—-especially for a female reader.
The way that the male characters talked about women and treated them, was in a word—terrible. I had a hard time getting past that as a female reader. On one hand I liked how the author really stayed true to the concept of male privilege, but at the same time I felt like it was too ‘in your face’ and it was a little off putting.
I loved the mystery parts but some of the aspects of the plot just weren’t for me. Does that mean this wasn’t a good read? No, not at all. By all means, read this for the mystery because the mystery is smart and interesting, just be ready for large doses of ‘locker room’ talk and female objectification. Do I think the author thinks this way about women? No I don’t. I think he is writing within the scope of the time period, setting, and characters in a way that other writers might talk about slavery etc, but again that doesn’t make it any easier to read.
See my full review here
This book had a lot to recommend itself. A mysterious club at America’s most prestigious institute, a very thinking and intellectually driven mystery full of questions. At first glance the summary for this book seems to have a lot of different components….how would the King James Bible fit into Harvard? It sounds unrelated and a little all over the place, but as you read the book, you will find that it’s really not scatter brained in the way that I thought it would be.
Everything weaves together and the mystery itself fits perfectly into the intellectual institute itself. I expected this book to be smart and it is on many levels. So why the three star rating if it had an interesting mystery that was intelligent and unique? For me, the female aspect.
This book is very much meant to be about male privilege and ‘good old boys clubs’ and had a lot of ‘locker room talk’. This book was set in the 1980s and yes male privilege was very much a thing at prestigious institutes such as this. Many of the students at Harvard (and similar institutes) are rich white males who thrive on the boys only mentality and good old boys clubs. In that respect, the author did a great job being true to reality—-but that doesn’t mean that it was any easier to read—-especially for a female reader.
The way that the male characters talked about women and treated them, was in a word—terrible. I had a hard time getting past that as a female reader. On one hand I liked how the author really stayed true to the concept of male privilege, but at the same time I felt like it was too ‘in your face’ and it was a little off putting.
I loved the mystery parts but some of the aspects of the plot just weren’t for me. Does that mean this wasn’t a good read? No, not at all. By all means, read this for the mystery because the mystery is smart and interesting, just be ready for large doses of ‘locker room’ talk and female objectification. Do I think the author thinks this way about women? No I don’t. I think he is writing within the scope of the time period, setting, and characters in a way that other writers might talk about slavery etc, but again that doesn’t make it any easier to read.
See my full review here
September 5, 2018
I’ve been mulling over “The Ancient Nine” by Ian Smith and I’ve come to this conclusion: perhaps the novel isn’t sure what it wants to be. Does it want to be a book about secret societies at a college campus? A book about religion? Academic research? Romance? Oftentimes it felt that the author was juggling too many threads, making it for a disjointed reading experience.
The novel started strongly enough as the reader is introduced to Spenser Collins, a pre-med basketball player starting out at Harvard University who is punched into the university’s most exclusive all-male members club, the Delphic. He and another student become obsessed with learning more about the dark, troublesome underbelly of the Ancient Nine, a secretive group within the club. It is not your traditional mystery, and possesses many elements of academic research, religion, interesting information about Harvard and its history, even a focus on the sinking of the Titanic, which I particularly enjoyed. Up until the middle half of the book, I was coasting, enjoying the complex mystery tremendously, but I began to skim as I grew closer to the end. There were too many extraneous pages on religion that I thought didn’t add to the story.
A particular thing I didn’t care for was Spenser’s romance with an off-campus student, Ashley Garrett. I didn’t feel like it added anything to the story nor did I believe it when they became serious very suddenly. For me, it was a distraction. To echo another reviewer, I would have enjoyed the novel had it just stuck to the mystery and didn’t make mention of the numerous scenes that objectified women. Granted it was commonplace for the time, taking place in 1988, and let’s be honest, it still is, I would have enjoyed it more had it bucked the trend and not included the boys only mentality and good ol’ boys clubs. I received an advance copy from St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley in exchange for a candid review. The book will be published on September 18th, 2018.
The novel started strongly enough as the reader is introduced to Spenser Collins, a pre-med basketball player starting out at Harvard University who is punched into the university’s most exclusive all-male members club, the Delphic. He and another student become obsessed with learning more about the dark, troublesome underbelly of the Ancient Nine, a secretive group within the club. It is not your traditional mystery, and possesses many elements of academic research, religion, interesting information about Harvard and its history, even a focus on the sinking of the Titanic, which I particularly enjoyed. Up until the middle half of the book, I was coasting, enjoying the complex mystery tremendously, but I began to skim as I grew closer to the end. There were too many extraneous pages on religion that I thought didn’t add to the story.
A particular thing I didn’t care for was Spenser’s romance with an off-campus student, Ashley Garrett. I didn’t feel like it added anything to the story nor did I believe it when they became serious very suddenly. For me, it was a distraction. To echo another reviewer, I would have enjoyed the novel had it just stuck to the mystery and didn’t make mention of the numerous scenes that objectified women. Granted it was commonplace for the time, taking place in 1988, and let’s be honest, it still is, I would have enjoyed it more had it bucked the trend and not included the boys only mentality and good ol’ boys clubs. I received an advance copy from St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley in exchange for a candid review. The book will be published on September 18th, 2018.
August 13, 2018
‘…you might be the way we crack the Ancient Nine.’
Spenser Collins and Dalton Winthrop, two students at Harvard, unlikely friends. Spenser, a poor black boy from Chicago, is smart and athletic, determined to succeed. Dalton is the latest in a family of moneyed Winthrop men to attend Harvard. Dalton belongs in ways that Spenser cannot.
