Trigger Warnings: massacres, mourning of loved ones, genocide, poison/drugs, parental abuse, emotional trauma.

You had me at a fantasy heroine standing buck naked with an axe prepared to slaughter some gods.

Long brought me into a world of deep woods, brambles, berries, icy lakes, and a wonder for what lies beyond the mist. Walking into this world, I felt storytelling and world building likened to The Last Kingdom. Detail is vital. Every decision in this book is made with such precise thought and intent. You get to feel for the characters you don’t even like. That’s what choosing interesting and yet critical detail does to a story. It’s an impressive thing when an author is able to make their world detailed and keep your attention.

We find Hessa, a warrior priestess, praying to her war goddess’ forgiveness for having failed to kill a traveler. In her village, she finds a massacre. Her loved ones are gone. Her people were murdered. Then, she too is taken by the pillagers and murderers. When she escapes, she is met by gods and their plots. Hessa is stuck in the middle, between new gods and old gods.

Reading this book as an e-arc, I found myself desperately wanting that sound of cracking open a book. There’s something so atmospheric about this world that I wanted that magical feeling of peeling open a book. Touching the pages and its texture has that ability to bring me into a story. But truth be told? I didn’t need to. Long is so good at creating atmosphere. The texture of hair as Hessa braids the winter gods hair. The clash of an axe against an enemy. The deep woods and all the smells that woods conjure in a reader. It’s all so sensory.

The magic of Long’s world is in its viking-ness. Demons breaking bonds and gods of the old world. The old and the new clash in this place Hessa calls ‘the waking world.’ Long said the Romans suck and we’re ok with that. I follow the lead of a heroine that turns men’s bones to dust. A world of ladies with big muscles and their skeletal bows should really be illegal. Long reminds the reader that gender equality in fantasy can be a normal aspect of the world. A mother handing her daughter knives to fight against invaders pokes at that old notion that you only give weapons to the boys but in Hessa’s society anyone that can fight, whatever their gender, is valuable. A single gendered army is strange to her.

Am I also going to talk about how this book gives us m/f platonic relationships? Yes, let’s talk about how I rarely get to read a stand alone fantasy book that makes its beat about the atmosphere, the magic, and the platonic relationships. I’m a great lover of romantic yearnings but we can also yearn for some platonic babes.

Hall of Smoke is a deep dive into the the woods, mist, and magical mysteries of those of antique sagas just sitting and waiting be opened.

H.M. Long’s Hall of Smoke, published 19 January 2021. First book in a series of standalone fantasy novels set in the same universe.

Hessa had one job. And she failed spectacularly at it. Hessa’s goddess tasked her with killing one particular visitor to the village, which Hessa didn’t do. While praying for forgiveness at a shrine high up on a mountainside, to be able to reenter the rangs of the Eangie – a magical warrior priest cast (?) – Hessa’s village is raided by the visitor’s clansmen. Hessa doesn’t make it back in time to save the villagers. What follows is her long journey to atone to be allowed into the High Halls after her death, to be reunited with her loved ones. While different clans from the north and south raid her homeland and murder her people, Hessa has to find the man she didn’t kill and finish the job to curry favour with her goddess to gain a life after death.

This story was hailed as being Viking inspired and I probably expected it to be a lot like Vikings the TV show. After the raid of Hessa’s village, right at the beginning of the book, nothing really interesting happens for a very long time though. In fact, for a good 3/4 of the book, Hessa does nothing but travel, trying to find the man she had to kill. This makes for a lot of (tiresome) landscape descriptions, but little character interaction. Thats’s what I missed most, I guess, some interaction with other characters and a few secondary characters that were more than extras with a few lines. But as I wrote in my headline, the road to atonement might have to be a lonely one. So the missing interaction might be a feature, not a bug. Still, for a book that straddles the fence between YA and NA, I expected a faster pacing.

A huge thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free copy of the book! Hall of Smoke is an amazing Viking-inspired adventure, filled with gods, immortals, and beings beyond comprehension. It reminded me of J.R.R. Tolkien's legendarium and The Poppy War in a good way. My only trouble with the whole story was that there was too much getting from point A to point B, and it felt a bit dragged out, culminating into a rushed, I feel, ending, that resolved around Hessa. The characters could've used a bit more development, but given it's just about 400 pages and there was a whole host of characters, that didn't hurt the story that much. I loved the fact that the book has a closed ending. I was getting really tired with cliff-hangers. It was refreshing.

