HM Long writes such great fantasy stories centering women, their journey, and not romance. Although I love romantasy, Long gives us unique stories that play on the strength of her characters and their struggles. She’s a gem in the fantasy world. I will read anything by this author.

This is the sort of book that I should really love and I can't quite put my finger on why it doesn't quite work for me. Ostensibly, this is a story full of powerful magic, interesting characters and a fascinating hierarchy of gods, all of which are things that I enjoy. The setting feels Norse inspired, with lots of tribal elements and a female protagonist that pulls absolutely no punches - again, all buzz words for me. For some reason, however, all of these things just don't quite add up to a thoroughly enjoyable reading experience and I found myself a little bit bored in parts. Overall, I know for a fact that there are people who will eat this series up and I will continue to read it, but it isn't a new favourite, which I honestly thought it could be.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I am happy to say that I loved Temple of No God nearly as much as I loved Hall of Smoke.

H.M Long's writing continued to amaze me - especially the action sequences! And though we are following some of the same characters as the first book it somehow manages to explore new aspects of them - in addition to the wonderful world building.

Hessa is such an intriguing character and as we meet her ten years after Hall of Smoke she is both well known and new. I honestly adored the relationships between characters, especially Hessa's and her husband, and loved the exploration of godhood and religion. Also! The way of H.M Long builds tension in this book reminds me a little of game play and honestly it's wonderful.

Solid four star read and I cannot wait to keep enjoying this author's writing.

In this companion novel to Hall of Smoke, we once again follow Hessa, now high priestess of Thvynder. Years after the Upheaval, peace has finally settled around the Eangen and the Algatt, and Hessa has built a life for herself among her people. Yet when a cult surrounding a mysterious god rises and the Arpa Empire comes knocking at Hessa's door again, Hessa finds peace may be untenable.

The second book in the Hall of Smoke series was just as gripping as the prior installment. I was happy we were once again following Hessa, my axe-wielding warrior queen, as well as seeing some other familiar faces. One of Long's strengths is character work, and it once again showed in this book. While the Upheaval is long past and Hessa is the head of her village, she is still troubled. Her new husband, Imnir, is of the Algatt tribe and their marriage is more of a marriage of convenience to unite their people after their past skirmishes. Imnir himself is a former priest of Frir, goddess of deah, and has lost his family as well in the raids between the Algatt and Eangen. Despite, Hessa finds herself longing for something real between them and wants to start a family. Yet Imnir keeps giving her mixed signals and pushes her away. While I wouldn't call it a romance plot necessarily, the relationship between Imnir and Hessa was complicated and layered, with both parties still hung up on their former partners and families. I liked how H. M. Long explored the topic of grief and second chances here. I also loved seeing Nisien, Gadr and Estavius again, seeing how they fared since the first book made me really happy.

Apart from Hessa's personal struggles, the Arpa Empire requests her help in crowning a new Emperor and asks her to come south with them again. Hessa agrees, mainly to save her people from new threats of expansion from the Empire and to stop the new Laru cult, which seems to be draining life force from the land. We again saw some meddling gods and more lore around the Arpa Empire, which I loved. Long's worldbuilding is to be commended. I found myself fully whisked away to her Norse inspired world.

The pacing overall was great, the cinematic action was well-balanced with quieter moments and introspection and Long's prose flows really well. I highly recommend the book to fans of John Gwynne's The Shadow of the Gods. 4/5 stars.

My thanks to Titan Books for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Temple of No God’ by H.M. Long, It was published in February 2022. My apologies for the late feedback.

This is listed as a standalone sequel to ‘Hall of Smoke’. Yet given that its protagonist and narrator, Hessa, remained the same, even if ten years have passed, it really didn’t feel especially standalone to me.

While Long does include a useful glossary of names after the main text, I felt that she was light on providing background on previous and interlinking events. This left me struggling a little in the beginning even though I enjoyed reconnecting to Hessa’s voice and Long’s storytelling style.

There was plenty of action that quickly proved immersive. I also enjoyed seeing how Hessa’s various relationships developed including with her new canine companion, Nui.

Overall, I found ‘Temple of No God’ a well constructed epic fantasy and am looking forward to the two further novels set within this fascinating world.

This is a very strong sequel. I really enjoyed where the plot went, but more than that I loved the character growth and how their complicated relationships changed and evolved through the series. It was great to see the characters fight their way through their difficulties as well as see them err and make mistakes, fully facing the consequences of their actions. I did become very attached to this cast and hope the author writes more in this world and they have set it up wonderfully. My only criticism is that two male characters are said to have romantic feelings for each other that they are choosing to ignore, then a few chapters later referred to as “blood brothers” which I feel dismissed those feelings and did highlight the lack of diversity in regard to the sexuality of the characters, but I don’t think it’s a big issue and feel the author will have more inclusive casts in their future works.