Their friendship is strengthened when Spenser is ‘punched’ by the Delphic Club, one of the most exclusive of Harvard’s famous all-male- final clubs. The Delphic was founded in the nineteenth century and counts heads of state, power brokers, titans of industry as well as Hollywood legends amongst its members. So, where does Spenser fit in? Dalton is well aware of the exclusivity of this club: his great-uncle is one of their oldest living members. But there’s said to be an even more exclusive group within the Delphic Club: The Ancient Nine. The identities of the Ancient Nine are unknown, they are rumoured to be a shadowy group of alumni with absolute power and who protect the Delphic’s darkest secrets. One of those secrets: what happened to a student who was last seen sneaking into the Delphic mansion in 1927, and was never seen again?
Step by step, Spenser and Dalton become caught up in this mystery. Step by step, Spenser faces the processes for acceptance into the Delphic Club (also known as ‘the Gas’). Spenser and Dalton find clues, eked out like breadcrumbs in the forest, but there’s always some additional twist. Are their lives in danger? And how is it that the members of the Delphic know so much about Spenser?
I found this novel entertaining and enjoyed following the various clues. I’m not a huge fan of novels about secret societies with their (often) arcane, exclusive rituals. What held my attention in this novel was trying to work out why Spenser had been ‘punched’ by this particular group. I was also curious about what had happened to the missing student in 1927, and a certain mystery about a seventeenth century book.
Although I enjoyed the book, I was disappointed that the ending seemed to indicate a continuation of the status quo: exclusive, privileged people protecting their own.
‘Just like old times.’
Note: My thanks to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
Spenser Collins and Dalton Winthrop, two students at Harvard, unlikely friends. Spenser, a poor black boy from Chicago, is smart and athletic, determined to succeed. Dalton is the latest in a family of moneyed Winthrop men to attend Harvard. Dalton belongs in ways that Spenser cannot.
Their friendship is strengthened when Spenser is ‘punched’ by the Delphic Club, one of the most exclusive of Harvard’s famous all-male- final clubs. The Delphic was founded in the nineteenth century and counts heads of state, power brokers, titans of industry as well as Hollywood legends amongst its members. So, where does Spenser fit in? Dalton is well aware of the exclusivity of this club: his great-uncle is one of their oldest living members. But there’s said to be an even more exclusive group within the Delphic Club: The Ancient Nine. The identities of the Ancient Nine are unknown, they are rumoured to be a shadowy group of alumni with absolute power and who protect the Delphic’s darkest secrets. One of those secrets: what happened to a student who was last seen sneaking into the Delphic mansion in 1927, and was never seen again?
Step by step, Spenser and Dalton become caught up in this mystery. Step by step, Spenser faces the processes for acceptance into the Delphic Club (also known as ‘the Gas’). Spenser and Dalton find clues, eked out like breadcrumbs in the forest, but there’s always some additional twist. Are their lives in danger? And how is it that the members of the Delphic know so much about Spenser?
I found this novel entertaining and enjoyed following the various clues. I’m not a huge fan of novels about secret societies with their (often) arcane, exclusive rituals. What held my attention in this novel was trying to work out why Spenser had been ‘punched’ by this particular group. I was also curious about what had happened to the missing student in 1927, and a certain mystery about a seventeenth century book.
Although I enjoyed the book, I was disappointed that the ending seemed to indicate a continuation of the status quo: exclusive, privileged people protecting their own.
‘Just like old times.’
Note: My thanks to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
May 7, 2021
The sexism (and ageism) in this book shocked me. It was brazen, and it blocked full enjoyment of what was – at its core – a well written suspense story. Some of the passages (See my Kindle Highlights) were so cringy that I stopped reading at times. I groaned because once again, Ian K. Smith objectified most of his women characters (Read his first novel, The Blackbird Papers.). The Ancient Nine contained too many women in skin-tight clothes, identifiable mostly by boob size. Far too many women in this book were housekeepers, cooks (mammies), servers, table dancers, strippers, trophy wives, and hookers (Masked prostitutes were prizes for the winners of a scrimmage football game. I’m not kidding.). The elderly characters didn’t fare much better in this book. Robbed of any spark, the old people in The Ancient Nine were reduced to wrinkles, arthritis, and death. Mature women were emblems of gloom, with their moley faces and silence; the old men hobbled along on two canes at once and procured food, booze, lodging, dirty jokes, and women for main character Spenser and his crew.
Like I stated earlier, for all the reasons above, I couldn’t fully enjoy this mystery. In spite of its drawbacks, however, The Ancient Nine had its charm. What saved the novel was Harvard University. Ian Smith has a flair for place, and his setup of this preeminent institution with its world fame, history, stories, social clubs, and famous alumni was almost perfect. Smith effortlessly used the school’s elite ambience to flavor the story and move it forward. Harvard’s buildings and legends even dominated the two main characters, Spenser and Dalton. Harvard University, in a way, was the main character.
Ian Smith is a pretty good storyteller, and I hope that in the very near future, he sees the light and realizes that misogyny is neither cute nor funny. A potentially good campus mystery was reduced to soft porn and my reading experience was almost ruined.
I won’t read any more of his novels, but I wish his career well.
Like I stated earlier, for all the reasons above, I couldn’t fully enjoy this mystery. In spite of its drawbacks, however, The Ancient Nine had its charm. What saved the novel was Harvard University. Ian Smith has a flair for place, and his setup of this preeminent institution with its world fame, history, stories, social clubs, and famous alumni was almost perfect. Smith effortlessly used the school’s elite ambience to flavor the story and move it forward. Harvard’s buildings and legends even dominated the two main characters, Spenser and Dalton. Harvard University, in a way, was the main character.
Ian Smith is a pretty good storyteller, and I hope that in the very near future, he sees the light and realizes that misogyny is neither cute nor funny. A potentially good campus mystery was reduced to soft porn and my reading experience was almost ruined.
I won’t read any more of his novels, but I wish his career well.
August 24, 2023
Full disclosure content warning: About half way through the book, there is an instance of, essentially, a hazing ritual. The narrator and another college student go to a club in New York City. There, they kiss two people who turn out to be: A. men who are crossdressing, B. drag queens (?), or C. trans women. It is treated as disgustingly as you can guess.
