A review by readingbetweenthenotes
Hall of Smoke by H.M. Long

adventurous challenging tense medium-paced
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

 Hall of Smoke is a really solid debut fantasy novel! It centres on Hessa, a warrior-priestess with the power to destroy her enemies with 'Fire'. Hessa has been tasked by her goddess with an important mission and the story's focus is on her attempts to carry this out. 

I must admit, it took me a little while to get into this one. There are a lot of character and place names to get your head around, some of which sound quite similar, so it took me quite a bit of concentration at first. However, it's certainly not as difficult as some high fantasy novels so it might act as a good gateway into that genre if it's something you're interested in pursuing? Also, the book does contain a very handy glossary. 

After the first 100 pages or so, I got really into this one. I loved following Hessa on her journey. She is a brave heroine and her grief over an early event in the novel is explored sensitively. I also loved seeing all the gods that featured throughout the book! It reminded me a bit of The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden and American Gods by Neil Gaiman. I love books that feature mythology and this one seemed to take a really unique slant. 

Finally, I love that this is a standalone! So many books now are part of a series and sometimes it's good to just be able to enjoy a story for what it is and not worry about where it will go next or how long it will take to get answers. The author has said that there will be another book set in the same world but this will be a standalone too. 

Overall, I'd recommend this one if you're looking for a strong fantasy featuring a gutsy heroine and plenty of twists and turns! 

[I received my copy for free from Titan Books. This does not affect my review in any way.] 
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