Hall of Smoke follows Hessa, a warrior priestess who is atoning for her mistakes when her village is attacked, as one of the only survivors, Hessa’s journey to redeem her mistake and kill the man she was supposed to leads her to answers she does not expect.

I did enjoy the concept of the book; I liked the setting and world that the book was set in and there were a lot of interesting characters throughout including various gods/goddess’. I just found the writing style was not for me, the book was really hard to read – it was way more descriptive than I thought it would be and although I liked the world building at the start, I felt like the way everything was always described made the book drag on and a longer read than it needed to be. The first half of the book was hard to get into because the main character is constantly moving around, there is not enough time to get to know the new characters and process the information before she moves on, it was very repetitive and dragged out.

The second half was better, I liked the action scenes and the reveals that the main character uncovered however I do still think that the book dealt with way too much. So much goes on in the book and yet because of the slow pace it seems like you have learned very little about what is going on, the ending itself felt really rushed and was disappointing – I expected it to be more dramatic with the way it was build up and yet hardly anything happened before things got resolved.

3/5

Thank you Titan for the review copy. All opinions are my own.

A fantastical high fantasy adventure with a magical warrior and the gods that rule this realm.

WHAT’S IT ABOUT?
Hessa is an Eangi – A warrior that worships the Goddess of War that gives her powers to kill her enemy with a scream.

While banished for disobeying her goddess decree to murder a stranger, her village is razed to the ground. Hessa must strive to win back her goddess favor. Through her journey she learns that the gods are dying and her trust within her goddess starts to fade, she is caught between a battle between the old gods and the new.

WHY SHOULD YOU READ IT?
A heart pounding quick read, the pace does not let down as Hessa goes from one part of things to another in this story. I really enjoyed watching this novel unfold, the story had many layers and questions that needed answered.

The only concern I had is that I felt I wasn’t given the time to properly come to connect with Hessa before being thrust into the chaos. I did feel the god aspects were interesting but again, it was hard to fall in the middle of this story without context. Maybe a map at the beginning would have been helpful but I felt lost sometimes.

I would of enjoyed a slower build up about her and her life. I felt the style was more not really to my taste but the concept was enjoyable and the many aspects of the world were fascinating.

A must read for epic/high fantasy readers that love adventures. A great new voice in epic fantasy.

Rating: 3.5
Hall of Smoke by H.M Long
Standalone
Publish Date: 19 January 2021
Cover Rating: 7/10
Adult – Fantasy - Adventure

A viking-inspired world reminiscent of Skyrim, a fierce Xena-esque warrior-priestess capable of melting her opponent's bones with her power, and a brooding war between an old and new generation of gods.

What's not to be intrigued by? Sign me up, point me to the nearest monastery. This was a wild ride.

I mean ride, literally. 80% of this book is travelling.

Hessa of the Eangi is a devoted zealot of the Goddess of War. She was tasked with killing a man for reasons unknown, and her failure at the beginning of the book is the impetus for her banishment and subsequent quest for redemption. She travels around her homeland, running into friends and enemies alike, of the human and god variety, in search of this one mysterious man whom she may kill to please her goddess. Along the way, she comes to understand, and to explain to the reader in detailed exposition, the complex politics of her homeland and the new wave of dogma threatening everything she knows about her religion.

The structure of this tale is very loose and linear and may deter folks who enjoy a traditional plot structure. There is a lot of meeting people, leaving, coming back, getting familiar with characters who then leave just as characterization was starting to form. The development of Hessa's relationships to other people doesn't really get the chance to take root in anyone particular.

That aside, this story is action packed. Combat sequences are aplenty, very convincing, and well articulated. Hessa is a stoic, admirable heroine with her own insecurities to work through, and watching her redemption arc was satisfying. The world itself is unique and feels solidified by the lore, though at times the exposition feels unnecessarily heavy handed.

Would highly recommend to lovers of a viking inspired story.