I received this eARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Overall this book is 3 stars for me. I think I would like it more upon reread. Let me explain.

I love the setting and the Viking-esque nature of this story. Tessa is a strong character, and I really found myself connecting with her. I enjoyed learning about the world and the different gods.

The beginning of the book was great! Tessa is repenting for not following the commands of her goddess when her entire community is slaughtered. The goddess Eang then tells her she has to complete her task that she was originally given. Great! Love it!

But the middle of the book got a bit confusing to me. We are introduced to new gods and a whole different tier of gods. Now that I know who we (Tessa) can and cannot trust and who is actually looking out for her best interest, I think if I reread the book, I would appreciate the details more.

Another picky detail. I hate when authors lose track of their seemingly meaning plot points. While Tessa was repenting her failure, isolated from everyone else, her friend gave birth. Later on in the story she says she was there for his birth. Little things like that really take me out of the story.

In Hall of Smoke, we follow Hessa, a priestess fighter worshipping Eang, the Goddess of War. After refusing to kill a man that Eang told her to kill, her entire village and family ends up being killed by an enemy raid. From there, she will have a very long journey to find this man and gain the Goddess's favor that she lost. Along the way, she will meet Demons, Gods and people that will both be allies and enemies.

Overall, this had an interesting premise but unfortunately, the execution while easy to get into ended up being boring for a big part of the book. The actions scenes were cool to read but between those it was very very difficult to keep on reading. Her travelling was too long and the pace could have been better in that regard. I also felt like there wasn't enough dialogues and meaningful interactions with side characters. Yes, she spoke a little to some but it wasn't enough to keep my attention all the time.

I have mixed feelings about this one but I hope you'll like it!

(Thank you for letting me read and review an ARC via Netgalley)

My first 2021 debut read - and what a book to start on! HALL OF SMOKE is an action paced book that feels like the classic fantasy I grew up with - something I have been really craving at the moment (and appreciating, when I find it.)

Hessa's journey to fulfil her goddess' command takes her all over the continent as she struggles with her own grief, burying it under self-loathing and a desire to fulfil her goddess' command. But the truth is never so simple, and she gradually learns the reason behind her mission - and the very gods themselves.

I really liked that Hessa's mission is not centred on her own vengeance. Yes, she's angry, but that's not why she's doing it. Revenge stories are pretty hit and miss for me, as it's just so consuming and ought to be pared with a strong tragic element in my opinion. However, Hessa is fuelled by grief and the desire to be allowed into the afterlife with her dead loved ones. It gave the book a real heart and underscored her grief.

There is such a rich sense of mythology in this book. The gods make up the very fabric of the story, with more and more information about their nature coming through as we learn, but there is also lots of stories woven into the background. It's in the rituals and the High Halls, but never a "let me sit down and tell you a story". Rather, it's intrinsically part of everyday life.

We see a lot of the world, and a lot of different people groups. You could see the ones that had similar backgrounds, and which came from another genesis - and yet they were distinct. There are also a LOT of characters in this book. I love big cast books, provided I can tell the characters apart - and I could here. The nice thing was that a lot of characters only arrived for certain points of the book, just one section and then you could "archive" them. It did help to follow along, knowing that you could forget about this character in the here and now, and trust they'd be re-introduced if they were needed again.

There is a companion book coming next year, and you can bet it's on my TBR for 2022 already.

This book was great! I absolutely loved Hessa. She was fierce and loyal and although the book is over 400 pages I could have stayed with her story for far longer.

I like the way the author handled Hessa’s grief and didn’t use romance as driving force in the story. The side characters were really great and I love the friendships she formed.

I was fascinated by all the different gods and their struggle for power. The writing was excellent with vivid descriptions and great battle scenes. A wonderful tale of Magic and myth that kept me reading until the early hours. I really hope there’ll be another book set in this world.


Rating more like 4.5 stars

Many thanks to Titan Books for the gifted book in exchange for an honest review.

