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macthekat's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Slavery
phiabia's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Slavery, Violence, Genocide, and Grief
Moderate: War and Rape
darkefyres's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Religious bigotry and Grief
Minor: Sexual assault and Sexism
ka_ke's review against another edition
Graphic: Blood, Child death, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Misogyny, Murder, Religious bigotry, Sexism, and Violence
owlphabetical's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Death
Minor: Slavery
midnightrose_reads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death, Violence, War, and Grief
forthesanityof1's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Blood, Death, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Kidnapping, Murder, Self harm, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Animal death
Self harm warning is only for instances of the characters hurting themselves for sacrifice (slitting their palms, pricking their fingers, etc). Animal death is only for moments where an animal is sacrificed to a god.maggiemillar's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Torture and Violence
Moderate: Genocide
Minor: Slavery and Trafficking
samusc's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Blood, Violence, Death, Animal death, Slavery, Grief, and Gore
Moderate: Pregnancy and Religious bigotry
willowy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Length: 432 Pages
Genres: High Fantasy
Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
"'Eang, Eang,' I murmured, willing my words to be heard across distance, time and division between worlds. 'The Brave, the Vengeful, the Swift and the Watchful...'"
I have only one question: WHY AREN'T MORE PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT HALL OF SMOKE!
Hessa is an Eangi, a group of specially chosen Priests and Priestesses of the Goddess of War, Eang. She burns with magical fire, a power that makes her stronger and faster, heals minor wounds, and on occasion, boils your enemy's eyes in their head. The titular Hall of Smoke, which is not only a temple to their Goddess but the place where they eat and sleep together, is all she's known since she was a child. When the book opens, she's been banished from her people and has taken the "Climb of Atonement" for failing to carry out an order given to her from Eang herself. She hopes that she will be forgiven, but if she's not, it could mean ostracization...or death. Her fears are put to the side when she hears the tell-tale sound of the war horn from her village, and her life is turned dramatically upside down. She is thrust into a war between her people, the Algatt, the eclipsing empire of Arpa, and the Divine.
Soon, she realizes that everyone has secrets, including the Gods, only theirs are much more dangerous.
I devoured this book. Hessa is one of my new favorite heroines and I adored her strength, her wits, and that fiery personality. The worldbuilding was absolutely incredible, and for someone who has been obsessed with mythology since I was very young, it was as addictive as candy. Even though Hall of Smoke clocks in at 432 pages, I wished it was even longer just so I could spend more time in the world of Eang and Hessa and Omaskat and Nisien.
Now I'm addicted and the only thing I can think about is that a sequel is coming 2022!
Graphic: Gore and Violence