Thank you to netgalley for providing a digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

The cover of this book and the description of a viking-like world was what initially drew me to this book.
I thought it was quite enjoyable. The world was rich and the main character was constantly driven by something. However, I have to say that I personally didn't really connect with her in the beginning. Because of this the first half of the book was a bit too slow for my liking and not as interesting. At one point it also felt repetitive with all the travel elements and I was slowly losing interest. Luckily, the second half of the book breathed life back into the plot! The reveales and the plot twists were all well executed. Hessa even grew on me a bit at this point, so I was more invested in her story.

Overall, I'd say that this was a good read and if you really love rich worlds, filled with magic and with a huge cast of gods, then I'd definitely recommend this one!

This book started out super strong. I was hooked in the beginning but then it just slowly tapered off for me.

The story with the gods, the new and old, the mortal yet undying gods was really interesting but I just could not connect with the characters.

It felt like there were so many different plot lines and different things happening all at once that I struggled to keep them all straight in my head.

The middle was a lull for me. Lots of traveling and meeting people, more gods, and their backstories, and honestly, I just didn't find myself caring.

The end picked back up and I liked how the last few chapters wrapped everything up.

The writing was really good I just don't think this was one for me, but it was still really good especially if you are a fan of Vikings!

Hessa is a warrior preistess who serves the goddess Eang, who finds herself caught in the middle of the growing tensions between the gods as something old begins to stir and destablise the pantheon.
I was gripped from the first pages, and rapidly drawn into this brilliantly-built world of epic fantasy. Hessa is a compelling narrator, and while this does mean that as a reader we only know as much as she does (which can sometimes mean that aspects of the plot are a little confusing, as Hessa is herself unclear as to what is happening), it also means that we are taken through her story feeling a creeping anticipation build and build as it goes on, as Hessa becomes more and more aware of just how high the stakes are, and she begins to question that which she had previously taken as gospel.
I found this to be an incredibly satisfying read. The world-building is engaging and detailed, the characters - primary and secondary - are well-crafted, each with their own individulal character flaws and merits which make them particularly compelling. This is a thoroughly enjoyable read, and set in a world which I would love to revisit. Fantastic escapism.

Hessa is an Eangi priestess, a worshipper of Eang - the Goddess of War, and a soldier in her army. Ever since she was young, Hessa has been tasked with one very important task - to kill a traveller with golden eyes. When she fails to complete thisbtask, she is banished by her people.

The story starts with Hessa making an arduous journey to Eang's shrine to beg forgiveness at the Goddess's feet or face her wrath. While she is in exile, Hessa's town is attacked and destroyed by the enemies. She soon discovers that the entire region of Eangen settlement has been obliterated by the enemy soldiers and by the cruel twist of fate, she is now the only warrior of Eang left alive.

In order to make things right and exact revenge, Hessa sets out to search the golden eyed traveller and finish her task once and for all. On her journey, Hessa encounters several Gods and demigods and uncovers some vicious secrets that were buried ages ago. Things are not what they seem. The Goddess that she grew up believing in, is not exactly who she portrays to be. Dark powers are rising in the North, there's a war brewing amongst the Old Gods and the New Gods and Hessa finds herself stuck right in the middle of the power politics.

While this book had a promising premise, I found myself getting confused by the progression of plot. I kept having more and more questions about why certain events were happening the way they were, and the direction in which the story was headed, and I was not getting the answers to these questions from the storyline. To me, random things seemed to be happening at random times. There was no smoothness to the continuity of the story.

There were many times when Hessa is shown to grieve her family and friends who were slaughtered by the enemy. As a reader, I could not connect to her pain. Because I felt that I was not given proper understanding of the depth of the relationship between Hessa and her family. Ofcourse there were some flashbacks. But it wasn't enough for me to actually grieve their loss in the story. For me they were simply some vague side characters who were killed off right at the start of the book. This made me feel very disconnected from the emotional aspects of the story. Infact there were many such occassions in the storyline where I found that I did not care about the MC's emotions.

Coming back to the plot, till almost 70% in the book, I had no idea what was happening or why it was happening or where the story would go. It was a jumble in my mind. Upto this point, throughout the story, the characters were just randomly doing some things, and to me as a reader, it did not make any sense as to how that was relevant to the overall story.
Eg - Hessa wants to kill the golden eyed traveller. But Why? What's his relevance to the plot? We are not shown or told any of this until much much later!