Hessa, a Priestess to, Eang, the goddess of War, has been exiled from her home and the Hall of Smoke for failing to fulfill her duty.
Everything she knows is ripped from her. Her village is massacred, she is taken captive by her people’s enemy, the Algatt, and sold into slavery.
In an attempt to right her wrongs, Hessa embarks on a mission to fulfill her duty and kill Omaskat.

——
My Rating: 4⭐️

Being a huge fan of this kind of trope, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the author’s unique perspective. From start to finish, it was full of adventure, and held my attention as I followed Hessa’s journey.

What I liked:
The characterization of the deities.
I thought these deities were unique in interesting. I appreciated the layers and complexity. (I love a good (or bad) deity)

The writing and flow of the story.
With some books, it takes time to get into the story, however, that was not the case. From the start, the story had my attention, and I appreciated the unexpected twists and turns.

What I didn’t like:
I had trouble with the names and pronunciations throughout the book. There was a glossary at the end, with pronunciations included, but I wasn’t aware of it until I had finished.

There were parts of the book that almost seemed like the concept was a nod to or borrowed from other mythologies / writings (ex. Souls living in Halls after death, The 7 seals) that made that made that part feel more generic.

Final thoughts.
As a mythology fan, I loved this book. Beautifully written, the characters are easy to like and the story effortlessly keeps the reader’s attention.

Readers will appreciate the epic nature of this book and enjoy following Hessa on her journey.

Thank you Titan Books and H.M. Long for this advanced review copy. My opinions and thoughts are my own.

Hessa is an Eangi warrior-priestess who gets punished for disobeying a direct order to kill a lone traveller. After her village is destroyed and believing to be the last Eangi left, she vows to kill the traveller and fulfil her task. But during her quest, she learns things about the gods that threaten her lifelong beliefs and her devotion to them. Old gods are trying to get back their power from the new gods.

The story is told from Hessa’s point of view, and she was a likeable character and a loyal to her friends. It was interesting to see how Hessa goes from being a devoted follower to question everything and doubting the gods. She hadn’t travelled far from her village before and now seeing different places and customs makes her question things more. During her journey, she meets Nisien, a Souldorni horseman, who is more cynic towards the gods and their powers. They become close friends, but it was nice that they stayed just friends through the book. I hope we learn more about Estavius in the next book.

I liked how big part the gods played in peoples lives. Like you could actually talk and interact, and occasionally fight, with them. Somehow that, and their actions, made me think Xena/Hercules world and the line from Hercules intro kept playing in my head: “… a time of myth and legend, when the ancient gods were petty and cruel…” Maybe that’s just me but yeah… Everyone keeps talking about the Viking style and all I can think is Xena…

What a great debut and I’m definitely looking forward to reading more from the author!

Come for the journey across a Viking-esq land, immerse yourself in the lore, and become lost in the writing. Like smoke, this book takes a moment to settle into your sense. I had the sneaking suspicion this book had started too early in the action, as if adhering to someone's advice rather than listening to where the story actually needed to go. With Hessa's entire village slaughtered, the emotional impact was minimum as there wasn't time to build relationships. There were flash back chapters to balance this jarring start, and I enjoyed them immensely. They were perfectly structured as an entire chapter, not a blindsided scene in the middle of the action, and they served a dual purpose; worldbuilding. I felt I was a hostage in the back of a cart watching warriors (both men and women) carrying axes. Hessa the main character, isn't the goddess's "chosen one" either. In fact the goddess despises Hessa, and it was a great twist on the trope. It also kept me intrigued because I didn't trust the so-called goddess, and I needed to know what she was hiding.

I received this book from Netgally in exchange for my honest review.
To see book reviews no longer than a tarot card, check out Tarot Book Reviews at my website.

This was up and down for me. There were cool fighting scenes with the gods that I really enjoyed, then slow parts where not much happened and I sort of lost the point of the plot. With this being based on Viking mythology, I struggled a bit to keep up with the characters, especially the gods. Who was good and who was bad? Is Hessa being misled by her goddess Eang or is this the true path?

I liked Hessa for the most part, though I didn't feel like she had much personality. She was an Eangi, completely devoted to her goddess and is only beginning to question her directive when she's tasked to kill a man. I would have liked more substance to Hessa, more character development or past experiences to make her fleshed out. There also wasn't any romance which I think would have made the story more entertaining and less slow.