Temple of No God is an exciting and welcome return to the world of Hall of Smoke.

Temple of No God introduces us to an older Hessa. Several years has gone by since the events of Hall of Smoke, and as High Priestess of Thvynder and leader of the Eangen, she has her hands full. But when a new threat rises from the old Arpa Empire, she has to do whatever she can to keep the fragile peace she created.

It was an absolute joy to return to the world of Hall of Smoke. Inspired by Viking and Roman mythology, but with it’s own twisted version of a pantheon, the world-building is once again solid. Characters are flawed and realistic. None of the important players are simply good or evil, but have their own intentions and reasons to do what they do.

One thing I will say is, Temple of No God is being advertised as a stand-alone. I disagree: though the story itself is easily read as a stand-alone, the history of the characters brings so much more life to the book, the reader would be missing out greatly by not having read Hall of Smoke. So beware of that, when diving into Temple of No God.

Temple of No God is a rollercoaster of myths and magic, gods and humans, emotions and war, and I can’t wait for the third book.

Temple of the god was such an amazing read, We follow Hessa - a high priestess who is going into battle - 10 years after the events in Hall of Smoke. Although this book is standalone I really do recommend reading the first book to get a decent grasp on the world and how things are.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Titan Books for providing me with an eARC!

A solid read that had the potential (and the ingredients!) to be perfect for me. I still enjoy Hessa as a main character and the world remains perfect - especially the other world, the world of the gods. But there still was something missing for me.

"Will I crown a new emperor, or slit his throat?”

Last year, I reviewed a standalone fantasy called Hall of Smoke by H.M. Long. I freaking loved it, and learning the author wrote a sequel, I just knew I had to read it as well.

Temple of No God follows up after the events of Hall of Smoke, which ofcourse I can't discuss in detail because, spoilers, so I'll only tell you my immediate thoughts while reading it.

First off, the writing is just as I remembered it, atmospheric and engaging. The main character, Hessa, too, is just as interesting.

However, where it fell off for me was that in the first book, I praised the worldbuilding a lot, but in this book, I feel like there was little that was added to the lore, and the plot is overly simple in contrast to book 1.

It also started unbelievably slow, and though I really wanted to get to it, I struggled finding the right mood to continue reading.

What was added though was the marriage conflict, and while I did not dislike it, I hope the book focused also on putting more into the fantasy plot instead.

Still, the final chapters and the ending were amazing, so I'm giving this book a 3 out of 5 stars.

I simply adored Hall of Smoke and couldn't wait for Temple of No God to come out. I loved the world and the characters and Temple of No God doesn't let you down at all. While it is a standalone it is set 10 years after Hall of Smoke. I can't wait for Long's next book!

4 stars - This was a good follow up to HM Longs first novel Hall of Smoke. I would definitely recommend reading that first, and I still slightly prefer it. However it was great to be back with Hessa, who is more mature and assured but still relatable and with different struggles than before. Longs writing is hugely evocative and descriptive and the best part of the novel. Some characters stand out more than others, particularly Uspa and Nui (the dog!) while Hessa's husband Imnir fell a bit flat for me.
The battle scenes were quite short but impactful when they did happen. Overall a very good reading experience which I would recommend and I am looking forward to the next installment in the series.
Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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.

A great read for me! Another thrilling adventure with Hessa! She’s a bad*ass priestess! Character wise they are all describe/depict properly, and the chemistry and bond of teach other are so so good that you’ll feel while reading. Plot like Hall of Smoke is good. Phase wise, you’ll be surprise! There are times it is a walk in the moon (quite slow) but then parts will come then you’ll be-in fast pace that everyone loves! Battle scenes are awesome as usual!

So i found this series thanks to tiktok and the cover had a women with an axe and i am a sucker for a girl with axes. this book picks up where book 1 finishes and as i read both right after each other i was happy to see this. the world building in this book is perfect and nice to see a gift from the gods having a side effort. i say this as feel alot of book in this genre have magical gift that just allow the MC to do as they please. but in this series all gift come with a price and it was one of the biggest things for me.

the character drag you in kick and scream and never let you do and in the end you dont want to let them go. all in all this book was just as good as book 1.

Temple of No God is an awesome sequel to Hall of Smoke by H.M. Long. I got a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. Set several years after the great war that led to Thvynder’s appearance, Hessa sets out on a perilous journey that will set her up against a deadly cult with magic that sucks the life out of everything. She’ll be faced with a choice – crown or kill the up-and-coming emperor of the once-great Arpa Empire.