My dark academia needs to include unhinged women and/or foppish and byronic men. And uncanny murders. I do not want any religious content. I do not want transphobia. I do not want it to be "realistic" academia with manly men being... mannish and misogynistic.
This is a hard pass. Do not read, do not recommend.
If you want Black dark academia, I highly recommend Catherine House.
Also???
My dark academia needs to include unhinged women and/or foppish and byronic men. And uncanny murders. I do not want any religious content. I do not want transphobia. I do not want it to be "realistic" academia with manly men being... mannish and misogynistic.
This is a hard pass. Do not read, do not recommend.
If you want Black dark academia, I highly recommend Catherine House.
Also???
September 17, 2018
Derek contributed this review to Really Into This
Check out all of our reviews at https://reallyintothis.com
Happy Reading, friends!
THE ANCIENT NINE BY IAN SMITH BOOK REVIEW
A murder mystery at Harvard involving a secret society with lots of twist & turns. Sounds like that movie with Paul Walker, The Skulls, right? On the surface, sure. But, The Ancient Nine is more than that!
PUNCHED INTO SOCIETY
We meet Spenser & he is the underdog of the story. Who doesn’t love an underdog? Despite many struggles, he enters the elite world of Harvard. Quickly, he’s invited to enter this super exclusive & long revered secret society. From there, it’s one twist after another. I’m serious. Ancient Nine goes deep with the layers of secrets, past coming back to explain current events & lots of money thrown around.
BRING ON THE DRAMA
Some people have it so easy. Reading Ancient Nine, you hear tales of paths carved with a gold carpet laid out for many. I can’t even wrap my head around it. Honestly, it’s fascinating. Their world filled with decadence & deep-seeded secrets is fodder for a drama lover like myself. I can’t get enough.
DR. IAN SMITH
Ancient Nine has a really great pace with lots of steady action. Despite all the turns & many layers to the story, it’s easy to follow. Blindly, I read the book & love it. Only when I’m writing this review did I realize the author is Dr. Ian! Whaaaaaat? Sarah & I know him from Celebrity Fit Club on VH1. He always seems cool on the TV & I’m a fan. First, he always dresses nicely, is a straight shooter & seems like a genuinely nice guy. So, I think it’s really cool he wrote this bad-ass book.
THE VERDICT
I am Really Into This book! This is a fun & twisty thriller. If you’re down to read all about secrets & the drama surrounding the rich & elite in the hidden world of secret societies, The Ancient Nine is for you!
Special thanks to Ian Smith, St. Martin’s Press & NetGalley for providing our copy in exchange for an honest & fair review.
Check out all of our reviews at https://reallyintothis.com
Happy Reading, friends!
THE ANCIENT NINE BY IAN SMITH BOOK REVIEW
A murder mystery at Harvard involving a secret society with lots of twist & turns. Sounds like that movie with Paul Walker, The Skulls, right? On the surface, sure. But, The Ancient Nine is more than that!
PUNCHED INTO SOCIETY
We meet Spenser & he is the underdog of the story. Who doesn’t love an underdog? Despite many struggles, he enters the elite world of Harvard. Quickly, he’s invited to enter this super exclusive & long revered secret society. From there, it’s one twist after another. I’m serious. Ancient Nine goes deep with the layers of secrets, past coming back to explain current events & lots of money thrown around.
BRING ON THE DRAMA
Some people have it so easy. Reading Ancient Nine, you hear tales of paths carved with a gold carpet laid out for many. I can’t even wrap my head around it. Honestly, it’s fascinating. Their world filled with decadence & deep-seeded secrets is fodder for a drama lover like myself. I can’t get enough.
DR. IAN SMITH
Ancient Nine has a really great pace with lots of steady action. Despite all the turns & many layers to the story, it’s easy to follow. Blindly, I read the book & love it. Only when I’m writing this review did I realize the author is Dr. Ian! Whaaaaaat? Sarah & I know him from Celebrity Fit Club on VH1. He always seems cool on the TV & I’m a fan. First, he always dresses nicely, is a straight shooter & seems like a genuinely nice guy. So, I think it’s really cool he wrote this bad-ass book.
THE VERDICT
I am Really Into This book! This is a fun & twisty thriller. If you’re down to read all about secrets & the drama surrounding the rich & elite in the hidden world of secret societies, The Ancient Nine is for you!
Special thanks to Ian Smith, St. Martin’s Press & NetGalley for providing our copy in exchange for an honest & fair review.
September 28, 2018
4.5 Stars
You can read all my review on Blog - Books Teacup and Reviews
The Ancient Nine was a slow burner scholarly mystery set in 1988, story of convoluted mystery of one the club house of Harvard, buried secrets and wealthy cunning titans of the world who will go to any length to protect it. After long time I read such informative novel.
characters-
Main character, Spencer Collins was athletic, smart, American black student of Harvard from average family background. Invitation from the legendary men club of Harvard, exclusive to only rich white students changed everything in his life. Nothing about the invitation was normal and sounded more personal to Spencer that pulled him and his best friend Dalton Winthrop into the puzzle of buried secrets of ancient nine.
I liked Spencer’s voice. It was written in way that pulled me to read more about his life at Harvard. Dalton was much more striking than him in lot of way and also had very important role in the story. Smart intelligent rich rebellious kid and his cold war with his father, his way of probing matters and using resources for that was impressive.
Both the characters were developed and by the end of the book both Dalton and Spencer grew on me and I was much impressed the way they took risk and solved the mystery. There were many interesting secondary characters contributed in progress of the story.
what i liked-
The story was written in first person narrative from main character’s POV. First few chapters had tremendous info on Harvard ground, magnificent buildings and its history and clubs. I suggest keep the map given in the beginning handy to view all the details on streets, campus, and buildings without getting confused.
Exquisite immaculate narration of the houses took me right there walking along with Spencer meeting famous people and dizzily admiring all the facts and details. It was like reading research paper on Harvard which was turned into fiction story. Soon I found myself googling about everything mentioned in the book. The accuracy of some of the details were really jaw dropping.