The gods and goddesses were my favorite part, their abilities were interesting and I liked seeing what kind of people worshipped different gods. There were several times they actually fought each other or Hessa and I would have liked even more of those scenes. The feuds kept me going, even if I wasn't sure who I wanted to come out on top.

I've heard this may be a duology, but it felt like a final ending to me. I'm not sure what else there would be to tell, unless we get the romance missing from this book.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

3.5 stars

Hall of Smoke is a Norse mythology inspired debut fantasy, full of warrior priestesses, warring gods and a chilling mystical atmosphere.

We are following Hessa, who is a priestess of the godess of war Eang, at the start of the book her village is all killed by a mysterious traveller, whom Hessa was prophesised to kill. Hessa is then thrust upon a journey to discover her fate, protect the only surviving child from her village and gets embroiled in the war between the gods. She is also hunting down the stranger, this becomes almost a story of seeking vengeance, or at least a chance to right wrongs and Hessa learning along the way many subtle life lessons and that sometimes fate is not what you think it is.

One element I really enjoyed in this book was the gods and how they interact with the humans, This is one of my favourite tropes, where gods/powerful immortals get involved in human buisness and basically mess everything up!! I loved the mytholgy and the exploration of how different gods are worshipped. I also loved exploring how much Hessa's faith meant to her and watching her struggle with feeling betrayed by her god, as Eang is quite a shady character and we don't know a lot about her motivations, she is also constantly disappearing and leaving Hessa feeling abandoned.

I also loved Ogam, the son of Eang and the god of winter, his interactions with Hessa were so juicy. There isn't a romance in this book, but I could seriously feel the sexual tension between them!! I also love complicated family dynamics and Ogam and Eang had a very interesting relationship.

The book also looks at grief, as Hessa has lost everyone she cares about, the quieter pace lends itself well to reflection and you can really see Hessa's frustations and anger as how she chooses to express her grief.

I enjoyed the writing in this one, the atmosphere was so vivid and immersive. At times I did get a little lost, I feel like this may come from the fact it is a debut and the writing could be a bit tighter, as sometimes there was a sense of meandering. However having said this I did like how the plot felt quite meandering and it felt like going on a journey, almost like a walk through a forest on an early winter day.

The book has a pretty explosive start and then after that the pace is fairly gentle, I feel like it was a very enjoyable type of slow pace, having lots of time to get to know Hessa as a character and learn about the drama between the gods. It did take me a little while to get invested in the story, it took me about 20% but I feel like it's one of those books that slowly worms its way into your heart.

Overall a really solid standalone fantasy debut, especially if you enjoy gods meddling in human buisness and a great resilient female protagonist who learns to take her fate into her own hands and to fight for what she truly believes in.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange of an honest review*

Hessa is an Eangi, a warrior priestess of the Goddess of War, Eang. She disobeyed one of her Goddess’s command to kill a traveller and she is thus banished and must pray for forgiveness alone on the mountain. While she is gone, her village is raided by the enemy and destroy the Eangi priesthood. Becoming the last Eangi, Hessa must find the traveller and do her Goddess’s command to atone herself and regain her place in the High Halls with her love ones in the afterlife. While she is trying to redeem herself, she encounters many enemies, including Gods of the New World or the Old One and demons who have escaped their chains. With each of her prayers unanswered, Hessa begins to doubt her Goddess and her loyalty weakens.

I loved this! This is a Viking-inspired world and the world building is great. I loved the Gods, they are real, they can take human forms and give you powers. Theses powers although confused me sometimes. I loved the facts that yes, they are real, and they bring uncertainty and doubt into Hessa’s life. If her Goddess is real, and is the Goddess of War, why did she let some things happened or is she not helping her last Eangi? I loved to see Hessa trying to do the right things but always being questioned about her faith, by herself or the characters she encountered. I loved to see her evolve.

This book offer no romance, I really thought it would go there at some point but I am happy it did not. The relationship between the two characters was more like siblings than lovers and I love this. It is refreshing. I also like how fierce, determined and independent Hessa was. This girl, this warrior, doesn’t need a man to save her, or help her. I love the conflicts between the gods and how it changes important things for the human world.

