Colette Freedman

If I had to use one word to describe The Thirteen Hallows by Michael Scott and Colette Freedman, it would be "squicky." I did read the whole thing . . . but now I kind of want to wash my brain.

To briefly summarize, the Thirteen Hallows are artifacts that were used thousands of years ago to seal demonkind into a prison. The demons have been biding their time, waiting for a human to come along who is brilliant, ambitious, and ruthless, and who will collect and activate the Hallows, releasing show more the demons. That time has come -- the current Keepers of the Hallows are all growing old, and are unable to protect their artifacts any longer. When one young woman, Sarah Miller, stops what she thinks is a mugging, she is caught up in the danger and horror of what's happening with the Hallows, and her fate becomes inextricably linked with theirs.

First of all, the good: this book is definitely gripping. Even when I halfway wanted to put it down, I kept reading to see what would happen.

But that's about all of the good that I can think of to relate. The writing, while not cringe-worthy, was nothing out of the common run, and the characters all seemed a little flat to me. Moreover, I am not a fan of thrillers or horror, and this book contains elements of both. Let me put it this way: a book that uses the word "abattoir" several times to describe various scenes is probably not my thing. Multiple descriptions of gristly murders and kinky rituals had me nearly putting the book down at several different points. So, if your taste is anything like mine, I'm definitely not recommending this book. On the other hand, the reviews I read were generally positive -- so those who enjoy gore-spattered fantasy/horror/thrillers will probably love this book.

I'll leave them to it -- and be a little more selective of my reads in the future. show less

This was one of those books I regret reading - for so many reasons not least of them is the time I wasted. It's grisly, pointless and completely predictable - and then there is the slam on Christianity which so many writers of apocalytic themes seem to relish these days.

I'm not sure why so many authors lately seem to get so ensnared with the idea of "magical" objects bringing world-changing scenarios. A much more challenging and interesting book may have been one that explored one or two show more historical objects - the people they had passed through, the events surrounding them - like Geraldine Brooks' "The People of the Book" or Susan Vreeland's "The Girl in Hyacinth Blue." But that would require research, historical and religious knowledge and a modicum of creativity, none of which is apparent in this sad effort. show less

I picked up The Thirteen Hallows because I am a big fan of Michael Scott's books in the Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel YA series. This book, while it is based in mythology and lore as found in that series, is also an adult (VERY) sci-fi novel, full of loads of graphic violence and sexual descriptions. While cringing over those parts, the compelling story itself kept me reading to the end. With about 20 pages to go, I knew either an abrupt resolution or a series was in sight and I show more believe the reader gets both.

I wonder what the division of labor was between the two writer.
Michael Scott's co-author is a playwright.

Side notes:
I just kept picturing the manga/anime YuYu Hakusho world of demons when reading this novel. Scary!
It has a funny mention of Harry Potter. show less

“Everything has a cost; you just have to be prepared to pay the price.”
― Colette Freedman, The Affair

This is indeed a story of an affair, told from three viewpoints. The husband's, the wive's and the other woman's. So you get the story from multiple viewpoints. In this book, as in reality, each person's perceptions differ in many ways.

I actually somewhat liked this and did not think I would. It was a fast read..and not all that heavy despite the subject matter. The main issue for not show more rating higher is:

spoilers:

I could not stand any of the three characters. The mistress, Stephanie , I could not stand. She was just so superficial. I did not love the whole "Groundhog Day" aspect which has been done to death but to the writer's credit it does work in this story and I did somewhat enjoy the book.

I Did not, however, believe the ending AT ALL. It did not jive with any of the characters actions up until that point. This is far from my favorite read But it was an interesting book. show less