After getting loads of info about this secret society and their lavish party, I was much intrigued with the history and the secrets it held. There were lot of question hanging in my mind. Why Spencer was punched, what they are hiding in the mansion, what happened to Abbott 60 yrs ago were the center pieces of puzzle which are intertwined with each other in smart and complex way. As characters tried to get answers to these question the more deep it took them with bunch of more question and some to dead ends.
There was so many things to talk about related to Harvard and the mystery but telling it all here would kill the fun. What I loved most was the Spencer and Dalton’s core research on rare ancient text that linked all the question, Libraries and divisions of Harvard Campus, and all other details that revealed the exquisite history of campus. I haven’t read Robert Langdon series, I watched movies and I can tell this book had the same feel.
The suspense got more thrilling in the second half of the book. Climax was mind-blowing and highly uncertain. Author really knew how and where to put the pieces of the puzzle and still holding the final important one in way that no one can figure out what the picture would be like till the end. That acronym in the poem almost gave away the secret as I knew what it stands for but still I didn’t know how it was connected to mystery until last 10% of the book.
End was great, contrary to what I thought, I didn’t expect it to be wrapped up so smoothly but it was satisfactory.
why not 5 stars-
A minor point- Racy, entertainment, comments and views of club on women in first half and sport, tournament in the second half the book distracted me from the main mystery. Like clubs in the book it felt like written for men readers.
Overall, it was original, interesting, slow building and steady paced with exquisite writing. I enjoyed it. Those who like historical suspense with academic details would definitely enjoy the book.
*** I received e-ARC from the publisher via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. ***
You can read all my review on Blog - Books Teacup and Reviews
The Ancient Nine was a slow burner scholarly mystery set in 1988, story of convoluted mystery of one the club house of Harvard, buried secrets and wealthy cunning titans of the world who will go to any length to protect it. After long time I read such informative novel.
characters-
Main character, Spencer Collins was athletic, smart, American black student of Harvard from average family background. Invitation from the legendary men club of Harvard, exclusive to only rich white students changed everything in his life. Nothing about the invitation was normal and sounded more personal to Spencer that pulled him and his best friend Dalton Winthrop into the puzzle of buried secrets of ancient nine.
I liked Spencer’s voice. It was written in way that pulled me to read more about his life at Harvard. Dalton was much more striking than him in lot of way and also had very important role in the story. Smart intelligent rich rebellious kid and his cold war with his father, his way of probing matters and using resources for that was impressive.
Both the characters were developed and by the end of the book both Dalton and Spencer grew on me and I was much impressed the way they took risk and solved the mystery. There were many interesting secondary characters contributed in progress of the story.
what i liked-
The story was written in first person narrative from main character’s POV. First few chapters had tremendous info on Harvard ground, magnificent buildings and its history and clubs. I suggest keep the map given in the beginning handy to view all the details on streets, campus, and buildings without getting confused.
Exquisite immaculate narration of the houses took me right there walking along with Spencer meeting famous people and dizzily admiring all the facts and details. It was like reading research paper on Harvard which was turned into fiction story. Soon I found myself googling about everything mentioned in the book. The accuracy of some of the details were really jaw dropping.
After getting loads of info about this secret society and their lavish party, I was much intrigued with the history and the secrets it held. There were lot of question hanging in my mind. Why Spencer was punched, what they are hiding in the mansion, what happened to Abbott 60 yrs ago were the center pieces of puzzle which are intertwined with each other in smart and complex way. As characters tried to get answers to these question the more deep it took them with bunch of more question and some to dead ends.
There was so many things to talk about related to Harvard and the mystery but telling it all here would kill the fun. What I loved most was the Spencer and Dalton’s core research on rare ancient text that linked all the question, Libraries and divisions of Harvard Campus, and all other details that revealed the exquisite history of campus. I haven’t read Robert Langdon series, I watched movies and I can tell this book had the same feel.
The suspense got more thrilling in the second half of the book. Climax was mind-blowing and highly uncertain. Author really knew how and where to put the pieces of the puzzle and still holding the final important one in way that no one can figure out what the picture would be like till the end. That acronym in the poem almost gave away the secret as I knew what it stands for but still I didn’t know how it was connected to mystery until last 10% of the book.
End was great, contrary to what I thought, I didn’t expect it to be wrapped up so smoothly but it was satisfactory.
why not 5 stars-
A minor point- Racy, entertainment, comments and views of club on women in first half and sport, tournament in the second half the book distracted me from the main mystery. Like clubs in the book it felt like written for men readers.
Overall, it was original, interesting, slow building and steady paced with exquisite writing. I enjoyed it. Those who like historical suspense with academic details would definitely enjoy the book.
*** I received e-ARC from the publisher via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. ***
June 26, 2021
Not 100% sure what this book was about but once I got started and knew it was set in the world of Harvard University and featured the secret societies, I was hooked and in for a good ride. Growing up in New Zealand, we don't have the same outlook on universities as in the US so reading about American Universities and Ivy League schools has always fascinated me. When I was in Boston, I managed to get a Harvard T-shirt and Harvard Pens/Pencils to bring back with me to New Zealand. The other thing that I enjoyed about this book was it was set in firstly in 1920-the 1930s and then in the late '80s. The book starts with this mysterious clubhouse being broken into and a student vanishing in 1928. The book then jumps to 1988 where we meet Spencer who has been invited to rush for the secret society called The Delphic Club. Spencer though isn't the sort they would normally rush a club like this as he's a poor kid from Chicago and African-American. His best friend Dalton though is white and wealthy and the type who belongs with the Delphic Club but hates the whole wealthy and elite institution. During Spencer's rush, we read as he and Dalton start to investigate The Delphic Club and a secret club within the group called The Ancient Nine. Soon the pair will be sucked into solving a 60-year-old mystery - the disappearance of Erasmus Abbot and in doing so Spencer will also learn about his own family's history on his late father's side. I enjoyed this book as the mystery unfolded quite well within the main story. If you love mysteries and secret societies then this 2018 read "The Ancient Nine" is the read for you.
