Hall of Smoke by HM Long

Hall of Smoke by HM Long has been on my most-anticipated books for 2021 first quarter for multiple reasons. A comparison to the Brian Staveley's first series ( Unhewn Throne, one of my all time favourite debut author series!) and the fact that this one's based off the Viking Sagas was enough reason to convince me to dive into this. 

After having finished this book now, I can firmly say this is a great start to my reading for this year. Hall of Smoke lives up to the hype and expectations, delivering a solid epic fantasy tale of conflicts between Gods and mortals set in a refreshingly original world, inspired by the Viking tales. Stunning world building, frenetic action and wholly unexpected thrills and twists kept me hooked onto this wonderful tale. 

At the centre of the conflict is Hessa, a young warrior-priest dedicated to Goddess Eang, the Goddess of war and one of the most powerful of the faction of New Gods who have overthrown the 'Old Gods'. the tribe of Eang have been at war with the Algatt, who reside up on the mountains and worship Gadr, another one of the New Gods. Beyond these mountains ranges the empire of Arpa, a powerful faction that again worship another pantheon of Gods, led by this powerful God of Gods Lathian. 

As we get into the story, we see that Hessa has been 'punished' by her Goddess for failing to perform a duty assigned to her. According to the prophecies seen by her Goddess, Hessa is supposed to kill this outside traveller named Omaskat who would visit the Eangen. But Hessa, taken in by his kindness and genuine warmth, fails to do so and now has to perform penitence up on the Mountain, next to their place of worship called the Hall of Smoke, giving up on her friends and family for a specific period of time. But this is when her world goes to hell - the Algatt raid her village and kill everybody who are close to her, making prisoners of the rest. Thus begins her quest for redemption - set off on this path by a duplicitous Goddess who no longer 'heeds' the call her worshippers. When Eang makes herself present to the harried Hessa, she realises that her Goddess is afraid. of something or someone waking up, far more powerful than her own allied set of the New Gods. But the key to all the questions is this mysterious stranger, Omaskat whom Hessa is supposed to kill. 

So Hessa sets off on this perilous journey alone, making friends, enemies, crossing borders and treacherous mountain ranges, encountering strange new Gods, creatures of magic and encountering even more questions that she bargained for. The novel is about Hessa's arc of redemption as she discovers secrets about her God, and all the other Gods even as a new world order is being set up. The world is at war and not just between the tribes or the marauding empire. Hessa might just be that pivot on which the balance hangs. 

First things first, I really really enjoyed this novel. It's fast, full of action, intrigue, magic and quests. And Long's lyrical writing keeps you on a song as you traverse this wild landscape of mountains and valleys, lakes full of monstrous creatures and sleeping Gods. The unexpected twists in the story is absolutely delightful as Hessa figures out slowly her set of allies and her enemies, traversing tough terrains and frequently being set upon or being set back in her overall mission. Even the 'mission' that originally is about gaining back the respect and blessing of her own Goddess, slowly morphs as with time. The lines blur and are redrawn. Time and again. 

The world building is exquisite here. drawing upon the lores of perhaps, the multiple Gods and Goddess' of Vikings, the warrior-priests, the different faiths, the empires at war and the different forms of magic, blessed by the Gods is very well brought out by Long. In an organic fashion, befitting the twists and turns of the narrative. Hessa is a great frontliner for the events that tumble out. A courageous young woman out to find her place in this world, not afraid to take on even the Gods, for what she believes is right. A girl with her head set firmly on her own beliefs, refusing to be pulled along by the lines drawn by Fate ( incidentally one of the Older Gods, who has given up her corporal form!) Along the way, she encounters interesting characters, a mix of mortal and immortals on her travels. [Oh yes, she travels quite a bit through the story, exposing us to the wonderful world out there. Pacing falters a bit but we are invested through and through because we know it's all coming to a head, to a mind-blowing finale!] Ogam, born to Eang and the elemental Winter, with his own agenda for re-forming the world alliance. Nisien, an outsider with his own plans for vengeance against the General who has wronged him, Eangi herself with her smouldering rage and the twin-axes, the Mountain God Gadr - and of course the mysterious stranger Omaskat are the secondary characters who flit in and out of Hessa's life, frequently changing the course of it. 

Long frequently presents the notion of 'immortality' to the readers and questions what this entails. The themes of faith, fallibility, power and responsibility are woven throughout the narratives as we question the motives of even Gods. 

Hall of Smoke looks like a standalone book, for now and Hessa's adventures come to a great conclusion, with all questions answered by the end. For a debut, it's masterfully grounded and very well crafted, in terms of storyline, characters and pacing. I cannot wait to read what Long writes next. Definitely one of the top books of the year. Thank you for a great start to 2021 !