We do get all the clarifications in the last quarter of the book and the pace picks up a lot. Things get more interesting after this point and the stakes are higher. I personally enjoyed the last 1/4th part more. But the first 3/4th part of the book was a struggle for me. I had to push myself to get through it.

Hessa, as a MC is very solid and strong. It was really amazing to see her grow into her role and make her own decisions.She is smart and courageous and does not back out from doing the right thing. Even though she was faced against Gods and creatures stronger than, both physically and mentally, she did not waver and stood her ground. I liked the fact that there is not much attention given to romace in this book, the story does not require it.

The ending, if not surprising, is well executed and satisfactory. Some parts of it were obvious, but it was well written and answered all my questions that were bothering me right from the start of the book.

Overall I will say that this was a solid read.

Why don't we have more Viking/Norse inspired fantasy??

Hall of Smoke by H M Long is here to change that! It takes the Percy-Jackson-esque concept of a pantheon of fallible gods who insert themselves into human affairs, and puts a Nordic twist on it. Our protagonist is young but fearsome Hessa, a warrior who worships the Goddess of War. As we meet her, she has failed a task set for her by her goddess Eang, and is desperately seeking redemption. But something is afoot with the gods themselves, and the closer Hessa gets to the task she has been set, the more she has to start questioning everything she's ever been taught about the world and her god.

This novel has questing, a complex society and system of faiths, warriors, battles between both humans and deities, raw magics, as well as an exploration of Hessa's grief and loneliness. I liked the way her grief was depicted - sometimes fantasy stories can be a bit like "oh, person I love is dead... oh well, quest time!" Not here. Hessa's grief is a tangible thing and her sense of being alone in the world feels stark and realistic. There is also no romance aspect to this story, which sets it apart from a lot of other fantasy.

I did find the middle section of the book fairly slow moving, falling into the typical Tolkein-esque "travelling" trope so common in fantasy, however the ending comes in with a bang and some epic battle scenes and shifting allegiances. Hessa is alone for much of her journey and although she forms some alliances/friendships, I did kind of miss the relationship and character building you find in other stories. Overall though, I'd have to say I really enjoyed this book. It was fresh, epic, unique and heartfelt. I loved the brutal Norse inspired world and gods, and I found the ending satisfying. If you enjoy a gods and humans type of story and love the idea of a Nordic setting, I definitely think this book is worth checking out.

I’ve never been entirely enamored with Norse mythology. Or at least, I’ve never been exposed to it in a way that has subsumed me in the ways that Greek mythology has permeated a lot of western pop culture. When I get snippets, there is a small part of me that begins to crave, but I never fully take the plunge. Sure, I know few of the names of the gods, along with several denizens of their bestiary, but it’s not ingrained in my psyche like the Greek myths. So when I saw a debut author releasing a Norse inspired fantasy, I just had to put on the Dark Horse list. Hall of Smoke, by H.M. Long, despite it’s rocky start, is a worthy read with the feel of a legend in the making.

The story follows the Eangi warrior priestess Hessa in her journey to earn back her goddess’ favor. Hessa recently fell out of Eang’s grace by not killing a traveller that stayed within her temple, as she was ordered to do. Hessa was just following hearth law, so the visitor came and went. While Hessa was waiting for a sign from Eang to know how to gain back her favor, Eang sent the very subtle omen of having her home village raided and burned down by a band of Algatt warriors. Her husband was killed and the survivors were enslaved, her goddess nowhere in sight. Hessa tries to fight back with what little fire of Eang she had within her, but she is ultimately captured herself. Hessa herself is then sold to Omaskat, the man her god demanded she kill. In a scuffle she breaks free, is whisked away by a river miles away from her home with only one goal in mind, vengeance.

There was a lot I like about this book, but before I get to that, I do want to address the main issue I ran into while trying to get into the story. The first third of the book was a slog for me. Generally, this is somewhat a me issue, since I generally dislike straight forward first person perspectives, but I just didn’t find Hessa all that compelling on her own. She’s a bit narrow minded and blind to the world around her beyond her duties to the Goddess Eang and preparing for the annual raiding parties by nearby tribes. It makes sense, but I just found it hard to care for the struggles she was facing. It didn’t help that a lot of her internal monologue felt very repetitive. The aspect I did enjoy the most about this time in the book was Long’s description of the environment. However, once the reader experiences the Gods Hessa has to contend with, the story kicks off and Hessa truly begins her journey.