July 23, 2020
TW: transphobia, racism, murder, descriptions of violence and injury, sex, drugs and alcohol, sexual harassment, prostitution, women as objects and things to be won, misogyny, secret societies, occultist behavior, oppressive religion, faith against sexuality
3.75 stars | This was a book that had an absolutely fantastic beginning and end, but evidently suffered a bit during the middle.
I want to begin this review by saying the following:
read this book.
I will go into its flaws but no book is without flaws and this novel is CRIMINALLY underrated. All the time, we see the same three dark academia recommendations circulating the internet. Three books that, might I add, are usually written by white women and that focus on a predominantly white cast. Now, I am not bashing the novels of If We Were Villains, The Secret History, or Ninth House. Instead, I am bashing the book community for TOTALLY SLEEPING ON books like these that bring so many new, incredible things to the sub genre of academia.
Now, this book was marketed as a thriller. It is not that. It is a suspenseful, slow novel that takes an inside perspective on the horrors and occultist shit going on in Ivy League secret societies. In the beginning of this printed novel, there are the words: Based on true events. And might I say, those are the most thrilling words I read in this book.
Ian K. Smith tackles themes that the romanticized world of dark academia has been DYING to be exposed to. Our main character is a Black man from Chicago, and his lens was so fantastic to be given to explore this story with. The immediate exposure of the privilege, racism, exclusionary and painfully sexist and segregated practices of these institutions is put out for the reader without hesitation. I could not relate to our MC but that was the POINT. I am a white woman, and I read stories not so I can sit upon my place of privilege and rElaTe to others in my own position of power, but rather to learn and expand my worldview. I loved how little I understood this main character, Spenser. I loved that we were able to learn about the internal turmoil he had over not knowing whether or not he should go forward with the "punching" (aka initiation-esque stuff) process of getting into one of these secret clubs because of how they seemingly stood AGAINST everything he and his family and his ancestors LITERALLY ARE. That discussion was PHENOMENAL, and needs to be talked about.
Another aspect of this book that I loved, like I said previously, was the beginning and the end. The beginning roped me in immediately with the witty banter, the eerie murder mystery, and the simple but quite personal in-your-head writing style. The end wrapped up well enough and although it wasn't an OH MY GOD I NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS COULD HAVE SEEN THIS HAPPENING kind of conclusion, it was fitting and the pacing was exquisite.
Overall, Ian K. Smith knows how to create a story. What I might argue he does not know how to do, is include a female character that is not overtly sexualized, objectified or whose entire personality is based around helping out her male counterpart. I might also add that he does not understand how to properly and respectfully create a character interaction with either a trans woman or drag queen (the actual identity of said character was unclear).
In the future, I hope that Smith thinks to write character introductions for his women characters that do not, for one, begin with an analysis on how sexually appealing they are or their relationship status OR refer to them, constantly, as "Females". It all rubbed me the wrong way, and although I could excuse some of the objectifying within the creepy ass secret societies as being just that: a part of the creepy ass (misogynistic) secret societies, I do believe Smith could have done a much better job with writing his women characters.
As for that scene with the "I thought a sexy woman at a bar was a woman but found out she had a penis and ripped off her wig and screamed and put her and her friend in very real danger" interaction (and no I will not mark that as a spoiler since it one, it has nothing to do with the actual story and two, could be a serious trigger for some people) it, predictably, rubbed me the wrong way. Scratch that, it put sand paper to bare flesh and rubbed like it was trying to create a camp fire'd me the wrong way.
I also had some critiques about the pacing of the middle parts and how it felt that a good hundred or so pages were a little TOO focused on just finding ONE book and it got to be quite boring. Although, I can easily see that being more of a preference thing, so although I still believe my personal rating of 3.75 stars is quite fair, I am rounding it up on Goodreads to 4 stars because the overall rating and exposure of this novel needs to be DESPERATELY boosted because the fact that literally no one is reading this is a true tragedy fit for a dark academia novel all of its own.
Overall, my thoughts were remarkably positive and despite the few gripes I had here and there, I would highly recommend you at least check this book out from your library or go find it at a local bookstore you love and give it a shot yourself.
I ALSO TALK ABOUT THIS BOOK IN THESE BOOKTUBE VIDEOS HERE
My Taste In Books: The Perfect Reading List | https://youtu.be/OlHLVeQRRA0
Recent Reads #91-100 | https://youtu.be/CAMNZJ3fo8A
3.75 stars | This was a book that had an absolutely fantastic beginning and end, but evidently suffered a bit during the middle.
I want to begin this review by saying the following:
read this book.
I will go into its flaws but no book is without flaws and this novel is CRIMINALLY underrated. All the time, we see the same three dark academia recommendations circulating the internet. Three books that, might I add, are usually written by white women and that focus on a predominantly white cast. Now, I am not bashing the novels of If We Were Villains, The Secret History, or Ninth House. Instead, I am bashing the book community for TOTALLY SLEEPING ON books like these that bring so many new, incredible things to the sub genre of academia.
Now, this book was marketed as a thriller. It is not that. It is a suspenseful, slow novel that takes an inside perspective on the horrors and occultist shit going on in Ivy League secret societies. In the beginning of this printed novel, there are the words: Based on true events. And might I say, those are the most thrilling words I read in this book.
Ian K. Smith tackles themes that the romanticized world of dark academia has been DYING to be exposed to. Our main character is a Black man from Chicago, and his lens was so fantastic to be given to explore this story with. The immediate exposure of the privilege, racism, exclusionary and painfully sexist and segregated practices of these institutions is put out for the reader without hesitation. I could not relate to our MC but that was the POINT. I am a white woman, and I read stories not so I can sit upon my place of privilege and rElaTe to others in my own position of power, but rather to learn and expand my worldview. I loved how little I understood this main character, Spenser. I loved that we were able to learn about the internal turmoil he had over not knowing whether or not he should go forward with the "punching" (aka initiation-esque stuff) process of getting into one of these secret clubs because of how they seemingly stood AGAINST everything he and his family and his ancestors LITERALLY ARE. That discussion was PHENOMENAL, and needs to be talked about.
