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A review by literalottie
Hall of Smoke by H.M. Long
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
I really, really wanted to love this! And there were certainly good aspects to it - I think the conflict and history between the gods in this book could have made for a really riveting read.
Unfortunately, I just couldn't get myself invested in the characters or the story given here. I found myself coasting through this book, never really connecting with it. The main character's driving force in this book is the loss she experiences, however I felt like I was more being told about the emotional impact, and told why I should care, rather than actually being shown it. It's hard for me to mourn Hessa's family and community alongside her when we barely meet them, and they don't get much development through her flashbacks and internal monologue.
Ultimately, I think this might be a case of "it's not the book, it's me", because this does have a lot of very positive reviews, and I can understand why people would love this book! I definitely think its worldbuilding and mythology is it's strong suit, and I would be interested to read more from this world, even though this specific book didn't really work for me as a whole package.
Unfortunately, I just couldn't get myself invested in the characters or the story given here. I found myself coasting through this book, never really connecting with it. The main character's driving force in this book is the loss she experiences, however I felt like I was more being told about the emotional impact, and told why I should care, rather than actually being shown it. It's hard for me to mourn Hessa's family and community alongside her when we barely meet them, and they don't get much development through her flashbacks and internal monologue.
Ultimately, I think this might be a case of "it's not the book, it's me", because this does have a lot of very positive reviews, and I can understand why people would love this book! I definitely think its worldbuilding and mythology is it's strong suit, and I would be interested to read more from this world, even though this specific book didn't really work for me as a whole package.