Hessa really starts to shine once she encounters Nisien at a place known as Oulden’s Feet, named for the god of the Soulderni people. Here she has to contend with someone outside her village, and learn more about their ways. Nisien works as a good foil because he’s seen a lot of the world, since he used to be an auxiliary in the Arpa (similar to the Roman Empire) army. I particularly liked that meeting someone who was not a raider of her lands, and being cared for by them doesn’t really seem to change her, as much as it allows her to open up. Not long after meeting Nisien, the pantheon of Gods within Hall begins their parade, and what a parade it is. Long’s Norse themed gods were a delight, and the story she weaves within her tale is filled with nice twists and turns fueled by Hessa’s choices and the whims of the gods. Ogam, the son of Eang and Winter (yeah, THE WINTER) steals the show every time he shows up. He has an unmatched charisma and bravado that really sets him apart from the other humans and gods Hessa encounters. Every encounter she has with something in the world feels meaningful in a mythical way, and it became fun to just explore the land with her while she tries to carry out her mission of revenge.

The land itself feels alive and breathing. Obviously, there are many gods, and each one seems to have their own tribes of people worshipping them and carrying out their will in the mortal realm. There are conflicts spurned by belief, as much as there is acceptance in their existence. There is an ebb and flow to the land and the people that Long portrays quite well, even as it starts to fall apart. The regions felt solid, but breathable as if most of the people didn’t recognize any sort of borders (except for the Arpans) beyond their particular villages and places of worship. There is a map at the end of my copy, but personally, I think Long captures the feeling of knowing the land, without the map. There are places that Hessa feels comfortable in, and there are places that are mythical to her, even though they are not hundreds and hundreds of miles away. I truly felt transported to another world where the vastness of the world had yet to be realized by the people you were engaged with and it was magical.

Long has written a solid debut. Sure it has a rocky start, but if you stick with the story just a little bit, it will definitely be worth it. The descriptions of the land, and the people who inhabit it are fun and mesmerizing. The mythology is a blast in it’s own right, and Hessa’s journey through it truly is fantastic. I didn’t even get into how enjoyable the action scenes were, but I was honestly more impressed with the rest of the book. It is Hessa’s story, and Long does an admirable job of making the revelations feel like they are hers and not just an expansion of the world. If you are at all interested in Norse inspired fantasy, I definitely recommend you check out Hall of Smoke.

Rating: Hall of Smoke – 7.5/10
-Alex

After finding her life in ruins and being captured by enemy raiders, she is determined to fulfill her destiny and kill Omaskat. When her first attempt fails, she finds herself in the southern country of Souldern and begins the journey back to the North with the help of Euweth and her son Nisien.

Long builds an expansive world spanning several dimensions. Each country (Arpa, Algatt, Eangen and Souldern) worships a different pantheon of very tangible deities that regularly interact with their subjects. In this world it's inconceivable that a person doesn't have a god to look to, as that's the only way for their soul to move on after death.
Personally, I love stories where deities are actual characters and Hall of Smoke didn't disappoint. Eang is powerful but she's also selfish and very human in her fears and betrayals, while other deities have their own strengths, flaws and motivations that impact Hessa's quest.

Tradition dominates the human side of the world, shaped largely around the worship of each pantheon. Hessa's people are semi-nomadic, like the Algatt and Souldern whereas the Arpa span an empire with vast cities and an ordered army. Each country is wary of others, with Hessa regarding the Arpa and Algatt in particular as enemies.

It's a world steeped in blood and violence. All the pantheons demand blood sacrifices (both human and animal) from their worshippers, while most countries are at war. The Algatt raid Eangen on a yearly bases, the Arpa seek to conquer the continent while the Soulderni pay tithes to maintain peace with their neighbours. When the book begins, the Algatt have been pushed out of the mountains into Eangen by the Arpa who are slaughtering their way through the region.