Another aspect of this book that I loved, like I said previously, was the beginning and the end. The beginning roped me in immediately with the witty banter, the eerie murder mystery, and the simple but quite personal in-your-head writing style. The end wrapped up well enough and although it wasn't an OH MY GOD I NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS COULD HAVE SEEN THIS HAPPENING kind of conclusion, it was fitting and the pacing was exquisite.
Overall, Ian K. Smith knows how to create a story. What I might argue he does not know how to do, is include a female character that is not overtly sexualized, objectified or whose entire personality is based around helping out her male counterpart. I might also add that he does not understand how to properly and respectfully create a character interaction with either a trans woman or drag queen (the actual identity of said character was unclear).
In the future, I hope that Smith thinks to write character introductions for his women characters that do not, for one, begin with an analysis on how sexually appealing they are or their relationship status OR refer to them, constantly, as "Females". It all rubbed me the wrong way, and although I could excuse some of the objectifying within the creepy ass secret societies as being just that: a part of the creepy ass (misogynistic) secret societies, I do believe Smith could have done a much better job with writing his women characters.
As for that scene with the "I thought a sexy woman at a bar was a woman but found out she had a penis and ripped off her wig and screamed and put her and her friend in very real danger" interaction (and no I will not mark that as a spoiler since it one, it has nothing to do with the actual story and two, could be a serious trigger for some people) it, predictably, rubbed me the wrong way. Scratch that, it put sand paper to bare flesh and rubbed like it was trying to create a camp fire'd me the wrong way.
I also had some critiques about the pacing of the middle parts and how it felt that a good hundred or so pages were a little TOO focused on just finding ONE book and it got to be quite boring. Although, I can easily see that being more of a preference thing, so although I still believe my personal rating of 3.75 stars is quite fair, I am rounding it up on Goodreads to 4 stars because the overall rating and exposure of this novel needs to be DESPERATELY boosted because the fact that literally no one is reading this is a true tragedy fit for a dark academia novel all of its own.
Overall, my thoughts were remarkably positive and despite the few gripes I had here and there, I would highly recommend you at least check this book out from your library or go find it at a local bookstore you love and give it a shot yourself.
I ALSO TALK ABOUT THIS BOOK IN THESE BOOKTUBE VIDEOS HERE
My Taste In Books: The Perfect Reading List | https://youtu.be/OlHLVeQRRA0
Recent Reads #91-100 | https://youtu.be/CAMNZJ3fo8A
February 17, 2019
I tried to finish this. I really did. It was recommended to me by my father because he thought I would enjoy the details about Harvard, and for a short time I did get some nostalgic pleasure out of it. At this point though, the utterly repellant sexism is overwhelming everything else so all I am doing is making myself more and more angry. I am surprised how few reviews are mentioning this. I did see one review that said she "didn’t want them to solve the mystery because they didn’t deserve nice things." That is putting it mildly, but I totally agree. Spenser and Dalton routinely harass, objectify, and even molest women, but the worst part is both they and the book itself seem to honestly believe they aren't doing anything wrong. It is truly disgusting. That it is set at Harvard in 1988 is no excuse. Like the main character and the author, I was a student at Harvard in 1988, and this level of misogyny absolutely would not have been tolerated by any of the people I associated with there at that time. I'm sure there were people like these characters there of course, but I did not voluntarily spend time with them then, and I am not going to spend any more time with them now.
May 6, 2021
TW: extreme misogyny, transphobia, dub con
I probably would have DNF after Chapter 12 but continued on because it was selected for book group. After completing the novel, all the questionable scenes in the novel were unnecessary. The continued misogyny is in no way was address in the novel and promoted the misconception of "boys will be boys". This book was clearly a vanity piece for the author. While the mystery of the novel was interesting, the execution was poor and the ending was a complete let down.
I probably would have DNF after Chapter 12 but continued on because it was selected for book group. After completing the novel, all the questionable scenes in the novel were unnecessary. The continued misogyny is in no way was address in the novel and promoted the misconception of "boys will be boys". This book was clearly a vanity piece for the author. While the mystery of the novel was interesting, the execution was poor and the ending was a complete let down.
September 18, 2018
THE ANCIENT NINE by Ian K. Smith is an intriguing and compelling mystery set amongst the hallowed halls of the exclusive, member-only houses in Harvard, during the 1980's.
Spenser Collins is not your usual candidate for membership in one of the most exclusive and powerful private member houses in Harvard but when he gets the invitation he is more than intrigued, as is his close friends Dalton Winthrop. As Dalton, a trust fund student who has a defiant relationship with his elitist father, fills Spenser in on the mystery that surrounds these clubs and the myths of murder and more that are associated with them, Spenser becomes even more intrigued by it all. What would they want with him? And as Spenser and Dalton get sucked in deeper into this land of privilege and secrecy, they will be in a lot more danger than they could ever have imagined.
I found the premise of this novel very interesting and I loved the elements of research, history, and that extra something special that flowed through each page making me want to read more. The story is set during the 1980's among the breeding ground of the elite and is very realistic to the time period so there are a lot of misogynistic moments throughout which may not suit all readers, but sadly reflect the time frame. At its heart, this story is a cracking good mystery that will turn you into a detective as you try to piece it all together alongside the characters and I could definitely see this story translate easily onto our TV screens.
Overall I enjoyed THE ANCIENT NINE by Ian K. Smith and would recommend it to all mystery fans.