Accompanied by her husband (the result of a political, loveless marriage) and a whole host of powerful companions, Hessa marches on in an effort to preserve the fragile peace she and her people enjoy. All the while trying to salvage what remains of her relationship with her husband. Temple of No God is a story of perseverance and overcoming loss, of growth and change, and finding hope again. It was an incredibly pleasant book, even if it starts a bit slow and has some trouble with pacing. Definitely a recommended read for fans of high fantasy and rich lore.

DNF @ 35% - I liked Hall of Smoke and I loved coming back to the same main character but I couldn't connect with the new plotline around her new husband - or trying to piece together the events of the past ten years. I ended up finding it a bit disparate and it didn't connect with me personally. I think maybe this kind of standalone-continuation middle ground doesn't really work for me.

This was an enjoyable book with good characters and plot. I love strong female leads in books, and you get exactly that in this novel. Both books function as stand alones, but I recommend you read both, as it follows the same lead! I recommend this book to anyone that enjoys reading high fantasy, specifically fantasy that has a viking/norse vibe to it. Thank you to Netgalley, the author & publisher for this ARC.

We return to a world of ancient gods and fierce warriors, of towering snow-cloaked mountains and winding sunkissed deltas, of false deities and power-hungry priests and ambitious immortals, in Temple of No God.


Thank you to Titan Books (and Ellie) for sending me an arc of this book in return for an honest review!



I was beyond excited to get my hands on this sequel to Hall of Smoke, a viking inspired adult fantasy I thoroughly enjoyed reading, almost exactly a year ago as it happens.


Hessa’s story picks up a few years after the events of Hall of Smoke.
Our warrior priestess has forged peace between the warring northern tribes but when an offer arrives on her doorstep from the crumbling Arpa Empire, she can't refuse.
And so begins a journey into new and dangerous lands.
A meandering and winding plot is something I've come to expect from Long’s writing but this is by no means a negative.
As with HoS, the story unfurls strand by strand, painting a world in shades of brutal and beautiful at the same time.
The southern lands and magics were gorgeously rendered and a delightfully stark contrast to Hessa’s home in the forested frozen north.
We meet new character’s on this journey, Uspa being my absolute favorite, read it and you’ll know why.
The emotional turmoil and difficult decisions Hessa had to deal with as she navigated this foreign and often barbaric land, left me heartstore more than once but lent so much growth to this already wonderfully complex heroine.

I do wish we’d seen more of Hessa’s close circle of Eangen and Algatt priests and priestesses but I hold out hope they may be expanded on in the third companion book!
Foreshadowing is something Long writes flawlessly, sliding in tiny moments and phrases that, if you pay proper attention, all fit together perfectly when the reveal moments arrive.
And my goddess, there were some dramatic twists and reveals!
As with HoS the action sequences were impactful and brilliantly written and a certain finale fight made my gamer heart very happy.


Overall this was an excellent sequel, full of intrigue and treachery, blood and blades and did I mention a very cute doggo who I would kill to protect?

4-5 stars

Rounded up from a 3.5

Hall of Smoke, the first book in this series by H.M. Long, was one of my favorites of 2021, so I was thrilled when I got the chance to receive an ARC of the second book via Netgalley! While I did love catching up with Hessa, Nisien, and Estavius, I wasn't as enthralled by this sequel as I was hoping.

Hessa is now thirty, a High Priestess of the resurrected God Thyvinder, and married to a High Priest of an enemy tribe in the hopes of bringing their people together. She is older, wiser, and even more deadly than before. After the Upheaval, Rome-inspired Arpa is in turmoil; not only do they have no Emperor, their Gods are dead, leaving their souls with no one to shepherd them to the afterlife. Castor, a nefarious legionary from the first book, has made a reappearance and been tasked by pretender to the Arpa throne, Bresius, to find Hessa and ask her to join their cause. Being a High Priestess, she is one of the only people who can enter the Penumbra, this world's Mount Olympus for the Arpa Gods, and touch the Blood of Eiohe, which gives the Emperor his power and extraordinarily long life.

She agrees, and is once again thrown into the center of dangerous divine machinations, some that may change the very course of the world she fought so hard to make better.

I expected to love this one as much as the last, and while much of the ride was enjoyable, there were also parts that seemed monotonous -- the majority of the book involves travelling across Arpa and getting into several fights with the mysterious Laru, priests of a new and dangerous God working against Hessa and company. The worldbuilding is dense and so well done and is probably one of the most original and fun fantasy worlds I've encountered, and definitely stands out amongst all the legions of fantasies inspired by Medieval Europe. Honestly, I was expecting more of the previous characters, like Sixnit and her two children, Vistic and Thray, who I felt had the most potential for new stories, to be involved, and was a little disappointed they only had a scene or two. I'm excited to see where Hessa goes next, but Hall of Smoke still stands as the best so far in this series. Pick up Temple of No God if you're like me and want more of this breathtaking world and mythology.