Scan barcode
A review by sgbrux
Temple of No God by H.M. Long
4.0
4.25.
Long’s second novel is an enjoyable continuation of Hessa’s arc, and I think it offers a fantastic setup for HOS3, with the whole conflict surrounding the Iskiri. I did find the subplot with the character of Mrandr super fascinating and especially liked the situation with Uspa. It’ll be neat to see how she develops in the next book.
I remember it taking nearly one-third of the way through Hall of Smoke for it to really capture my attention; that wasn’t the case in Temple of No God. Right away, I was sucked into the story, and I think the more mature themes of marriage, parenthood, duty, and loss resonated more with me. Hessa is 30 now, which is still several years younger than I, but I was able to relate to her insecurities and hopes at this stage of her life more so than the last book.
One of the major themes I appreciated about this installment was the need to create purpose for one’s life, and then to just live it. Not dwelling in the past.
I was also glad to see romantic tension in this book; relationships are a normal part of the human existence—even if that human has godlike qualities—and I thought it helped ground Hessa, making her more relatable.
I also liked the introduction of Nui. I very much enjoy animal companions in books, and Nui offered just the right amount of puppy mischief for a world grappling with political strife and mysterious death magic.
We do get to see some creatures and beasts, which is always a treat. My only qualm is I want more of it!
The chapters were snappier in this book which helped with pacing and keeping me hooked, and I really enjoyed the fight scenes. I wanted more of the bigger battles, which I thought Hall of Smoke did really well, but I suspect we’ll see more of that in the next one.
Overall, Long is a talented writer with a knack for balancing the broody and forlorn with the action, and I’ll be anticipating HOS3.
Long’s second novel is an enjoyable continuation of Hessa’s arc, and I think it offers a fantastic setup for HOS3, with the whole conflict surrounding the Iskiri. I did find the subplot with the character of Mrandr super fascinating and especially liked the situation with Uspa. It’ll be neat to see how she develops in the next book.
I remember it taking nearly one-third of the way through Hall of Smoke for it to really capture my attention; that wasn’t the case in Temple of No God. Right away, I was sucked into the story, and I think the more mature themes of marriage, parenthood, duty, and loss resonated more with me. Hessa is 30 now, which is still several years younger than I, but I was able to relate to her insecurities and hopes at this stage of her life more so than the last book.
One of the major themes I appreciated about this installment was the need to create purpose for one’s life, and then to just live it. Not dwelling in the past.
I was also glad to see romantic tension in this book; relationships are a normal part of the human existence—even if that human has godlike qualities—and I thought it helped ground Hessa, making her more relatable.
I also liked the introduction of Nui. I very much enjoy animal companions in books, and Nui offered just the right amount of puppy mischief for a world grappling with political strife and mysterious death magic.
We do get to see some creatures and beasts, which is always a treat. My only qualm is I want more of it!
The chapters were snappier in this book which helped with pacing and keeping me hooked, and I really enjoyed the fight scenes. I wanted more of the bigger battles, which I thought Hall of Smoke did really well, but I suspect we’ll see more of that in the next one.
Overall, Long is a talented writer with a knack for balancing the broody and forlorn with the action, and I’ll be anticipating HOS3.