This is a standalone but I heard there might be some possibility for another book in this world. Maybe not a direct sequel. I personally think the book itself ends well and doesn’t need a sequel but I wouldn’t say no to something else in this world, somewhere else with others characters. Or a before, like with the Gods of the New World and the one from the Old. That would be interesting.

Wow. This was a phenomenal read. Such incredible characterisation and rich world building. The plot was slowly woven together in a way that kept me intrigued the whole time and made for an explosive ending. Hessa was a fascinating MC to follow, and I really enjoyed the exploration of religion and questioning ones ideals through her eyes. The greatest asset of this story was the perfect balance between a face-paced and compelling narrative and the slow unveiling a complex and unique world. Couldn't recommend highly enough!

Sometimes a small action can have the biggest consequences We all know the idea of a butterfly creating a hurricane but consider how history is filled with small events that had huge consequences. One storm wiping out a Spanish Armada, one assassination that created WW1 small pebbles can trigger huge avalanches if the environment is right. This really struck me in the stunning standalone epic fantasy novel Hall of Smoke by H M long where an act of hospitality brings about disgrace, death and eventually a huge war that involves the gods themselves.

Hessa is an Eangi – effectively a mix of warrior and priestess with both fierce fighting skills but also a magical ability that can both heal wounds and boil an enemy’s bones – gifted to her by her Goddess Eang. Hessa has for a long time been marked for great things and had promised her High Priestess to kill one particular man should he ever cross her path. However, a simple act of hospitality to a stranger ends up with Hessa in exile when it is revealed the recent unusual visitor to her village was the man who her Goddess has marked for death. No sooner has Hessa left her village to try and find spiritual forgiveness than she finds her village attacked and her family murdered by the rival Algatt people. Captured by her enemies she finds the land in turmoil as another powerful group the Arpa Empire is itself apparently invading the North as well. Balancing trying to save her remaining people, trying to find why a man named Omaskat must be killed by her and discover what exactly the Gods of the world are up to.

This is a fantastic bit of storytelling and I loved the way the story unpeels like an onion skin to show a huge epic storyline that some writers would drag over many books while here Long expertly tells a single tale that delivers wonderful worldbuilding, action, magic, and compelling characters. Initially I was thinking this would be a simple action-based fantasy tale but here the Gods of the various lands are themselves active and present characters in the tale; appearing in front of their believers and occasionally having huge magical battles with one another. Long has created a pantheon that doesn’t replicate any existing religion but allows various entities taking familiar shapes such as the Goddess of War herself. These immortals are a mixed bunch – some to fear, some to support and some who do not care and as they’re unique to the book we don’t know who we can really trust. As we understand these factions more, we see that what appeared a simple tale of someone seeking revenge is actually going to be the finale for a millennia old conflict. Can’t say much more than that but I loved this dimension to the story giving it a truly epic feel.

I also loved Hessa our narrator – she is a warrior. She thinks of battle and is highly skilled in it and after losing her village initially she feels guilt and grief. As the story develops though Long actually challenges Hessa’s worldviews as she starts to see both her Gods and her enemies in different lights. Hessa wants to do the right thing; her soul and place in the afterlife may be at risk yet she is not some religion fixated zealot she reacts to new information and makes moral choices. An honourable warrior really stands out especially as the various scheming Gods start to show they view humanity as tools not someone to cherish. Here the use of first-person narration really works as we see these internal battles between loyalty and honour playing out in every decision she takes and sometimes even the right call will hurt her. We feel the pain of her grief, but she continually dusts herself of and does what needs to be done. In epic tales it is easy to get lost in politics and intrigue but Hessa stays the moral centre of the story that we invest in and ultimately, she drives the story.

The final elements to discuss are how Long has adapted ideas from Norse and Roman periods to create a familiar yet still very different land. Legionnaires crossing mountains; the Gods gaining and waning in popularity all make this seem a fractured land and helpfully Long allows us some time to explore what each faction is and none is entirely innocent. This is a tale with a lot of intrigue (human and divine) and working out what is going on is a key mystery to solve. But when conflict arises, we see as well as some fast frenetic (but expertly told battles scenes and unusually we also get some warriors with magic, including Hessa herself. It adds unpredictability as to what each group’s abilities may be and I loved how each encounter has consequences for the cast. Even Hessa’s self-healing can’t fix everything in a hurry. But there is an unusual exploration of the power of gods that as the story builds brings in other magical abilities to allow human versus immortal to be less unfair than you’d think.