Long tells Hessa's story in 1st person POV which allows us to experience her grief and determination alongside her. As a character, Hessa is singularly focused on her mission for the first half of the book, with doubts creeping in as the story progresses. She holds her traditions dear but finds herself opening up to others as she travels with different groups. Hessa is a very strong character, with many layers to her that this book only begins to uncover. She's also a very lonely character. Despite travelling with various groups, her interactions with other characters barely go past surface level.

However, it's obvious that Long put as much love into her secondary characters as she did Hessa. Each has their own backstory and motivations, making them more than just a story prop and I would've liked to experience more of them.

Her care in writing also extends to the story itself. While Hall of Smoke is character driven book, the action is well written and well placed to spur the plot along. The fight scenes are vivid and dynamic without being overwhelming. The descriptions are elaborate but not flowery while the world building happens in bursts or through conversations which keeps the info dumping to a welcome minimum.

Hessa also spends most of the book travelling. Through her, we experience the geography of her continent, the topography of the land, even the plants and animals that she encounters. Long describes a lot of these scenes in detail, which slows the pace down and contrasts with the action scenes. Coupled with Hessa's inability to connect with most other characters, it made large parts of the book slow to get through despite the good writing.

Overall I enjoyed the book. Hall of Smoke by H. M. Long is a tale of grief and redemption that invites its readers to question what they know of this world at every turn. It's a good book, and a valiant debut from an author I will be looking out for.

I was excited to see that this was written by a Canadian author. I thought I would love it, but I didn’t’. The beginning was just okay. It seemed to drag a bit, I felt no real connection to the characters and it wasn’t all that interesting. The middle it picked up and I was ready to put off my dislike to just a slow start. I enjoyed the middle, there was action and it moved. The ending ruined it for me. I didn’t like Hessa’s choices. Hessa’s character flipped back and forth to much for me with her values. Overall I didn’t really find any connection to any of the characters. None of them had much depth, and Hessa was even off for me. I liked the different gods and their different involvements in the the story. I liked the world it was set in, although I wish it was a little more developed. I didn’t actually dislike Hessa to the end and that was more to do with that I didn’t like the ending. I think this book had a lot of potential, but it didn’t quite do it for me,

Español/English

Hall of smoke es un libro de fantasía con una inspiración interesante en la mitología griega, con dioses nuevos que derrocan a los anteriores. Hessa, nuestra protagonista, es una Eangi, es decir, pertenece a una orden de guerreros sacerdotes que sirven a su diosa Eang y protegen a su gente, los Eangen. El libro inicia con Hessa buscando el perdón de su diosa por no haber cumplido con su misión, matar a un viajero llamado Omaskat. A las pocas páginas, su vida da un giro de 180° y se verá arrastrada a una lucha entre dioses.

Hessa es una protagonista femenina fuerte que posee el don del Fuego de Eang, el poder que les da la diosa a sus Eangi, que les permite afectar los cuerpos de sus atacantes así como curar sus propias heridas, pero el cual tiene también un precio en su uso. No es una Eangi "perfecta", ni la más querida de su pueblo, y eso la lleva a cuestionarse su misión. ¿Por qué es tan importante que ella sea la encargada de matar a Omaskat?

Es un libro cargado de acción, traiciones y lealtades, personajes oscuros y grises, que te tienen en vilo durante toda la novela.

Me gustó que no haya romance y que la protagonista deba lidiar con el dolor de perder a su familia y amistades a mano de los Algatt a lo largo del libro. También el final me pareció muy bueno y acertada la decisión de la autora de que sea solo un libro. Está todo en la medida justa. Me encantó!

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Hall of Smoke is a fantasy book with an interesting inspiration in Greek mythology, with new gods that overthrow the old ones. Hessa, our protagonist, is an Eangi, that means that she belongs to an order of war priests that serve their goddess Eang and protect their people, the Eangen. The book begins with Hessa looking for the forgiveness of her goddess for not having fulfilled her mission, killing a traveler called Omaskat. At the few pages, her life gives a turn of 180° and she will be dragged into a fight between gods.

