Title: The Hallows
Author: H. L. Tinsley
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Urban Fantasy / Noir
Format: Paperback / Ebook
Release Date: March 22, 2024
Star Rating: 8/10
Summary
The Hallow serum was once sacred to the Auld Bloods. Used to gain access to their lost ancestral powers, now it is regulated and administered by the powerful Providence Company. Evolved from the echelons of the Auld Church, the company exists to maintain the balance between faith, science, and politics.
But keeping the peace between humans and Auld Bloods isn’t easy. Taking Hallow comes at a price. Providence Company Assessor Cam must deal with backstreet bootleggers, burnt-out addicts, and floating nuns who won’t stay on the ground.
When a string of Auld Blood deaths appear to have been caused by a corrupted batch of Hallow, Cam begins to suspect all may not be as it seems. Bodies are piling up. Someone is hiding something, and the consequences are becoming monstrous.
Review
The Hallows by H. L. Tinsley is a 1920s urban fantasy, which was a very nice change in pace!
It’s not as dark as her previous series, but it still is just as unique and wonderfully weird. I mean, floating nuns who somehow turned into fighters as well? How could I not ask for an early copy to read??
What makes this book so much fun?
The characters. I loved how the camaraderie and banter made for a great contrast and counterbalance to a rather bleak at times world. There is humour to be found between the grit, and it worked very well for me! I mean, these teams who are used to gruesome scenes and fighting, are grouped into themes. Our main team—garden—has not just our male main character, Camellia, but also others like Forget Me Not. It should be strange, but it just worked so well in this world for some reason.
I also really appreciated how Tinsley didn’t just describe how these people look, but rather focused on how a scene is set, and feels. As someone with aphantasia, I was utterly engrossed in the world, while descriptions that are just on the surface level of how things look often leave me a bit cold.
The worldbuilding is slowly trickled in, but deepens out quite a bit. I love how corporate greed, religious themes and also some social responsibilities are all weaved throughout the story, so it feels rather realistic, instead of a very black and white world.
The friction, and also a willingness to grow regular humans, and auld blood together, while other groups try to separate and spread hate, felt is as relevant to today’s society as it ever was.
But this book can’t just make you think, it also has fast paced and addictive action scenes that had me glued to the pages! Be it monsters, previously mentioned floating nuns, or just a race against time, I was hooked.
So, a good deal of depth in the issues covered, balanced out by a good dose of humour, flavoured with a nice pinch of weirdness, all stirred with good action. What’s not to love?
Author Bio
Based in the UK, H. L. Tinsley is an author of fantasy, horror, and grimdark fiction, and a regular contributor to gaming and pop culture websites and blogs. Her debut novel, We Men of Ash and Shadow was a SPFBO7 finalist. The sequel, The Hand that Casts the Bone, was released in 2022.
She is currently the resident DM for the Page Chewing forums and runs regular online game sessions.
You can follow her on Twitter @hollytinsl3y.
T. O. Munro