Hall of Smoke
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Hall of Smoke
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Narrated by:
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Samara Naeymi
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Written by:
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H. M. Long
About this listen
Epic fantasy featuring warrior priestesses and fickle gods at war, for fans of Brian Staveley's Chronicles of the Unhewn Throne.
Hessa is an Eangi: a warrior priestess of the Goddess of War, with the power to turn an enemy's bones to dust with a scream. Banished for disobeying her goddess's command to murder a traveller, she prays for forgiveness alone on a mountainside.
While she is gone, raiders raze her village and obliterate the Eangi priesthood. Grieving and alone, Hessa - the last Eangi - must find the traveller and atone for her weakness and secure her place with her loved ones in the High Halls. As clans from the north and legionnaires from the south tear through her homeland, slaughtering everyone in their path, Hessa strives to win back her goddess' favour.
Beset by zealot soldiers, deceitful gods, and newly-awakened demons at every turn, Hessa burns her path towards redemption and revenge. But her journey reveals a harrowing truth: the gods are dying and the High Halls of the afterlife are fading. Soon Hessa's trust in her goddess weakens with every unheeded prayer.
Thrust into a battle between the gods of the Old World and the New, Hessa realizes there is far more on the line than securing a life beyond her own death. Bigger, older powers slumber beneath the surface of her world. And they're about to wake up.
©2021 H. M. Long (P)2021 Recorded BooksWhat listeners say about Hall of Smoke
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Sing, Muse
- 2021-01-21
Binged it and loved it
Can’t believe I finished this already but I love the narrator and the story is fantastic. The perfect escape for me during this winter!
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Sarah Dee
- 2023-01-20
4.5 stars
Beautifully written, well developed world, great narration - can’t wait to pick up the next book in the same world.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Langer MD
- 2023-02-12
Passable Selection
H.M. Long contrives an intriguing world where Gods walk among their worshippers - partcipating in rituals, overseeing ceremonies, and killing each other with violent, reckless abandon. Direct interactions between mortals and deities opens up plot/dialogue possibilities that are quite unique.. and Long takes advantage with an encounter-heavy tale about 'Hessa' (priestess of 'Eang' - Goddess of War), journeying across the realm in pursuit of a man she was supposed to assassinate on order from her Goddess - but didn't. On the way, she discovers a war between the "Old" and "New" Gods with implications for humanity.
Long's prose/vocabulary is praiseworthy, her imagination is expansive, and her description is vivid - but she wastes her opportunity somewhat by focussing on conflicted motivations, interactions between the priestess and peripheral figures, and character development in general. Notwithstanding a pulsepounding climax, the plotting could have been so much better. *sigh*
Recorded Books Inc. did a great job hiring Samara Naeymi to read the book, though. Her diction, cadence, rate of reading, and tone are spot-on.. and her distinctive voice-acting and interested tone are some of the best that I have encountered in a long time.
The most impressive aspect of Naeymi's narration, however, is an incredibly pleasant reading timbre: Naeymi has a subdued, very slight Irish brogue accent that I could listen to for days. I will definitely look out for more titles performed by her. The technical support is furthermore exemplary on this recording.
It's unfortunate that the peerless performance & sound quality can't elevate 'Hall Of Smoke' beyond 7.5 stars out of 10. The book - offered as a 'Plus' option - is a little bit slow for my tastes.. but would absolutely merit a Credit for any fan of imaginative cerebral Fantasy.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Melissa Davis
- 2021-08-12
Phenomenal!
Loved this story so much. Engaging and fresh! Hessas journey was relatable and I really felt for her struggle to find truth in the world.
Excellent narrator. Will be looking for other books she narrates.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- steve
- 2023-04-14
Should have 1000+ 4-5 star reviews
As far as top tier fantasy goes. this book should be in the runnings. It's a shame its only reached a relatively small audience in comparison to some of the big blockbusters.
Such a cool take on old and new gods. Gave me "american gods" and "poppy war" vibes while staying true to its own lane. Had everything I personally look for in a great fantasy. Awesome battles , a unique magic system. Characters you connect with and characters you love to hate .
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