Hessa is a strong female protagonist who poses the gift of Eang's Fire, the power that gives the goddess to their Eangi, which allows them to affect the bodies of their attackers as well as cure their own wounds, but which also has a price in their use. She is not an "perfect" Eangi, nor the most dear to her people, and that leads her to question her mission. Why is it so important that she is responsible for killing Omaskat?

It is a book full of action, betrayals and loyalties, dark and gray characters, which have you with a lot of expectation throughout the novel. I liked that there is no romance and that the protagonist should deal with the pain to lose her family and friendships by the Algatt. Also the end of the book is great and I like that there is only one book, because the autor explains everything you need to know. I loved it!

Excellent writing, stories, and characters, I think this is a great novel for YA readers who want to dip their toes into adult fantasy. Worldbuilding was enjoyable enough, though at times I did feel the pace lacked. However, as this is technically an adult novel, I feel there is more leeway there. Hessa was a frustrating character at times, as I felt I did not quite "get," her, but overall, she was solidly fleshed out. Looking forward to seeing where this author goes!

To start this review, I need to talk about that first chapter. I had no expectations going into this book, so the fantastic writing immediately impressed me. It was descriptive and introduced the character and world beautifully. I can honestly say that I knew from page one that this was going to be a brilliant book and I was right.

While the main character didn't have an incredibly striking personalty, she still managed to stand out from the other characters and came across really well from the start. I liked her throughout and felt immediately invested in her story and relationships. I also enjoyed how she was married, and that there weren't any love interests in this book.

I genuinely loved how unsure I was of where the story was going. There were many occasions where I had to put down the book and swear a few times before I was ready to keep going. This book is not predictable in the slightest, I loved how every page surprised me with another twist or dramatic ending to a chapter.

The writing was so visual, I always had a clear mental picture of what was going on in a scene. The author didn't miss any opportunity to fill us in on the world's deep and complex history. The plot relied heavily on the world building, and sometimes I did feel a bit lost at what was going on. There were also lots of characters that kept dropping in and out of the story. It took me about half the book to finally understand who everyone was. But I'm awful with names so the fact that I struggled is most likely due to me not the book.

Sometimes the pace felt a bit off. I think this might be down to have fast the story moved at times. About halfway through it fell into a rut and I was worried it would go downhill from there, but it quickly picked back up and got stuck into the action.

Overall, this book wasn't perfect, but I really enjoyed it! There was so much action, complex world building and strong female characters. This book is due to be published on the 19th of January.
Thank you so much to Titan books for sending me an ARC of this book.

This is an epic fantasy and a perfect escape the world kind of read. Single POV- which is refreshing as many recently published books have 2 or more. Such good world building- culture, history, and religion. Interesting main characters. I've been a sucker for Priestesses due to JR Ward and Tamora Pierce, and our main character fits the bill.

I always wanted to dabble in the ARCs world and I thought that 2021 was going to be the year I tried, I put this book on my TBR because of the cover last year and I was so happy to see that it was available via NetGalley for request, therefore, thank you, Titan Books for giving me a chance.

This book was received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

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I always had a problem getting into Norse Mythology of most kinds, I don't recall consuming any piece of related entertainment and loving it. To be fair, I had no idea that this book has a lore or setting that is inspired by it, but I found myself drawn into it in a way I didn't expect.

One of the main reasons as to why this is a thing would be the impressive story of struggle H. M. Long has our main character experience. Thinking something, and then discovering that it might not be as it seems and the difficulties that come with it are really testing. Couple that with the fact that the entirety of this book is a redefinition of everything Hessa knows and I knew that there will be so many surprises down the line.

That is why I applaud a few of the choice Ms. Long made when writing the book, the first of these is the journey format. I personally love journeys because I can get to see the world with the characters, learn alongside of them and see how far I can get immersed in it. Hall of Smoke makes it easy to do so because the majority of it is a journey that's riddled with questions and new places, and I loved that. It made it so much easier to get acquainted with the names, entities and the rules of their world because of the many stops I made with Hessa along the way.