*I voluntarily reviewed this book via Netgalley
Spenser Collins is not your usual candidate for membership in one of the most exclusive and powerful private member houses in Harvard but when he gets the invitation he is more than intrigued, as is his close friends Dalton Winthrop. As Dalton, a trust fund student who has a defiant relationship with his elitist father, fills Spenser in on the mystery that surrounds these clubs and the myths of murder and more that are associated with them, Spenser becomes even more intrigued by it all. What would they want with him? And as Spenser and Dalton get sucked in deeper into this land of privilege and secrecy, they will be in a lot more danger than they could ever have imagined.
I found the premise of this novel very interesting and I loved the elements of research, history, and that extra something special that flowed through each page making me want to read more. The story is set during the 1980's among the breeding ground of the elite and is very realistic to the time period so there are a lot of misogynistic moments throughout which may not suit all readers, but sadly reflect the time frame. At its heart, this story is a cracking good mystery that will turn you into a detective as you try to piece it all together alongside the characters and I could definitely see this story translate easily onto our TV screens.
Overall I enjoyed THE ANCIENT NINE by Ian K. Smith and would recommend it to all mystery fans.
*I voluntarily reviewed this book via Netgalley
May 18, 2019
Great element of mystery, and of Harvard and American history, of powerful men and and really delves into the pleasure of unraveling a problem and researching something that captures your attention.
But that was about it for me - The Ancient Nine had a couple of lines of thought going, but really didn't end up with anything substantial:
Firstly, this is not a thriller. Every time you think Dalton and Spenser will be murdered, chased, threatened etc nothing happens. Even when the atmosphere and the setting is screaming for a good jump scare, being all dark and moody and silent...nothing happens. A very safe novel.
Very dissastisfying, and thus not very enjoyable. 1.0 stars.
But that was about it for me - The Ancient Nine had a couple of lines of thought going, but really didn't end up with anything substantial:
Firstly, this is not a thriller. Every time you think Dalton and Spenser will be murdered, chased, threatened etc nothing happens. Even when the atmosphere and the setting is screaming for a good jump scare, being all dark and moody and silent...nothing happens. A very safe novel.
Very dissastisfying, and thus not very enjoyable. 1.0 stars.
October 6, 2018
The Ancient Nine exceeded my expectations. I imagined this to be an account of students' lives at Harvard. Instead, the story reads like a Dan Brown mystery, although this fiction is based on real events. Spenser Collins is a Harvard athlete of meager means. Meanwhile, his best friend, Dalton Winthrop, is fifth-generation in Cambridge. In October, 1988, Spenser receives an invitation to attend a reception at one of Harvard's most prestigious and secretive all-male societies. Although he is not from a prominent family, he may be admitted to the Delphic Club if he passes a series of steps. The Delphic Club is an ancient society that has had leaders in politics, industry and entertainment as its members. Spenser and Dalton soon become curious and begin investigating the Delphic's secret past, especially the Ancient Nine who have absolute power over the society's secrets. The book takes us all over Cambridge, into Harvard's numerous libraries, meetings at the Delphic, basketball games, etc. It is a fascinating ride and hooks from the first page. And what an ending! I look forward to reading more books by Dr. Ian K. Smith. Highly recommended. Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
April 23, 2021
So I usually don't review books I DNF... But after chapter 12, close to 30% in I couldn't force myself to keep reading this.
I wish I could give it negative stars.
Serious question, how did this get published!? Who thought this was ok.
Overlook the fact that it's poorly quality writing, full of cliches and over written description of pointless details, but the constant objectification of women, disrespect of a women actively telling you to get lost, and misogyny is ridiculous! For real, I don't quite understand how many people, and women specifically, rated this 4 & 5 stars.
I wish I could give it negative stars.
Serious question, how did this get published!? Who thought this was ok.
Overlook the fact that it's poorly quality writing, full of cliches and over written description of pointless details, but the constant objectification of women, disrespect of a women actively telling you to get lost, and misogyny is ridiculous! For real, I don't quite understand how many people, and women specifically, rated this 4 & 5 stars.
July 31, 2018
Full Disclosure: This book is scheduled to be published in September 2018. I received early access in exchange for writing an impartial review.
This is a well-constructed mystery that will keep you turning each page. And that makes it a quick read. Along the way, there’s a bit of history woven in, lots of library research, a connection to British knights, and a bunch of secrets to be discovered. You also get a peak into the elite world of attending Harvard University, with random tidbits about which dorms are considered the most prestigious, which famous people attended, and where Harvard students in-the-know go to eat.
But for me, this is so obviously a book written by a male writer for a male reader, especially if that reader happened to attend Harvard University or some other male-dominated Ivy League school. I felt I was reading a book that would have been published in the 1940s or 1950s, rather than taking place in the late 1980s.
At its core, this is a deep dive into white male privilege — no matter that the main character, Spenser Collins, is an Afro-American from the streets of Chicago who plays basketball for Harvard. (Sound a little trite already, maybe?) The story focuses on Spenser’s initiation into the shadow world of Harvard’s private clubs, where rich and powerful alumni have created a “brotherhood” that unites the elite across generations. In fact, Spenser is so consumed with solving club mysteries and attending basketball practices that he (along with his rich friend Dalton) seldom seem to do any actual studying.
As a woman reading about this world, so much of what happens seems downright childish to me. Boys breaking into dorm rooms in the middle of the night to frighten and blindfold students for assorted hazing rituals. Secretly delivered letters informing a few select students who is in and who is out at which private club. Lots of forced alcohol consumption, followed by raucous laughter when pledgers end up violently vomiting. Imposed risk taking and, of course, the requisite mooning. Plus, lots of careless sex with anonymous women — always provided by club members to pledgers as a sort of celebratory gift. I think the most offensive section for me was when pledgers end an offsite ritual by being delivered to a group of beautiful women, wearing nothing but high heels, who stand waiting to “entertain” them. (Are we talking male fantasy here or what?)
At the end of the book, when the final secrets are revealed, the solution feels contrived — with a whole bunch of new elements introduced and then elaborately intertwined. For me, it did not constitute sufficient payoff for slogging through so much overt sexism and boy play.