This was the kind of story I stayed up way too late to finish which is always a good sign! Already I think this may be one of the most impressive fantasy debuts in 2021 and H M Long is clearly an accomplished storyteller. Fantasy fans who enjoy creative worldbuilding, supernatural intrigue and fantastic battles should be queuing up for this one as I will be watching for future stories with a lot of interest. Highly recommended

Thank you so much, NetGalley and Titan Books, for the chance to read and review this book!

Hessa is an Eangi, a warrior priestess of the Goddess of War, able to turn an enemy's bones to dust with a scream, but since she refused to kill a traveller, she's banished and prayes for forgiveness away and alone. In her absence, raiders raze her village, making her the last Eangi. Alone and grief-stricken, Hessa is determined to find the traveller she's spared and atone for her weakness, securing her place in the High Halls and to win back her goddess' favour. Hessa has to battling against soldiers, gods and demons, while struggling with her own faith, since her gods are dying and her prayers unaswered. Between gods of the New and Old world, Hessa has to understand what's happening, beside trying to secure a life in the afterlife. Because something much bigger is brewing and it will change everything.

Hall of smoke is a compelling and amazing epic fantasy, set in a complex and intriguing worldbuilding, between gods and demons, revenge and prayers, justice and redemption. Hessa one of the best main character I've ever read. Brilliant, strong, stubborn, while navigating her own grief and redemption, while trying to understand what else is going on and what's on the line. She's a warrior priestess and she's a delight to read and follow in this book, full of plot twists, captivating situations and a worldbuilding you will fall in love right away.
The writing style is brilliant, the characters well written and crafted and the story is so interesting it's impossible to put down.

I totally recommend this book to...basically everyone! Because it's so amazing, thrilling and fascinating I'm sure you all will love it right away|

A fascinating debut. High stakes, great world building, incredibly developed characters. I can't wait to see more from HM Long.

This is one terrific book! Hall of Smoke is an intense read filled with grief, violence, and action sequences. It is a story of the survival and faith of humans stuck in between gods' war.

I never expected to like this book. I’m surprised that I liked it. Epic fantasy novels concentrate on building the world, characters, and action scenes first and then the plot. Hall of Smoke was no different. It was slow, but it was worth it in the end. It started off as a tragedy but ended differently. There were so many charred bodies, death everywhere, which made the pain and turmoil in Hessa palpable. She was resilient till the end and never bowed to any other God besides Eang. She chose whom she wanted to follow in the end. She never became an Eangi by her choice, so that decision was crucial to her. I would recommend this book to those who love reading fantasy stories, especially Epic/High fantasy novels.

Thank you, Titan Books, NetGalley, and the author for this eARC.

OMG! I loved this book so much! From the beginning I fell in love with the main character, Hessa, and her world. It reminds me of The unspoken name by A. K. Larkwood. Definitely one of my favourite books so far.

The story is absorbing, you’re stuck in its pages till you find the ending. The Viking inspiration gives an unique note to the story. It’s something new, something fresh, something unexpected. The plot is unpredictable, while Hessa is questioning her faith, you are trying to solve the mystery. But trust me, it’s useless!

It was a great adventure and I can’t wait to read more books by the author. Thank you TitanBooks and H. M. Long for the amazing opportunity to have this book on my bookshelves.

I received a copy of this book from netgalley in exchange for my unbiased review, here it goes:


I admit I started this after a book hangover from a different series, which makes it difficult to move on. I was a little weary because I’ve reviewed copies of books with what seemed a good plot but poor execution. This is not one.

Hessa is a good person, gnats the best way to describe her. She wants to be loyal to her god in any way imaginable but yet fails in one aspect, but that’s not a bad thing she finds out later on. She travels the world dealing with enemy camps, soldiers, creatures, and things that shouldn’t exist. But along the way she discovers things about herself, her enemies, and her god. Things were not as they seemed.

I stayed up the remainder of my night last night to finish this because the last half really pills you in. The only part I sometimes got confused about was all the gods and goddesses, but it didn’t hinder my enjoying the book at all. The way it ended made me want to throw my kindle but I just stared at it in surprise that it ended the way it did and now I shall anxiously away the next one.