Hall of Smoke

I wasn't sure how I felt about this book when I started it but it quickly grew on me. I found worldbuilding great and I love a fantasy book with a good map of the world. Hessa is a well developed main character with a unique voice. Her emotions felt genuine and made sense, her grief and sense of betrayal felt real. She was also a total badass and what's not to love about that. But I also want to shout out her friend Sixnit who had her own strength and the ability to survive. She may not have been able to wield a weapon but she was going to do what she had to do. I would definitely recommend this book.

I really enjoyed this. I feel like the options for finding an adult fantasy novel written by a woman is a bit harder to come by in a genre so traditionally dominated by men, but Hall of Smoke by H.M. Long is a FANTASTIC debut read—one worth a reread or few. If you want to learn more, I did a non-spoilery video review on my channel to add some color, but in short, this was a wild, fun ride, and I very much enjoyed the author's style of writing.

If you dig Viking influence and stories that feature strong women at their helm, give this one a shot. It’s similar to Sky in the Deep (which I found lacking), only way more grown-up. Better writing, more immersive world-building and lore, captivating storytelling and plot, and an epic cast of show more characters, which includes monsteresque creatures, zealot priests and legionaries, and brutal, brutal gods.

The lore, the stakes, the fight scenes, battles—they were all superb in Hall of Smoke. I got major Skyrim vibes reading this book (the shouts, the setting, the weapons). I’ve put an embarrassing number of hours into that game LOL.

Though it took roughly a quarter to one-third of the way into the book for it to really get going for me, once I passed that 25–33% mark, it had my undivided attention. If you’re looking for a romance sub-plot, you won’t find it here. HoS is not that kind of story. This is about one woman’s struggle as she examines her beliefs and, ultimately, avenges all she’s lost.

H.M. Long is an author I’ll have my eye on for her forthcoming work. Can’t wait for more books set in this world. Very respectable debut! show less

This was a good book, though more of an adventure than anything else. It did remind me of many of the Greek myths, with lots of petty fighting in between the gods with the humans stuck in the middle. The story was well written but I think many of the characters were undeveloped so it was very hard for me to connect and feel anything for them.

From the first page, it was clear that this was a high-stakes book.

In Hall of Smoke, we follow Hessa, an Eangi warrior priestess of Eang (Goddess of War), who returns from the mountain - after asking her goddess forgiveness - to find that her village and all of the people in it (including the other Eangi) are slaughtered. Hessa must journey to find the traveler who she failed to kill in order to win back the favor of her goddess. On her journey, she discovers a war brewing between the Old Gods and the New Gods, and she is thrust into the middle.

Hessa was a likable character. Tough and strong, if a little unsure of herself - which makes sense, as she spent her whole life as part of a group and now found herself alone. For a book that show more mostly follows an isolated Hessa, there were a lot of interesting side characters, both human and god alike. Ogam was a favorite, as he reminded me a bit of Morozko (which makes sense, as Ogam was the son of Eang and the God of Winter).

The plot was interesting and well-written. The last 10-15% or so of the book really flew by as everything came to a climax, and I found myself sitting on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen. I really liked that the author tied everything up at the end (which makes sense, as it's a standalone), and I'm excited for the next book in this world: Temple of No God!! Hopefully the cover is as shiny as this one!

Thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for a copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own. show less

A riveting fantasy adventure story with mischievous gods and a warrior priestess, a trained fighter bestowed with the magical power to heal her wounds and vanquish the enemy. Throughout the book, Hessa's character is beautifully fleshed out and we see her grow up as she adapts to the world's harsh truths. Driven by her quest for redemption and revenge, Hessa starts to question her beliefs as soon as realizes there was more to the world and to the gods than she knew. Along her journey, she makes unlikely allies and fights formidable enemies. The world-building is carefully crafted immersing the reader into a world ruled by gods reminiscent of Norse mythology.
Although I loved Hessa's character because it was so well crafted, I can't say show more the same about the other characters. I feel like the supporting character were underdeveloped and I failed to connect with them, but maybe that was just me.
I recommend this book to fantasy lovers passionate about mythology and stories about gods that roam the earth, a strong but flawed character and a journey in seek of redemption. show less

Hessa is a warrior priestess on a quest for redemption after she fails to heed the warning of her goddess. This story is beautifully written, the main character is beautifully fleshed out as we follow her on this journey in which she has to face the decision to trust and do as she is told, or go against all she has ever known. I really don't have any complains about this book and I'm really looking forward to book 2.

This was a good book, though more of an adventure than anything else. It did remind me of many of the Greek myths, with lots of petty fighting in between the gods with the humans stuck in the middle. The story was well written but I think many of the characters were undeveloped so it was very hard for me to connect and feel anything for them.