Add to that the fusion of lore with the storytelling and how important it is to everything and the world becomes really rich. It's Norse inspired, not copy pasted, so despite the culture or setting being very heavily norse-ish, the entities in it be it Gods or monsters were unique to this world. The bigger the pantheon got, the more interesting everything else in it got as well, the reason I like seeing applications of this in stories would be the governed elements. I like powerful characters and I like it even more if they are somewhat unique in what they can do or affect which I got in this book.

If you've been in the fantasy world for a while, no story will ever be 100% unique and that is never a reason to put it down, as the execution would be the one to make it or break it. I personally think that she nailed it with this one. There is an impending doom, there is a huge struggle and there are many elements that shifts the road in different directions despite the main goal of saving her people remaining the same. Yes, even the main goal has other things to it that grow the farther we get into the book, but it just pulled me in by then instead of deter me.

Secondly, the choice of making Hessa an average protagonist. She's got the power of being a priestess worshiping her Goddess, but she's not this overly impressive or insanely strong character who can seemingly get through anything with minimal efforts. Au contraire, there are many instances in the book where she had to think smart, sneaky or with a survival mentality just to get out of terrible situations which I found to be really fun.

She's constantly in this battle vs her limits, her faith and her ideals and it honestly felt that she's stretched out too thinly at any given moment. Which brings me to the third choice, the journey being solitary. I have not read many stories where the journey by the protagonist is taken primarily alone, even though they do meet some people and try to forge bonds along the way. Hessa is not used to being alone in anything so seeing her being put in that situation, and she's hating every minute of it while moving forward was just fantastic.

It might be a bit harsh, but I hoped that she stays alone for as long as possible. Solo journeys are so scarce as is, that I just wished for it so much a few chapters through and H. M. Long delivered.

The final choice I enjoyed about this book was the utter lack of romance. Because of the amount of things happening, the struggles Hessa has to go through and the many revelations, there isn't a time where a romance plot line could come in, be well established and actually end up being more than insta-lovey which, as a hater of the romance genre, made my own heart swell in affection at the more than appropriate exclusion of that genre. To be fair, calling it exclusion wouldn't be accurate either, but that's spoiler-y and as a passing comment to it's existence, I'll take that way over any sappy romance any day of the year.

absolutely, loved this book and I can't wait for her next work, which is seemingly coming in 2022!!

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I'm currently also playing Assassin's Creed: Valhalla and the settings and feel are so incredibly similar to each other that if one impresses, the other most likely will too.

The higher your expectations the harder you fall. Vikings? What more could I want? But then the gods had to control most the plot, and I have a thing against gods and humans mingling in books (I don’t even know why, it just drives me crazy). And then there wasn’t any romance (which is fine, but a little disappointing for me). And the plot went all over the place with tons of tangents I couldn’t keep track of. And then I decided to speed read and I couldn’t read fast enough.

Hessa can turn people to dust with a scream, a special ability she has as Eangi, a priestess for the Goddess of War. She can't bring herself to kill a stranger on command and is sent away to repent. This means she's the only one that isn't in the temple when her village is razed. Different clans and legionnaires are trying to take over the land, and Hessa has to carve a path of revenge and redemption. Along the way she realizes that the gods are dying, the High Halls of the afterlife might not be there, and her prayers go unheeded. In addition, older gods exist, and are starting to wake up.

In this world of different tribes and people dedicating themselves to different gods, Eang is a merciless one. She's the goddess of War and gives the power of fire to her priestesses, but expects them to kill on command without giving a reason for it. Those who don't do this immediately are seen as weak, so Hessa believes that the loss of her village and the fact that she's the only priestess left is because she didn't kill the traveler she had been commanded to in a vision. The Algatt razed her village in their journeys south, selling the survivors into slavery; their own lands were being overtaken in the same way, and this is worse than the raids that had occurred back and forth for generations beforehand. The gods the people worship don't come when called all the time and don't always give the powers that they promised to their priests and priestesses. This allows the Old Gods to come and sow discord, threatening those they call the New Gods; Eang is afraid of them and what they herald, which in turn frightens Hessa.