This is a well-constructed mystery that will keep you turning each page. And that makes it a quick read. Along the way, there’s a bit of history woven in, lots of library research, a connection to British knights, and a bunch of secrets to be discovered. You also get a peak into the elite world of attending Harvard University, with random tidbits about which dorms are considered the most prestigious, which famous people attended, and where Harvard students in-the-know go to eat.
But for me, this is so obviously a book written by a male writer for a male reader, especially if that reader happened to attend Harvard University or some other male-dominated Ivy League school. I felt I was reading a book that would have been published in the 1940s or 1950s, rather than taking place in the late 1980s.
At its core, this is a deep dive into white male privilege — no matter that the main character, Spenser Collins, is an Afro-American from the streets of Chicago who plays basketball for Harvard. (Sound a little trite already, maybe?) The story focuses on Spenser’s initiation into the shadow world of Harvard’s private clubs, where rich and powerful alumni have created a “brotherhood” that unites the elite across generations. In fact, Spenser is so consumed with solving club mysteries and attending basketball practices that he (along with his rich friend Dalton) seldom seem to do any actual studying.
As a woman reading about this world, so much of what happens seems downright childish to me. Boys breaking into dorm rooms in the middle of the night to frighten and blindfold students for assorted hazing rituals. Secretly delivered letters informing a few select students who is in and who is out at which private club. Lots of forced alcohol consumption, followed by raucous laughter when pledgers end up violently vomiting. Imposed risk taking and, of course, the requisite mooning. Plus, lots of careless sex with anonymous women — always provided by club members to pledgers as a sort of celebratory gift. I think the most offensive section for me was when pledgers end an offsite ritual by being delivered to a group of beautiful women, wearing nothing but high heels, who stand waiting to “entertain” them. (Are we talking male fantasy here or what?)
At the end of the book, when the final secrets are revealed, the solution feels contrived — with a whole bunch of new elements introduced and then elaborately intertwined. For me, it did not constitute sufficient payoff for slogging through so much overt sexism and boy play.
July 31, 2018
The Ancient Nine by Ian K. Smith is a book for people who like to work out puzzles and mysteries.
A poor black kid from Southside Chicago, Spenser Collins worked for academic excellence, supported by his single mom. He is also a talented basketball player. His acceptance by Harvard University starts him on his way to medical school so he can pay his mom back and support her in style.
If getting into Harvard seemed like a stretch, receiving an invitation from an exclusive final club, the Gas, totally puts Spenser outside of his comfort zone. His friend Dalton, whose family has deep Boston and Harvard roots, encourages him to go for it. There is a mystery behind the Gas involving a secret chamber and a dead student in 1951. Dalton encourages Spenser that from inside the club he can solve the mystery of what really happened in 1951.
Elaborate parties with endless drinks and gourmet food, and sometimes even 'provided' women, is the social norm for the Gas. While the other boys overindulge, Spenser stays dry and trim for basketball.
Spenser and Dalton go on a chase that involves day jaunts to talk to elderly Gas members and hours spent in dusty libraries. They create a patchwork quilt of evidence, but none of it adds up.
Meanwhile, Spenser has met the love of his life, a townie who doesn't date Harvard men. She is also from a poor single mom and smart and determined to get an education.
I knew nothing about Harvard or final clubs or Cambridge. It all sounded pretty over the top to me, but a Goggle search confirmed these clubs are elite, with the 1% of the wealthiest and most prestigious families being members. The parties at mansions, the money, the exclusiveness, the white male predominance-- it's all real. I sure hope the bussed in women for the parties are not real, but I likely am hoping in vain.
The story dragged about mid-way. I was getting tired of late nights at libraries. The mystery involves King James I and puritanical writings and Knights of the Garter protecting the reputation of the King. It's all about libraries and books and a coverup.
For all the tension over perceived threats, it was all talk and little action. There is a revelation about corrupt money and power and Spenser learns about his family history.
One aspect of the story I liked was how it addressed the African American experience in this nearly all-white exclusive world of movers and shakers.
Overall, The Ancient Nine was an entertaining light read.
A poor black kid from Southside Chicago, Spenser Collins worked for academic excellence, supported by his single mom. He is also a talented basketball player. His acceptance by Harvard University starts him on his way to medical school so he can pay his mom back and support her in style.
If getting into Harvard seemed like a stretch, receiving an invitation from an exclusive final club, the Gas, totally puts Spenser outside of his comfort zone. His friend Dalton, whose family has deep Boston and Harvard roots, encourages him to go for it. There is a mystery behind the Gas involving a secret chamber and a dead student in 1951. Dalton encourages Spenser that from inside the club he can solve the mystery of what really happened in 1951.
Elaborate parties with endless drinks and gourmet food, and sometimes even 'provided' women, is the social norm for the Gas. While the other boys overindulge, Spenser stays dry and trim for basketball.
Spenser and Dalton go on a chase that involves day jaunts to talk to elderly Gas members and hours spent in dusty libraries. They create a patchwork quilt of evidence, but none of it adds up.
Meanwhile, Spenser has met the love of his life, a townie who doesn't date Harvard men. She is also from a poor single mom and smart and determined to get an education.
I knew nothing about Harvard or final clubs or Cambridge. It all sounded pretty over the top to me, but a Goggle search confirmed these clubs are elite, with the 1% of the wealthiest and most prestigious families being members. The parties at mansions, the money, the exclusiveness, the white male predominance-- it's all real. I sure hope the bussed in women for the parties are not real, but I likely am hoping in vain.
The story dragged about mid-way. I was getting tired of late nights at libraries. The mystery involves King James I and puritanical writings and Knights of the Garter protecting the reputation of the King. It's all about libraries and books and a coverup.
For all the tension over perceived threats, it was all talk and little action. There is a revelation about corrupt money and power and Spenser learns about his family history.
One aspect of the story I liked was how it addressed the African American experience in this nearly all-white exclusive world of movers and shakers.
Overall, The Ancient Nine was an entertaining light read.
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