Hessa eventually learns why her people were targeted, what the Fire is, and why other people are on the move. There is a war between the Old Gods and the New, and those that came even before them. Mortals like Hessa are caught up in it and treated as little more than playthings, a realization that leaves her bitter and unsure where her allegiance lies. She still cares for her people, and other villages that might've escaped the Algatt slaughter are held essentially hostage by the Arpa forces and their reverence for their own god, who they believe is stronger and the primary god of all. With gods able to walk the world, possess humans and bind or kill each other, these are all weighty questions for Hessa to think about, especially when she doesn't know her place in these plans. She starts off as an ignorant pawn, after all, but this changes as time goes on.

I found it a little difficult to connect with Hessa at first. She was so determined to push away the people she loved because she thought she had to be punished and then out of fear that the death was all her fault. It's when she starts connecting to others that I feel more of a connection to her, and I'm caught up in the quest she is on and the fate she has to fulfill. Because there are so many characters, each with their own agenda, I'm soon sucked into it, hoping to figure out the truth and where the story will go. It's not quite where I thought it would be, but it's a massive story peopled by gods and those pretending to be gods, and in the end, it's about friendship and love and trying to create a better world to live in.

This book was amazing. It was a five star read and the perfect book to start my year. I was looking for an immersive fantasy that I could really sink my teeth into, one that had gods and goddesses, different worlds, badass characters and magic. If you can combine those four elements well, I will legitimately just throw my very little money at you. This book so so delivered.

The Plot... I loved the plot, Hessa is a priestess of the war goddess Eang. She lives and loves in a brutal world where people are slaughtered on the regular because other groups need resources... and sometimes just for the sake of it. Hessa's story starts when we meet her trying to atone for a sin she has committed against her goddess, she is looking for forgiveness that just doesn't seem to come... The plot was fast-paced and interesting at all times. There was never a moment I was bored during this book or simply waiting until I could get to the action. The way the story is written you know that every moment of peace or action is hard-earned and important to the overall story. There was one relationship that I didn't quite feel was wholly necessary considering what had happened right at the start but, no complaints because it did end up being useful to the story.

The Setting... Hall of Smoke is an epic fantasy who's world feels like ancient forests, cold mountains, cruel gods and goddesses and creatures of nightmares trying to gnaw at your bones.

Writing... Written from Hessa's POV the whole time, I really enjoyed it! A lot of the books I have read recently have had multiple POV's and I did not miss that, I enjoyed being back in one persons head for a book. It was very grounded despite being about gods and magic and mythological creatures and flowed so smoothly from chapter to chapter situation to the situation I was so totally immersed the whole time. Hessa was a fascinating character who was forced to deal with some awful stuff but comes out on the other side. She expresses doubt and fear and worry but also determination and an indomitable will to do what is right, she is definitely a new favourite of mine.

This is a viking inspired fantasy full of vengeful gods and goddesses, and is ultimately, a story of personal redemption and learning to believe in oneself. Hessa, our main character, is living in exile after displeasing her Goddess. After the village she lives in is raided and her loved ones killed, she sets out seeking redemption.

In terms of world-building the story is very good, the author has created a land rich in culture, history and religion. We are also given this information naturally through the writing, rather than all at once.. Her descriptions are fantastic and by the end I did like Hessa as a main character. However, I struggled to form an emotive connection with her. The ways she reacted to certain events seemed a bit disconnected with the personality traits we were told the character has, and it took some time for the author to delve into why Hessa might react this way. I can understand why the author chose to do this, but it did mean I found it difficult to empathise with the character for a good chunk of the book. Furthermore, as the story is so focused on Hessa and her personal journey, the lack of interactions with the other characters, made some of her growth seem disingenuous. Over the course of the novel, we were introduced to quite a few secondary characters, but a lot of them seemed to be introduced as plot devices rather than be individuals in their own right.

Since so much of this story is quite literally on the road, I wish the map was at the beginning of the book rather than the end, as it would have been easier to understand the path Hessa takes. The glossary would have also been a useful feature for the beginning, as there were numerous Gods and Goddesses, as well as terms and names, and having the glossary at the beginning would be very useful for those who are trying to avoid spoilers.

Overall, I would give this story 3.5 stars. Whilst this story wasn’t for me, it was undoubtedly a good debut, and I look forward to what the author writes next.

I was given a ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.